Page 26 of Cover Story

‘One’s in the Cotswolds and the other is at Chloe’s family place in France so the cost is way lower.’

‘Amazing! You’re only sackingmyhen off? Wow, Bella.’

‘Shilpa. It’s literally £1,300 return if I go in Standard Economy while you’re all in Business. I know your hen do will be absolutely lit, but you can’t expect everyone to be able to absorb that kind of cost.’

‘Except I got engaged eighteen months ago and you could’ve been saving instead of buying YSL courts!’

Bel gasped. ‘Are you my financial adviser?’

‘Honestly, I’m not sure I want you as my bridesmaid if this is how you treat me.’

Bel widened her eyes.

‘Uhm … we’ve had the dress fitting?’

‘You’re what, a large twelve? I’m sure I’ll find another candidate.’

Bel stared into her handset in feigned disbelief.

‘Not sure that’s how it’s meant to work, but OK. Your choice.’

‘No, how it’s meant to work is that bridesmaids go on the hen weekend. Enjoy the Cotswolds, andFrance.’

Shilpa ended the call.

Bel picked her phone up, as if to be sure she was gone, and put it down again, mouth open. She checked her Michael Kors rose gold diamante watch (fifteen quid, Vinted) and hoped she was being seen. She extravagantly rubbed her temples, dabbed at her eyes with a paper napkin while exhaling.

She checked the time again.

‘Excuse me,’ Bel said, flagging down a passing waiter and making sure her voice rang out clearly, ‘can I order a bottle of champagne?’

‘Of course. How many glasses?’ the waiter said.

‘One, please,’ she said.

‘Leo!’ called Amber to the waiter, ‘No bill for it. On the house.’

‘Oh my God, thank you!’ Bel said, turning as if seeing Amber for the first time. ‘That’s so generous.’

‘Whole bottle. That bad, huh?’ Amber said, nodding down at Bel’s iPhone.

‘Oh, you have no idea,’ Bel said, rolling her eyes extravagantly and shaking her head confidentially. ‘Have you ever had a friend get engaged, and the ring on her hand turns her into an absolute demon? It’s like she’s Bilbo inLord of the Rings, if he went to Cartier. And Bilbo was being a massive bitch.’

‘Hahahahaha,’ Amber said, ‘OK, only condition for your comped bottle, you let me have a glass of it with you, and tell me the story?’

‘Deal!’ Bel said, beaming.

‘Got to be some perks for all the shit I shovel here. It looks nice outside– fancy taking it out there? I’m Amber, by the way.’

‘Great idea,’ Bel said. ‘I’m Bella.’

‘See you there in one min, Bella, I’ll bring it out,’ Amber said.

Bel snapped her laptop shut, shoved it into her designer bag and picked her way carefully to an al fresco spot. She reapplied lipstick in a vintage Versace compact (£40, eBay) smoothed her ringleted ponytail, and tried to calm the boiling sea inside herself. A mixture of victory, anticipation and significant nerves.

Amber joined her and set down a silver bucket, white napkin over it and green bottle nestled in proper lumps of ice. She pulled two flutes out of the pockets in a cotton apron tied round her waist. ‘You pour it, just gonna grab my vape.’

Bel carefully angled and sloshed champagne out in two equal measures and felt glad of the disinhibition it was about to create, though she needed to keep a check on inebriation.

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