steered her across the street towards the hotel and she caught sight of them both in another window.
Yee-ha, look at us, heading towards the entrance to Claridge’s like a proper glamorous couple in a Chanel ad, if girls in Chanel ads have ever worn emerald-green shoes from Topshop and jeweled hair combs from Primark. Well, you never know, they might.
They reached the other side of the road. Ellie paused to gaze up at the row of flags hanging outside the hotel entrance. Heads of state stayed here. Royals stayed here. Think how many famous people had passed through those revolving doors and—
‘Oh, hello! It’s Ellie, isn’t it? How funny, I was just admiring your dress and then I recognized you from the salon! You came in with your friend the other week.’
It was Yasmin Brookes. Time did that thing of simultaneously speeding up and going into slow motion as Ellie took stock of the situation. And she’d never met Niall but Roo had shown her a picture of him. The man with Yasmin was definitely Niall. Heavens, out with his own wife, what was he thinking of?
‘Oh yes, hi.’ Yasmin was glancing at Zack; hastily Ellie leapt in before she could come to embarrassing conclusions. ‘This is my boss; we’re off to a business event.’
‘At Claridge’s, how fab! I really do love your dress. This is Niall, my husband.’
As Niall nodded affably at them, Yasmin said to him, ‘We had a lovely chat in the salon, the three of us. I told you about Ellie’s friend. She was the one who looked like that pop singer, Daisy Deeva. Remember from the Three Deevas, years ago? It wasn’t her, of course. But she was still nice!’
Niall’s expression had frozen; his eyes darted from Yasmin to Ellie, a muscle tensed in his jaw, and his neck went blotchy as he realized who she was. Ellie smiled back at him, reveling in his discomfort. Was this schadenfreude? Excellent!
Aloud she said, ‘She is nice,’ and saw Niall’s Adam’s apple bob up and down like a rubber duck in a choppy sea.
‘And is she looking after your baby while you’re out this evening?’
Yeek, this was schadenfreude coming back to bite you on the bum. Ellie said quickly, ‘Yes, yes she is. So where are you off to tonight?’
‘Oh, just meeting up with friends in a bar on South Molton Street. It’s a treat, isn’t it, getting out in the evening? Ellie has a girl,’ Yasmin explained to Niall. She turned back to Ellie. ‘I’m so sorry, I’ve forgotten her name…?’
Oh bugger bugger bugger… Ellie’s heart began to gallop, she couldn’t remember, she had no idea and Zack was now giving her a quizzical look… oh help, for crying out loud, what was her baby’s name?
‘Got it! Alice!’ Yasmin mimed relief that didn’t begin to compare with Ellie’s. ‘Honestly, I hate it when that happens. This is what having babies does to us, isn’t it? Gives us nappy brain!’
The narrow escape had left Ellie feeling sick. Alice, that was it, thank heavens one of them had remembered. She managed a smile and said gaily, ‘Tell me about it. I can’t remember my own name sometimes!’ She pointed to Zack. ‘Or thingamajig’s.’
***
Once inside, Zack said, ‘So I take it your friend Roo isn’t baby-sitting tonight.’
‘No, she isn’t.’ Could he hear her heart, still clattering away in her chest like a monkey trying to get out?
‘I hope that doesn’t mean you’ve left Alice home alone.’
‘Oh, she’ll be all right. As long as she’s got a bottle of rum and the TV remote in her hand, she’s happy. She’s very advanced for her age.’ Ellie looked over her shoulder, double-checking that Yasmin and Niall hadn’t followed them through the revolving doors. No, it was safe. She exhaled and said, ‘Thanks for getting me away from them.’
‘Don’t mention it.’ Zack had skillfully intervened, explaining that they were late and needed to get inside. ‘Although I have to say, for a few seconds you had me there. I was starting to wonder if this was another family member you hadn’t told me about.’
‘I don’t have a baby. I promise.’
‘I gathered that, when you couldn’t remember its name.’
‘Oh God.’ Ellie winced. ‘Was it obvious?’
‘Only to someone who was fairly certain you didn’t have a baby. I don’t think they noticed.’
‘Phew. Anyway, I’m never going to see them again.’ She checked her watch. ‘Are we late? Shall we go up now?’