The Party Girl's Invitation (9 page)

Chapter 6

London Calling

By Thursday morning, her opinion was wavering. It had actually been very thoughtful of Jazz to offer her the use of her mother’s old room, and he really hadn’t been obliged to do anything of the sort, he had no requirement to provide her with office space. Having a proper office, newly fitted out with all of the latest in technology sure beat camping out in the car at the dead of night, but Crystal really wasn’t sure that she wanted to be in the room right next door to him.

She’d already tried the inter-connecting doors, which her father had installed so that he could meet up with his wife when it suited him, and to her surprise, they remained unlocked. He obviously didn’t think she was some kind of a spy then, or he’d have seen to it that access was restricted. Of course, the theory worked both ways, and now he could stroll into her office any time he liked, to see what she was doing.

She’d moved in yesterday, straight after their brief assignation in the car park, and by lunchtime she’d given up panicking every time she heard footsteps on the wooden floor next door, and had managed to settle down to some serious work on the party arrangements. Jazz obviously had no interest in her, or in what she was doing in here. The thought should have been comforting, but conversely it wasn’t. When she bumped into Verity in the corridor and asked when he’d be off back to London, she’d said he was a law unto himself and would do as he pleased. She was only his secretary; he didn’t bother informing her of his comings and goings. At the rate he was going, he was lucky to have a secretary at all, considering his mood of late. She said he’d been irritable and snappy with her all week.

So, if he was having a steamy affair with Jeremy’s girlfriend, then he had a funny way of showing it. She’d wondered long and hard over whether she should tell Jez what she’d seen in Salisbury on Tuesday. Was it fair to spy on his girlfriend? She wouldn’t like it if someone did the same to her.

Though, with hindsight it would have saved her from the fiasco she’d been party to in the States, if someone had. She may not have known that ‘her’ Phil was a married man, but some of her colleagues must have known, they’d all had stories to tell once the initial storm had broken. Amazing how a bit of publicity could loosen the tongue. She’d known that men talk, but she had been horrified to discover that Phil had bragged about the situation indiscriminately. She could see now that she’d been incredibly naive.

How was that to help her with her current dilemma though? In the end she resolved to tell Jez about her meeting with Brad and then she could mention seeing Verity later in the day. If Jeremy wanted to know what Verity had been doing, then he could ask her himself.

As to the other problem, she’d prevaricated all day yesterday, but now she needed to make headway. She knew the solution of course, but she was still loath to bridge the gap. Reaching yet another dead end, she reluctantly picked up the phone and dialled London. The line rang for the regulation three rings and then Carrie came on the line.“Marketing, Carrie speaking, how can I help you?”

“Don’t say anything,” Crystal instructed. Then, less urgently, “Carrie, it’s Crystal.”

“Crystal.”Carrie squealed at full volume down the line. And then, obviously taking in Crystal’s instructions, she gasped. “Oops, sorry. You didn’t want anyone to know it was you, did you?”

Crystal sighed. It had been a long shot anyway Carrie was bound to blurt it out sooner or later anyhow. “No probs, but keep this low-key, if you can,” she cautioned.

“Sure. Where have you been?” she hissed. “Saskia has had half of London on the look-out for you. You just went out to lunch and disappeared off the face of the earth. You wouldn’t have wanted to be around here the past few days, I’m telling you. The doo-doo has definitely hit the fan, big time.”

This was just the kind of information she’d been trying to avoid. “Well, I don’t work for The Business anymore, so you probably shouldn’t be telling me insider gossip,” she remonstrated lightly.

“So, you really did quit then? Saskia put out a memo saying that you’d gone on holiday for a few days, we were all expecting you back. Though not me of course, considering what happened, I didn’t think you’d come back, not after what they did to you,” she gabbled.

Crystal took a deep breath and tried to formulate a reply, but Carrie was off again. “Phil tried to convince me to tell him where you were, said he was heartbroken. Said he would do whatever it takes to win back your love. He seemed really contrite. I began to feel a bit sorry for him.”

“He’s good at that. He’s had a lot of practise. Let’s not go there, shall we? Look, I need a favour.”

“Anything. It’s yours,” Carrie replied earnestly.

“You don’t know what I’m going to ask yet.”Crystal smiled.

“Shoot.”

Where to start? Crystal doodled a number eight on the side of her notepad and began turning it into a chicken, with beak, wings and scratchy chicken feet. Should she add a comb to its head and make it male? What did a female chicken look like anyhow? She pulled her mind back to the situation in hand.“I went home to my family for a few days. It’s a bit complicated, but I need to arrange a party at short notice and I could do with my notebook. You know, the lime green one with pictures of tequila on the front. I left it behind reception, in my laptop bag, when I stopped off on my way through from LA. Can you get your hands on it for me?”

“Saskia has it, and all of your other stuff. I could ask the temp that she’s got in to do your job while you’re away, I suppose. She’s pretty rubbish though. She can’t seem to get anything right. Saskia has been climbing the walls since you left. She’s driving us nuts.”

She thought for a moment. “The temp might be stupid enough to hand over the book though, if I’m careful about how I ask for it. Leave it with me. I’ll need an address to send it to.”

That’s what Crystal had been afraid of. “I’m going to give you my brother’s address. He’ll pass the notebook on to me. I’m not staying with him,” she insisted. “I’m sure I can trust you not to pass on his address to anyone, can’t I? I just don’t want to run into Phil, Saskia or any of the others for a very long time.”

She gave a small shudder. Correction, she didn’t want to come across that particular worm anytime this century. His protestations of love and calculated charm had all been a smokescreen designed to bolster his own ego, further his own career.

Her mind had other ideas. The mere mention of his name was enough to bring to life the heat of his body, wrapped passionately around her own, his breathing rapid and muscles lightly defined by a fine sheen of sweat, limbs pale against the dark sheets that he favoured in the LA apartment.

With effort, she replaced the image with his whiny face and pleading expression, when he discovered that she’d finally found out the truth. It was enough to make her skin crawl, when she realised that everything she’d been told was a lie. She knew that one day she would be out from under his spell, she thought about him a little less each day that passed. As this rate she’d be free of him one day next century. She’d not thought about him now for at least an hour. Maybe she’d been more infatuated with him than desperately in love? She heard that love could turn to loathing, almost overnight.

She knew that she shouldn’t be heartbroken, but she was furious that she’d been gullible enough to believe his lies. He hadn’t deserved her loyalty.

“Say hi to the girls for me by all means, but don’t let on where I am. You can do this for me, can’t you?” she insisted, holding her breath, waiting for the answer.

“I promise I won’t tell them where you are. You will have to get in touch sooner or later though, especially if you want a reference,” Carrie cautioned.

Oh no she wouldn’t.

She relaxed her guard, beginning to breathe normally again. “All in good time,” she replied. Then, to prevent this rapidly turning into a question and answer session, she changed the subject, quickly “Just give me your mobile number, and then next time I’m in town we can catch up and do coffee or something?” she offered.“I’m lost without my contacts book.”She laughed.

It was relatively simple then, to close the conversation down. After many more promises, to stay in touch, she finally hung up the receiver and looked up, to find Jazz standing in the open doorway, scrutinising the computer screen over her shoulder.

“What are you doing there?” she snapped, flummoxed. How much had he overheard?

“I came to see if you had everything that you need,” he drawled, but I can see that you’ve managed to make yourself at home already.” Crystal had the grace to flush, it would have been polite to say thank you for the new office space, but she’d been somewhat overtaken by events. He’d managed to put her on the back foot yet again.

“Maisie says that you’re back in charge of the party arrangements this year? I understand that you are up against it, time-wise, so I shan’t keep you. I only came through to say that I’m back off up to town this afternoon, so if you need anything just ask Verity, she’ll help you.”

How did he find that out? Her face mirrored her confusion.

“Maisie ‘does’ for me too, Jeremy recommended her when I first arrived.”

Ah, so that explained a lot of things, his reluctance to return home the other evening, for one. She wondered exactly how much ‘sensitive’ information Maisie had already thought to pass on, she would be in her element with Jazz. It didn’t bear thinking about really.

Before she had chance to assemble her thoughts he continued, “She says you have a hot date coming up with Brad. That was quick work.” He looked distastefully at his fingernails, and removed a non-existent piece of fluff from the shoulder of his suit.

Crystal felt as if she’d been dismissed. “You shouldn’t believe everything Maisie tells you,” she warned.

“Oh, I don’t, but when I spoke to Brad on the phone earlier this morning he waxed lyrical about your attractions and told me all about the party himself. He didn’t need much encouragement.”

Crystal wasn’t sure if she was pleased or dismayed by this latest news. Brad was good company, he always had been, and he was good for her ego. There was chemistry there, lots of it, if she was honest, but she knew him too well. He’d been a real flirt in their younger college days, and he’d been free and easy with the girls too. He’d lived a bit, had Brad. Of course, the older and wiser Brad seemed to have settled down a touch at last. When she’d met him again for the first time the other day, he’d given her quite a jolt. She’d always been a sucker for those electric blue eyes, which seemed to see right through to a girl’s soul.

The adult Brad made her feel cosseted and desirable again, but she wasn’t sure if she wanted a real grown up relationship with him. When he’d kissed her, she’d felt the first stirrings of passion, and her heart had tripped, he was very addictive, but was it enough? Where did that leave Jazz? She really didn’t know. She stared at the floor, she couldn’t meet his eyes.

Jazz’s expression was intense, he looked every inch the powerful executive today. He stared at her silently, as if he was looking for answers to unasked questions. His face was set and his features grim, she thought he might have wanted to say more. He turned abruptly on his heel and marched out without another word.

Good, that got rid of him, she thought. But she couldn’t settle to the task in hand for quite some time after his moody departure. She ended up staring out of the window, at the bushes and fields of the Wiltshire countryside, for several minutes further. Eventually the need to procure an oversize chocolate fountain for the party had her reluctantly resuming her search on the internet. The usual company in Essex charged around two hundred pounds for rental of the size that she wanted, but she really needed a company a bit more local.

It was a fruitless search, she soon discovered that the companies based in this part of the West Country were a bit more reticent where the internet was concerned. Having tried three companies in quick succession she found that they all required several pages of online application forms to be completed, just to get a quote. That was going to take far too long. Hadn’t they heard of expediency? Why couldn’t they put their prices on the website for everyone to see? She ground her teeth in frustration as she reached another dead end.