Happily Ever After

‘You went to Mark’s?’ his companion asked him, running her fingers through a thick beaded necklace. ‘I did so dreadfully want to go, but we were at Paul’s for the weekend and we just couldn’t drive back for it.’

‘Ah. Well. Did you know—’

Elle moved through the crowd, feeling totally invisible. She could hear snippets of conversations. ‘Paid over five hundred for it – I know. They’ll never make the money back… .’ ‘She’s moving to another publisher, you know. She’s just had enough, and who can blame her.’ ‘I said to him, “Sir Vidia – enough is enough. Let sleeping dogs lie.”’

Elle felt even more of an outsider, now she was in the thick of the party. Why had she said she’d come, when she didn’t want to?

She knew the answer perfectly well, and it made her even sadder. She heard a voice and looked up. Libby was standing by the window, laughing with someone. Elle paused, not wanting to interrupt, but Libby saw her and beckoned her over.

‘Sorry, Elle,’ she said. ‘So rude of me to invite you and then abandon you!’ She tucked her hair behind her ear. ‘This is Tom Scott, Tom, this is a dear friend of mine, Elle Bee – oh, it always sounds so stupid when I say your name like that. Eleanor Bee.’

Elle nodded up at Tom. ‘Hi,’ she said. ‘I’m Elle. I work at Bluebird.’

She wasn’t sure whether to refer back to their only, rather unfortunate, meeting at the sales conference, two and a half years ago. Of course he won’t know me, she told herself.

‘I know,’ he said. He stared at her. ‘We have actually met before. At the Bluebird sales conference. Your hair was a different colour.’

‘Oh,’ said Elle. ‘Sorry – well, yes, I do remember you. Just I thought you wouldn’t remember me.’

‘Really,’ Tom said drily. ‘That’s kind of you.’ He obviously didn’t believe her. Libby laughed.

The scene at the Savoy, the Martinis, the walk through the rain, a loud room full of people she didn’t know and feeling dog-tired suddenly all overwhelmed Elle. She had one last look around and put her hand up to her cheek, to stave off the tears she was horrified to feel rising within her.

‘Um, I think I’m just going to go,’ she said. ‘Sorry, but I’m really tired, and I’ve got loads on tomorrow.’

Libby watched her through narrowed eyes, and then put her hand on her arm. ‘Oh, I’m bloody crap,’ she said. ‘You had that drink with your parents, didn’t you. Was it awful?’ Elle shook her head, unable to speak, then nodded. ‘Oh, man. I’m sorry, Elle.’

Miserable and embarrassed, Elle glanced at Tom, but his expression was unreadable.

‘Here.’ Libby whipped a plate off a passing waitress. ‘It’s for my friend, she’s feeling faint,’ she said. Someone behind them half turned. ‘Typical Libby,’ he said to his companion, and they laughed. ‘Oh, shut up, Bill,’ Libby said flirtatiously, tossing her hair. She handed Elle the plate of canapés. ‘He’s our MD. He’s so annoying! Here, have some food,’ she said, waggling the plate under Elle’s nose.

Elle ate a mini-samosa as Libby watched her intently. ‘So, it was grim then. Did you meet the American girlfriend? What’s she like?’

‘Like an Appleton sister,’ Elle told her. ‘The mean-looking one. They’re engaged.’ She picked up another samosa. ‘And they’re getting married in the US, only it turns out Mum can’t go because she’s got a criminal record in the States.’ She threw the samosa into her mouth.

‘What?’ Libby said, gaping at her. She glanced at a woman passing behind them. ‘Hiya! Yeah! See you in a bit!’ she mouthed.

‘Excuse me,’ said Tom, making to move off. ‘Libby, I’ll catch you—’

‘Oh, don’t go,’ said Elle, hastily swallowing the samosa. ‘I don’t want to drive you both off. It’s just my family. My parents hate each other and my brother hates us all.’ Mad as it sounded to say, as she said this out loud, she felt much better. ‘Yep. I was just meeting my brother’s fiancée. It’s over now. Done.’

Libby nodded intently, then turned to Bill and started chatting, offering him the plate of canapés. Elle’s face fell. Tom moved a little closer, so he was standing next to her.

‘Wow.’ He raised one eyebrow. Elle was impressed, she’d always wanted to be able to do that. ‘Your parents really do hate each other?’

‘Yes. Well, my dad definitely hates my mum. And I don’t think she likes him much, if I’m honest.’

‘That sounds like my parents.’

‘Really?’ said Elle, not knowing what else to say.

Tom nodded. ‘You’re not alone. I mean, I don’t want to sound competitive, but it’s true. Maybe they should get divorced.’

‘They did,’ Elle said. ‘So it’s OK.’ She tried to sound breezy about it, as if it was all fine, but she couldn’t do it. She thought of her mum’s sad eyes, her dad sitting so upright, so tense, the distance between them as they sat on the same sofa.

‘I’m sorry. When?’

‘Oh, ages ago now. I was sixteen when they got divorced. It’s just – I can’t explain it. I don’t ever see them together, we’re never all together, and tonight we were, and it made me see – see things I hadn’t noticed before.’ Her mother’s shaking hands, the orange juice, the Disney World trip, the ring flashing on Melissa’s finger, her brother and father, how they were so angry with Mum, how Mandana just let them be, as if she deserved it, like a dog being kicked by a gang of boys. ‘Sorry,’ she said, simply. ‘I don’t normally think about it much.’

Tom watched Elle. She looked up at him. His jaw was angular, dark with six o’clock shadow, and his grey eyes were kind. He said, ‘Well, that’s something at least. My parents never got divorced, and then my mum died, so my dad was denied the opportunity of cheating on her any more. He was never quite the same again.’

‘Wow,’ said Elle. ‘You win.’

Tom gave a little nod of the head. ‘Glad to hear it. I can play one-upmanship on the sad families any day. The dead mum means I usually win. So cheer up.’ He saw her expression tighten, and said, in a low voice, ‘Hey, I’m sorry. I was only joking.’

‘I know,’ said Elle, shaking her head. ‘It’s just – too many Martinis and no food, after a day editing romance novels. It makes you – a bit nuts.’ She swayed slightly as she stood in front of him.

‘Have a burger,’ he said. He put his hand under her elbow. ‘Here.’ He smiled at the waitress and gestured at the plate. ‘Can I keep this?’

The waitress shrugged. ‘Go crazy.’

‘Eat up,’ Tom continued. ‘Let’s make ourselves really gloomy. Tell me which songs make you cry, childhood pets you’ve lost and the closest you’ve ever come to death.’

Elle laughed. ‘My dog Toogie attacked an otter in a stream and got put down.’

‘That is a depressing story.’

‘Yes. The otter was fine. Not the dead dog. Gosh, I was upset.’

He laughed too, and she thought how nice his face was when he was smiling. How nice he was, in fact. It was strange, being able to chat to blokes without worrying that they might think you fancied them or were making a play for them, because she’d never be interested in them, and she couldn’t ever explain why.

Tom changed the subject. ‘So, you’re editing MyHeart books, then? Do you enjoy it?’

‘Enjoy it?’ Elle was slightly fazed. People never asked her if she actually enjoyed her job. ‘It’s great. I do enjoy it. But you can have too much of a good thing, I suppose,’ she said in a rush. ‘Are you – how’s the – are you still agenting non-fiction?’ she asked awkwardly. ‘I should know, I’m sorry. I don’t deal with a lot of agents yet, not unless they specialise in love stories about doctors and nurses.’

Tom shook his head. ‘Ah, that’s a shame. I do have a submission ready about a doctor and his love for the first female Beefeater, but I guess – not one for you?’

Elle made a mock-sad face. ‘No, sorry.’

‘What about a man with a scabby face and a doctor specialising in skin disorders? Called …’ He trailed off, biting his lip in concentration.

‘Scabs and the City. Pick Me, Scab.’

‘No. I’ve Got A Flaky Boyfriend.’

Elle gave a snort of mirth, catching wine at the back of her throat. She choked and then coughed, then swilled some more wine. He smiled again. ‘You OK?’

‘Scabs? Beefeaters?’ At the sound of their laughter, Libby turned eagerly back to them. ‘What are you guys talking about?’