Chapter Thirty-four
Thirty-four
Thirty-five years old and barely surviving – certainly not thriving.
I’d had a weird day at work where nobody had remembered it was my birthday and I hadn’t bothered to remind them.
I couldn’t be doing with all the fuss. Brooke had officially given us the green light to deliver our original pitch, and half the agency were reworking the presentation at double speed to get it ready for next week.
It was a relief to be home before midnight, let alone in time for my birthday party Zoom with Sara and Abi.
At least they wanted to celebrate me. I’d stupidly decided to dress up for the occasion and slipped Ivy on, and now I felt like an idiot, with my glamorous white dress and three strings of pearls.
Like an Audrey Hepburn reject hosting a murder mystery.
I put the finishing touches to my femme fatale make-up, poured myself a glass of Savvy B and dialled in.
Abi and Sara were both sat waiting in Happy Birthday hats. They blew their party horns as soon as I arrived then started singing out of sync.
‘Happy birthday to yooou, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Kaa-aat, happy birthday toooo yoooou…’
‘What are you wearing?’ Sara said, peering into the screen. She was in a plain cream dress that looked like it was made from a sack. The simple life in Norway suited her.
‘Oh yes,’ Abi said, stopping to stare. ‘You look bloody gorgeous, darlinggg! Should we have dressed up?’
‘You mean you haven’t?’ I said, zooming in on her slash-neck silk dress. ‘Everything you wear looks brand new, so I thought I’d make an effort. It’s the closest I’ll get to a birthday piss-up this year, and I can’t see this dress getting out much otherwise.’
‘Absolutely,’ Sara said. ‘Dress for the occasion, not the location.’
I glanced around the flat and thought back to the promise I’d made Barbie Queue when she’d given it to me. To wear it to The Ritz and make a show of myself, drape myself over the grand piano. How ridiculous. Well, at least I hadn’t stuffed it in a plastic bag and hidden it under the bed.
‘Thanks for coming out to play, girls,’ I said, raising my glass in a virtual cheers. ‘Happy birthday to me. Thirty-five and living the dream.’ Sara had a red wine on the go and Abi was sipping an Aperol Spritz.
‘Yes Kat!’ Sara said. ‘We are in our international girl gang era.’
‘We sure are,’ Abi said. ‘I’m dreaming of Italy while sweating in LA.’
‘You guys are the international gang; I’m in the same place I’ve always been. Dreaming of anywhere and everywhere while sweating in London.’
‘Well, I keep offering… You know you’re welcome anytime. Quit your job and move to Norway with me and Henrik.’
I laughed. ‘Henrik would be delighted at me rocking up.’
‘He probably wouldn’t care – he’s very relaxed about stuff. There’s no sweating here – just clean, healthy fun.’
‘That sounds like the opposite of fun,’ Abi said.
‘You can see for yourselves when you come and visit,’ Sara said. ‘It’s my turn to host so get your asses over to Norway for some group hygge.’
‘Remind me what that is again?’ I said, sipping my wine.
‘It’s lounging around wrapped in blankets and eating carbs.’
‘Is it?’ Abi frowned. ‘I take it back. That’s exactly the kind of fun I’m looking for.’
I laughed. ‘And me. That’s three yeses – you’re going through to judges’ houses.’
‘Speaking of carbs, I’ve made you a cake.’ Sara held up a chocolate cupcake, with gold glitter icing and a pink candle in the middle. ‘Well, Henrik did.’
‘That looks delicious,’ I said, salivating. ‘If only I could eat it.’
‘I know,’ she said, faux sad. ‘It’s such a shame. Oh well, I’ll eat it for you.’
‘You’re such a good friend. Please don’t sing again.’
Sara lit the candle and the three of us watched it flicker for a second. ‘Make a birthday wish and I’ll blow it out. Just tip me the wink.’
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I wished everything would go back to normal. That we’d win this pitch and life could carry on how it had been before.
The front door buzzer made me jump and I opened my eyes in alarm.
‘I’ll take that as my sign,’ Sara said, blowing out the candle.
My unexpected guest held the buzzer down for far too long, then held it down again.
‘Bloody hell! Who is that? Sorry, girls, I better get it.’ I ran to the intercom, already irritated. ‘Hello?’
‘Delivery for Kat Brennan,’ a gruff voice replied.
‘A what? At this time of night? I thought there was a fire. OK, just a second.’
I ran down and there was a delivery driver on the doorstep.
He looked me up and down when he saw the dress.
‘Miss Brennan? Sign here please.’ I hated that ‘Miss’ so much – it made me sound like a nursery rhyme.
I scribbled my initials and he handed me a long thin box, covered in red ribbons.
‘Thank fuck for that. I’ve been driving all over town to get this to you. ’
The girls must have timed it to arrive while we were on the call together. They were so bloody sweet. I LOVED getting presents and I so rarely did these days. How exciting. I carried it upstairs carefully – maybe it was a long necklace or a wand…
‘You guys! What is this?’
They glanced at each other on screen, and I could see them both typing.
‘Erm… I don’t think it’s from us,’ Sara said, looking unsure. ‘Is it, Abs?’
Abi laughed. ‘You’re giving yourself away there, but no, it’s not.’
‘You pick the gifts and I transfer the money; that’s how it’s always been,’ Sara said, laughing. ‘We make a good present-buying team. From my perspective, anyway.’
‘Don’t leave us in suspense,’ Abi called, slurping on her cocktail. ‘Get it open.’
‘The label says “Care of Northstar PR” so Heidi must have sent him here.’
I slid a knife along the Sellotape and opened it up. Mum and Dad had sent me some money, and the twins were taking me for a birthday steak, so it wouldn’t be from them. If it wasn’t from the HIIT girls, then who…? I pulled the lid off and there inside sat a single orange rose.
‘What is it? What is it?’ Sara called.
‘SHOW US,’ Abi shouted.
I turned the box around to show them then spotted an envelope tucked inside the purple tissue.
‘Roses are orange…’ Sara said.
‘Orange is the new black,’ Abi added.
‘Do you mean it’s really a black rose?’ Sara said.
‘Shhh, I wanna hear what it says. Read it out.’
I pulled out a bright white card with one line written in black ink:
From one Leo to another: happy birthday, Kat xxx