Mini Shopaholic

I suddenly sit bolt upright. No. I’ve got it. I’ll ask Trevor for my Employee of the Year money in advance. He can’t refuse me, can he? Not after all those nice things he said about me.

In fact, while I’m at it … why don’t I ask him for a raise?

I’m so relieved, I almost laugh out loud. Why didn’t I think of that before? He’s just presented me with flowers, for God’s sake. My department is the best by miles. It’s bucking all the trends. It’s obvious I should get a raise. I’ll ask for a confidential meeting and I’ll calmly ask for a small yet significant raise, and together with the Employee of the Year money, that will pay for everything.

Maybe a medium-sized yet significant raise. Even better.

And meanwhile I’ll Google ‘expensive luxury-party planning details’, just to see what else I’ve forgotten.

Feeling a million times better I get up from the bench, and am heading inside as a text bleeps on my phone. I pull it out, to see it’s from Bonnie.

Becky dear. I have been torn by guilt. I feel you are right. Your friendship has come to mean a great deal to me and the major part of any friendship has to be trust. I will therefore trust you and send by separate text the name of the new client which Luke is keeping from you (for all the best reasons, I must assure you).

Please delete these texts straight away after reading. I hope and believe that you will respect the fact that I am risking a certain amount by divulging this information. Please try not to give away to Luke the fact that you know it. Some self-restraint may be required on your part.

Your affectionate friend

Bonnie

I feel so touched as I read the words. Bonnie is my friend. And I’m her friend. And that’s what’s important. I hardly even care about the name of the client any more. I mean, it’ll only be some boring bigshot finance type I’ve never heard of, probably.

As for saying I’ll need self-restraint … for God’s sake. I think sometimes people who work in PR start to believe their own hype. I press ‘Reply’ and start texting back:

Dear Bonnie, thank you so much. You are a great friend to me. Don’t worry, I will not give away to Luke by a smidgen that I know the name of this client, and I really don’t think self-restraint will be a problem—

A bleep interrupts me. Ooh, that might be Bonnie’s second text. I might as well have a look before I continue. I click on it and wait for the message to appear on the screen.

It consists of two words only. For a moment I stand stock still, blinking, not quite able to process what I’m seeing.

Sage Seymour.

Sage Seymour the movie star? She’s the new client? But … but … how on earth …

No. It can’t be true. It’s ridiculous. Luke doesn’t represent movie stars.

But then, Bonnie wouldn’t say it unless—

Sage Seymour?

How did this happen? How did he go from representing boring old banks to actresses? And why has he kept so quiet about it?

I’m almost hyperventilating. I keep looking up and then looking down at the screen again, just to check it still says the same thing.

Sage Seymour’s the coolest movie star ever. She was in that one about the Nazis. She wore that amazing nude beaded dress to the Oscars. I’ve always, always, always wanted to meet her.

And Luke’s met her? He’s working with her?

Why didn’t he TELL ME?

Sage Seymour – Google Search

Suggestions

Google earth

Google maps

Google.com

Google wave

Google translate

Google chrome

Google voice

Recent Searches

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FOURTEEN

I cannot believe Luke hasn’t told me about Sage Seymour.

I would never, ever, ever keep such a big secret from him. In fact, I’m quite shocked. Is this how he thinks a marriage works? With one person knowing a movie star and not telling the other one?

Obviously I can’t let him know that I know, because that would be betraying Bonnie’s confidence. But I can give him cutting little glances now and then, as though to say, ‘Yes, well, someone’s got a great big secret, haven’t they?’