“Congratulations on Bibi getting the part of Gretel.”
The cast list for the end-of-term school play had just been announced in a letter home. We’d asked Bibi about it and how she’d got the main part, and she’d just shrugged and said it was because she was really good.
“Thanks. And congratulations to your child on who they are.”
“I’m going to start a WhatsApp chat for the party planning.”
I looked at her blankly.
“It’s kind of an unspoken thing that whichever children have the main parts, it’s their mothers that organize the after-party.”
This woman had been here five minutes, and she already knew the unspoken things?
“The first meeting needs to happen asap, as we’ve got so much to decide on.”
My phone pinged. I looked down at it as Frederica rattled on about whether commissioning a life-sized gingerbread house would be overkill.
Danny.
Hello sexy, want to see my office and have a catch-up coffee?
Perfect.
“Sorry, I’ve got to go. Just text me.” I rushed toward the sanctity of my car.
“But no one seems to have your number!” Frederica called after me.
Chapter Twenty
Haze
The offices for Unique Eventswere on the top floor of a warehouse in Islington.
When the lift doors opened, Danny was waiting for me.
“Haze!” He held out his arms and drew me into a tight hug. His scent of Hugo Boss and cigarettes triggered memories of times I’d rather forget.
I patted his back and waited for him to release me.
“Follow me,” he said. Danny was wearing a pale blue fitted shirt and chinos. His brightly colored garish trainers were, perhaps, an attempt to fit in with the much younger staff members who were buzzing around the office. “Pretty cool place, huh?”
The only way to get one up on The Chameleon was to be one step ahead of him. We needed to know what he had planned for us. And this dipshit was currently the best chance we had of finding out.
Danny led me down a series of corridors until we got to a large corner office with “Brainstormin” on the door. He ushered me inside. In front of the large window was a metal sideboard filled with cans of energy drinks and a large cafetière of coffee. On the rectangular glass meeting table was a laptop and a few A4 booklets. He settled me into a neon plastic chair and then took the one next to me.
The door opened and a woman with cropped pink hair poppedher head around the door. “Hi! I’m Razia.” She stared at Danny and then me.
“Haze,” I offered.
“Can I—”
Danny cut her off. “We’re okay for drinks, so we’re good.”
“Okay, shall I—”
“Thanks, Razia, bye!”
Razia nodded and closed the door.
