‘Forget it,’ I say. ‘It’s probably just a misunderstanding.’
‘Probably. Now, do you want to hear about my new client or not?’
‘I thought you were sworn to secrecy?’
‘You’re sworn to secrecy if I tell you. You can’t even tell Mr Insurance.’
I roll my eyes again. ‘You’re going to have to stop calling him that now we’re getting married. He’s not really into celebrity culture anyway. Go on then, tell me.’
Rob looks over his shoulder to check the coast is clear.
‘We’re not in a John le Carré novel,’ I snigger. But the name he whispers wipes the smile off my face.
‘Sydney Scott. But she’s—’
‘Massive.’
‘Massive doesn’t even begin… She’s on a whole different level. She’s the only female to ever win an Oscar for best actress and best original screenplay. She’s Ben Affleck and Matt Damon rolled into one. And she’s a nice person too – she’s done loads of work with street kids in Asia – the UN gave her some award for it, before she had that nasty break-up with the guy from Prison Break who looks like Justin Bieber. I think he’s in prison or something now.’
‘Thanks for the bio,’ Rob cuts in smugly when I pause for breath. ‘She’s actually really cool. And when the news breaks that I’ve been training her, my career will go stratospheric. I might even get a book deal.’
‘You’ll have to give Flare first rights to your genius.’
‘Natch. I was talking to her about you as it goes. She said she might be looking to do some promotional interviews when it’s announced she’s doing the film. I bigged you up and she was quite keen to meet you.’
‘No way.’
‘Way.’
‘Oh my god, Rob, you’re the best.’ I imagine letting slip in the next editorial meeting that I’ve scored an interview with Sydney Scott. Normally I don’t even speak unless someone asks me a question.
‘All right, I’ll set up a meeting. I know they’re looking at a bunch of magazines though, so it’s no guarantee. But you can consider it an extra Christmas present if it works out. You still can’t tell anyone though.’
‘I won’t.’ Normally I’d be telling Izzy before Rob had even paused for breath. Tonight, I want to keep the news to myself.
‘Speaking of Christmas.’ I bat my eyelashes at Rob the way I used to when I was fifteen and we needed him to go to the off-licence for us. ‘I don’t know if you’ve bought my present yet?’
‘Do I look like the kind of guy who buys anything before Christmas Eve?’
I smile. I knew he would say that. ‘Why don’t you swerve the hell that is shopping on Christmas Eve and shout me some free PT sessions instead?’
‘Why the sudden interest?’
‘Er, because I’m getting married. And –’ I pluck the material around my stomach ‘– doesn’t every bride want to look their best on their big day?’
‘Bec, you’ve got the kind of figure most women would kill for. But if you want to get fit the best thing to do is take up running. I’ll write you a programme then you need to do a park run or one of those 10ks Izzy’s always boasting about on Facebook.’
‘Maybe.’ I can’t imagine anything worse.
‘Isn’t there one on Boxing Day? She posted it the other week.’
‘You’re awfully clued up on what she’s doing.’ I arch my eyebrows.
‘You can’t help what you see on Facebook. It’s all in the algorithm. I’ll sign us both up. Now, can we get back to discussing my career as a celebrity training consultant? What shall I buy first – Ferrari or Porsche?’
11.05 p.m.
I use catching up with Rob as an excuse to stay outside for most of the party. He ferries me drinks from inside and a few people pop out – mainly for illicit cigarettes. At one point there are so many glowing ends dancing through the air, they look like fireflies. Rich doesn’t come back though.
Just after eleven, Rob insists we go back inside.
‘It’s all right for you – wearing my jacket – but I’m freezing my nuts off. And you are supposed to put in a bit of an appearance at your own party.’ He crosses the gravel and pulls open the bi-fold doors before I can argue. The kitchen’s empty apart from a few sulky teenagers loading the dishwasher under Izzy’s supervision. At the click of the door, she comes rushing over.
‘There you are. Hello, Rob.’
‘Izzy.’ Rob waves his hand in a mock-salute, which Izzy ignores. She’s too busy pursing her lips, which I know is to do with the smell of cigarettes. ‘Have you been smoking, Bec?’
‘I think there’s a bonfire a few houses down.’ I automatically trot out the excuse I used as a teenager even though right now I don’t really care what Izzy thinks of me.
‘Next you’ll be telling us you were holding it for a friend.’ Rob smirks. ‘I’m going upstairs. I’ll leave you to it. Laters.’
‘Bec, you’d better come with me before you see Ed. I hope you haven’t left any butts outside for Tilly to find.’
Izzy marches me down the corridor to the downstairs bathroom. She locks the door behind us and immediately starts burrowing in the cupboard under the sink.
‘What are you like?’ She moves a set of crisply folded monogrammed hand towels onto the tiles beside her and carries on looking. ‘Lucky for you, I know I’ve got some old perfume back here somewhere.’
I scrutinize the back of her head. Now that we’re alone, I’ve got no excuse not to confront her. I steel myself.
‘Why did you tell Ed not to tell me you were going back to work?’
She bangs her head on the bottom of the basin. ‘What do you mean?’
I fight my natural instinct to ask if she’s okay. I don’t want to get side-tracked. ‘When I asked him why he hadn’t told me, he said you’d asked him not to.’
There’s a clink then Izzy emerges, holding two different perfume bottles. ‘I didn’t ask him not to tell you. I simply told him his focus should be on the engagement party and my news could wait until afterwards.’
‘Really?’ I look at her. There’s a pink mark on her forehead where it connected with the basin but other than that her whole face is perfectly smooth and guileless. I wonder if I’m being a total lunatic.
‘I promise. Why would I tell him not to tell you? I would have told you myself but the last couple of weeks have been crazy. Tilly’s had that horrible cold and trying to pull this party together at such short notice has been a massive strain. If you think about it, we haven’t really had a chance to sit down together.’
She’s right. She’s cancelled our last two catch-ups.
‘I was waiting until after the party because I wanted tonight to be about you. I had no idea Ed was going to mention the job. I was pretty embarrassed about the whole thing. The last thing I want is for you to think I’m keeping things from you.’
Izzy’s eyes mist up and I feel a wave of guilt in spite of myself. ‘I’m sorry.’