Authors: Jill Mansell
Kiss (31 page)
Izzy, having spent the day with Tash at his record company’s headquarters, had discovered how the other half of the music industry really lived. MBT, the label to which she herself had been signed, was a young and thrusting company with a great reputation for fostering promising new talent. By contrast, Stellar Records was quite simply
the
biggest label in the business and it had the headquarters to prove it. Stellar House, situated in Highgate, was as big as a museum and twice as impressive. Open-mouthed, Izzy had followed Tash along endless, record-lined corridors and been introduced to people-who-mattered along the way. Within an hour of their arrival his manager was summoned and faxes started to fly. Meetings were set up between Tash’s ‘people’ and hers. Contracts were drafted over a stupendous lunch. And Izzy was warned in no uncertain terms - on at least five separate occasions - that under no circumstances whatsoever must she either do, say or even think anything which might have a detrimental effect upon Tash Janssen’s career. At all costs, his reputation must stay intact.
the
biggest label in the business and it had the headquarters to prove it. Stellar House, situated in Highgate, was as big as a museum and twice as impressive. Open-mouthed, Izzy had followed Tash along endless, record-lined corridors and been introduced to people-who-mattered along the way. Within an hour of their arrival his manager was summoned and faxes started to fly. Meetings were set up between Tash’s ‘people’ and hers. Contracts were drafted over a stupendous lunch. And Izzy was warned in no uncertain terms - on at least five separate occasions - that under no circumstances whatsoever must she either do, say or even think anything which might have a detrimental effect upon Tash Janssen’s career. At all costs, his reputation must stay intact.
At this, Tash had cast her a sideways glance and awaited the explosion, but Izzy had thought it so funny she’d simply laughed. ‘You mean like letting slip his deepest, darkest, most
shameful
secrets?’ she had countered, with a subtle wink in his manager’s direction. Harvey Purnell had coughed, straightened his bow tie and replied stiffly, ‘I mean precisely that, Miss Van Asch.’
shameful
secrets?’ she had countered, with a subtle wink in his manager’s direction. Harvey Purnell had coughed, straightened his bow tie and replied stiffly, ‘I mean precisely that, Miss Van Asch.’
‘OK, don’t panic,’ she replied with a grin. ‘I won’t breathe a word about the fact that he knits all his own sweaters. Not to
anyone
.’
anyone
.’
‘I’ve heard of bringing your work home with you,’Vivienne grumbled as Sam set the word processor down, ‘but this is ridiculous.’
He never seemed to
be
at home these days, she amended fretfully. And now it looked as if even those few precious hours when he was were going to be taken up with yet more boring paperwork.
be
at home these days, she amended fretfully. And now it looked as if even those few precious hours when he was were going to be taken up with yet more boring paperwork.
Sam, however, replied drily, ‘Don’t sulk. It’s for Katerina.’
‘Oh yes?’
‘She’s just finished taking her A levels and I wanted to give her something which would be useful when she starts her medical training. Since we’re in the process of replacing our computer system at The Steps, I thought she may as well have this.’
Vivienne softened. Sam was extremely fond of Katerina, who worked hard and appeared to possess so many of the attributes which Izzy - as far as
he
was concerned - sadly lacked. Privately, Vivienne had never before encountered a seventeen-year-old girl who dreamt about logarithms and who seemed to have no interest whatsoever in boys. As far as she was concerned, attractive girls like Katerina weren’t meant to devote their teenage lives to serious study. It surely wasn’t
natural
. . .
he
was concerned - sadly lacked. Privately, Vivienne had never before encountered a seventeen-year-old girl who dreamt about logarithms and who seemed to have no interest whatsoever in boys. As far as she was concerned, attractive girls like Katerina weren’t meant to devote their teenage lives to serious study. It surely wasn’t
natural
. . .
Chapter 32
When they arrived at Kingsley Grove at six-thirty that evening, however, only Gina was there.
‘It’s a present for Kat,’ explained Vivienne with enthusiasm as Sam carried the word processor through to the dining room and placed it carefully on the highly polished table. If he could get it up and running before she returned home, so much the better.
‘Katerina doesn’t live here any more.’
‘What?’ Sam straightened and turned to face Gina, who had spoken the words in a tone that was almost nonchalant. ‘She was here yesterday.’
‘She doesn’t live here any more,’ repeated Gina with a shrug.
Sam was frowning. Vivienne, hearing the click of the front gate, peered through the dining-room window and said, ‘Well it doesn’t matter, because she’s here now. Quick, Sam - plug it in and make it do something intelligent!’
‘Don’t plug it in.’ As Katerina’s key turned in the door, Gina’s gaze flickered momentarily towards the fireplace. Hurling her wedding ring into it earlier had given her enormous pleasure. Emptying the contents of Katerina’s carefully annotated A level files on top of it and watching the whole lot go up in flames had been even better.
‘So tell me,’ she enquired evenly as Katerina entered the room, ‘how long have you been screwing my husband?’
Katerina froze. Simon, who was one step behind her, almost fell over.
Shit, I don’t believe this, thought Sam.
‘Tell me,’ Gina repeated with mechanical slowness, ‘how long you’ve been . . . sleeping with him.’
Oh God. Katerina, clinging to the door handle for support, met the steely grey gaze and experienced a surge of nausea. She hadn’t wanted this to happen. She hadn’t wanted to hurt Gina. She didn’t want
anyone
to be hurt . . .
anyone
to be hurt . . .
But it had happened and there was no escape. Gina knew. The game was up. She wished she didn’t feel so sick.
‘Not long,’ she replied in a voice that was barely audible. ‘A few weeks, that’s all. Gina, I’m so sorry—’
‘You aren’t sorry. You’re a lying bitch,’ hissed Gina, her grey eyes narrow with hatred. ‘A lying, hypocritical, back-stabbing
bitch
.’
bitch
.’
Katerina looked as if she was about to pass out. Since Simon was clearly not planning on being any use at all, Vivienne rushed forward and caught her, putting her arm around Katerina’s thin waist and guiding her into the nearest chair. Shocked by Gina’s venomous outburst, astounded and inwardly enthralled by the revelation, Vivienne was having to make a lightning reappraisal of Izzy’s daughter. ‘It’s OK, it’s OK,’ she murmured sympathetically. The poor kid was evidently no match for Gina at full throttle, for the moment at least. She needed someone on her side.
‘I still can’t believe I’m hearing this,’ said Sam. Since he knew Katerina rather better than Vivienne, he was even more stunned. Instinctively, however, he moved towards Gina, who had just been through the worst six months of her life and who was now being delivered yet another body blow. Andrew and
Katerina
, for heaven’s sake.
Katerina
, for heaven’s sake.
Simon, who had been looking forward to Le Gavroche all day, and who had been forced by his mother into wearing his father’s best tweed jacket for the occasion, jumped a mile as the front door swung open and shut once more. The next moment he broke into a sweat; Izzy had brought Tash Janssen back with her. Oh God, oh God . . .
‘Goodness!’ Izzy exclaimed, surveying the frozen tableau before her. ‘
Hasn’t
it gone quiet all of a sudden!’ Grinning at Vivienne and pointedly ignoring Sam, she went on cheerfully, ‘You must have been talking about me.’
Hasn’t
it gone quiet all of a sudden!’ Grinning at Vivienne and pointedly ignoring Sam, she went on cheerfully, ‘You must have been talking about me.’
‘Mum . . .’ It came out as an agonised croak. The expression on Izzy’s face changed and in a flash she was at Katerina’s side.
‘Sweetheart, your exam! Was it awful? It couldn’t have been
that
awful, you’ve worked so hard for it . . .’
that
awful, you’ve worked so hard for it . . .’
‘Your daughter isn’t upset about her exams,’ Gina cut in icily. ‘She’s upset because I’ve found out about her sordid affair with my husband.’
Katerina was clinging to Izzy. Sam placed his hand on Gina’s arm. From his position in the doorway, Tash let out a low whistle. This was interesting.
‘Don’t be ridiculous.’ Izzy frowned, her gaze shifting enquiringly from Gina to Vivienne. Was Gina having some kind of breakdown? And if so, why was everyone simply allowing it to happen? How could they stand there and let her hurl accusations at poor Kat when they were so patently untrue?
But everyone
was
letting it happen. And Vivienne, her customary smile now absent, was nodding at her as if silently to confirm that what Gina had said was correct. With mounting unease, Izzy said, ‘Come on! Is this some kind of joke? Kat doesn’t even
know
Andrew.’
was
letting it happen. And Vivienne, her customary smile now absent, was nodding at her as if silently to confirm that what Gina had said was correct. With mounting unease, Izzy said, ‘Come on! Is this some kind of joke? Kat doesn’t even
know
Andrew.’
‘Oh, she knows him all right.’ Gina, shaking slightly, wished someone would pour her a drink. ‘She knows him in every sense of the word. Apparently, they’re
in love
with each other, and just as soon as he manages to dump Marcy, Katerina’s going to be moving in with him. It’s all terribly romantic . . .’
in love
with each other, and just as soon as he manages to dump Marcy, Katerina’s going to be moving in with him. It’s all terribly romantic . . .’
Izzy gripped Katerina’s hands. Slowly, evenly, she demanded, ‘Is this true?’
‘No.’ Katerina shook her head, pleading with her to understand. Her voice broke as she went on, ‘Well, not all of it. I’m not seeing him any more. It’s over, now.’
‘But you
have
had an affair with him?’ Izzy had to make sure she’d got it absolutely right. ‘With Andrew Lawrence?’
have
had an affair with him?’ Izzy had to make sure she’d got it absolutely right. ‘With Andrew Lawrence?’
The picture of misery, Katerina nodded. ‘Yes.’
Sam was prepared for almost anything, except what happened next. The slap resounded through the air and Katerina’s head jerked backwards, the imprint of Izzy’s hand white on her cheek. Even Gina looked appalled.
‘How could you have
done
it?’ Izzy shrieked, oblivious now to their audience. Her dark eyes were ablaze, her whole body rigid with fury. ‘You stupid, callous, cheating little bitch!’
done
it?’ Izzy shrieked, oblivious now to their audience. Her dark eyes were ablaze, her whole body rigid with fury. ‘You stupid, callous, cheating little bitch!’
Before she could slap her again, Sam intervened. Izzy, it seemed, had sailed through the last seventeen years without ever having had to deal with the problems traditionally associated with motherhood. Now, however, shocked and appalled by her daughter’s lapse - and by the evidence that she was not, after all, perfect - she was unable to control herself.
‘OK, OK,’ he said, drawing her away as Katerina burst into tears and Vivienne attempted to comfort her. It occurred to him that Izzy’s reaction was a touch hypocritical, anyway. She wasn’t exactly the greatest example in the world for any daughter to follow.
‘It is
not
OK!’ yelled Izzy, struggling without success to get free and close to tears herself. ‘It’s disgusting! We live in this house,’ she went on, turning to face Katerina once more and almost choking on the words, ‘and you’ve abused that privilege in the worst way possible. You’re nothing but a shameless slut. Oh God . . . I’m so
ashamed
of you . . .’
not
OK!’ yelled Izzy, struggling without success to get free and close to tears herself. ‘It’s disgusting! We live in this house,’ she went on, turning to face Katerina once more and almost choking on the words, ‘and you’ve abused that privilege in the worst way possible. You’re nothing but a shameless slut. Oh God . . . I’m so
ashamed
of you . . .’
In the throes of her misery, Katerina had nevertheless assumed that the one person in the world who would understand her situation, and who would automatically defend her, was her mother. As she had supported Izzy through years of unconventional living, subterfuge and chaos, so she had expected comfort and understanding in return. But that hadn’t happened. Izzy had let her down. Even more unbelievably, for the first time in her entire life, she had slapped her.
‘I’m not a slut,’ she shouted back, her long hair swinging as she jumped to her feet. ‘You’re the one who sleeps with drug-crazed rock stars, for God’s sake. If anyone’s a slut, it’s you!’
Tash, both amused and faintly bemused by the goings-on, had seconds earlier been thinking he could use a joint right now. At this, he raised one eyebrow and smiled, earning himself a look of undiluted disgust from Sam.
‘How dare you lecture me on
my
morals?’ Katerina’s fists were clenched with fury at her sides as she continued her tirade. ‘You’ve never even behaved like a proper mother! Real mothers listen to their children and look after them. They have real homes. Sometimes they even have husbands. Why couldn’t I have a mother like that?’ she wailed, dimly aware that she had gone too far, but unable to take it back now. ‘Why did I have to get
you
?’
my
morals?’ Katerina’s fists were clenched with fury at her sides as she continued her tirade. ‘You’ve never even behaved like a proper mother! Real mothers listen to their children and look after them. They have real homes. Sometimes they even have husbands. Why couldn’t I have a mother like that?’ she wailed, dimly aware that she had gone too far, but unable to take it back now. ‘Why did I have to get
you
?’
The appalled silence which greeted this final, terrible insult was broken by the drainlike rumbling of Simon’s empty stomach. Utterly mortified, he hung his head and mumbled, ‘Sorry.’ Tash, standing beside him, was once again unable to disguise his amusement.
‘You aren’t the one who needs to apologise.’ Izzy, still shell-shocked, turned to Simon. ‘Oh, you poor boy . . . how could Katerina have done this to you? It must be so terrible for you, finding out like this . . .’
Oh God, oh God. Abruptly, Simon found himself embroiled in the very centre of the deception. Crimson-cheeked, he tried to look cheated-on, but Katerina soon put paid to that.
‘Let’s get everything straight, shall we? Simon is not - and never has been - my boyfriend.’ Then, because it didn’t matter any more, she added with an air of careless triumph, ‘Although he has, of course, been a great alibi.’
Within the space of two seconds flat, poor cuckolded Simon became in-on-it-all-along Simon, partner in deception and now public enemy number two. The expressions on the faces of Izzy and Gina said it all.
Sam, who had known Andrew Lawrence longer than anybody else in the room, wondered what the hell Andrew had thought he was doing. Separated from his wife, currently in the process of dumping his pregnant girlfriend and now involved in an affair with a hopelessly inexperienced teenager. It was sheer madness . . .
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