Chapter Eight

Our driver, Marcus, doesn't even blink as Lil and I wrestle two giant number-3-shaped helium balloons into the backseat of his very small car. The two of us end up in hysterics, me inside with the balloons and Lil trying to pretzel her way into the gaps.

‘I should have ordered a six-person car,' Lil pants. ‘No offence, Marcus!'

Marcus smiles the infinitely patient smile of a man who has dealt with an extreme amount of nonsense. ‘Maybe you should just sit in the front?' he suggests.

‘Oh my God, Marcus! You're a genius. I can't believe we didn't think of that. I mean I can believe I didn't, but Clemmie is supposed to be the clever one.'

‘Hey!' I protest as Lil shuts the door on me and my inflatable friends. ‘I was distracted.'

Lil scoots round to the front, and Marcus delivers us without further ado to the swanky bar that is hosting Serena's birthday party.

The venue is located down a small side street in Mayfair, and I know Serena well enough to be certain that the discreet black-on-slightly-darker-black sign and unassuming building are not an indication of what we'll find inside. Having been checked off the guest list by a woman in a sleek black dress, and having bypassed the beefy security guards, we find ourselves ushered through to a dimly lit bar that is part nightclub, part botanical garden – full of beautiful people, vibrant green palms and pastel-coloured orchids. The air is warm and scented with something spicy.

A huge, square-shaped bar is in the middle of the room; a dance floor has been cleared at one end, and at the other there are candlelit booths with deep green velvet banquette seats. We're quite early, but there are already plenty of people here, and something with a pulsing beat pumps through the speakers, drawing people out to dance.

As a girl drifts past me wearing what looks like a halo and a bin bag full of snakes, I'm filled with gratitude towards Lil for her intervention, because the vibe is definitely less ‘jeans and a nice top' and more ‘what if a Bond girl joined the circus'.

Serena spots us straightaway (though the giant balloons are surely a help) and emerges from the crowd in a flowing red silk dress, an elaborate gold crown resting on her head. No hats or badges for Serena, who somehow manages to be both more subtle and way more ostentatious than that at the same time.

‘Happy birthday!' Lil and I screech.

‘Thirty-three!' Serena shakes her head as we hug and hand over the balloons. ‘Almost a third of the way to my first centenary. I've been waiting for you two to get here.'

‘It looks like you've got plenty of people to keep you company.' I gesture to the crowd.

‘Oh, them.' Serena wraps her fingers around my arm and starts tugging me towards one of the booths, Lil following in our wake. ‘Yeah, the label invited a bunch of people – not that I mind because they're picking up the drinks tab, but that's not why I wanted you to arrive.'

‘No?' I ask, sliding carefully into one of the seats, Lil alongside me.

‘No!' Serena stows the balloons in the corner and turns to me with a wide grin. ‘I've solved all your problems.'

‘What do you mean?' I ask.

‘Have you seen Henry?' Lil asks, twisting in her seat. ‘He texted me to say he arrived a while ago.'

Serena snaps her fingers. ‘Lil! Focus! You're about to bear witness to my genius.'

‘Oh God,' I groan, ‘whenever you start talking about your genius it never ends well.'

‘Yeah, like with the guinea pigs,' Lil puts in. ‘The ones you said we could keep as secret pets, hidden from the mums.'

‘I was eleven. And the guy told me both those guinea pigs were male. How was I supposed to know they'd start reproducing at such a rate?' Serena blazes indignantly. ‘But you're both about to eat your words. Clemmie, I've got you a job.'

‘A job?' I repeat. ‘Doing what?'

Serena wiggles in her seat. ‘That's the best bit. It's the jammiest gig you'll ever have. We've got this artist at the label who's really, really overdue delivering his new album, right?'

‘O-kaaaaay,' I say, drawing the word out.

‘And so I've come up with this brilliant plan to get him off the grid so that he can have a writing retreat, really knuckle down and get it done.' Serena leans forward. ‘And I don't mean "celebrity off-the-grid" where he's in some mansion surrounded by his entourage and the press camped outside. I mean really off the grid. Petty has said we can borrow Granny Mac's house.'

My stomach swoops. Granny Mac's house. High up on the Northumberland coast, it was the place we spent all our long summers while growing up, running wild, living half-feral. We loved it. It was also the site of some of my most painful memories, the place where we cast the final breakup spell. I haven't been there since, but it seems as though that part of my life won't leave me alone at the moment.

‘Oh yeah, Mum mentioned that,' Lil says. ‘Such a good idea. That space will be, like, a creative haven.'

‘I know.' Serena looks pleased. ‘It works out perfectly with the timing. Petty doesn't have anyone renting it right now because she's just finished the renovations, and it's in the middle of nowhere with zero distractions and no one who will freak out over him being there. There's literally nothing for him to do but work.'

‘Serena, I'm very confused about how any of this is leading towards a job for me,' I say.

‘Is that Henry?' Lil suddenly shrieks, clambering all over me. ‘Henry! Henry!' She breaks off. ‘Oh, no, wait. That's not him.' She slumps back in the seat, not moved by my complaint that I have now lost the hearing in my left ear.

‘Right, so the label want to send someone to Northumberland to keep an eye on things, and act as a sort of housekeeper, but one who reports to us. Not his friend or his assistant, someone who we employ. That's part of the deal,' Serena says, completely ignoring Lil's outburst. ‘And I suggested you. You practically grew up in the house after all, and you know the area really well.'

‘You want me to babysit a musician in Northumberland?' I ask, vaguely horrified by the whole idea. And not just the musician part. There's a reason I haven't been back there.

She nods and holds up a hand. ‘Before you say no, hear me out. The job is a piece of cake; you'll probably hardly even see him. It's for six weeks starting the week after next and the pay is incredible.' She drops a figure that has the blood draining from my face, and then starts ticking things off on her fingers. ‘You wouldn't have to move in with the mums; you could work on that dreary book you've been writing for years, and apply for jobs – all while getting paid and building up some savings. It's a no-brainer, Clemmie.'

When she puts it that way it does sound pretty perfect. Like the answer to many, many of my problems in fact. But surely this was all too easy? And I haven't exactly had the best experience when it comes to rock stars.

‘Who is it?' I ask.

‘Theo Eliott,' Serena says, and Lil gives up looking for Henry long enough to turn and face Serena, her mouth hanging open.

‘Holy shit, Serena! Theo Eliott?' Lil's voice is breathy. ‘You're going to pay Clemmie to shack up with Theo Eliott for six weeks?' She grabs a bar menu off the table and starts fanning herself. ‘You lucky duck. That man is gorgeous.'

‘Who's Theo Eliott?' I ask.

Serena rolls her eyes and Lil lets out a groan. ‘This is why you're perfect for the job,' Serena says. ‘You're way too much of a grandma to be starstruck by him. He's only one of the biggest musicians on the planet, Clemmie. Used to be in The Daze before they split up, then had a massive solo career? Fourteen number-one singles? Sell-out world tours? Eight Grammys? Theo Eliott!'

‘Oh yeah,' I say. ‘Actually, the name does sound familiar. And The Daze, I remember them. Didn't they have that one song about the girl who worked at the Post Office?'

‘Coffee shop,' Serena sighs. ‘But yes, anyway, this is another reason you'd be good for the job. Theo's great, but he has a bit of a reputation and we need someone who won't be too charmed by him, to keep things on track.'

‘What do you mean a bit of a reputation?' I ask, instantly on guard.

‘Oh, no, no, nothing bad,' Serena rushes in. ‘I'd never ask you to do the job if I thought he wasn't a good guy. I just mean he sort of… dazzles people into doing what he wants. But we need him focussed, and you won't let him slack off.'

‘Hmmm. I suppose I'm not easily dazzled. And certainly not by a famous musician.' I shudder.

‘See!' Serena grins. ‘It's your daddy issues that make you the perfect candidate!'

‘That's not funny,' I grumble.

‘He's coming along tonight,' Serena says, her tone wheedling. ‘Just meet him and then decide.'

‘I don't know…' I say, still hesitant.

‘I think it could be really good for you to get away,' Serena says, and anxiety threads through her voice. ‘And you'd be doing me a huge favour. Getting this record done is a big deal. There's a lot of pressure on me from my bosses, and I have to make sure Theo delivers. I've worked really hard to sell them on this plan so I need things to go without a hitch. Please, I need you.'

I exchange a look of concern with Lil. This is deeply unusual. As the oldest – even if it is only by a matter of months – Serena has always been the problem-solver of our trio, and if history is anything to go by, she has to be pretty desperate to ask me for a favour. ‘Of course I want to help you,' I say, biting my lip, ‘but I don't know the first thing about making an album – I can't possibly be the best person for the job. You shouldn't be worrying about me and my employment status; you should do what's best for you.'

‘This is what's best for me. You're smart, organized, and used to dealing with anxious undergrads on a deadline,' Serena points out. ‘I don't need a musician; I need someone who I know and trust to handle this. Whatever happens I know you'll do what you can to keep him focussed, and that you'll tell me the truth about how he's getting on. Anyone working for him would be worried about him, but you won't. Getting good information that I can feed back to my bosses is the whole point.'

‘You should meet him, at least,' Lil pipes up. ‘I know him a bit and he seems really nice. What do you have to lose? Remember, Clemmie… you're moving on.'

I gnaw on my lip. ‘You're right. Sure, I'll meet him.'

‘Perfect,' Serena exhales, some of the tension leaving her body. ‘I'll go and see if he's arrived yet.'

‘And I'll go and get a drink,' I say. ‘I think meeting my potential new super-famous roommate calls for a cocktail.'

‘And I'm going to go and find Henry and drag him off to a dark corner,' Lil puts in brightly.

‘You two have been at it non-stop.' Serena grimaces.

‘It's the hot sex spell.' Lil's eyes are round. ‘I told you we were some seriously powerful witches. The magic has, like, spilled over.'

‘Can't say I've noticed,' Serena says with a feline grin, ‘but then I'm always having hot sex anyway.' And on that note we go our separate ways.

I notice the crowd has grown considerably as I weave my way through, squeezing by with plenty of muttered ‘excuse me's' until my elbows rest on the bar.

I lean my chin on my hand, expecting a long wait, but one of the bartenders makes a beeline for me straightaway.

She's very pretty with long dark hair, and a lip piercing. ‘What can I get you?' she asks me.

‘Um, Martini please,' I say. ‘Dirty.'

‘Sure, and for your friend?' Her eyes slide to the person next to me, her smile widening into something predatory.

‘Oh, I don't—' I begin, turning to follow her gaze, but the words die on my tongue and my heart stutters in my chest because standing there, smouldering down at me, is Edward.

We stare at each other for a beat, and I swear the music stops and all the other people in the bar just melt away. He looks good. Really good. His hair is a bit longer and his face is unshaven, his jaw covered in dark stubble. He's wearing black trousers, a black shirt open at the collar, and a black silk jacquard jacket covered in a pattern of red roses. There are silver rings on all the fingers of his right hand. There's something piratical about him that is deeply attractive, and given the attention he's drawing I'm not the only one who thinks so.

He turns to the bartender, offering her an easy grin. ‘I'll have a soda water with lots of ice please,' he says, before his attention returns to me. ‘Hello, Clementine.' His voice is velvet, the smile he gives me setting off some sort of nuclear reaction in my blood stream.

I'm sure my mouth must be hanging open.

‘Edward!' I finally manage. ‘What are you doing here?'

‘Ah,' he grimaces, ‘about that…'

‘There you are!' Serena is suddenly beside me, having elbowed her way through the crowd. ‘I see you beat me to it.' She beams at Edward and then at me. ‘Clemmie, have you introduced yourself to Theo?'

I blink. ‘Theo?'

‘Yes.' Serena gestures to Edward. ‘This is Theo Eliott. Theo, this is my sister, Clementine.'