‘No, you really do,’ Fawn insisted, even though Tessa hadn’t contradicted her. ‘Aw, I’m so proud of you, babes, I really am.’
‘Her parents weren’t kidding when they namedher, were they?’ Kate whispered to Louise.
‘You’ve got terrific boobs, Kate,’ Simon said suddenly, looking down her top. ‘Let me guess – an F cup?’
‘Um, close – E.’ Kate blushed crimson as every eye focused on her chest.
‘I’m a bit of an expert,’ Simon said proudly, winking at her. Glamour photography was Simon’s stock-in-trade. Tessa had met him when she had stripped off for a lad magazine. ‘They’re real, too, aren’t they?’ he said, practically drooling. ‘It’s not every day you see real ones that size. Ever done any topless work?’
‘No.’ Kate laughed awkwardly. ‘There’s not much call for topless chefs.’
‘Pity.’ Simon was still peering down her top. ‘Still, if you ever want to change direction, I’m sure I could get you work. We could even tie it in with the whole chef thing. You could do a calendar – you know, a recipe for every month with a nice little piccie of you, maybe just wearing a little apron, or lying on a worktop with just a few carefully placed strawberries. Nothing tacky,’ he assured her. ‘It’d be very tasteful.’
‘It sounds it,’ Will said, managing to keep a straight face, though his eyes glinted. He found the idea of Kate wearing nothing but an apron or a few strawberries extremely disturbing.
‘It’d certainly get men back into the kitchen,’ Simon said, with a suggestive leer.
‘Yes, but I don’t think what they’d be doing there would comply with food-safety standards,’ Will drawled, laughing at Kate’s discomfiture. She looked so adorable when she went all shy, blushing and squirming like a teenager.
Kate was actually relieved when Tessa started babbling on about her healthy-eating plan, diverting attention from her cleavage.
‘You should try it,’ she said to Georgie. ‘It works for people who need to put on weight too.’
‘Really!’ Fawn was shocked. ‘Why would anyone want to do that?’
‘It’s about finding the right balance,’ Tessa explained. ‘I could write you up a diet sheet, if you like,’ she said to Georgie.
‘No, thanks,’ Georgie said, looking uncomfortable.
‘Really, it would be no problem. You shouldn’t be afraid of food, you know – it’s not your enemy.’
‘I’m not afraid of food,’ Georgie said sullenly.
‘Tessa, drop it,’ Rory said threateningly.
‘I’m just trying to help. If she’d eat properly?—’
‘Leave her alone. She’s all right.’
‘But she’snotall right, is she? She tried to top herself last year, for Christ’s sake! I don’t call thatall right.’
There was an appalled silence as all eyes flew to Georgie, who was staring down at her plate.
‘So, Tessa,’ Kate said wildly, ‘tell me – tell me more about this reality show of yours. It sounds fantastic!’
Phoenix sent her a grateful smile from the other end of the table.
‘Yeah, will you be getting your kit off?’ Owen asked aggressively.
‘Well, we do get a bonus if we snog anyone – more for an actual shag. And since I’ll be on the women’s wing…’ she giggled, delighted that the conversation had returned to her TV show.It’s impossible to insult her,Kate thought.
‘You wouldn’t bang a girl, would you?’ Fawn asked.
‘I’d be doing it for my charity,’ Tessa said nobly.
As Fawn and Tessa prattled on, Kate glanced to the other end of the table. Georgie caught her eye and they shared a conspiratorial smile.
* **
