Page 71 of Date with Destiny

I tut. ‘That’s horrible. I’m really sorry, Mum.’ I pause. ‘But this is just one idiot’s opinion!’

She shakes her head. ‘All the papers say the same sort ofthing. That I’ve let fame go to my head and think I can do no wrong.’

I’m silent for a moment. ‘I’m sorry.’

She looks up and smiles wanly. ‘The bloggers and the influencers are all posting nice things though!’ she says brightly before adding, ‘But that might be because we gave them all endless freebies and even paid a few of them.’

‘I’m sure they wouldn’t write it if they didn’t mean it though,’ I say fiercely.

‘That’s true,’ she says, looking a bit happier. ‘And they haven’t seen the new store yet! I’m sure they’ll come around when they see it. This is going to take us to the next level.’

‘But,’ I begin carefully, not wishing to kick her when she’s so very down, ‘what’s wrong with our current level? We are so bespoke and curated. That’s why our clients love us. We can spend hours with them, talking them through what they want, making sure they have something that will be adored and treasured and handed down from parent to child to grandchild, forever.’ I spread my hands wide. ‘I love our store and I think what we do is amazing. It doesn’t need to be more mainstream or reality show-friendly, does it? That’s why I thought the engagement concierge idea—’

She doesn’t let me finish. ‘Oh, for goodnesssake,’ she says. ‘Will you stop going on about that? I’ve told you no, let it go!’

‘Sorry,’ I say in a whisper, feeling stupid and crushed.

‘Never mind,’ she says breezily, her anger already forgotten. ‘You better get to bed, it’s late.’

I creep upstairs, spotting the light under Toni’s door. Icould just sneak past, couldn’t I? I could go to bed and nurse my latest Celeste wound. I could deal with this conversation in the morning. I could hide until Shawn goes home and then speak to Toni on her own. After all, it’s hardly fair that it’s going to be two on one anyway, is it?

I sigh and knock on her door.

A worried Toni opens it seconds later, her face sagging with relief when she sees it’s me.

‘Ginny!’ she says with such joy that I forget for a moment that we’re mid-pseudo-argument. She pulls me in for a hug and behind her I spot Shawn, perched on the bed, looking sulky. ‘I’m so glad you came home, thank you!’

Her warmth knocks me completely off my stride. I’d come in here ready to defend myself and Mikey, but instead I find myself apologizing and nearly crying.

‘Guys,’ I say emotionally, ‘I’m sorry your special night got ruined, I’m really sorry. Mikey didn’t mean it – he was just joking, I’m so sorry, Shawn, he didn’t want to upset you. Are we OK? I’m really sorry.’

Toni takes my hand and leads me to the bed. ‘Sit down, Gin,’ she says nicely, but it feels too intimate to sit between them on the bed, so I select a beanbag and sit across from them.

‘You have nothing to be sorry about,’ Toni says earnestly. ‘You’ve done nothing at all.’ She nudges Shawn beside her, who looks sullen.

I wait, a little confused by what’s happening here.

After some resentful seconds, Shawn uncrosses his defensive arms and finally makes eye contact with me.

‘What did Mikey say happened?’ he asks and I can tell he is trying.

I shrug lightly. ‘That he made a stupid joke and you overreacted.’ I look away, embarrassed. ‘He’s sorry. He was just drunk, or high, or whatever. It wasn’t very nice, I’m sorry.’

Shawn takes a moment. ‘He’s got a girlfriend,’ he says at last and my stomach falls through the floor. ‘We were chatting about being the new members of the Bretherton clan and what an, er,interestingfamily you are.’ He takes a deep breath, looking a bit guilty. ‘Mikey clearly thought me and him were buddy-buddy – the outsiders of the group – because he then decided to tell me about the woman, Janine, who he lives with and has been with for two years.’

I can’t move. ‘Wait,what?’ I shake my head, trying to order my thoughts. Mikey has a girlfriend? But he can’t. He wouldn’tdothat. Would he?

Shawn looks furious. ‘He was boasting about how he was going to bed the famous Celeste Bretherton’s daughter again and tell all his mates about it. All while Janine was none the wiser.’

This can’t be true, surely. I would’ve been able to tell? He said he really liked me. I look between Toni and Shawn again, shaking my head for the fiftieth time.

Am I just supposed to believe all this? It seems absolutely insane. Surely Mikey would never do that? He would never be that cunning or calculated. He wouldn’tuseme like that.

‘Gin, are you OK?’ Toni’s voice is soft.

No way. It cannot be true. He wouldn’t do that.That would be next-level evil. Next-level arseholery. There’s no way.

I look at Shawn.

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