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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

As she walks to the other end of the office, Harri notices that her bones seem heavier than usual, awkward in their sockets. Imagine being twenty-seven! Imagine taking leaps and bounds as you go about your day, without having your right hand drift supportively to the small of your back! These children have no idea how hard it is to try to channel a ‘down with the kids’ attitude when your vibe is increasingly ‘help, I’ve fallen and I can’t get up’.

Harri is saddened when she notices that as she draws nearer, her employees seem to deflate a little. It’s barely perceptible, but heads are lowered, sprawled limbs are brought closer to bodies, everything is a fraction of a decibel quieter. Everyone is on their best behaviour. She clears her throat. ‘Sorry to interrupt, I just wanted to say—I think a team night out for Imogen’s birthday is a really good idea. Send an email round, and we’ll get everyone to save the date. Thanks to the birthday girl’s brilliant piece, our numbers are looking really good. We’ve got lots to celebrate. Louise, if you’re happy to be social secretary and get us organised, that would be brilliant.’ Louise shakes when she hears her name, and then her whole face brightens and blooms. ‘You can count on me!’ she says solemnly. Did she just…clasp a fist to her chest? Please don’t salute. ‘It really doesn’t need to be anything too fancy,’ says Harri. And then, panicking, ‘No, ah, activities or anything. Just a nice bar!’ She’s pretty sure that she’s seen appliquéd cushions and hand-made fascinators gleaming in Louise’s eyes.

Chapter Twenty-Five

The Birthday Girl

Imogen

To the surprise of precisely no one, Louise loves a theme. We’re ambling towards the Covent Garden piazza while she dances in front of us, skipping backwards so she can face us while telling us that this bar is rilly, rilly great, and we’re all going to have a rilly wonderful time. The only thing making it bearable is Tabitha’s sulky face. That’s my birthday present. ‘The last time I came to Covent fucking Garden,’ she hisses, ‘was on a school trip.’ A juggler in a jester’s hat beckons at her, shaking his bells. ‘Fuck off!’ she snarls. It must be my imagination but the points of the hat seem to droop slightly. A woman in a smart navy coat shakes her head and covers her child’s ears. Well, you’re going to be shocked by Tabitha’s vocabulary if you’ve got this far into adulthood and you’re still wearing mittens.