Part 19 (1/2)

Poppy found it hard to concentrate on the film. So, it seemed, did everyone else in the audience who, despite dire warnings on the tickets banning mobile phones, seemed to spend the entire two hours texting their friends, talking to each other, munching loudly on the free ('Free!' Meena cooed) bags of M&Ms or getting up to go to the loo. None the less, at the end everyone clapped wildly. Then they all trooped outside and across the square to Panton Street where a line of coaches waited to carry them like children on a school trip, to the Natural History Museum.

'How lovely,' Poppy breathed, entering the cathedrallike room with its dinosaur skeleton in the middle. She'd been here a dozen times with Clara but the place had been transformed with huge stands of exotic flowers and the vaulted ceilings with sparkling fairy lights. Two clowns in illuminated body suits were hopping round on stilts. A smoke machine tucked in a corner breathed out puffs of pseudo mist that whirled across the room and round the ankles of a group of toned men wearing dinner jackets and bearing wide, silver trays.

'Canape?' said one.

'Yes please! What are they?'

'Deep-fried halloumi with a lemon dressing.'

Poppy took two, then had to cram them both in her mouth as another man with a tray of champagne approached. 'Thank you,' she managed to mumble, seizing a flute.

'This is the life,' said Meena, as they clinked gla.s.ses. 'To many more of these.'

'a.s.suming I can get a babysitter,' Poppy said.

'What's that Brigita for? Or why can't Luke do his share? I told you, you've sat in nearly every night for two years while he's been out on the town. It's your turn.'

'I was hoping I'd see you again,' said a deep voice behind them.

They turned round. It was Toby Hastings. Poppy felt suddenly nervous.

'Did you enjoy the film?' she twittered.

He shrugged. 'Not really. A bit derivative, I thought. What about you?'

'Oh, I thought the same,' Poppy said, as Meena chimed in. 'Oh my G.o.d, I see c.o.c.ktails. I'm going to get one.' She dashed off into the crowd.

'How do you know Meena?' Toby asked. Poppy's dull reply was interrupted by a skinny girl with blonde dreadlocks. 'Tobes! How are you, sweets?' How are you, sweets?'

'Irina!' He turned his back on Poppy. She stood, nursing her gla.s.s looking nervously from side to side. It was just like being at a party with Luke. No one wanted to talk to her. She'd been a fool to think the column could ever work. She downed her gla.s.s and looked about for somewhere to put it, just as Meena rushed back to her, bearing two wide frosted gla.s.ses.

'Look! Vodka gimlets.'

With her friend by her side and a c.o.c.ktail in her hand, things quickly improved. They wandered from room to room, gawping at the number of famous faces they recognized. Occasionally, Poppy would stop to study the gla.s.s cases full of stuffed exotic birds, but Meena dragged her away.

'Don't be boring, Poppy. Look, there's Jude Law! Oh my G.o.d, he's so much shorter than I thought he'd be. Is that Nicole Richie over there?'

'No, I think it's someone from Emmerdale Emmerdale. But that that is definitely Gwyneth. Or at least someone who looks like her. Still no sign of Brad Pitt though.' is definitely Gwyneth. Or at least someone who looks like her. Still no sign of Brad Pitt though.'

Time flew by. They helped themselves to a buffet as lavish as something from the last days of the Roman Empire, then found themselves in a room made out entirely like a sweet shop where they stuffed their faces with dolly mixtures. A DJ had set up beside a gently dripping ice sculpture. Meena started dancing. Poppy watched from the sidelines, wis.h.i.+ng she could join in, but dancing always made her feel as though she was wearing concrete moon boots. She yawned slightly. Toby reappeared at her side.

'Need something to help you stay awake?'

'Sorry?' Poppy blushed, unsure what he meant, but before she could ask there was another 'Toby!' This time it was a man. Old, perhaps not as old as Luke, about her mother's age. He wasn't exactly handsome but had a long, lean body, flaxen hair and a ruddy face that spoke of a lack of care with sunscreen. His eyes were crinkly and smiling in a way that suggested an absence of troublesome wives and children.

'Charlie!' The two men pumped hands. Poppy started to back away, but Toby said, 'Charlie, have you met Poppy?'

'h.e.l.lo,' she said shyly, holding out a hand.

'I'm Charlie Grimes. What a pleasure.' He grinned and winked at Toby. 'Are you one of my friend's harem?'

'p.i.s.s off, Charlie,' Toby said cheerfully. 'We've only just met.' He smiled at Poppy. 'Though I'm hoping we're going to see a lot more of each other.'

From the dance floor, Meena came bounding towards them like an over-excited puppy.

'This is great great!' she yelled. 'I'm having such such a good time. Oh my G.o.d, look, there are the Dastardly Fiends.' She pointed to the bar, where two members of the indie band of the moment were standing. Girls flocked round them like seagulls to a fish and chip van. 'I'm going over to say h.e.l.lo.' She pulled Toby's arm. 'Do you know them?' a good time. Oh my G.o.d, look, there are the Dastardly Fiends.' She pointed to the bar, where two members of the indie band of the moment were standing. Girls flocked round them like seagulls to a fish and chip van. 'I'm going over to say h.e.l.lo.' She pulled Toby's arm. 'Do you know them?'

Toby shrugged. 'A bit.'

'Can you introduce me?'

He laughed. 'I don't see why not.'

Meena dragged him off. Poppy watched them. Of course she already had a husband and Toby seemed ideal for Meena. But she couldn't help feeling a little...

'Jealous?' said Charlie softly beside her.

Poppy started slightly. How had he read her mind? 'Of Meena and Toby? No. Why should I be? I'm married.'

'Are you? Surely, you're a bit young. How old are you?' you? Surely, you're a bit young. How old are you?'

'Twenty-four.'

Charlie grinned ruefully. 'That's the age I still feel inside. You lucky thing. I envy you. All that time ahead of you; make the most of it.'

'I'll try,' Poppy said, eyeing Meena and Toby. Meena was laughing hysterically, then went on tiptoes and whispered something in his ear. He grinned and nodded. Together they started pus.h.i.+ng through the crowd. With an effort, Poppy turned back to Charlie.

'Um, if you don't mind me asking, what are you you doing here?' doing here?'

'Too old for all this?' he asked, grinning.

'Oh no, no,' she said, then, 'Well, yes, a bit maybe.'

He laughed. 'I appreciate the honesty. It's true. I shouldn't really be here. I should be at home watching Rebus Rebus in my incontinence pants, but I'm a gossip columnist for the in my incontinence pants, but I'm a gossip columnist for the Daily Post Daily Post. Going to parties is what I do for a living.'

'For the Daily Post Daily Post?' Poppy eyed him, suddenly wary, as if Hannah might be about to jump out of his pocket.

'Yes.' He looked at her curiously. 'Do you read it? Most people your age don't buy newspapers any more. They're vanis.h.i.+ng more quickly than the Amazonian rain forest.'

'I do sometimes,' she said cautiously. Actually, now she put the pieces together, Charlie's cheery face was vaguely familiar from the top of his page, full of inane t.i.ttle-tattle about how Sophie Anderton was launching a new bikini range and Girls Aloud had had a great time filming their new video in Germany. Poppy usually read it straight after Hannah's column, like a sweetie after vile medicine.

'What a glamorous job,' she breathed.

Charlie smiled. 'Don't be fooled. There are only so many halloumi and lemon skewers a man can devour and only so many times he can ask Jade Goody about her new career plans before he starts to go a bit doolally and yearn for a job reporting on advances in uranium trading.' He shrugged cheerily. 'But what can I do? My editor likes my column. Says I have an easy way with people.'

'But all those parties...' After all this could be Poppy's new career too.