Jess made a face. We weren’t off to the best start.
‘So, Zoë,’ she smiled toothily. ‘What have you been up to all these years?’
Had she forgotten that we saw each other a few days ago?
‘I told you, Jess, she’s the editor ofRe:Sound,’ said Simon – with a definite hint of pride. ‘The most influential woman in music.’
Nick coughed. ‘Is that so?’
Nick could fuck off. So what if Simon was happy about my career trajectory?
Simon didn’t take kindly to Nick’s comment either. He looked at him rather sternly, and in something not unlike a schoolteacher’s tone said: ‘So, what do you do, Nick?’
‘Well, when I’m not moonlighting as a kissogram, I’m a lawyer.’
Jess leant forward. ‘Kissogram? Is that a euphemism for male escort?’
How drunkwasJess?
Nick took it in his stride, though. ‘The kissogram’s a private joke between me and Zoë.’
Jess gave him a flirty smile. ‘Shame. I’d hire you.’
Simon gave me a wide-eyed stare that I couldn’t quite read. Was he embarrassed or amused? ‘So what type of lawyer are you, Nick?’ he said, wisely moving the conversation on.
This was Nick’s chance to say something bland about contracts or whatnot.
‘I specialise in defamation,’ said Nick, brightly. ‘But trying to keep Zoë on the right side of the libel laws is quite a job.’ He smiled a big fat fake smile.
‘Ooh, tell us more,’ said Jess, leaning forward.
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. ‘He’s exaggerating.’
‘Well, that review of Hands Down was a bit iffy,’ he said, smile still firmly plastered on.
‘But perfectly justified.’ I added a fake smile of my own. ‘You and your great legal brain agreed. Otherwise you wouldn’t have let us run it, would you?’
‘You reviewed Hands Down?’ said Simon. ‘That’s not the kind of stuff you usually cover, on account of they’re shit.’
I could have kissed him. ‘First and last time,’ I said.
I silently dared Nick to contradict me and glanced over at him, but I guess even he realised that a thirty-plus man defending Hands Down would raisewaytoo many questions.
Fortunately, a waiter appeared with menus, which put an end to the discussion. He rattled off the day’s specials, but I wasn’t really listening. Nick was being an arse and it was ruining my appetite. Maybe Jess’s suggestion to crack open the tequila wasn’t such a bad one.
‘So, how do you all know each other?’ Nick asked, when the waiter had gone.
‘Oh, these two have known each other for ever,’ said Jess confidently. ‘Practically brother and sister.’
I caught Simon’s eye. Was that Jessica’s assessment, or was that how he characterised our relationship, too?
Nick looked at me for clarification. ‘We used to live next door to each other,’ I said. Then, probably just to annoy Jess: ‘We were best friends growing up.’
‘Simon and I played together at uni,’ said Jess to Nick.
‘Before the big time came calling,’ added Simon.
‘Of course,’ said Nick. ‘You toured with Marcie Tyler. How was that?’
