“I’ve got your number” by Sophie Kinsella

(50 pages, a short summary)

The main character is Poppy Wyatt. She is a physiotherapist and this girl is getting
married to an academic. A week before her wedding, while celebrating with her
friends an unfortunate incident happens. Poppy simultaneously loses her
engagement ring. She begins to lose her calm. Poppy misplaces her engagement
ring in a hotel where she attended a Marie Curie Champagne Tea with her friends.
She is desperate as her future parents-in-law are returning home after being in
Chicago and she is afraid to tell them about the lost ring, a precious family
heirloom. She remembers there had been eight of her friends at the table, drinking
and eating, when someone asked to try on her engagement ring. She wonders if
one of these girls could have taken it and wishes she had not left the table,
especially since she didn't know the fire alarm was about to sound, leaving them all
scurrying out in a frenzy. Poppy steps outside for a minute when her phone gets
stolen. She understands now that people won't be able to get in touch with her. She
has been giving her mobile number to all the staff at the hotel. But suddenly she
spots a tossed mobile phone in the bin.
Poppy knows that it's wrong to keep the phone but she desperately needs it so that
people can update her on the ring, so she goes ahead and gives everyone this new
number. The phone rings. It's a man and he wants to speak with Violet. Poppy tells
him that this is no longer Violet's number. This man becomes angry, because
Violet is the name of his personal assistant. He also asks if the Japanese people at
the hotel are leaving. Poppy is very confused but then she answers that she sees a
group of people in front of her and says that one man in a blue suit is there at the
hotel, and he looks angry. The man on the phone says that she must stop that man
from leaving. She agrees, running over to the man, which name is Mr Yamasaki.
She tells him she has a singing telegram for them, a message from all of his fans.
She then sings, which makes him look delighted. She asks in the phone if the man
is still there and it turns out he is watching her display from the other side of the
room. He wants the phone but Poppy tells him she is going to keep it since his
personal assistant threw it away. She gets home and finds Magnus (her fiancé)
there. He tells her that his parents' trip has been delayed. Magnus also tells her that
his parents weren't happy to hear about their engagement. When her new phone
rings, it's Sam again. He wants the phone back but she begs him to keep it for a
while longer, promising to inform him of any messages that come through for him.
The hotel informs her that someone found the ring but it has gone missing again
because it is not in any of their safes. Poppy doesn't get the chance to speak to
Magnus before the evening with his parents. Well, she pretends to have suffered a
burn on her hand so that they won't see her ring is missing. After an awkward
dinner with his parents, they play Scrabble. Poppy isn't very successful at the game
but fortunately Sam is there to help: he secretly sends words to her phone so that
she can play better.
Magnus informs Poppy that his mother has asked a doctor to look at Poppy's burnt
hand just to be safe. She freaks out, but Sam suggests she get a fake ring from a
connection he knows. She worries at first, but later agrees. She meets Sam the next
day. They visit Mark, the man, who will create a fake ring in a few hours.
While they're there, Poppy tells Sam that he needs to write e-mails that aren't so
abrupt. She has been reading them on the phone and thinks he could write better.
He gets upset at her criticism. She is pleased with herself when her phone receives
e-mails for Sam that seem to appreciate Poppy's warmer tone that she has been
using when writing on his behalf. The fake ring looks almost as perfect as the real
one, and fools Magnus, but Poppy is hopeful that it will be able to con his parents,
too. They go over to the church where Poppy feels a flash of excitement that she
will be married in a week. Her future mother-in-law, Wanda, scrutinizes the ring
but luckily doesn't notice it's not the genuine thing. Poppy's wedding planner
arrives, with great news that she found her engagement ring on the lining of her
bag. Everyone is stunned at this announcement..
Later, she overhears Magnus and his parents speaking at the back of the church and
hears words such as 'mistake' and 'bloody disaster' . She feels proud that Magnus
backed her up, but still shaky that his parents don't like her.
Meanwhile, she has continued sending e-mails on Sam’s behalf, taking over how
he deals with colleagues. She agreed to present flowers to a colleague named
Lindsay on her birthday, and then stupidly places kisses at the end of the email,
instantly regretting it because it's too personal. She ends up going to an event
because Sam didn't want to go, thinking she can get away with it because Sam is in
Germany, but she nearly dies of shock when she sees him there.
She is placed in greater discomfort when people congratulate Sam for his
wonderful e-mails - apparently he had also agreed to participate in a Fun Run and
had sent an e-card of condolence for a young girl's dog that died. Poppy has to
confess to Sam that she had sent an e-mail to everyone in the company on his
behalf, telling them that they should send through ideas for the company to him, to
create a warmer environment. He is really angry at everything she has done. Sam
meets Poppy the next day at a restaurant so that she can return the mobile phone.
Although he seems a bit cold at first, he surprises her by thanking her for what she
has done, such as with encouraging people at work. But then he takes her phone
from her and scrutinizes her messages, giving her criticism the way she did with
him. He wants to know why she is so afraid of not being liked.He reads a list she
had saved on her phone, featuring all the things she has to do before the wedding,
such as become an expert in Greek philosophy and learn long Scrabble words to
impress Magnus's parents. She is very embarrassed.