Everyone obviously didn’t.
Suzy picked up her glass of wine and immediately replaced it. ‘Jesus, the calories in wine. So, Janice…’
‘Jess.’
‘Right, yes. So, Mina is only the UK’s top model. Think a younger version of Kate Moss…’
‘Who?’ I wanted to laugh. Ask me to name all the UK’s top chefs and judges onMasterChefand I’d be in with a chance. ‘OK,’ I relented. ‘Kate Moss – yes, I knowher.’
‘Right, well, Mina – I guess you know you’ve reached the pinnacle of your career when you’re known just by the one name…’
‘Oh, I don’t know aboutthat!’ The white wine and Dean’s hand now burrowing under cover of the tablecloth towards the blonde were rendering me combative. ‘I mean Taylor Swift isn’t just Taylor, is she?’
‘Cheryl Cole is Cheryl these days,’ Rachel came back at me.
‘Sir Keir Starmer isn’tKeirthough, is he?’ I was beginning to enjoy myself.
‘I wouldn’t know!’ Suzy almost shuddered. ‘Odious little man, batting for the wrong side.’
‘What? He gets on the wrong bus?’ Rachel’s eyes were wide.
‘Wrong bus? Whatbus?’ Suzy shot her sister-in-law a look of irritation. ‘No, he’s notgay, he’s just after my children’s inheritance. Not to mention the school fees that are going to bankrupt us.’
‘Get them into the state system then.’ I grinned. ‘Have a word with my sister, Robyn, over there. She teaches at St Mede’s in Little Micklethwaite – I’m sure she’ll put in a good word for you.’
‘Now you really are being ridiculous!’ Two pinpoints of red appeared in Suzy’s cheeks and she flashed me a look of utter contempt. ‘How,’ she went on, once she’d apparently got over the shock of my suggestion, ‘a stunning man, a famous man, aworld-famousbarrister like Fabian Mansfield Carrington can condone his… his…’
‘Partner?’ I put in helpfully.
‘Can condone hisgirlfriendteaching down there in that den of iniquity.’
‘Well, not for much longer,’ Rachel put in almost cheerfully. ‘George will see to that.’
‘George?’ My head shot up. ‘What’s George got to do with St Mede’s?’
‘OK, Josie…’ Suzy sighed somewhat theatrically.
‘It’s Jess…’
‘So, when George isn’t being led a merry dance by Mina – you know, will she, won’t she…?’
‘Will she, won’t she what?’ I frowned.
‘Well, marry him, I guess,’ Rachel put in. ‘I mean, he’s very good-looking, isn’t he? Probably the best out of all the Sattar brothers.’ She glanced across at her husband, Ash, one down in age to Harry, frowning slightly as he patted his rather too-well-fed stomach in anticipation of the fish pie Beau was now serving. ‘If Ash doesn’t stop eating, he’s going to end up as… well, aspaddedas Shirl.’ She glanced disapprovingly at her husband, then at Shirl before deliberately moving her eyes towards my too-tight best dress.
‘George? Good-looking? Is he?’ I shook my head crossly at Rachel’s intimation that I, myself, wasover-padded. What was I? A bloody armchair? ‘Can’t say he’smycup of tea.’
‘Well, no, obviously.’
Obviously?
‘Anyway,it’s George who’s been put in charge of the Frozen plan to knock down St Mede’s in order to build a new factory there. And a jolly good plan it is too. As far as I can see, there’ll be no problem getting it through planning.’
‘But what about the kids who go there? It’s their centralised hub.’ (Centralised hub? Had I just made that up?)
‘Centralised hub?’ Both Suzy and Rachel stared.
‘So, what about the kids? The teachers?’ I went on hurriedly.
