‘I know,’ I say sympathetically. ‘But they’re all mad as brushes, Luna. You’ve seen them. They’re determined to get home at all costs, but you can’t seriously try to follow them.’
‘Maybe,’ Luna says doubtfully. ‘But I can’t stay here, Rosie. Sabrina must hate me for all those things I said to her. And I don’t expect Dante and Hunter will be particularly impressed either, now they know I’m .?.?.’ her voice drops to a whisper ‘. . . atraitor.’
‘Oh, Dante and Hunter will be fine about that,’ I lie. ‘And Sabrina doesn’t hate you at all. She said you’re her best friend, in fact.’
This part, at least, is true. But it sounds so unbelievable that for a moment I think Luna’s eyes might pop out of her head.
‘Herwhat?’ she says, astonished. ‘Herbest friend? She called me Linda for the first six weeks of my contract. I’d be amazed if she even knows what my surname is.’
‘I, er, don’t think she has a lot of friends, somehow,’ I say quietly. ‘And I think she’s genuinely upset to have lost you as an assista— friend.’
‘Anassistafriend?’ Luna frowns, clearly unconvinced.
‘Luna, she was eating chocolate cake,’ I tell her. ‘Without even cutting it into slices, first.’
‘Whoa.’ Luna puts down the jumper she’s holding, and sits down on the edge of the bed. ‘Chocolate cake? Really.’
‘Really.’
I take a seat beside her.
‘Look, there’s no excuse for the way she’s been treating you,’ I say truthfully. ‘We’ve all seen her, and you’re absolutely right; she’s a terrible boss. But I think she’s genuinely sorry. So .?.?. maybe if you just gave her a chance to apologise?’
A ghost of a smile flits briefly across her face, igniting a tiny spark of hope in my chest.
‘Iwasa really good assistafriend,’ she says, picking at a thread on her jeans. ‘Sabrina was lucky to have me, really.’
‘She was. Maybe you should just talk to her?’ I suggest. ‘I’m sure Zara would help you draw up a new contract. If Sabrina apologises, that is.’
Luna nods, almost imperceptibly.
‘The thing is,’ she says shyly, ‘I do like the job. I want more responsibility, though. I want to have my own projects and teams, and not just spend all my time making Sabrina’s coffee and buying her verruca cream. I think I’d be good at it.’
‘I’m sure you would,’ I reply, hoping she doesn’t have to apply the verruca cream as well as buying it, although nothing would surprise me. ‘But you won’t know unless you try, will you?’
This isalmostwhat I said to Hunter last night, but luckily Luna’s a bit more receptive to my pep talk.
‘You’re right,’ she says, getting up. She walks over to the window and flicks the curtain open again. ‘About that,andabout me not being able to leave today, with the weather like this; it still looks pretty wild out there, doesn’t it? So maybe I will have time to help you plan this party, Rosie. If Sabrina doesn’t insist that I leave anyway, that is.’
‘I don’t think she will, somehow,’ I reply. ‘Why don’t you go and find Zara? She’ll know how to deal with Sabrina.’
I leave Luna to unpack her suitcase again and head back downstairs, where I find Hunter in the lobby.
Time to put the next part of my plan into action.
‘Bad news,’ I tell him, trying to sound as normal as I can, even though just being close to him makes my heart flutter dangerously in my chest. ‘The power company are saying they definitely don’t think they’re going to be able to repair the fault tonight after all. The weather’s really hampering their progress, apparently.’
‘Really?’ says Hunter with a frown. ‘It looks like it’s clearing up to me. Who told you this?’
‘Luna,’ I say, crossing my fingers behind my back. Well, shedidsay it looked wild out there, didn’t she? Which iskind ofthe same thing. ‘She must have called them.’
‘Maybe I should speak to them myself?’ says Hunter doubtfully. ‘It seems strange that it’d take them so long to repair the fault, even with all the damage the storm caused. I’ll try calling the person who messaged me earlier.’
He pulls his phone out of his pocket and I leap forward and snatch it out of his hands, knowing perfectly well that if he tries to make that call, it’s my phone that’ll start ringing – because I’m the person who messaged him this morning pretending to be someone from the power company, responding to his earlier enquiry.
‘Er, no, don’t do that,’ I say quickly, as he blinks at me in confusion. ‘I’ll call them for you. From my own phone,’ I add, passing his back as quickly as if it’s one of Ian’s hot potatoes from last night. ‘You’ve got enough on your plate right now with the tree. And, well, the angry mob.’
‘Yeah. I don’t think they’re going to welcome the news that the power’s staying off,’ replies Hunter, still looking vaguely bewildered by my erratic, phone-grabbing behaviour. ‘Well, if you’re sure you don’t mind double-checking with the power company, I guess I’ll go and speak to the mob. Might as well get it over with, I suppose.’
