Secrets of a Teenage Heiress

by Katy Birchall

  ‘Why?’

  ‘The club where it was going to be held has been shut down. This morning. What are the chances?’

  ‘But the party is –’

  ‘TONIGHT!’ She crumpled into tears.

  ‘Surely you can find a new venue. You’re Skylar Chase!’

  ‘You’d think,’ she wailed, ‘but everywhere good is booked. We can’t just hold it at any old place, and we need to let all the guests know . . . Argh, the press will have a field day! And I fly back to LA tomorrow, so I can’t have it another evening. This is a disaster.’

  I watched her as she buried her head in her hands. For some reason, as I watched her acting so distressed, something Cal had said popped into my head. Hotel Royale always goes the extra mile. Here was our most important guest and she was having a meltdown that was going to ruin all her memories of being in London. I had to do something.

  ‘It’s not a disaster,’ I whispered. ‘I know what to do.’

  She blinked up at me. ‘Huh?’

  I stood up on the sofa and at the top my lungs, I yelled, ‘EVERYONE, STOP TALKING!’

  They all whipped their heads round to look at me and, after glancing at Sky who gave them a firm nod, they told whoever they were speaking to they would call them back and lowered their phones.

  ‘Right,’ I said confidently, now that I had their attention, ‘you can stop panicking. The party will be here. At Hotel Royale.’

  Sky gasped. ‘But . . . are there any rooms? At this late notice? On a Saturday?’

  ‘You don’t need to worry about anything. That’s my job. Here’s the plan of action,’ I instructed, feeling all important standing up there on the sofa looking down at everyone. No wonder world leaders always speak from podiums. ‘Sky, you are to relax today and get ready for your party this evening. I need someone to make sure that happens. Who can do that?’

  Her assistant’s hand shot up.

  ‘Excellent. Thank you. Now, I just need to make a quick phone call.’

  I jumped down from the sofa, grabbed the phone and dialled Audrey’s office. She picked up straight away and gave me the information I asked for. I hung up and turned back to my silent audience, who were all watching in tense anticipation.

  ‘I need all of you to go to the conference room on the second floor. Someone will be here in a minute to show you the way. The most important thing is that everyone calms down.’ I gave them my biggest smile. ‘We’ve got this.’

  And then, with a salute at Sky, who was looking completely baffled, I left the room and raced down to Audrey. As per my phone instructions, she was waiting for me in her office with Matthew, Chef and Ellie. Cal waved at me from where he was comfortably sitting in Audrey’s chair.

  ‘Why aren’t you sleeping like a normal teenager?’ I asked him. ‘Am I the only person in the world who has heard of lie-ins?’

  ‘Next door neighbours arguing,’ he explained, ‘woke us up at 4 a.m. I was bored at home.’

  ‘Flick, what’s going on?’ Audrey’s expression was full of concern.

  I launched into an explanation of what had happened to Sky. ‘So, I’ve told her we’ll have the party here,’ I concluded.

  ‘What do you mean?’ Audrey asked.

  ‘Here. At Hotel Royale.’

  They stared in silence.

  ‘But,’ Audrey continued, ‘how on earth can we do that, at such late notice? It’s impossible.’

  ‘Not at the Royale,’ I corrected her. ‘Nothing is impossible here. Right, Matthew?’

  Matthew puffed his chest out like a peacock. ‘That’s right.’

  ‘But we don’t have any rooms available,’ Ellie said, scrolling through her iPad to check.

  ‘Nothing?’ I asked, biting my lip. ‘What about the conference rooms?’

  ‘That won’t work. They’re too near the bedrooms, we’d disturb our guests.’

  ‘There’s got to be somewhere,’ I insisted desperately. I couldn’t let Sky down. She was counting on me. And no one ever counts on me.

  She shook her head. ‘We don’t have any space available.’

  I leaned back on Audrey’s desk, totally deflated.

  ‘Yes, we do,’ Cal said softly.

  We all turned to look at him. His eyes locked with mine.

  ‘We have a space,’ he insisted. ‘It’s available, it’s out of the way, it’s a bit kooky. It’s even got its own mini terrace. It just needs a bit of . . . tidying.’

  I was about to tell him off for using the word ‘kooky’ but then it suddenly clicked in my head what he was talking about.

  ‘But Cal, we can’t, it’s your hideaway. It wouldn’t be secret any more.’

  ‘This is more important.’ He nodded firmly. ‘Flick, it’s perfect.’

  ‘I guess if we cleared it out, it would be big enough,’ I said, considering.

  ‘It’s near the kitchens, easy to carry food and drink to and from.’

  ‘A band or DJ could fit into the far corner, and there would be enough dance space.’

  ‘We could put fairy lights down the tunnels, it would look amazing.’

  ‘Or we can tell the guests to come to the outside door via the back road and through into the room that way.’

  ‘Yes, you’re a genius! We could line the road with lanterns leading them to it.’

  ‘Magical and mysterious! It’s perfect!’

  ‘ENOUGH!’ Matthew stepped forwards. ‘What on EARTH are you two talking about?’

  Cal and I grinned at each other like a couple of Cheshire cats.

  ‘Come on.’ I smiled. ‘We’ll show you.’

  THE DAILY POST

  The Party’s Over for Skylar Chase!

  By Nancy Rose

  There’s trouble in paradise. The Daily Post has just learned that the famous London nightclub, Candle Bar, is temporarily shutting its doors due to emergency building repairs, leaving Skylar Chase in the lurch for her all-important star-studded London party that was scheduled to take place there tonight! According to a close source, the American pop star, due back in LA tomorrow, is devastated. ‘She’s in bits,’ the source disclosed. ‘This meant a lot to her and now she’ll likely have to cancel the event.’ We have contacted Miss Chase’s representative but so far they have declined to comment. Sorry, Skylar, but looks like your party’s over! You can cry if you want to . . .

  ‘The party is not over,’ I announced to the conference room, where Sky’s entourage had gathered. ‘I can confirm that we can hold it here tonight.’

  They burst into applause and whoops, immediately getting their phones out at the ready.

  ‘But –’ I held up my hands to quieten them – ‘it’s going to be a lot of work and we’ll need all hands on deck. Let’s just say that the room we’ve got available isn’t exactly your average party venue.’ I shared a smile with Cal. ‘Let me introduce you to the team.’

  I gestured to Audrey, Matthew, Cal, Chef and Ellie, who were all standing in a line next to me. They waved to the crowd.

  ‘We need a group of volunteers to help Cal clean out the venue and set it up. Chef and Sasha are going to be sorting canapés and Jamie will be in charge of drinks, so I’m going to need someone from Sky’s team to select from a list of food options. Audrey has called in our florist, who will be arriving any minute. They will be in charge of decorations. We need someone from your team to get in touch with Sky’s record company and get promotional material, anything they want on display when it comes to the latest album. Ellie is going to be sorting out the sound system, lights and any electrical equipment that we’ll need – can someone liaise with her about a DJ? She’s also going to book an official photographer. We have one on speed dial. Matthew will be in charge of the guest list; we need a confirmed one in the next half an hour so we can be sure of capacity and how much food we need to provide. We also need to make sure that each guest confirms they’re aware of the change of location. And –’ I took a deep breath – ‘I will be overseeing everything. If you have any qu
estions or problems, you come to me. OK, now work out who of your team is doing what.’

  They huddled together excitedly. I noticed Audrey watching me with a funny look on her face.

  ‘What?’

  She hesitated. ‘It’s just, you really reminded me of your mother just then.’

  ‘What, bossing everyone around?’

  ‘No.’ She smiled. ‘Taking charge.’

  I don’t know how we managed it, but it worked.

  As soon as Sky’s entourage had delegated people to each task, everyone leaped into action and by the evening, what used to be mine and Cal’s bizarre secret storeroom and escape exit, now looked like the most exclusive party venue in the city. It had been completely cleared and, thanks to Amy and her team, it was sparkling clean. A huge canvas of Sky’s latest album cover was hanging on the wall, lit up by white globe lamps and masses of fairy lights, twinkling everywhere. The florist had created an archway of flowers over the door frames and all over the tiny patio, so walking through into the room, it was as though you were entering a scene from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Jamie had even created bespoke drinks for the evening, which Timothy and his colleagues were ready to serve, and the canapés looked too perfect – Chef informed me that Sasha had insisted on taking charge of them. He was so impressed with her, he told me proudly, that she was now in line for a promotion.

  With guests due to arrive any minute – guided by lanterns set up all down the back road – Cal and I nervously led Sky down through the tunnels to see what she thought. Dressed in a sparkling silver Lewis Blume dress and bright royal blue heels, she tottered down the now-lit maze of corridors and into her party. Her eyes filled with tears as she stepped into the room and took it all in.

  ‘It’s . . . beautiful.’

  She reached for my hand and squeezed it.

  ‘It’s perfect,’ she whispered. ‘I can’t believe you did all of this.’

  ‘All in a day’s work.’ I laughed.

  She pulled us both in for a giant hug and, while her assistant diverted her attention to check the guest list, Cal and I hurried off to get ready.

  Grace was on the sofa, eating popcorn and discussing the works of Tim Burton with Fritz, while Edward Scissorhands played in the background. I had run up earlier to fill her in on everything that was going on and – after she’d had to go splash her face with cold water because of the shock – she had been super helpful, promising me she would look after Fritz for the day. And there she was waiting, just like she’d said. Not only that, but she’d gone through my wardrobe and put out a variety of ‘pop-star-party-appropriate’ outfits on my bed for me to choose from. We went with skinny black jeans and a red off-the-shoulder top, with my hair tied back in a high ponytail and striking red lipstick.

  ‘Are you sure you can’t come?’ I asked Grace, examining myself in the mirror.

  ‘I WISH, but it’s my granny’s birthday party.’ She sighed, looking very pained. ‘Mum would KILL me if I missed it. Even for Skylar Chase and a celebrity party.’

  ‘I’ve been there before.’ I nodded. ‘I promise I’ll try to introduce you to her at some point soon, OK? I mean it. Maybe when she’s back for the Christmas Ball.’

  ‘Thanks! You look amazing, by the way. Not as good as Fritz, though,’ she added, doing up the last few buttons of his tuxedo and straightening his bow tie.

  ‘Fritz, you’re so handsome!’ I scooped him up under my arm.

  ‘You both look great and tonight is going to be such a big success,’ she enthused, pulling on her jacket and picking up all her things. ‘You’ve got nothing to worry about.’

  ‘Thanks for being here today and looking after Fritz.’

  ‘It was nice to chill out with him.’ She gave him a pat on his head. ‘Well, I’d better get going. Don’t forget to call me tomorrow and tell me everything.’

  ‘Grace.’ I hesitated. ‘I know that hanging out with me won’t do much for your street cred –’

  ‘Are you kidding? Flick –’ she took my hands – ‘you’re about to host a party for Skylar Chase. You’re the coolest person on the planet right now.’

  ‘At school, I mean. And I just wanted to say that I really appreciate it. You coming over and everything.’

  She smiled. ‘Good luck with tonight.’

  She scurried out and shut the door behind her, leaving Fritz and me alone.

  In the silence, the pressure of tonight hit me like a ton of bricks. I’d been rushing about so much during the day, I hadn’t even had time to really think about it. But here I was, standing in the hallway with the best-dressed sausage dog in London, about to go to a party I had organised for the biggest pop star in the world.

  What happened if it went wrong? What happened if the lights all fell down or the music didn’t work or there wasn’t enough food? I mean, I’d told Chef to prepare double the amount just in case so surely that wouldn’t happen. But what happened if no one even showed up? If something went wrong, it would all be my fault. My mouth was suddenly very dry. I was frozen to the spot. I couldn’t go. I couldn’t believe I’d put myself in this position. What had I been thinking?

  I jumped as my phone buzzed loudly on the hallway table.

  Hey, Grace tells me you’re a celeb party planner these days. Pretty awesome. Go smash it.

  Olly x

  I read it, took a deep breath and turned to Fritz.

  ‘You ready?’

  He barked.

  ‘Me too,’ I announced, reaching for the door handle. It was time to go.

  Cal hated me.

  I stood waiting in reception the day after the party, hoping he might show up. I knew that I had ruined everything, and if it were the other way round, I wouldn’t bother showing up either. Not after what I’d said.

  But I still hoped that he might.

  ‘It’s not that bad,’ Sky assured me, when I filled her in properly on Sunday morning. She was tired from the night before but the party had gone so well that nothing could dampen her spirits, not even the long-haul flight ahead of her. It couldn’t have been more of a hit. Everyone on the guest list had shown up, from glamorous models to dramatic rock stars to showbiz journalists, and every celebrity website in the world was talking about it – the stars, the clothes, the venue. Ellie had been inundated with requests to hire out that room for the oncoming year of parties.

  ‘We’re going to need to hire more staff,’ I overheard her telling Timothy during the party when she confirmed yet another booking.

  I should have woken up the next morning elated by the evening’s events. Instead, I woke up feeling like the worst person in the world. Not even Fritz howling along pitch-perfectly to David Bowie in the kitchen where Mum was making breakfast could make me feel better. I checked my phone: no messages.

  ‘Why are you so upset anyway?’ Sky asked, as her team busied themselves around her suite, packing up everything. Her flight back to LA was that afternoon, which only made me feel worse. Though at least she’d be flying back next month for the Christmas Ball.

  I shrugged. ‘I just feel . . . guilty.’

  ‘But what you said was true, wasn’t it?’ She dodged out of the way of her assistant who came flying past clutching a handful of hair products.

  ‘I guess. I just have this horrible feeling in my stomach. Like lead.’

  She sighed and slumped down on to the sofa next to me.

  ‘Tell me again exactly what happened.’

  I had arrived downstairs at the party to find it brimming with famous faces greeting each other enthusiastically and posing together for photos. I made my way through the air-kissing crowd to get to Sky, who was talking to a journalist about her new album.

  ‘– and learning from that relationship inspired several of the songs.’ Her face lit up when she saw me hovering nearby with Fritz, and she gestured for me to join her.

  ‘And have you enjoyed your trip to London?’ the journalist asked, her Dictaphone light blinking red under Sky’s nose.


  ‘It’s been the best, mostly because of new friends,’ she replied, hauling me under her arm and giving Fritz a pat on the head. ‘It’s surprising how few of them you can find in showbiz.’

  The journalist attempted to pry more information out of her but Sky had spotted Ethan waiting in the queue to get in, so she expertly moved her along by introducing her to her producer. Ethan kissed Sky’s cheeks and admired the surroundings.

  ‘Can’t believe you pulled this off. I thought you were in big trouble this morning.’

  ‘So did I –’ Sky nodded – ‘until Flick came along. This is all down to her.’

  ‘Great,’ he said, leaning forwards to kiss me on the cheek. He smelled so good, it made my knees go weak. What IS his aftershave? I need to buy some to spray on my pillow or something.

  Not in a creepy way.

  ‘Ah, there’s Jacob and Carly. Flick, I’ll find you in a second.’

  He disappeared into the crowd and I tried to ignore the sinking feeling of being brushed aside. I guess I couldn’t expect him to only pay attention to me. He was definitely a master of playing it cool, whereas I turned into a lump of jelly whenever he came near. I needed to take a leaf out of Sky’s book – her date to the Christmas Ball wasn’t invited to this party as, according to her, that would make her look ‘way too keen’.

  Watching Ethan disappear into the crowd, I spotted Cal nudging his way through to me. I couldn’t help but smile as he approached – for someone who never made an effort for anything except homework, he’d done a pretty good job of scrubbing up. He was wearing a crisp white shirt and a thin black tie, and had done something with his hair so it wasn’t so fluffy.

  ‘It’s packed,’ he enthused, passing me a drink. ‘Everyone looks like they’re having a good time. Cheers.’

  We clinked our pink lemonade as Fritz, tucked under my arm, tried and failed to snaffle a canapé from a passing tray. I plonked him on the ground and it wasn’t long before he was swept up into Jamie’s arms and offered a crab cake.