The absolutecheekof him. Rifling through women like Barbie Queue flicks through frocks. There was only one way to deal with a man like that. Delete and block. I felt like such an idiot. I’d let myself get distracted and now the pitch was only two weeks away, with only one solid pitch idea around unimaginable moments.
Me: Hey. I’m still packing. Don’t think I’ll make it down.
I marched back to the room, my stomach grumbling; there was a packet of Hobnobs in my case somewhere… I’d have to make do with tepid tea and biscuits to keep me going. I kept my head down as I tunnelled along the corridor and nearly collided with Brooke as she overtook me on the corner.
‘Oh!’ she said, jumping back. ‘Good mornin’, Kat! Lovely day ain’t it?’
‘Hi! Yes!’ I said, with false bright eyes, feeling awkward. She wasn’t to know I knew, and I knew she didn’t know about me and Leo, so it wasn’t like she’d done anything wrong. Girlcode made me want to share but client-agency code meant I couldn’t. There were a lot of different boundaries at play.
‘You comin’ for breakfast, doll?’
‘Already done!’ I lied. ‘I’ve been up since six, making the most of these final few hours. Leo is heading down there though.’
‘No surprises there. I swear that man has a double,’ Brooke said, with a titter. ‘He’s everywhere!’
Ain’t that the truth. ‘He keeps himself busy – I’ll give him that.’ Bedding the client and the competition in the same twenty-four hours was no mean feat.
‘Nothing but the work will sway me, honey, don’t you worry. And Greg is just the same.’ Leo probably had plans to bed Greg pre-pitch as well.
Thiago’s velvety voice interrupted us over the Tannoy. ‘Ladies and gentlemen, I am sad to say it, but we are nearing the end of our time together on theEsmeralda. I hope you have enjoyed cruising with us – thank you for joining her maiden voyage. We are on time and due back into Dover Ferry Port at twelve noon. Please leave your bags outside your rooms by nine-thirty and the crew will take them to the departure deck. Thank you.’
‘See you later!’ Brooke called as she carried on down the corridor. I pulled out my phone and fired off one final text to Leo as I walked back to my room.
Me: Brooke is on her way down though, if you’re keen for company.
Knock yourself out, Leo. I didn’t want to look churlish, but I couldn’t resist.
Leo: Eh? I’m not keen for just any old company – I want to have breakfast with you!
I switched my phone off. He didn’t know I knew and my mind was too full to think of an appropriately cutting reply. Best to ignore and get myself packed ASAP. Then I’d just have to hide around the ship and avoid him until we got back to Dover. He was just another disappointing man, but it wasn’t his fault – they were all like it. If I’d met him on Tinder my expectations wouldn’t have been so high; that was what made it so gutting. He’d convinced me he was different, one of the good ones. I rolled my clothes up and stuffed them in my tiny suitcase. All but one – the dress Barbie Queue had loaned me for the captain’s dinner.Ivyhad been hanging out in our wardrobe ever since, so I left my suitcase outside my door and took her down to Barb’s dressing room and knocked gently.
‘Come back tomorrow!’Eek.There was no tomorrow on this cruise but Barb clearly wasn’t in the mood for company.
I hungIvyon the doorframe with two feather boas dangling off her shoulders, and tiptoed away. I was halfway down the corridor when the door flew open and she emerged in a cloud of raspberry vape, fully made up in a gold catsuit. The dress toppled and landed on her head.
‘What the pissin’ hell’s going on…?’
‘Sorry Barb, I was just returning your dress. I should have brought it back ages ago. I didn’t mean to interrupt you…’
She scoffed. ‘What’re you bringing it back for? It’s yours now, love. It was made for you. Take it.’
I wouldn’t get much wear out of a crystal-covered ball gown back in Camden, but I didn’t want to seem ungrateful. ‘Are you sure?’ I asked, more tentative than delighted.
‘Yes, darlin’, you enjoy it. Wear it somewhere fabulous with that boyfriend of yours.’
‘Who? I haven’t got one…?’
She snorted. ‘The fella who’s always staring at you. That confident one – with the quiff.’
‘Leo?’
‘That’s him. Put it on and go for drinks at The Ritz. Do it for Jane. Hop up on the grand piano and make a show of yourself. Promise me you will?’ She eyeballed me fiercely. ‘Ivyis a glamorous goddess, and she deserves to have a good time – please don’t hide her away in a plastic bag.’
‘I won’t, don’t worry,’ I said, imagining myself slithering around on a piano like Marilyn Monroe and an army of security guards throwing me out. ‘I’ll take her to The Ritz and send you a photo.’
Barb closed her eyes and nodded dramatically, and I couldn’t tell if she was being real or it was all part of her act. It must be hard to slip in and out of character. ‘Come back and see us soon, Kat, won’t you, love?’
My stomach churned. ‘If we win the pitch, I’ll be back; I can promise you that. And if we don’t… well, then I’d like to audition for The Crustaceans.’
