She Did It: You think you know her - think again.

by Mel Sherratt

  ‘Let us know where and when and we’ll be there.’

  ‘Great. I’ll be in touch to arrange another meeting for later this week. Do you have time?’

  ‘Of course!’ Jack didn’t need to know that she hadn’t any other big projects on right now.

  ‘I’ll get my PA to email you.’

  Tamara disconnected the phone and screamed at the top of her voice. She’d done it! She had got the job that was going to make Parker-Brown PR a force to be reckoned with. When Esther arrived a few minutes later, it was all she could do to stop herself from jumping up and down.

  ‘We got the pitch!’ she yelled, drawing Esther into her embrace. It felt a little awkward but she couldn’t help herself.

  ‘That’s fantastic!’ Esther’s eyes widened and she grinned.

  ‘Jack was so impressed with your ideas,’ Tamara added as they sat down in the sitting room. ‘He thought it was genius of you to think small to aim big. And even though it wasn’t planned, I want to thank you for taking charge when you did.’

  ‘Really? I—’

  ‘I wouldn’t have won the pitch if it weren’t for you.’

  ‘Well, it doesn’t matter how you got it,’ Esther exclaimed, ‘only that you did!’

  ‘Yes!’ Tamara punched the air. She peered at Esther with a childish grin. ‘Let’s go out for breakfast – my treat. I can’t stay indoors. I feel fit to burst!’

  They left the flat in a tizzy of excitement, talking nineteen to the dozen.

  ‘I’ll get on to my contacts,’ Tamara said, taking the steps down on to the pavement. ‘We can get started on copy and having a think about the campaign reach, and who exactly to get in touch with. And, because we don’t have much time, maybe we can use that to our advantage and create a sense of urgency. It’s going to be a huge challenge but we have to make this the must-have book of the summer by word-of-mouth.’

  They walked along the street and Tamara’s phone went off. It was a message from Jack. After reading it, she put a hand on Esther’s arm to slow her.

  ‘Jack has invited us to join him at Ascot for the Royal meeting!’

  ‘Really?’ Esther looked perplexed.

  ‘He says he already had a box booked, and, as you’d mentioned it in the pitch, he thought it apt we join him, and get to know the team. Clever girl, Esther Smedley.’

  Esther smiled at her. ‘Wow. I’ve never been to Ascot. I doubt I have anything suitable to wear.’

  ‘It’s only strict dress rules in some areas.’ Tamara clapped her hands in glee. ‘We can go shopping. I know some fabulous places. You’ll look a million dollars when I’ve finished with you.’ She paused. ‘Not that you don’t look a million dollars every time I see you. You’re so stylish. I wish I had your figure. Sorry, I didn’t mean to insult you.’

  ‘You couldn’t insult me.’ Esther waved away the remark. ‘Ascot! Amazing!’

  Tamara grinned, adrenaline rushing through her as she thought of what was to come. That giddy feeling washed over her once more. This was going to be so exciting.

  ‘Wait until my parents find out.’ She was already back on her phone. ‘But first, I have a friend with a boutique in Ladbroke Grove. He’ll have the right dresses for us. It will be my treat to you for helping me win the pitch for Something’s Got to Give … Mario, darling. It’s Tamara Parker-Brown.’

  As she spoke to him, Tamara pushed aside her fears that she would have to max out her credit cards again. She should be able to pay them all off soon anyway. Keeping up the image was far more important.

  CHAPTER NINE

  Esther had been surprised to hear that Jack was having a box at the Royal meeting. It was something she hadn’t bargained for, but it would certainly make things easier for her. It would mean that she might be able to get to know Jack away from the office, possibly spend some time alone with him. She’d have to think about how best to do that.

  But that afternoon was all about the outfit. As she and Tamara made their way across London to Ladbroke Grove, she had to contain her annoyance at her new boss. It pissed her off that Tamara assumed she was poor because she was temping. How judgmental.

  But then people like Tamara, born with a spoon in her mouth, wouldn’t know any better. And did she actually think she could style her?

  She pushed away her irritation and, surprisingly, in no time at all, found out that going shopping with Tamara was both excruciatingly embarrassing and a giggle at the same time.

  The boutique scored high marks. From the outside, no one would miss it. The old, wooden paintwork was a bright but gaudy pink, framing tiny, criss-crossed windows. It had the feel of an antique shop and as Tamara pressed down the handle, Esther laughed when an old-fashioned bell rang out to announce their arrival. She hadn’t heard one of those in years.

  Inside was even more daring. Under their feet was a red, velvet carpet that would have been seen in any public house during the seventies. Bottle-green, upholstered chairs were scattered around the edge, amidst white walls with shelves bulging with designer handbags and shoes. At the back of the room were the clothes.

  It shouldn’t have looked stylish altogether but somehow, it did.

  Mario Tiano, the boutique owner who was in his late sixties, had a distinct eye for detail. Dressed in a red and blue ensemble that would have looked as good on any twenty-year-old model strutting down a catwalk, his grey hair was slicked back in a ponytail beneath a shiny, bald head. Groomed eyebrows and nails set him off as eccentric without the added dramatic nature of everything he did.

  ‘Darling, it’s been too long. Mwah.’ He greeted Tamara with exaggerated air kisses. ‘You look fabulous. Have you lost weight?’

  Esther refrained from rolling her eyes as she stayed in the background. It was the oldest trick in the book. Compliment someone on looking thinner, whether they were or not.

  ‘You say the sweetest things, Mario.’ Tamara giggled again. ‘I am very well, though. This is Esther.’

  Esther had stayed in the background, hoping the old man wouldn’t feel the need to come too close to her. But just in time, she composed herself.

  ‘Pleased to meet you, Mario.’ She smiled and held out her hand.

  Mario lifted her fingers to his mouth and grazed the knuckle with his thin lips.

  ‘Delighted to meet you too.’ He leisurely gave her the once-over, nodded and turned to Tamara. ‘She’s a beauty. An English rose. But then, so are you!’

  Tamara stifled a giggle as he led them both to the back of the room and rummaged through the rails where the one-off outfits were hanging. He handed them dress after dress as they drank champagne. Esther didn’t drink much as she wanted a clear head but she did pretend that the bubbles were having an effect on her.

  Tamara looked ridiculous in most of her outfits and it was more than Esther could do at times not to laugh when she came out of the fitting room. She could have been more of a bitch by saying yes to some of the creations that Mario put her in, but even she wasn’t that heartless. Still, when Tamara came out in an understated, cream shift dress, with pink kitten-heel shoes, a pale-pink cropped jacket and a pillbox hat with lots of lace and frills, she gasped.

  ‘You look amazing,’ Esther exclaimed as Tamara twirled around.

  ‘It suits your shape perfectly, darling,’ Mario insisted, nodding his head so hard she had visions of it rolling off.

  ‘Do you think?’ Tamara was still twirling. While she was smitten, Esther popped on the dress she had seen earlier, the one with the price tag that had made her eyes bulge. Money was no object to Tamara so it was only fair that Esther took advantage of that. Tamara’s parents were loaded; they must have helped her out with setting up the flat.

  Esther shimmied into the dress, a riot of colour and quite the opposite to Tamara’s ice cream ensemble. Tones of red and green both clashed and complemented her hair and skin tone. She slipped on a pair of green heels, held her hair up away from her neck, and went back out into the shop.

  ‘What do
you think?’ she asked, acting all demure, yet knowing she looked incredible. It was amazing how well-tailored clothes could make you feel too.

  Mario’s mouth dropped open. ‘Oh, wow! Darling, you look sensational, doesn’t she, Tamara?’ He didn’t wait for a reply. ‘You have got to wear that. It’s absolutely stunning.’

  ‘It is!’ Tamara was smiling, not a hint of envy.

  Esther smiled at them both before doing one final circle in front of the mirror. All of a sudden, she was eight years old again. She was with her mum, choosing a dress for Abigail Riley’s tenth birthday party. She had been so excited to be invited and wanted to look her very best. Her mum had gone out of her way to find her the nicest dress. She could remember feeling as she did now when she had slipped it on. Excited, beautiful, powerful. How her life had changed. She pushed dark memories away and concentrated on the task in hand.

  But then she stopped, glancing at herself one last time. What would her mum think of her now, twenty-four years later? Esther missed her so much at times, but it was easier this way. She couldn’t disappoint her if she didn’t know where she was. And she wasn’t going to be proud of her when she found out her intentions.

  ‘It is beautiful.’ She sighed loudly, her shoulders drooping as she walked back to the changing rooms. ‘I wanted to play Julia Roberts for a moment and feel like a pretty woman.’

  ‘You need to have more confidence! You are a pretty woman. With or without this fantastic dress.’ Tamara looked at the tag and didn’t even bat an eye at the extortionate price. ‘I said this was my treat and I meant it. You got me the contract with Dulston Publishing. That’s the reason we are going to Ascot.’ She smiled at her. ‘You and I are going to have a fabulous time.’ She clicked her fingers. ‘Mario, we’ll take them. Do you have a hat to go with Esther’s outfit?’

  ‘I have the very thing,’ he squeaked in excitement.

  Esther tried not to roll her eyes. It was laughable to see Mario almost fall over his feet to get to the back of the room. Instead she smiled at Tamara.

  ‘I don’t know what to say, other than thank you!’

  ‘I think you should say, yes, Tamara, I would like to work with you after my trial period ends.’

  Esther grinned. ‘Really? You’re saying I can stay?’

  ‘Of course!’

  ‘Well, I’m saying thank you again!’

  Tamara drew her into her embrace. ‘I think I was very lucky to find you, Esther Smedley. You and I are going to be spiffing together.’

  Esther laughed inwardly at her strange choice of words, but she managed to hug Tamara back this time. This was all going so much better than she had anticipated. It was fabulous that the two of them were getting on so well after so little time working together. Imagine how gullible she would be after a few months, if Esther had to stick around for that long.

  And maybe when Tamara found out how much she’d been tricked, she might not be so trusting in the future either.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Tamara could almost feel sweat dripping from her as she made her way through Leicester Square towards West Street. She was meeting her parents for supper at The Ivy. Having Esther at her flat had been the perfect excuse not to make it for lunch, as she didn’t like to leave her there alone during the day. Still, she was glad to get out into the fresh air, even though it seemed as hot outside as it was inside. Plus, the outfits she had bought for herself and Esther had wiped her out for the time being, so it was nice to have supper paid for.

  Tamara had so much on her mind. Something’s Got to Give was due to be launched in less than a month. She had created an extensive project plan and, along with Esther, had started to work on bringing it all together. Of course, it would be easy to start off with because everything needed doing as a matter of urgency. She would have to keep an eye on things because one late delivery could mean everything else being pushed aside and getting later and later, meaning failure to deliver.

  At first, Tamara had been surprised everything had been left so late. Jack had told her that the book should have been selling in better off the back of the author’s previous title, but as it was a different genre – this was a psychological thriller rather than women’s fiction – it hadn’t had the crossover they were hoping for. Preorder sales were lacklustre, but they all knew they had something special on their hands, hence there now being more money to splash around.

  The book had to hit the right audience. Jack had offered 200 copies on the week of publication. He’d mentioned giving them out in Central London but she’d managed to persuade him not to. Tamara’s smallest bedroom had become the store cupboard for all the stationery and gifts they’d had branded with the cover. She had wondered whether to do a treasure hunt around some of the places it was set using some of the cheaper items.

  Dulston Publishing was the first reputable company Tamara had worked with and the fact that she had won the pitch had gone down surprisingly well with her parents. They had insisted on taking her out to celebrate, although she was certain it was more her father’s idea than her mother’s.

  At the table she was shown to, she greeted her parents with the usual hug for her father and a peck on the cheek for her mother. Elizabeth Parker-Brown wasn’t an affectionate person, no matter how much she portrayed that to the outside world.

  Tamara had always suspected her mother wasn’t truly happy. Despite the many charity functions and business lunches Elizabeth was involved in, she had watched her become even more blasé as the years had passed.

  At sixty-four, her father, Miles, was two years older than her mother. Although he was a descendant of old money, he was a ruthless business man and had added a lot more to the family wealth that had been handed down to him. He planned on retiring next year, on his sixty-fifth birthday, but Tamara wasn’t sure he would. He didn’t really seem ready for it. His work had consumed him over the years. And what her mother would do with him around her feet all the time, she couldn’t begin to imagine.

  She watched him now as he folded out his napkin on his lap. He was a tall man, with a preposterous laugh that was embarrassingly loud but extremely infectious. It made his large nose and squinty eyes wrinkle in an amusing way. Luckily, his positive outlook on life meant that she heard that laugh often. Tamara’s brothers had his fair colouring and brown eyes, his receding hairline and a tiny paunch that they all struggled to keep at bay.

  Looks-wise, Tamara was very much like her mother. Although Elizabeth’s hair was grey, she ensured no one ever saw it. It stayed the dark-brown shade Tamara could always remember it being and the exact same length that skimmed the bottom of her chin.

  Tamara had her eyes too, a few shades darker brown than the men in the family with speckles of hazel, and her penchant to put on weight as soon as she looked at food. But that was where the similarity stopped.

  Elizabeth told her often that she should have started a family by now. She was constantly asking when Tamara was going to give them grandchildren, as if she didn’t have enough with six already. Most of the time, Tamara ignored the jibes. They stung but she wasn’t going to settle down with anyone just to please her mother.

  ‘Are you having your usual risotto primavera for starters, Tamara?’ Miles asked as he closed his menu and placed it back on the table.

  Tamara nodded. She always enjoyed dining at The Ivy. The restaurant was celebrating its centenary year after having a recent refurbishment and was by far her favourite place to eat. It had the feeling of opulence with its shimmering central bar, oak-panelled walls and stained-glass windows, soft lighting, and a collection of contemporary art. It had always felt rich to Tamara, even though it shouldn’t as she was far too much of a regular visitor.

  Her parents were members and dined there at least once a week and they would often ask her to accompany them, but she would always try to get out of it. She would make up any excuse rather than suffer the disdain of her mother.

  ‘So, my little girl is running a big campaign at last,’ s
aid her father.

  Tamara smiled at Miles, but as she looked to her mother, her heart sank.

  ‘Are you sure you can handle the pressure, darling?’ Elizabeth gave Tamara one of her weary looks. ‘It’s going to be so much hard work for you, especially in a male-dominated industry.’

  Tamara frowned. ‘Publishing is not led by men, Mother. It’s very much controlled by strong and powerful women.’

  ‘Yes, but darling, the women only do the tedious side of things, like editing behind the scenes, I expect—’

  ‘Oh, don’t be so patronising!’ Tamara couldn’t help but raise her voice. A few diners looked her way and she felt a flush to her cheeks. Being brought up with money had done her mother more harm than good. She was such a snob.

  ‘How is the new woman working out?’ Miles interjected. ‘Ethel, is that her name?’

  ‘Esther,’ Tamara corrected him. ‘She’s doing really well. She has such a flair for the work.’

  ‘Good, because this could be a huge opportunity for you. When I spoke to Jack he was really pleased that you were going to be working with him.’

  Tamara’s heart sank at this revelation. ‘When did you see Jack?’ she enquired.

  ‘Oh, a few days ago now.’ He flapped his hand around. ‘He plays golf at my club; didn’t I tell you?’

  ‘No.’ Tamara’s lips formed a tight smile. ‘You didn’t have anything to do with this, did you?’

  ‘Of course he did, darling.’ Elizabeth reached across the table for her hand. ‘You don’t think you got this by talent alone? You haven’t any experience, nor any luck, securing large contracts like this before, so your father put in a good word for you.’

  ‘Well, I didn’t try and pay him off, if that’s what you’re insinuating.’ Miles had the decency to lower his eyes, but Tamara wasn’t sure if his cheeks were reddening because of embarrassment or a little too much wine. ‘He said you’d got the job on your own merits anyway.’ He raised his empty glass in the air to garner the attention of a passing waiter. ‘I think more champagne is called for.’