“I’ll find my hook when I speak to them,” Grice said. “Personally, I’d like to know what makes them so irresistible to the public, seeing as their only known talent is a proficiency in social media.”
“A question like that is guaranteed to get you thrown out and barred before you even put pen to paper.”
“Chill out, Clarke. I’m a professional. I know how to get a story.”
Yep. That’s exactly what was bothering him.
Chapter 11
Afterleavingthewarmthand quiet of the bathrooms, Helen wove her way through a steady stream of incoming guests back to Sebastian—only he wasn’t where she’d left him.
“If you’re looking for Clarke, he’s been called over there.” Gary Grice had come up behind her, hair gel glistening and looking no more at home in his suit than she did in her too-short, too-low-cut dress.
Glancing to where Grice pointed, Helen’s breath hitched. Lit by the evening sun, Sebastian looked impressive against the stunning backdrop of the bridge and gorge. He was posing for photographs with The Wags on the terrace. A glitzy trio of beautiful people.
“I think I’ll leave him be for a while.” Helen moved away from Grice and the cool breeze that threatened another outbreak of hard-nipple-itis and hovered at the entrance of the dining area. Opulent chandeliers sparkled above her head.
Now, where should she sit?
“Your table’s over there.” Grice appeared at her side again, as if he’d sensed her impostor’s hesitation. “I’ll keep you company until Loverboy returns.”
Helen glanced over her shoulder at Sebastian again. She should go to him, but what if they left her hanging at the periphery of the group? Thorny school days flashed before her. “I’ll be okay on my own, thanks.”
But sitting alone at a party, no matter how grand, never looked good either, did it? Even during those horrendous school years, Helen always had Tom by her side, as creased and disheveled in his uniform as she’d been in hers. Heart sinking at the social minefield, the glasses of wine, crisp and sparkling, on the table caught her attention.God, she could use a drink right now.She licked her lips.
Eagle-eyed Grice must’ve noticed her thirsty gaze. He scooped up a glass and pressed it into her hand, taking one for himself.
“This place is a far cry from where I grew up.” He eyed the gilt pattern around the door frame and whistled. “If my parents could see me now. This is a long way from East Street Market.”
Helen halted the glass halfway to her lips. “East Street Market? In London?”
“It’s where I’m from. Do you know it?”
“I’ve heard of it.” In actual fact, she’d grown up down the road from it on the Germaine, a housing estate which at the time was one of the most deprived areas of South London—and the last place from which any girlfriend of Sebastian Clarke would ever hail.
Grice’s eyes narrowed. “I detect a hint of London in your accent.”
“It’s where I grew up.”
“I thought so.” Grice pointed a finger at her. “But I bet you lived in the posh part.”
Ha!The only posh thing about the Germaine was the stolen jewelry and watches Dad brought home fromwork.
“What made you move out west?” Grice asked.
Desperation.“I have family here. What about you?”
“My wife and I wanted to give our kids a better life.”
A better life. Exactly why she and Tom had come, too. Intrigued that she had something in common with this guy, Helen sipped her wine, the sharp tang of alcohol an instant reminder that Sebastian had told her not to drink.
She lowered her glass. “When you said you had kids, I didn’t believe you.”
Grice snorted. “I might deny their existence at three in the morning, but I wouldn’t be without them. They make me want to succeed. I’ve been studying for my damn journo certificate but, bloody hell, it’s hard getting noticed when you’re a nobody.”
Oh, wasn’t it just!“So you really do want to use the Get Living Campaign to make your name in journalism?”
“I wouldn’t sayuse, exactly, but yeah, covering something more than missing cats would help. When the news agency sent me to the Waterfront to cover the announcement yesterday, I couldn’t believe my luck. I hung around hoping to get a few words with Clarke, then when I saw you, I thought, hello, would the good people of Bristol like to hear all about the woman the new sports ambassador is dating?”
