by Clare Lydon
That raised a laugh. “I get that.”
“You’re doing just fine. You’re muddling through, just like everyone else. Maya is a gorgeous girl who’s always so happy. I don’t think you’ve scarred her by having a drink with Eden. Unless you were humping on the table while she was playing kitchens.”
Heidi rolled her eyes. “Yep, we were naked the whole time.”
“Give yourself a break. And I’m sure Eden will cut you some slack, too.”
“You don’t think she’ll want to run a mile after two false starts?”
Sarah shook her head. “I might have been drunk at the festival, but I still remember walking up to see you two kissing. That kiss was the stuff of someone who wanted to keep on kissing you indefinitely. She might be a bit hacked off that obstacles keep getting in the way, but tough titties. Jason went on a management course last week, and the trainer said obstacles are the stuff that make you inventive and, ultimately, make you stronger. I believe that. Eden works in a professional job, right?”
Heidi nodded. “She’s in PR and marketing.”
Sarah waved a hand. “She’ll already have been processing this stuff. She’ll have been sitting with her negroni, pondering if she wants to date the woman with the shit-sandwich kid. But ultimately, what she really remembers is you and your lips that she wants to kiss. Obstacles. If you really want to, you can get around them.”
“Jason had to go away all week to learn this?”
Sarah snorted. “He did. He so owes me. Plus, he got his food cooked for him and got his bed made every single day. Bliss.” She stopped, wagging a finger in Heidi’s direction. “But you need to get in contact to see if she wants to meet up. Start again. Focus on the future, not on the past.”
Heidi exhaled. Maybe her sister was right. She was just echoing what Meg had said the other week after disaster date one.
Sarah’s finger was prodding her. “Do it now!” She checked her watch. “You’ve got a bit of time before you pick up Maya. That was another thing Jason brought home from his week away, which he jokingly calls working. The two-minute rule. If you can do something within two minutes of thinking of it, then do it. Then it’s done and you’re not thinking about it for the rest of the day. Action moves things forward.”
Eden was keen on action, Heidi knew. “Makes sense.”
“I told him it applies to changing the toilet roll, which he never used to do, and it’s working! For now.”
Heidi dug her phone out of her bag and pulled up Eden’s number. That was the easy bit. Her finger hovered over her keypad, but her mind was blank.
“What should I say?”
Sarah smiled, putting a hand on her knee. “Something short, snappy, to the point. Fancy a third try at a date and I promise no kids, no dogs?”
Heidi nodded. “Good plan.” She paused. “What if I can’t get a babysitter?”
Sarah shook her head. “She can come to ours and stay overnight. I promise. Whatever day it is, we’ll sort it out. Even if Max has to look after her.”
Heidi raised an eyebrow. “My six-year-old nephew looking after his baby cousin?” She shrugged. “Sure, I don’t see a problem.”
Heidi typed it out, read it through, then sent it before she could second-guess herself. It was done.
Maybe she had been guilty of creating scenarios in her head when she hadn’t actually asked Eden what she thought first. She was going to wipe the memories of dates one and two from her system and go again. She just hoped Eden was up for doing the same.
Chapter 20
Eden was wearing a new suit she’d got from an independent boutique in Camden. She’d had her eye on it for a while and been weighing up the pros and cons. But now she knew she had to impress the cool, sophisticated Caroline — as well as the sharp, tailored India — she’d decided to up her game.
When she walked into the kitchen of their shared flat, Lib glanced up from her phone and bowl of porridge. Then she did a double take.
That was when Eden was sure she’d got this one right.
“Erm, hello, Mrs Dressed-To-Kill.” Lib stared. Then she stood, circling Eden, wanting a view from every angle. “Where has this gorgeously dressed goddess risen from?”
Eden felt her cheeks heat under Lib’s intense stare. “I got it yesterday from that boutique down the road. The one we always gawp at but never go in.” She and Lib had done just that quite a few times. But then, when they couldn’t see any price tags visible on the displays, they’d decided it was probably too rich for their blood.
“You went in?”
“That’s generally what you have to do when you want to buy something.”
“And how was it?” If Lib’s eyes could have popped out on stalks, they would have. “I can’t believe you went in. Without me. That’s our store!”
Eden shook her head. “It can still be our store.” She paused, heading over to the sink to pour herself a glass of water. She didn’t want to chance anything else in this outfit. No food that might splash. She’d made sure to brush her teeth and do her makeup before getting dressed. “They were lovely in there, though. And you remember this?” She fingered the lapel of her navy blue and white chequered suit.
“Of course! It looks even better on.” Lib shook her head. “I’m so borrowing it for my next power meeting.”
“You have power meetings?”
“I’m going to make sure I have them now.” Lib tilted her head. “So who or what is this in aid of?”
“It’s for the meeting with India. I need to make an impression on her and Caroline for this project, and I hope this does it.” Eden pulled up the collar of her crisp lemon shirt. “You think the shirt’s okay? Not too much?” She’d tried on a white and a pink as well, but had settled for yellow. The woman in the shop had told her it complemented the colour of her eyes, and by that point, Eden had been so swept away with the look of it all, she’d have agreed to buy anything. She’d spunked up nearly £450, but she was thrilled with the end product.
“Shirt looks good.” Lib gave her a thumbs-up. “And your matching Converse tone it down just that little bit. Make you look like you’re trying, but not too hard. If you don’t succeed today in this getup, there’s no hope for anyone.”
“I hope you’re right.”
Lib paused. “But this outfit also works the other way, too. How are you going to handle India? Because I hate to break it to you, but you look smokin’. Your suit, your hair.” Lib waved a hand up and down Eden, just in case she was in any doubt what she was talking about. “This outfit might score you the contract, but it’s not going to cool India’s desire to go out with you.”
Eden made a face. “Why is life so hard?”
Lib gave her a face only a close friend could. “Because you make it hard?”
“Shut up.”
The truth was, Eden had been putting off thinking about letting India down. She had to get through the meeting first. Then, she’d deal with India personally. It was all the more imperative because she’d said yes to another date with Heidi. Although with all her work commitments this week and Heidi’s packed weekend schedule, they’d yet to work out a date. Eden was okay with that. She could only deal with one big thing at a time. Once this meeting and India were out the way, she planned to give all her attention to Heidi.
It was the slowest take-off of a possible relationship she’d ever lived through, but maybe that was a positive. All the quick starts she’d had in her 20s had never worked out, had they? But she was back in the game, a toe dipped. Once today was over, she was ready to step into it with both feet; set sail, and see where it took her.
“My plan is for me and Johan to work our campaign magic, go for celebratory drinks, tell India it can’t happen, and then arrange a date with Heidi.”
Lib shook her head. “Who would have believed Mrs Sworn-Off-Relationships would be juggling two women? One of them a minor celeb?”
“I’m hardly juggling. I’ve only barely kissed one of them.”
> “You were tonsil-deep when I saw you.”
Eden blushed, a warmth flooding through her at the memory. Yes, she had been. And it was something she was super-keen to do again.
“Once this week is over, I hope to be right back there again.”
“Wearing that suit, I’d say anything is possible.”
Johan sat down, his introductory spiel done. Now it was on Eden’s shoulders, encased in a slight shoulder pad. That had been the only part of the outfit she’d been hesitant about, but the woman in the shop had told her it was essential to the shape. She was right.
Glancing down on her shoulder pads now, there was a subtle force radiating from them, transmitting down her whole body. Perhaps this truly was a power suit.
Eden took a deep breath and pulled up the first slide of the storyboard. Watching round the conference table were Caroline, India, David, and India’s communications director, Adrian. Adrian looked like he worked in a food company, his suit not quite so tailored. India, on the other hand, looked like she’d just stepped out of Milan.
“As Johan said, we took you at your word that you wanted us to create something that truly pushed the envelope and made Chocolate Delight memorable to everyone. By the time this ad has aired, everyone’s going to want some, and every child in the land is going to want some gorgeous lesbian parents, too.”
Eden held India’s gaze as she said the last bit, and saw the hint of a smile on her delicate features. It was a shameless play into her court, but if Eden couldn’t do it, then who the hell could?
Caroline blurted out a shard of nervous laughter at Eden’s words.
Eden turned back to the first screen of the storyboard: the mum making breakfast for the child. “Of course, you expect that, right? Mum making breakfast for her child. So far, so normal. The kid is happy about getting the crumpet with chocolate spread. What kid doesn’t love that?”
She clicked to the next slide. “Then we see the progress of their day. The mum at work, the child at nursery.” Click. “They get home, then we see the child on a stool getting chocolate spread all over his mouth. Mum finds him and tells him off.” She’d have to remember to thank Heidi for that one when she saw her. Click. “She wipes his mouth, and puts him to bed, stopping en route to kiss his other mummy, who’s just come in from work.”
Eden swept her gaze across the room. Adrian looked like he’d just swallowed a litre of drain cleaner.
She carried on. Click. “The pair finally come together in the kitchen, where the just-home Mum holds up the jar of Chocolate Delight and gives her partner a sexy smile. She walks over, she smears a little spread onto her lip, and she kisses it off, giving her a loving look.” Click. “Cut to the following morning with the three of them at breakfast, more relaxed, it’s the weekend. The child with chocolate spread on his face, happy as a lark. The women exchange looks and drink their coffee. We finish by telling the world that your product is for the whole family. For their morning, their afternoon and their evening delight.”
Eden paused. The whole way through the storyboard, India hadn’t given much away. One nod, that was it. Meanwhile, Caroline’s face was white as a ghost. As if she’d agreed to it in principle, but now it was getting real, she wasn’t sure about any of it.
“Of course, we have the happy, bouncy, more everyone-friendly ad to fall back on with a man and a woman. But this would cause the splash you’re after. If you put this ad prime-time, you’d get column inches for and against by the skipful. Look at Greggs when they launched their vegan sausage roll. The papers went mad, like it was the end of the world. The final result? Greggs sold out of vegan sausage rolls all over the country.
“No publicity is bad, which I’m sure you know. This would start a conversation, and make your spread the sexy option. Plus, it would get the gays eating it by the caseload.” Eden paused, aware India still hadn’t said anything. “What do you think?”
India uncrossed her legs and sat forward, taking a deep breath. “I think I love it. I’ve been sitting here wondering if putting on a lesbian-focused ad would be bad because I’m a lesbian.” She pressed her index finger into her chest, her gaze fully on Eden. “Is it a little obvious, a bit too much? But then I realised, straight execs greenlight straight ads all the time, and they never ask themselves this question. By that token, I shouldn’t either.” She cupped her hands together. “We might need a little more discussion of details, but overall, let’s do it. The public is ready for this, and the FMCG market won’t know what’s hit it.”
Johan frowned. “FMCG? Isn’t that a bad thing?”
“Fast-moving consumer goods,” Eden whispered.
He nodded. “Of course.”
India gave her a broad smile. “I’m thrilled. Thank you so much, Eden and Johan, for all your hard work, and that of the team. The treasure hunt’s all wrapped up, all the discs back and customers happy. I can’t wait to see the finished ad. Don’t you agree, Adrian?”
Looking at Adrian’s face, Eden was pretty sure he didn’t agree one bit, but he couldn’t say much about it, could he? Not with the company head and star of consumer TV sitting beside him. “Can’t wait to see it jump from idea to screen.”
Eden would love to take Adrian on at poker. She’d wipe the floor with him every time.
Johan and Caroline left the room, and Adrian excused himself to the bathroom. That left Eden, India and David. Could he feel the change in energy, the charge in the air? Perhaps, because suddenly, David had somewhere better to be, too.
Then it was just the two of them. Eden cleared her throat, hoping her makeup was doing its job of covering the blush rushing to her cheeks.
When she glanced up, India’s gaze was trained on her, sweeping up and down with an approving stare.
“Great presentation.” India pushed herself off the table she’d been leaning against, walking towards her. “I have to say, that suit looks incredible on you. Like it was made for you.” When India drew level with Eden, she flicked something from her shoulder, her dark eyes holding Eden in place. “I was listening to every word you said. I had to. It was impossible to look away.”
Eden took a step back, panic washing down her. She had to hold her nerve and just put it out there. She clutched the desk behind her for certainty.
“Are you free for dinner tonight? A little celebration of your stellar campaign, a glass of champagne to toast your stunning new look?”
Eden gulped, shaking her head. “I’m afraid I’m not going to be able to have dinner with you tonight. I hope that doesn’t affect our working relationship, though. My circumstances have changed. Plus, is it a good idea to mix work with pleasure?”
“If I never mixed work with pleasure, I’d never have any pleasure.” She paused, frowning at Eden. “Hang on, you’re serious?”
Eden nodded. “I’m afraid so.”
A gamut of emotions flashed over India’s face, but she didn’t say a word. Instead, she took a deep breath and composed herself, as Eden was sure she’d been taught to do in whatever finishing and then business school she’d attended. Then she flashed Eden a smile that wouldn’t quite stick to her face, no matter how hard she tried.
“I didn’t see that coming, but no, of course it won’t affect business. If I mix them, I don’t let the pleasure affect the business decisions. A shame, though, because I think we could have had quite a lot of pleasure.”
Eden’s stomach rolled for all the bad reasons, but she managed to keep her face stoic. She hoped India was true to her word and wasn’t going to use this against them.
“You’ve met someone else?” Almost immediately, India held up a hand. “You know what, that’s none of my business. You have your life, and I have mine. I get that. I don’t need details.” She paused. “But I’ve booked a hotel in town and I need to eat. So how about a drink before I do that. Just one drink, no strings attached? To celebrate the work we’re doing, and because I like you. Friends go out with each other for drinks, right?”
Eden too
k a deep breath while she considered that. She was pretty sure her and India weren’t going to be true friends, but you never could tell. She’d taken the news that Eden was bailing on their date with grace. One drink couldn’t hurt, could it?
She nodded, ignoring the warning tap on her shoulder. It would be fine. She was a 40-year-old grown woman, for goodness sake.
“A drink would be lovely. And you can tell me all about your trip to New York.”
India grinned. “It involves a lot of New Yorkers, so prepare to hear a lot of swearing.” She paused. “I’m staying at the Mondrian on the river. Perhaps we could go for a drink on the South Bank?”
Chapter 21
Heidi’s mum was a retired business and journalism professor. She was far better read than either of her daughters, but Heidi had picked up her love of reading and also of live theatre. Her mum had insisted on taking her to see a new play at the National Theatre for her birthday week as well as treating Heidi to an early dinner. Her dad had come over to babysit Maya, and her mum was paying, too. She’d have preferred to be going out with Eden, but at least that date was on the horizon. Tonight, she was enjoying her mum’s company.
They ate at a restaurant on the South Bank in the Royal Festival Hall, overlooking the Thames. The evening was settled after a day of rain, the moonlight shimmering on the river. Nights like these reminded Heidi why she loved London, living this close to so much culture. The air in the restaurant was seared with grilled meats and fish, the volume cranked a little higher since their arrival.
On the way in, Heidi spotted posters advertising kids’ activities in the summer holidays. That would be perfect for Maya. Heidi had fond memories of her mum bringing her to pantomimes and children’s exhibitions at the South Bank. Heidi doing the same with Maya would please her mum. What her mum wasn’t so pleased with was Heidi’s increased workload while her daughter was still so young.