a green light because suddenly he leant into her personal space and she smelt the strong alcohol fumes and stale cigar aroma on his breath which made her pull away from him. This however was no deterrent and he moved closer telling her how beautiful she looked while staring lecherously down her cleavage. He actually licked his lips beneath his thickly crusted moustache and she felt a shiver of repulsion run through her - it was definitely time to leave.
Suddenly he squeezed her knee hard and then tried to slide his hand up her thigh. "Look, why not be nice to me and come back to my place,” he cajoled. “If you'll stay the night and look after me properly I'll invest in your business and make you pots of lovely money."
She was horrified and roughly pushed his hand away. "You mean to tell me you're offering to buy into my business in exchange for sex?" she cried.
"Of course, it's the done thing nowadays, darling."
She stood up to leave, lifted her chin high, pulled her shoulders back and folded her arms defiantly across her chest. "No thanks, Andrew, I'd rather make it on my own," she retorted and strode across the room with his distant laughter ringing in her ears.
The bastard, she swore quietly and nearly walked into the back of Lisa who was talking to a group of men at the corner of the buffet table.
"Ah, here she is. Speak of the devil, Katie. I was just telling the guys here who'd made this fantastic seafood spread.”
She glowed with pleasure when one of the men raved about the seafood risotto she’d made with prawns, salmon flakes, and purple sprouting broccoli.
“Yes, you've really outdone yourself tonight,” Lisa said. “Is Andrew pleased with it?" she asked, looking across the room at him.
Katie took a glass of champagne from a passing waiter and sipped it. "Oh yes, he's delighted," she said raising the glass up towards Andrew and grinning. Within the next twenty minutes Katie had given countless business cards to people and confirmed a booking for another seafood buffet at an engagement party the following week. Delightedly, she beamed at Lisa, thanking her again for bringing her to the party and then taking her arm she pulled her into the ladies toilet. This was the first chance she’d had all night to talk to her alone and knew she had to do the dastardly deed. Apprehensively she licked her dry lips and told her John’s story about the picnic and Julie who was seeing a black guy from Pimlico called …. Adam.
Katie applied more blusher to her cheeks glancing tentatively at Lisa as she painted lip gloss onto her full lips. "I mean, it could be another guy living in Pimlico called Adam, and we could be jumping to the wrong conclusions. Have you seen him anymore?"
Lisa put the lip gloss back into her clutch-bag and viciously snapped the clasp shut. "Christ, no. He was just a one, no, a two-night stand," she said. "But I tell you something, Katie, this size eight bitch is really beginning to get on my nerves."
"Hmm, it’s probably just a coincidence..."
Lisa bristled. "Well, whatever it is she's getting under my skin. Nobody messes with me and my family."
They left the toilets and Katie breathed a sigh of relief that Lisa had taken it so well and didn’t appear on the surface to be too upset about Adam. A gap in people along the corridor made it clear for them both to see Sarah scurrying towards them beaming from ear to ear and taking both their hands she dragged them back into the toilets to tell them about the most handsome man she'd ever met.
"He's called Simon and well, he's just..." she giggled. “Well, I think he's the one. He really could be my Mr Right."
"Oh Sarah, I'm thrilled," Katie said smiling at the happiness shining in her eyes. Lisa shouted and whooped with delight while they both cuddled and kissed her. Half dancing in a conga chain they laughed all the way back into the buffet room and after Sarah had hurried back to the top deck to Simon, a wave of tiredness suddenly swept over Katie.
The five o’clock alarm was beginning to catch up with her. "Phew, I’m whacked and ready for home, Lisa. Are you staying?"
"Maybe just for another half hour," she answered, ogling a Brian Ferry look-a-like sitting by the piano on his own. Katie kissed her goodnight and was making her