CHAPTER ONE

      ‘I’M GETTING married,’ Holly announced as she slammed her briefcase on the desk in her office at Cloud Nine Event Management, fifteen minutes later than her usual start time.

      ‘You’re doing what?’ Beth’s voice rang metallic and loud from Holly’s speakerphone.

      Holly sat down, crossed her legs, noticed a run in her stockings, and her mood went from bad to worse. She grabbed a new pair of stockings from the neat pile stocked in her bottom desk drawer, before moving into her private bathroom to change from frayed to fresh. She had to raise her voice for it to reach the speakerphone, but in her current temper that was not a problem.

      ‘I said I’m getting married.’

      ‘But I can’t remember you dating any man more than once in the last six months, much less becoming familiar enough to want to marry one of them.’

      Holly’s assistant Lydia chose that moment to enter the office. She stopped in her tracks, the coffee she carried all but sloshing over the sides, and stared at the speakerphone as though it had produced an offensive noise. Holly came back into the room, new stockings in place, and waved a ‘hurry up’ hand at Lydia who placed the cup down without spilling a drop.

      With no apology, Lydia joined the private conversation. ‘Did I hear you guys right? In the time it took for me to make Holly a cuppa, she’s hooked herself a fiancé? That’s saying something for instant coffee.’

      ‘Is that you, Lydia?’ Beth asked.

      Lydia leaned towards the speakerphone, articulating her words as though speaking to someone hard of hearing. ‘How are you, Beth? When is the baby due?’

      ‘I’m fantastic. Baby Jeffries should be here in a month or so—’

      ‘Ah, guys,’ Holly interrupted, ‘major life decision being made here.’

      Lydia mimed buttoning her lips shut tight.

      ‘Sorry, sweetie,’ Beth said. ‘Blame Lydia. You know if anyone asks about the bubby, I gush. Do go