Page 28

Chapter 27

Liv

Of course Margot isn’t going to donate to charity the clothes she won from me. Clothes that she could pass off as brand new and that just so happen to be in her size? She ordered them for herself. And there’s nothing wrong with that. I buy plenty of second-hand stuff. But once she started making up a charity I wanted to see how far she’d go with her lie. No shelter for domestic abuse survivors has referred to those it houses as victims or battered wives for about fifty years. While her charity might not exist, plenty of others like it do, so I make a mental note to find a local one and donate next month’s eBay sales to it.

I suspect that Anna was also aware of the hole Margot was digging for herself, but I note she didn’t step in to help her out of it. I assume she was as amused as I was.

‘I wasn’t sure if you’d be in,’ I say, changing the subject. ‘I thought you might be doing interviews and promotion for the tour.’

Her face is blank.

‘Your old group, the Party Hard Posse, going back on the road,’ I prompt. ‘You kept that quiet. They were talking about it earlier on This Morning . Your fans are very excited, apparently.’

‘Oh my God, is that true?’ asks Anna. Her eyes are about as wide as they can get.

When Margot’s expression remains vacant, it dawns on me she doesn’t know the first thing about it.

‘Why didn’t you say something?’ Anna asks Margot. And then she starts typing something into her laptop and I assume she’s trying to find out more details.

‘“Noughties pop stars the Party Hard Posse have confirmed they are reuniting for a European tour,”’ she reads aloud. ‘“The band has announced tickets will go on sale for the thirty-five-date tour which will be preceded by their first new album together in eighteen years. Singer Gabby Morgan said: ‘We can’t wait to perform our new material along with our greatest hits in front of fans.’ However, it’s believed that original member Margot Ward, now Margot Rosetti, won’t be rejoining the band ...”’

I might have my opinions about Margot, but I don’t like being deliberately cruel in circumstances that don’t warrant it.

‘Why?’ asks Anna, crestfallen.

‘It’s in the past,’ she says, thinking on her feet. ‘And I prefer to move forward than backwards.’

‘But you said before that if it ever happened, you’d consider it. That it might be fun?’

‘I changed my mind.’

‘So when did they approach you?’

Margot turns her back on us as she rinses out a teapot under the tap. ‘A while back. I forget.’

I think I’m the only one to notice her shoulders tense. I jump in.

‘I don’t blame you,’ I say. ‘I wouldn’t want to uproot my life and chase fame second time around. Who’d want to be away from their family and in a different city every night of the week?’

She turns, and although it only lasts for a fleeting moment, I recognise a longing in her, a desire for something more than she already has. It’s a feeling I’ve known all too well in myself.