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neon-yellow nails at Lizzy. ‘Be with you in a minute, sweets.’
    Bianca was Haven’s account executive, and fresh out of a degree at Bristol University. Generously, she managed to fit her job at Haven around her social life and various modelling assignments.
    ‘Seriously, darl, tell her to fuck off. The girl’s a skank. You know what Damo said when he took her to Monaco.’
    ‘What did you want, sweets?’ she asked Lizzy a full ten minutes later.
    ‘Have you done the mail-out yet?’ Sending out a mass email to journalists about new products was an integral part of the job.
    ‘I was just about to.’
    ‘Can you make it a priority please?’ Lizzy asked nicely.
    Bianca flashed a megawatt smile. ‘Coming right up.’
    Lizzy watched her assistant pick up her phone and read a new text message. Bianca was so laid-back she was practically dead. She’d barely batted an eyelash over Lizzy’s YouTube trauma. Bianca’s sister had done a season on
Made in Chelsea
and Bianca her-self had made a brief cameo when she’d thrown a glass of champagne in someone’s face on a yacht in Hvar.
    ‘Bianca?’
    ‘Yes, sweets?’
    ‘The mail-out!’
    Bianca was saved from certain death by hole-punch as Lizzy’s landline started ringing. As usual the Baxters were punctual to the second for their weekly conference call.
    Brian Baxter and his wife Debbie were Lizzy’s clients and the brains behind Man Down, a herbal tonic for the ill and exhausted modern male. Or man flu, as it was more commonly known. Thanks to Lizzy’s heroic promotion in the trade press, Holland & Barrett had just started stocking the range. Not that the Baxters were about to let Lizzy rest on her laurels.
    ‘Have you seen the new
GQ
today?’ Brian didn’t bother with pleasantries.
    ‘I’ve got it right here.’
    ‘Me and Debbie are extremely naffed off to see Man Down hasn’t got any coverage again this month.’
    ‘I did say that a four-page interview and photo shoot might be a
little
optimistic.’
    ‘They’ve interviewed David Cameron before, haven’t they?’
    ‘Well, yes,’ Lizzy said inadequately. ‘Yes, they have.’
    ‘I want to see Man Down up there with all the luxury brands, Lizzy. I want to see it in the next James Bond film being stocked in Bond’s frigging toilet bag. You don’t see 007 failing to save the world because he’s in bed with blocked nasal passages, do you? That’s a good line actually, write it down.’
    ‘What’s the update with the launch?’ A squeaky voice cut in, making Lizzy jump. Brian dominated their conversations so much she sometimes forgot Debbie existed.
    ‘It’s all looking good.
Holistic Monthly
and
Well Woman
have confirmed they’re coming down, and the
Aylesbury Herald
have also said they’ll hold a double-page spread for us. I’m also speaking to a couple of online sites and sending the products out to our key bloggers.’
    The Baxters were bringing out a new product called Santa’s Little Helper for Christmas. Lizzy was organizing a soft launch in Aylesbury town centre in August. It had to be that far ahead to meet all the key magazines’ lead times.
    ‘Have you looked into the Red Arrows doing a fly-by?’
    ‘In all honesty, Brian, I’m not sure the budget will stretch to that.’
    The call concluded a gruelling forty-five minutes later. ‘Double-check the Red Arrows won’t do a freebie, yeah?’ Brian instructed. ‘Tell them we’ll throw in a year’s free supply of Man Down.’
    Lizzy hung up and massaged her temples. Managing client expectations could be a nightmare.
    It was a beautiful summer’s evening as Lizzy left the office. Poppet had texted to say she was going out for work drinks in Soho. Did Lizzy want to join them?
    She was just considering it when a man walking past did a sharp double take, reminding Lizzy that the spectre of ‘Girl Who Gets Jilted …’ was still alive and present. Not relishing the thought of being gawped at by a pub full of people, she texted