Page 85 of Shout Out To My Ex

‘And that’sall?’ Jacinda presses.

Okay, biryani can wait. I need to save my bestie from an inquisition, and I leap in to change the subject.

‘So, who’d like to hear about Paris Fashion Week?’

Ravi groans, which Tristan sniggers at, Lauren sits up taller, giving me an I’m-all-ears look, and Shaz sends me a grateful smile. The twitch of Jacinda’s mouth reveals she’s on to me, but remains undeterred. I’m going to have to be on my toes tonight.

Recounting my Paris trip, I stick to what Icantell them – as in, nothing about the match but all about the H&M party and the fashion shows.

‘Ugh, I don’t know what sounds more boring,’ says Ravi, ‘watching a bunch of models parade up and down or having to pretend to enjoy it.’

‘Don’t be such a grouch, Rav,’ says Jacinda with more than a little annoyance.

‘And I believe the collective noun for models is “Nouveau” – watching a Nouveau of models parade up and down,’ quips Lauren.

‘Touché,’ he says, pointing his fork at her. She smiles, which lights up her pretty heart-shaped face.

‘Poppy’s actually written a piece forNouveau,’ says Shaz, revealing something that very few people know. ‘It’s coming out in the September issue.’

Lauren turns to me. ‘Oh my god, really?’

‘Ahh, yes.’ My eyes flick towards Shaz, who looks away. ‘Just something that came along. It happens sometimes when I’m working on a case.’

‘Oh! Is it about Lorenzo?’ she asks, getting more excited by the second.

Argh! I could kill Shaz. A shared byline as ‘P. Dean’ in a magazine no one will expect to find my name – fine – but Shaz telling someone I know to look out for it! Even tellingLauren, who I pretty much trust by proxy, is skirting the edge of what I’m comfortable with. She’ll get an earful later.

‘Actually, yes. Lorenzo’s in the article,’ I say, hoping she won’t ask more about it. ‘That’s why I was at his show,’ I add, really selling the Lorenzo angle to direct Lauren away from who my client is.

‘That’s brilliant,’ she says to me. ‘And I have a confession,’ she tells the others. ‘I, Lauren Amici, am addicted to celebrity gossip.’

We all have our vices and quite often, the more intense a person’s profession, the more ‘frivolous’ their vice – something I discovered when I was a practicing psych.

Lauren is a chemist for a cancer research organisation. She is literally saving lives by developing life-changing treatments for cancer patients, so ofcourseshe loves celebrity gossip.

‘It’s true,’ says Shaz with a laugh, ‘she’saddicted.’

Lauren doesn’t seem to mind the teasing. ‘Hey, I have my guilty pleasures, you have yours,’ she says, gently turning the tables on Shaz.

Shaz’s is romance novels. She must read fifty a year – I have no idea how she keeps them all straight in her head. And she readseverythingromance, from Regency to romcoms to sagas – subgenres I had no idea existed until Shaz schooled me on them.

‘Anyway,’ says Lauren, coming back to me, ‘I have a question for you – and I completely understand if you can’t tell me – but were you the matchmaker behind the Lorenzo and Franzia engagement?’

‘What?’ I ask, nearly choking on a mouthful of rice. I commence a bout of coughingsoextreme that Tristan leaps up and gives me several thumps to my mid-back.

When the coughing finally subsides, I clear my throat and drink some water.

‘All right, darling?’ Tristan asks, looking down at me. My face must be purple from the coughing but there he is, regarding me adoringly. I give a thumbs up and he returns to his seat.

‘Sorry, everyone,’ I say, catching the worried looks around the table. ‘So, you were asking about the big celebrity engagement,’ I say to Lauren.

‘Uh, yes.’ She doesn’t seem as keen about it now; though, witnessing someone nearly choke to deathcantend to dampen one’s enthusiasm.

‘Well, neither of them is my client,’ I say, leaning heavily into the truth. ‘But Iwasthere when it was announced at the H&M party.’

‘What? Are you serious?’

‘Completely.’

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