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Chapters (64)
  1. Cover
  2. About the Author
  3. Dedication
  4. Chapter One
  5. Chapter Two
  6. Chapter Three
  7. Chapter Four
  8. Chapter Five
  9. Chapter Six
  10. Chapter Seven
  11. Chapter Eight
  12. Chapter Nine
  13. Chapter Ten
  14. Chapter Eleven
  15. Chapter Twelve
  16. Chapter Thirteen
  17. Chapter Fourteen
  18. Chapter Fifteen
  19. Chapter Sixteen
  20. Chapter Seventeen
  21. Chapter Eighteen
  22. Chapter Nineteen
  23. Chapter Twenty
  24. Chapter Twenty-One
  25. Chapter Twenty-Two
  26. Chapter Twenty-Three
  27. Chapter Twenty-Four
  28. Chapter Twenty-Five
  29. Chapter Twenty-Six
  30. Chapter Twenty-Seven
  31. Chapter Twenty-Eight
  32. Chapter Twenty-Nine
  33. Chapter Thirty
  34. Chapter Thirty-One
  35. Chapter Thirty-Two
  36. Chapter Thirty-Three
  37. Chapter Thirty-Four
  38. Chapter Thirty-Five
  39. Chapter Thirty-Six
  40. Chapter Thirty-Seven
  41. Chapter Thirty-Eight
  42. Chapter Thirty-Nine
  43. Chapter Forty
  44. Chapter Forty-One
  45. Chapter Forty-Two
  46. Chapter Forty-Three
  47. Chapter Forty-Four
  48. Chapter Forty-Five
  49. Chapter Forty-Six
  50. Chapter Forty-Seven
  51. Chapter Forty-Eight
  52. Chapter Forty-Nine
  53. Chapter Fifty
  54. Chapter Fifty-One
  55. Chapter Fifty-Two
  56. Chapter Fifty-Three
  57. Chapter Fifty-Four
  58. Chapter Fifty-Five
  59. Chapter Fifty-Six
  60. Chapter Fifty-Seven
  61. Chapter Fifty-Eight
  62. Chapter Fifty-Nine
  63. Epilogue
  64. Acknowledgements

‘No!’ Louise’s lip is trembling slightly. At first, I thought that she always looked as though she was on the brink of tears because her mist-pale eyes are so enormous. Now, I realise that she is possibly just always on the brink of tears. ‘These are…for Instagram! We haven’t done a picture with everyone yet. We need to wait until we’re all here!’

I lower the cake until it is resting on the table. The banana is starting to wilt. I am really, really hungry. ‘Yes. Instagram. Of course. I think I need to run out for some breakfast. Do you want anything?’ Partly as a peace offering, I go out and buy Louise something made from raw cashew milk and cacao nibs. It costs seven pounds. When I hold my bank card against the reader, I hold my breath too. By the time I’m back, Tabitha is glowering, Harri is tapping, and everyone is ignoring Louise’s mewing. We’ll do the photo before lunch, then after the analytics meeting, then tomorrow, then never. Over the next few days, the strange and splendid cupcakes will fade and grow frowsty, Miss Haversham-sad. Eventually the cleaner will chuck them. Well, I hope that’s what happens. I hope Louise doesn’t take them home and eat them.

Chapter Thirteen

Putting the Oooof in Yoof

Harri

On Monday, Harri was hopeful. By Friday, she’s exhausted. She’s crashing out in the Cafe Cucina—again, terrible, but so handy for the office—and trying to listen to Giles’ long list of woes, complaints and grudges, and how Giles has effectively been left to run Panache single handed. I’ll just shut my eyes for ten seconds, she thinks. He won’t notice. He hasn’t drawn breath.

‘And then she bawled Cam out, in front of everyone. Told her she had a month to up ad spend or she’d get fired! Poor Cam went for a quiet cry in the cupboard, and it was full of weeping interns. It’s miserable, out there. Aliysha’s trying to get a job on Style, she says she’s going to quit.’

‘Hmmmm? God, how awful. Do we need to order?’ Harri tries, and fails, to suppress a yawn.

‘Oh, I’m sorry, love, am I boring you? I know it’s not as much fun as Hot Lady Daily, but this is my life,’ says Giles, huffily. ‘And it was your life too!’ A waitress appears, bringing a Caesar salad and a bowl of chips that Harri has no memory of asking for. Still, though. Chips. She lifts one to her mouth, and then, distracted, waves it like a baton.