‘Well, fourteen isn’t a plus size, is it?’ Julie cooed. ‘Except in modelling, of course.’ She rolled her eyes. ‘Size twelve’s a plus size for us, isn’t it?’ she said to Tina and Gwen. ‘Which is completely ridiculous. A friend of mine – remember Carla?’ she asked Gwen, ‘she’s a size 12 now and she can only get outsize work.’
‘But she looks amazing!’ Gwen enthused.
‘Oh yes,’ Julie hastened to assure Kate. ‘Fantastic.’
‘I wish I had a figure like that,’ Gwen said.
‘No, you don’t,’ Tina said witheringly.
‘Well, no,’ Gwen admitted, with a laugh, ‘but that’s just because I’d be out of a job.’
Kate couldn’t decide which was worse: Tina’s open hostility or her friends’ being-kind-to-lesser-mortals condescension.
‘When are you all off to the concert?’ she asked, hoping she didn’t sound too eager. ‘I thought you’d be gone by now.’
‘We should be,’ Gwen said gloomily. ‘The guys left ages ago. Except Rory – he’s waiting for us.’
‘So, what’s the matter?’ Kate asked, against her better judgment.
‘Will won’t take us,’ Julie explained, glancing warily at Tina. ‘We’re waiting for him to arrange a car for us.’
‘It’s ridiculous,’ Tina spat sulkily. ‘I don’t see why he won’t let me drive his. Just because he’s not going, there’s no reason why I can’t enjoy myself.’
‘Well, he probably knows you’ll want to have a drink,’ Gwen suggested diplomatically.
‘Will isn’t going?’ Kate asked, surprised. ‘Why not?’
‘Because his father died,’ Tina snapped waspishly, as if Kate ought to have known.
‘What?’ Kate gasped in shock. ‘Hisfather? But – but he can’t have,’ she stammered.
‘Well, no one told him that apparently,’ Tina drawled, clearly relishing the impact of her words. ‘Because he did.’
‘He’sdead?’ Kate couldn’t take it in.
‘Yes,’ Julie nodded. ‘It was very sudden, apparently.’
‘A heart attack,’ Gwen added solemnly.
‘Oh my God!’ She surveyed the three of them. Through the doors to the terrace she saw Rory sitting by the pool listening to music on his phone, eyes closed, face upturned to the fading evening sun. ‘Where’s Will?’ she asked.
‘Up in his room, having a hissy fit.’ Tina raised her eyes to heaven.
‘Isn’t anybody with him?’
‘No, and if you’re planning on offering tea and sympathy, I wouldn’t, if I were you,’ Tina said. ‘I tried to talk to him and he threw a vase at me.’
Kate was astonished, but Tina appeared unscathed.
‘He missed,’ she said grudgingly. ‘But it was a huge bloody thing and it smashed to pieces against the wall. He could have done serious damage.’
‘He could have taken your eye out.’ Gwen shook her head reprovingly.
‘It could have been the end of my career.’
‘You were really lucky,’ Julie murmured.
‘Hewas lucky!’
