Page 62 of Winter With You

The woman stood up and Gabriella smiled, engaging full eye contact. ‘What’s your name?’

‘I’m Martha. I’m so excited to be here. I just love your book.’

‘Thank you so much, Martha. And thank you for taking the time to come here. So, what question do you want to ask?’

Keep calm. Martha looks friendly. She’s excited not threatening.

‘I wanted to ask about your family.’

Gabriella’s stomach started to revolve like something was whisking up Christmas eggnog inside it. Get ready to trot out the same lines that meant nothing and gave away even less.

‘I just wanted to know, I mean they must be, but I wanted to hear it from you, how proud of you they are and how supportive have they been throughout this journey?’

Gabriella pressed her tongue to the roof of her mouth and hoped it would stabilise just about everything. What did she say to that? Words to buy time while her brain kicked into gear. Until she could signal to Cheyenne to make this end quickly…

‘Oh, Martha,’ Gabriella began. ‘What a really wonderful question. Honestly, wonderful.’ She inhaled as so many memories of the most unsupportive times with her parents rained down on her mind. The raging when she was being ‘uncooperative’ by having her own opinion. The control and manipulation used like family life was warfare. ‘The truth is…’

The truth was not what was going to come out of her mouth next. What was going to come out of her mouth next would be a comfort statement that would pacify Martha and support the themes of the book.

‘The truth is,’ Gabriella began, ‘I am so very lucky to be surrounded by the most fantastic team of people who spend so much time investing their efforts in ensuring the future of everything this book stands for,’ Gabriella said. ‘As you know, Martha, Zero Fucks Given has an overarching theme of acceptance, embracing difference and making your own life uniquely yours.’ She took a breath and held it as her mother’s face came to mind. That tight, sharp, thin-lipped smile that could be used to cut the wax cocoon off festively-flavoured cheddar. ‘Everyone around me always has their focus directly set on their unique understanding of what this book needs to be to reach as many people as possible. And, I believe, that’s something to be super proud of.’ She nodded, indicating she had said all she was going to say in answer to Martha’s question and, the fact was, she had said absolutely nothing and everything all at the same time. And, as Martha thanked her profusely for her answer, Gabriella’s eyes looked out into the rows of seats ahead of her and immediately found Luca’s. He was watching her and she knew, instinctively now, that somehow, despite her best efforts, he was decoding her every move. And, as another person stood and asked her a question, she realised she was as excited by Luca knowing a part of her as she was scared to death.

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‘I think it went well, all things considered,’ Cheyenne said, eyes on her iPad. ‘You could have said more positive things about the special edition cover but⁠—’

‘I didn’t want to lie,’ Gabriella answered straight away.

Luca smirked to himself as, on his knees, he unfastened the straps on Gabriella’s shoes. She stepped down out of them in the library ‘pre-school’ room.

‘You said that the green was “eye-wateringly attention-grabbing”,’ Cheyenne stated with a huff of displeasure.

‘I liked that bit,’ Phoebe remarked happily.

‘Me too,’ Luca agreed.

‘Wonderful,’ Cheyenne said harshly. ‘Because neither of you are paid to have an opinion on this.’

Luca stood up and bit his tongue. This woman was savage.

‘Hey,’ Gabriella said sharply. ‘That’s uncalled for. You should apologise.’

‘It’s OK, Gabriella,’ Phoebe said quickly.

‘No, Phoebe, it’s not OK.’ Gabriella faced her publicist. ‘It’s not OK, Cheyenne, to belittle people. Or have you not read that part of the book? Wait, perhaps it’s in the section that’s been edited out and no one’s told me, the author, about it.’

Cheyenne shook her head. ‘You’re overreacting, Gabriella. There have been no significant changes to the written material. And, OK, I apologise, Phoebe and Luca, if you considered my comment “belittling”. That was not my intention.’

That was anything but an apology and Luca was saying nothing to it.

‘Can your intention be leaving the room while I get changed?’ Gabriella asked.

‘Of course,’ Cheyenne said. ‘But tonight we need to go through the itinerary for the signing at the department store and the bookstore and I’ve managed to get you a walk-on spot at a prestigious fashion show.’

‘A fashion show!’ Phoebe said, excitably.

‘What fashion show?’ Luca asked.

‘Pierre Bastion,’ Cheyenne said.