Chapter 32
Nicki got out of the car as soon as Zoe approached. She waved at Zoe, who just pointed at the boot of the car. Nicki leaned inside the car and pushed the button, and Zoe quickly put her luggage in before jumping into the passenger seat like Nicki was her getaway driver at a bank robbery.
“Hi boss! Nice to have you back, even if it’s not under the best circumstances.” Nicki was as upbeat as usual.
“You can’t even believe how happy I am to see you.” Zoe exhaled like she was dropping an enormous weight. “Can we go home, please?”
“Sure thing.” The car rumbled and Nicki drove out of the parking garage.
Zoe stayed silent for a moment. She had no idea how to tell Nicki what had happened. The last time they’d spoken, Nicki had advised her against doing anything regrettable with Julie. How was Zoe going to explain that she slept with her? Or everything else that had happened since?
“Are you OK, Zoe?” Nicki glanced at her, a concerned look on her face.
“Not really,” Zoe sighed. “Is Tom home?”
“He’s meeting up with his agent and should be back later today.”
Zoe didn’t answer, and Nicki didn’t pry. Zoe’s head throbbed; the roaring of the highway just seemed more overwhelming today than any other day.
“You know…” Nicki started. “I think it’s just the rumour mill. Tom’s an actor, he’s gonna have to hang out with pretty actresses sooner or later.”
Zoe tried a small smile. “You’re probably right, Nicki.”
All of this was so stupid, Zoe thought. She had never dreamed that Yasmine’s relationship falling apart would have an impact on her own like this.
The tabloids had gotten hold of the story that French singer Adam had been left at the altar by his Belgian journalist bride, which was widely shared on social media.
While Adam’s music was mostly popular with French-speaking audiences, his latest single had been making waves in the UK as well, so the English press were crawling all over it.
That was awful enough, but one particularly noxious rag had somehow noticed that Zoe had been at the infamous nuptials and Tom had not.
“ADAM’S HEARTbrEAK SPELLS DOOM FOR ANOTHER COUPLE - ARE TOM AND ZOE NEXT TO brEAK UP?
” the headline had read. Not only did the article speculate about Tom’s absence from the wedding, but “sources close to the couple” had disclosed that their own wedding date has not yet been set.
Worst of all, they had dug up photos of Tom with some attractive French actress, ending the article with heavy hints that Tom had already moved on, leaving Zoe in the dust.
Nicki had called Zoe in a panic that morning, asking her to come back to London immediately to handle this.
Her show’s executives were worried that hints that Zoe’s personal life wasn’t as perfect as portrayed on television might impact viewership, and therefore, their bottom line.
As a result, Zoe’s priority today couldn’t be her friend who was going through a spectacularly horrible and public breakup, or meeting up with Julie to try to sort out her feelings there, or even her actual relationship with Tom.
Today’s priority was public relations damage control - making sure that Tom wasn’t painted as a womanising boor, and Zoe wasn’t labelled a heartless hypocrite who’d only gotten with him to boost her career - and nothing else.
Sometimes, Zoe really, really hated her job.
The car pulled up in front of Zoe’s house.
“Harry said he wanted to speak to you as soon as you got home, and then you could call the publicist together,” Nicki said, glancing over at Zoe. “But I can try to run interference if you need a bit of time to get settled.”
Zoe nodded gratefully. Harry was her brilliant but overbearing manager, and Nicki was often tasked with keeping him off Zoe’s back when he called at the most inopportune moments.
Zoe walked inside her house and immediately tossed away her sunglasses. She fell down on her couch and closed her eyes. She heard Nicki enter the house behind.
“Wait, Nicki.” She mumbled and lifted her head. “Don’t close the door, I have to go get my bag.”
“Two weeks without me and you already forgot that that’s what I’m here for.” Nicki was already pulling Zoe’s trolley and carefully set it against the living room wall, next to the couch. “Do you want a cup of tea?”
Nicki wasn’t wrong. Zoe did forget how much easier her life was with her assistant around. “Yes please.” Zoe buried her face back into one of the couch cushions.
A moment later, Nicki came back with a small tray with a cup of tea and biscuits on it. Zoe sat up and took the warm cup between her hands.
“Pass me your phone,” Nicki directed. Zoe obeyed, sliding it across the coffee table.
As if on cue, it lit up with Harry’s name and picture.
Nicki hit the decline button decisively, and smiled up at Zoe.
“I reckon I can do that twice more before he gets really pissed off. Plenty of time for some tea and a chat before we get into all that. Normally I’d ask you how the wedding was, but… ”
“Oh god, Nicki, it was awful.” She pinched the bridge of her nose.
“Do you want to tell me what happened?”
“I have no idea what happened. We spent days making sure everything was perfect. Then guests showed up, Adam showed up, they walked down the aisle, Adam said his vows, then Yasmine totally broke down and ran away. Next thing we know, she’s driving away from her own wedding with another man.”
Nicki was wide-eyed behind her glasses. “And I thought social media was exaggerating.”
“It was a mess, Nicki. I’d never seen that before.” Zoe took a long sip of her tea then put it down and leaned against the back of her couch.
Nicki nodded. “I see that.” She paused. “How did things go with Julie?”
Zoe groaned internally, trying to keep her face neutral. “It was fine.”
“That’s it? Fine?” She lifted her brow. “The last time you called me, you were-”
“Nicki, I’m sorry. Can we please not talk about this right now?” Zoe buried her face in her hands. Everything was terrible.
“No worries, I understand.” Nicki said apologetically. “I’ll let you rest for a bit if you’d like? We can call Harry later.”
“Thanks Nicki.” Zoe stood up and stretched. “I’ll quickly jump in the shower then.” Zoe walked towards the stairs before turning around. “Did social media and the tabloids blame me for this wedding debacle or something?”
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t know…” Zoe put her hands on her hips.
“That I have a wedding curse or something… Since they think my fiancé is cheating on me.” Zoe realised the irony of it.
Tom was being dragged as the unfaithful one when she was the one who threw it all away for one shag with a woman who wouldn’t even look at her now.
“Not yet, but I can call the tabloids and tell them to run that story if you want.” Nicki looked puzzled but made the best of it.
Zoe chuckled. “Why don’t you do that.”
* * *
“Zoe, love, I don’t understand why you don’t like the idea.”
Zoe was sitting at her oak kitchen table next to Nicki, glowering at the phone on speaker between them.
“For starters, Harry, this is not something I can just decide on my own.”
“Then talk to Tom about it. This will also absolutely save him, because d’you know what I heard this morning at the coffee shop?
That Tom was a massive prick for cheating on poor Zoe.
” Harry was talking like he didn’t want anyone else to be able to talk over him.
Zoe could picture him sitting in his lofty Mayfair office, with one of his expensive suits on.
‘The Italian one’ like he would tell her.
“Besides, I don’t see what the problem is! You two are getting married no matter what, what’s the problem with tying the knot a bit sooner? You don’t even have anything planned yet, anyway.”
Zoe wanted to strangle Harry. She knew he was right.
As far as Harry was concerned, all of these publicity problems could be neatly solved by just bumping up the wedding date.
Both she and Tom could save their reputations.
But this was her life, and there was a whole lot more to it than her public image.
She should just be able to shut this all down, but she didn’t know how.
“The new show’s coming out in a couple months,” Harry continued, sensing that the agreement he was hunting for was close at hand. “That would also be great publicity for that. Zoe just walked down the aisle and now you can see her on TV! Think about it, Zoe.”
“I’ll think about it, Harry.” Zoe exhaled, feeling defeated.
“That’s all I’m asking, Zoe. But not for too long, of course! We’ve got to get out ahead of these things. You’ll call me back when you’ve talked to your fiancé?”
“Yes of course, we’ll talk soon. Bye, Harry.” Zoe almost slammed her finger on the hang up button on the phone’s screen.
She abruptly stood up, kicking her chair behind her in the process. She rubbed her forehead and walked towards her wine cabinet.
“Do you want a glass of Saint-Emilion as well?” She turned to Nicki.
“You know I always need a glass after interacting with Harry.” Nicki leaned back on her chair, looking as stressed as Zoe felt.
“I know, right? He’s so…” Zoe turned towards Nicki and mimed strangling someone with her hands.
She placed her attention back to the wine rack and slid out a bottle, examining it.
“This one should do.” Zoe grabbed two wine glasses from the cabinet and a corkscrew then sat back next to her assistant.
“The problem-” She sighed and started working on the bottle.
“Is that Harry is stupidly good at his job. I went from a nobody who didn’t even win a cooking show to a beloved chef almost in a fortnight.
” A nice warm popping sound echoed as Zoe took the cork in one swift movement. She poured them both a generous glass.
“You weren’t a nobody. People have loved you since the first episode of Chop It Like It’s Hot. I remember everyone was gutted when you lost in the semi-final.”