Shopaholic and Sister (Page 124)

“What? But… why? You’ve been away all week! I haven’t seen you!”

“I know. I’m livid. But something’s come up.” He exhales sharply. “There’s a PR crisis with the Arcodas Group. Normally I’d leave it to Gary and the team, but this is a new client. It’s the first problem, and I’m going to have to deal with it myself.”

“Right.” My whole body is drooping in disappointment. “I understand.”

“But I’ve had an idea.” He hesitates. “Becky, come and join me.”

“What?” I gape at the phone.

“Come now. I’ll send a car. I’ve missed you so much.”

“Me too.” I feel a pang. “I’ve so missed you.”

“But it’s not just that.” He hesitates. “I’ve spoken to Gary… and we’re both agreed. We’d love your input on this. We could do with a few bright ideas. What do you think?”

I stare at the phone, transfixed with longing. This is exactly what I always wanted! Husband and wife helping each other. Brainstorming together. A real, proper partnership.

But I can’t let Jess down. Not now.

“Luke, I can’t come.” I bite my lip. “I really want to, but I’ve got something planned for today. I promised Jess. And… some others. I can’t just abandon them. I’m sorry.”

“Fair enough,” says Luke, sounding rueful. “My fault for not hiring you when I had the chance. Well… I’ll see you this evening.” He sighs. “I don’t know what time I’ll be finished, but I’ll call when I have an idea.”

“You poor thing,” I say sympathetically. “I hope it all goes well. I’ll be there in spirit. Where will you be?”

“Well, that’s about the one positive thing. I’ll be up in the North. Fairly near where you are, in fact.”

“Oh, right,” I say, with interest. “So… what’s the crisis? Another fat-cat businessman cooking the books?”

“Worse,” Luke says grimly. “Some environmental bloody protest group which has sprung up out of nowhere.”

“An environmental group?” I say in amazement. “You’re kidding! That is such a coincidence, because—”

Abruptly I stop. My face suddenly feels hot and prickly.

It couldn’t be…

No. Don’t be ridiculous. There must be millions of protests every day, all over the country—

“Whoever’s taken control is clearly pretty media savvy,” Luke says. “There’s a rally this afternoon; they’ve had press coverage; TV news is interested… ” He laughs. “Get this, Becky. They’re protesting against a shopping center.”

The room seems to swim. I clutch the phone, trying to stay calm.

It can’t be the same thing. It can’t. We’re not protesting against the Arcodas Group. I know we’re not. We’re protesting against Maybell Shopping Centers.

Luke interrupts my thoughts. “Sweetheart, I have to go. Gary’s on the other line, waiting to brief me. But I’ll see you later. Oh, and have fun doing whatever you’re doing with Jess.”

“I’ll… try,” I manage.

As I walk back into the sitting room, my heart is beating rather fast. Everyone is sitting in an attentive semicircle watching Robin, who’s holding up a big diagram of two stick figures, labeled RESISTING POLICE ARREST.

“The groin area is particularly useful in this respect… ” he’s saying as I walk in. “Everything OK, Becky?”

“Absolutely!” I say, my voice two notches higher than usual. “Just one quick question. We are protesting against Maybell Shopping Centers?”

“That’s right.”

“So this has nothing to do with the Arcodas Group.”

“Well… yeah.” He looks at me in surprise. “Maybell’s owned by the Arcodas Group. You knew that, didn’t you?”

I open my mouth, but I can’t quite produce a reply. In fact, I’m feeling a bit faint. I have just orchestrated a huge media campaign against Luke’s newest, most important client. Me. His wife.

“Evil bastards.” Robin looks around the room. “Guess what I heard today! They’re getting in their PR company to ‘deal’ with us. Some big-shot firm from London. They’re flying the chief guy back from holiday especially, I heard.”

Oh God. I cannot cope. What am I going to do? What?

I have to pull out. Yes. I have to tell everyone right now that I’m pulling out and disassociate myself from the whole thing.