Page 98 of Shout Out To My Ex

On the ride over, my phone rings, and I’m about to answer and tell Cassie I’m nearly there – though I’m not really, as their fashion house is all the way across London – but it’s Jacinda.

‘Hi, lovely, what’s up?’

‘We need to stage that intervention.’

‘You mean meddle?’

‘Isn’t that what you do for a living?’ she quips. ‘Meddle in other people’s love lives?’

‘Hilarious,’ I say dryly, and she sniggers. ‘Besides, when it’s your best friend, it isdefinitelymeddling.’

‘Look, if we don’t do something – and soon – Shaz and Alfie will renew their lease for another year and Shaz will lose Lauren for good.’

This is aslightexaggeration. Lauren doesn’t strike me as the type of person to drop her girlfriend – the woman she’s in love with – because Shaz needs time to process the idea of cohabitation. Still, it’s not just Shaz’s relationship at stake. Alfie is champing at the bit to move in with his boyfriend and doesn’t he deserve his HEA as well?

‘What exactly did you have in mind?’ I ask.

She outlines her plan for this Saturday.

‘What, no blindfold or rope?’

‘We’ll only resort to kidnapping if she resists,’ she deadpans.

‘Remind me never to get on your bad side.’

At that, she chuckles and ends the call.

I gaze out the window as we zip through Central London and it dawns on me that thereisa flaw in my (somewhat hastily designed) plan.

Journalists from glossy magazines probably don’t show up at their subject’s place of work unannounced, even for a welfare check. I re-jig my cover story, then make a quick call.

Elle

‘Butwhy?’ I ask.

‘I thought you liked Poppy,’ says Cassie.

‘She’s… I don’t know…fine, but that doesn’t mean I want to talk to her, especially now.’

‘It shouldn’t take long.’

‘But I thought we were finished with all that. Can’t you call her back and tell her not to come?’

‘Well, no.Nouveauis sending her. They want to be assured that nothing untoward is going on between you and Leo.’

‘Hah! If only.’

‘Nothinghashappened, right?’ Cassie peers at me closely.

‘Sorry, what? Are you really asking if I’ve shagged Leo?’

‘Don’t be crass.’

‘Well, then don’t ask stupid questions. Until today, I thought he was engaged to someone else! You know I’d never do something like that.’

She drops her eyes. ‘You’re right, I’m sorry.’

‘Not that I haven’twantedto – he’s so bloodysexy. It’s infuriating. And now his engagement’s fake – oh and, surprise, it turns out he had an excellent reason for leaving so abruptly after uni – he was being a dutiful son! God, Cass, can you imagine ifNouveauknew what wasreallygoing on? If I wanted to blow up all our lives, including Franzia’s, I would spill the tea to Poppy and call it good.’

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