‘There’s not much I can do. I already called Kat and tried to talk her out of it but she’s adamant.’
‘You can’t just let this happen!’ Penny looks horrified. ‘You two will literally kill each other.’
‘It’s notthatbad,’ I pause, trying a pair of sunglasses on. ‘Is it?’
‘Nina,’ Penny says darkly. ‘Remember how awful he was to you on his first day in the office?’
‘Of course I remember.’
‘How he said your job was …’ She pauses, waiting for me to fill in the blanks.
‘You know what he said.’
‘I want you to say it,’ Penny insists. She is very bossy.
‘Frothy,’ I scowl. ‘He said my job was frothy.’
Penny sucks in her breath. ‘Exactly. Belittling your entire career in one unpleasant swipe. What an A-grade asshole. How rude! How dismissive! Howdarehe?’
‘Pen, I was kind of banking on you making me feelless badabout Callum coming on this trip, not riling me up even more!’
‘Sorry, love, but some guys are just idiots, plain and simple. It’s not like he’s tried to patch things up since then, is it?’
‘Callum has not made one single attempt to patch things up,’ I confirm. ‘He actually just seems to be getting progressively more rude.’
Penny is shaking her head. ‘This is a real pickle. Did you pack earbuds so you can block him out?’
‘Yes.’
‘Good. You’re going to have to come up with some strategies to spend as little time with him as possible. Be civil, try to rise above his bullshit, remember that you are a queen and he is not remotely regal. It’s down to you to be the bigger person here.’
‘Urgh,’ I say, reaching for another pair of sunnies to try.
‘Listen, it’s just one week. You’ll be back in no time.’
‘I guess so.’
‘And Nina?’
‘Yes?’
‘You should definitely make the most of the Australian men while you’re out there.’
‘Penny …’ I say warily.
‘I know what you’re thinking. It’s the moustaches, right? But I promise you’ll get used to them. They’re actually pretty sexy when you think about it. I mean, have you seen the Australian rugby team? I’ve never seen a sexier bunch of hirsute men,’ Penny says dreamily.
I’m laughing hard now. ‘Something tells me I’ll be too busy working to find myself a hot Australian rugby player. Besides, I literally just broke up with my ex.’
Penny pulls another one of her faces. She has a whole armoury of them, each one perfectly describing her precise thought process. This one is giving unimpressed. ‘He dumped you a month ago.’
‘Exactly! I’m not in the market for anything new.’
‘A holiday fling would be perfect for you.’
‘Nah,’ I say. ‘You know me. No man will ever come close to—’
‘Under no circumstances may you mention his name,’ Penny scowls at me.
