Free Simply Divine by Wendy Holden Page A

Seven Deadly Cynics album, was last summer's chartbusting sensation.' O'Shaughnessy's unsmiling face glowered from Champagne's side in the Sun photograph. His hairy eyebrows lay along the top of his brows like a draught excluder.
    'She'll take to being a groupie like a rock chick to water,' observed Valentine. 'Although I imagine the only kind of rock that gets her going is the sort Burton gave Taylor.'
    This new, although not completely unexpected, turn of events made the phone call Jane received later that day all the odder. There seemed to be no voice on the other end ;
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    just a series of agonising gasps and sobs.
    'Who is this?' asked Jane anxiously. Had Nick somehow found out about her infidelity and collapsed into tears, realising how much he loved her? Her heart raced with guilt-fuelled panic.
    'It's Sha-Sha-Sha-Champagne,' the voice on the other end managed to wail before dissolving into another round of sniffles.
    'What on earth's the matter? What's happened?' Jane was alarmed. Her interlocutor seemed distorted by agony of the most unimaginable nature.
    'I've just got [gasp] a crisis on my hands at the moment [gulp],' stuttered Champagne. Then followed some words Jane could not quite catch. Something about slashing. About cuts. Jane froze as the line went dead, visions of Champagne bleeding to death in the bath crowding in on her.
    She immediately telephoned Simon at Tuff. 'Has someone died?' she demanded. 'Has,' she asked, crossing her fingers behind her back, 'Gucci been run over?'
    'Leave it with me,' rapped out Simon, sounding concerned for once. If Champagne was hurt, Jane realised, the Tuff PR bank balance would hardly escape unscathed either. Til call you back. Relax, I'm sure it's fine.'
    But Jane could not relax. Listening to what had sounded like Champagne's last few minutes on earth had not been a pleasant experience. The surprising realisation that she didn't wish Champagne any real harm dawned on her. It was not, after all, Champagne's fault that they had been thrown together in this bizarre fashion. Christ, thought Jane, giving herself a thorough mental shake. I'm almost starting to feel sorry for her.
    When the phone rang again, Jane dashed to answer it.
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    'Hello,'said Niek.
    'Hello,' stammered Jane, wondering if he could tell by the timbre of her voice what she'd been up to. 'You're back.'
    'Yes and no. I'm actually calling to say I'm not coming back. To the flat, I mean.'
    His voice sounded distant. But then again, it was, thought Jane. Being in Brussels.
    'Oh dear, what a pity,' she said. Damn, and she'd been shopping for dinner again, too. 'Have you missed your plane? Do you have to go to more meetings?'
    'No,' said Nick abruptly. 'I'm leaving you.' The silence that followed his words reared up and buzzed in Jane's ear.
    ' What did you say?' She clutched the receiver, stunned. Had he, could he have, found out about Tom?
    'You heard me,' Nick said calmly. 'There's no nice way of saying this, so I won't. It's over. I just don't think it's working any more.' Hang on, this wasn't in the script, thought Jane, her mind racing. He's dumping me and he doesn't even seem to realise I've been unfaithful. It was almost insulting.
    'I feel we've grown apart,' Nick said. He could have grown all sorts of parts, Jane thought bitterly. It had been so long since she had seen him naked he could have developed an extra leg for all she knew.
    'How long have you been feeling this?' Or rather, who, Jane added silently. It was obvious now what he was trying to say.
    'Well, I've actually been seeing Melissa for a while,' Nick said, understanding her perfectly. 'She's in the same office. It's being going on for about five months.' Roughly the time she had been living with Nick, Jane calculated swiftly. So that's why he had been staying so late at Westminster. He hadn't been lying when he told her he
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    was working on briefs. Jane scowled. Had whips been involved as well? No doubt there had been plenty of pairing. No