Page 102 of Shout Out To My Ex

Before Paloma goes all ‘Impossible Mission Force’ on me and puts in a call to Tom Cruise, I leap in. ‘No, no, we have a convincing decoy. And the paparazzi will be going on the wildest of goose chases, I promise.’

‘Good,’ says Saskia. ‘So, what was the second thing, Poppy?’

Before I continue, I inhale a long slow breath through my nose. This is it – either the only thing that can get this case back on track or the end of the line.

‘I think we need to read in the client,’ I say, my tone measured.

‘Sorry, did you say—’ Saskia starts.

‘You mean thepublicist?’ Paloma asks to clarify.

‘I mean the client – not Cassie Bliss, who engaged us – but Elle Bliss. I’m asking to read her in and, after she proceeds as I suspect she will – revealing all to Leo – we regroup and determine a way forward.’

I love it when ‘Professional Poppy’ takes over and I sound all… well… professional.

‘And Paloma?’ I add before they can respond. ‘My best guess is that from tomorrow, we’ll need to PR the hell out of this.’

‘Oi, Poppy,’ says Nasrin.

‘Uh, yes?’

‘You forgetting thatIbrought in this case –andI’m your second. You should have?—’

‘Nasrin,’ says Saskia, interrupting her rant, ‘those are both salient points but let’s revisit them when we’re all back in the office.’ Great, can’twaitfor that convo.

Other than a muffled harumph, which sounds like Nas, the line goes quiet. I suspect that Saskia and Paloma are having one of their ‘mind-meld’ chats through the air.

‘That’s sorted then,’ says Saskia a few moments later. ‘Poppy, read in the client.’

Relieved, I exhale with a ‘phoof’ that echoes around the toilet – oops.

‘And don’t forget the NDA,’ says Paloma.

Right, so potentially blow up my client’s worldandhave her sign a non-disclosure agreement. Got it.

‘Oh, and Poppy, can you be in by eight tomorrow?’ she asks.

‘Yes, absolutely.’

‘Good,’ she says. ‘Then we’ll get started on the PR campaign – you, me, Nasrin, and Marie.’

‘Cool.’

Cool?I must be more rattled than I thought.

I end the call, thrilled but stunned I got the green light, and when I get back to the office, Prue has already left on ‘Project Decoy’, and Zara and Gaz, the third staff member, have gone home for the day.

‘Are you all right, Poppy?’ Elle asks.

‘Uh, yeah, why?’

‘Just wondered if you were sick or something. You were in the loo for an age.’

‘Oh,’ I say, laughing loudly at myself. ‘Dodgy curry,’ I lie. I flick a glance towards Cassie, who’s staring at her desktop, then meet Elle’s eye and smile broadly.

The poor woman – she has no idea what we’re about to tell her.

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