Page 92 of Happily Never After
‘Mm. You look good,’ Finn says as I slip the cocktail dress I’ve bought for the occasion over my shoulders and wriggle it into place. ‘Can you stop doing that though, please?’
‘What?’
‘Wiggling your bum like that. It’s doing things to me that could make us miss the event completely.’
‘What, like this?’ I ask with a smile, exaggerating the movement.
‘Argh! Enough. I’ll wait for you downstairs.’
‘I won’t be long. Bit of make-up and a necklace and I’ll be ready.’
‘I’ll ring the taxi company now then.’
‘It’s a nice afternoon. We could walk to the station.’
‘You’re wearing heels.’
‘Good point.’ This is what I mean about his attention to detail.
The train to London is pretty much deserted and the journey passes quickly.Winning Bidhas proved to be a huge hit, to the extent that the network is talking about moving it into an evening slot to capitalise on its popularity. None of this has done Finn any harm financially, and they’ve also commissioned him to come up with detailed plans for a couple of other concepts they’re interested in. I’m currently between books, having just handed in the sequel to the one I was working on in France, so any downtime like this tends to be spent brainstorming ideas either for the new shows or my next book, which is definitely going to beMurder at the Writers’ Retreat.
‘Bloody hell!’ I exclaim when we reach our destination. ‘I know the invitation said gala book launch, but this is next level. How much do you think that cost?’
Finn ponders for a moment. ‘She’s pretty much got the whole window of the bookshop. This is Piccadilly, so we can assume it wasn’t cheap.’
‘According to Lynette, she’s funding this all herself. That makes sense. Even if I didn’t hide behind my pen name, I don’t think my publisher would pay for anything as lavish as this.’
‘They ought to. You make them a fortune.’
A man in a dark suit is standing blocking the entrance, only moving aside once he’s inspected our invitations. Inside, there’s more of the same. Large floor-standing banners are dotted about, adorned with pictures of Gina above the front cover of her debut novel. Between them, tables are piled high with hardback copies ofThe Lion and the Snake.
‘Champagne, orange juice or water?’ The waiter proffers a tray and we each take a glass of champagne.
‘I don’t think I’ve ever seen Gina smiling before,’ I observe as I look at one of the banners.
‘It’s probably trapped wind,’ Finn says with a grin. Before we can dissolve into fits of giggles, however, a familiar face appears.
‘How are you, Suzie?’ I ask.
‘Very well, thank you. I wasn’t expecting to see you here. Does Gina know?’
‘Lynette invited us.’
‘That makes sense. Relations are better, but I think Lynette still can’t help winding Gina up from time to time, and you being here is bound to piss her off. By the way, I absolutely loved your last book. I bought it on the day it came out and I think I finished it within a week. The body in the garden at the end was a brilliant twist. Grace and I think that it’s Darren’s previous girlfriend. If he turns out to be a murderer who was planning to kill Claire aswell, does that make her actions self-defence and get her out of prison?’
I smile. ‘You’ll have to read the next book to find out.’
‘Ladies and gentlemen,’ a voice calls over the hubbub of conversation. ‘If you could please take your seats, the evening is about to begin.’
‘Is Lynette here?’ I ask Suzie as we make our way towards an area where some seats have been arranged facing a wing-backed armchair.
‘Yes, but she’s keeping a low profile. This is very much Gina’s night.’
‘That seems a little unfair, given how she basically saved the book, from what I understand.’
‘Yes, but you know what Gina’s like. It’s not all bad for Lynette though. If you buy a copy, have a look at the acknowledgements. The sun shines so strongly out of Lynette’s arse it’s amazing she can sit down without setting fire to the furniture. Oh, shit. Did I just say arse? Champagne always goes to my head.’
As soon as we’re seated, the MC announces Gina, who walks out looking for all the world like she was on the red carpet at the Oscars. Her floor-length silver dress is glinting under the lights, her hair is set firmly in a very flattering style, and her face is flawless.
