Read Online Summer With My Sister by Lucy Diamond - Free Book Online Page A

something. Good. They were in high spirits at least. Hopefully that would mean they’d be receptive to a spot of ingratiation.
    She hungrily forked her food in, barely tasting it as she thought hard about what, exactly, she should say to Elliot. It would be amazing, landing a job with him. A- mazing . That would show Hugo Warrington that she was a player. Imagine if she could persuade Elliot to somehow buy out Waterman’s, and then she could – would , more like – suggest a few redundancies of her own. Oh, yes. Redundancy number one: Warrington, that was a given. Out on his big wealthy ear, and good riddance to him. Redundancy number two: Marcus-frigging-Handbury, who had no doubt spent the afternoon arranging his personal belongings in her office, with an annoying smirk on his posh pink face. As for the traitor Jake, maybe she’d spare him the chop, but humiliate him by giving him the most dire, dreary, menial tasks possible. She’d crush him beneath her Ferragamos – just watch her.
    Polly waved as she saw the two Sophies, Johnny and Richenda sauntering in, loaded with laptops and briefcases. It was weird being there without hers. She had missed her BlackBerry’s bleeps and vibrations all day, had stretched out a hand to check it countless times already before remembering it had been taken away from her. Note to self, she thought: first thing tomorrow, buy a new one. Got to keep in the loop, still be seen as a player. How was she going to explain the fact that she didn’t have hers with her now, in fact? Surely they’d notice that her phone was missing from its usual place on the table. It made her feel underdressed, as if she’d come out without make-up on, or any shoes.
    ‘Hi,’ she called out. ‘Come and join me.’
    In the next instant, she regretted her words. Seeing their faces en masse gripped her with panic. Could she tell them she’d lost her job? Could she actually bear the looks of pity, the smug glee that might sparkle in blonde Sophie’s eyes? They’d bombard her with questions and it would be horrendous trying to keep her cool throughout, maintain some kind of confident composure, especially when she still didn’t have a clue what lay ahead. If she pretended nothing had happened, everything would go on as normal. Wouldn’t it?
    Then she remembered her fruitless phoning around earlier that day, the increasing despair with which she’d sent off email after email with her CV and a polite covering letter. On the other hand, she needed all the contacts she could get.
    She flicked her gaze sideways to the bigshot table. They were deep in conversation now, laughter muted, all expressions serious as they leaned in towards each other. She had to embark on her schmoozing mission with them before too long, she reminded herself. Hi, may I introduce myself ? Adrenalin surged through her at the thought. She would do it. It was fate. And oh, how she’d laugh about it later. Well, I lost my job out of the blue – yes, I was shocked – but by close of play I’d already lined up something even better. You know me!
    ‘Hi Polly, you got here early today,’ blonde Sophie said, sitting next to her, sharp eyes scanning the half-drunk champagne bottle, as if already suspicious of Polly’s reasons. ‘Don’t tell me you’re slacking off now, because I won’t believe a word of it.’
    Polly smiled, a fixed fake smile. ‘Delegation is the new black,’ she said, tapping her nose. The others laughed. Sophie didn’t, but then she was a humourless robot and never did. Polly reckoned she might have got away with that one. Turn the focus on everyone else, she decided. She’d always been an expert tactician. ‘So, how are you guys?’ she asked lightly. ‘Richenda, how did your presentation go today?’
    Richenda looked pleased to be asked and started describing in full Technicolor detail her pitch and presentation to an important new client she’d been chasing for the last few weeks. Not wanting to be