Page 5 of The Plot Twist

Allie felt her face flush and hoped that Verity would mistake the visible evidence of her lying shame for embarrassment. Verity released her. ‘The thing I love about your writing Allie is that it’s always inspired me.’

‘Inspired you?’

‘Yes, I mean through all of the terrible dates and heartbreak. Your novels have always inspired me to carry on believing in true love despite the odds.’ Verity’s eyes shone with excitement and perhaps a little too much champagne.

‘Despite the odds,’ echoed Allie weakly.

‘And now,’ Verity continued, ‘now I know it was all worth it and you were right!’

‘I was?’

‘Yes! Now that I’ve met Richard, I know it was all worth it. And you were right all along, there is such a thing asThe One!’

Ah, Richard,thought Allie. The elusive but often referenced Richard. Allie hadn’t yet met the man who had captured the heart of Verity, and still she felt like she knew him intimately. For the last six months every time Allie had spoken to Verity, Richard had been shoehorned into the conversation.

Unfortunately, given Allie’s current situation, Verity’s newfound status as a happily coupled woman made her even more enthusiastic about the world of romance publishing. As if every book about happy-ever-afters was a blueprint for her future with Richard.

‘So erm, how is Richard?’ asked Allie, hoping that Verity would regale her with whatever the latest act of romance Richard had carried out and prove a distraction from the case of the missing manuscript. Or even better, some inspiration for her book.

‘Oh, he’s amazing, Allie, I can’t wait for you to meet him. Actually, speaking of which…’

Allie looked around her, wondering whether Richard was about to pop out from one of the porticos around the courtyard.

‘I really need to introduce you to someone,’ Verity continued. ‘Or rather re-introduce you.’

‘Oh?’ Allie felt disappointed not to be surprised by Richard. ‘Who?’ she asked, trying to still sound interested.

‘Jake Matthews.’ A strangely flat tone had entered Verity’s voice, completely at odds with the breathless excitement that she used when she had been speaking about Richard. Her eyes had also glazed over and Allie noticed with some consternation that Verity was now twisting her hands together in what looked alarmingly like a classic symptom of anxiety.

‘Who’s Jake Matthews?’ Given Verity’s reaction to speaking his name, Allie wasn’t sure she actually wanted the answer to this but felt it was the polite thing to do when you were about to be introduced to the aforementioned.

Verity, who had been glancing over her shoulder into the courtyard behind, turned back and looked at Allie with surprise. ‘Jake Matthews!’ she exclaimed. ‘I introduced you to him at your last book launch. Don’t you remember?’

Allie shrugged. She wasn’t sure if she did remember, she always found her book launches to be a bit of a whirlwind and she was introduced to lots of people that she could subsequently never remember the names of.

‘He had just come over from Penguin, where he singlehandedly rearranged the sales and marketing teams and made them the most efficient in the business.’ Allie noticed with interest that the breathy tone had made a reappearance in Verity’s voice, which was quickly drowned out by a note of fear as she continued, ‘And apparently had a hand in axing half of editorial at the same time.’

Verity stared at Allie, making her think uncomfortably of a rabbit in headlights.

‘Right,’ Allie said, unnerved by the fear that was coming in waves off Verity. ‘Yes, I think I remember.’

‘He’s just been made publisher,’ Verity said, her voice now sounding slightly strangled.

‘OK,’ Allie said warily, ‘and I should meet him because…?’

Verity hustled Allie back into the throng of the party, her hand now like a grip of steel around Allie’s elbow. Allie looked down at her arm and then back up at Verity.

‘Verity,’ Allie said firmly, ‘why do I need to meet Jake Matthews?’

‘Because,’ Verity said as she steered them around the cocktail bar.

‘Because what?’ insisted Allie, watching the tray of mai tais sail off sadly into the distance and thinking that this might be it. This might be the moment she discovered that Veritywasleaving her and that this Jake Matthews, the scourge of editorial, was going to be her new editor.

‘Because he’s important, and I think it would be good for you to meet him, OK?’

‘OK. Erm, Verity, do you think we could get a drink before we go meet him?’

Verity sighed. ‘Yes, of course, sorry Allie. I’m a bit on edge.’ Verity stopped them in front of a white-shirted waiter who was carrying a tray of wine and water. Allie tried not to feel too sad that their sojourn to the far reaches of the party had obviously meant they missed the champagne window. And that the attractive waiter from earlier seemed to have vanished, too, leaving behind this disappointing, barely post-adolescent, unibrowed version.

---