Free Not Quite Perfect by Annie Lyons

Oh Mum, I just don’t know what to do any more.’ The tears spring easily into Rachel’s eyes and Diana is suddenly lost.
    ‘Oh look darling, there, there.’ She pats Rachel’s hand and smiles with embarrassment at the women on the next table, who are looking over nosily. ‘Come on, don’t cry. I’m sure you’ll sort it out.’
    Lily and Alfie have noticed their mother’s tears and Alfie starts to cry as well, his face a mess of chocolate muffin and snot. Lily offers her arms to her mother and scolds him. ‘Stop it, Alfie, and give Mummy a cuddle.’
    Rachel can’t believe that her children are the ones comforting her instead of her mother. She wonders at how they must appear; her mother looking awkward and embarrassed and her, a crumpled mess with two small children covering her in sticky kisses and fierce little hugs.
    Miranda’s PA, Andrea, has dressed one end of the boardroom with fresh flowers and bottles of Moët. At the opposite end, a table is lined with chairs, as if Allen Chandler is about to announce a major football signing or host the ratification of an international treaty. Miranda has e-mailed the company to make sure that Richard is welcomed properly into the fold and the designers, always first at the mention of free booze and Twiglets, are already gathering, making the place look cool and a little untidy.
    When Joanna and Richard enter the room, the atmosphere prickles with excitement as if a couple of celebrities have just walked in. The assembled company part to make way for them and Emma notices a lot of the females nudging each other as they clock Richard who, with his floppy schoolboy hair and grinning demeanour, is looking undeniably handsome.
    Ella sidles up to her friend and whispers in her ear. ‘Well, isn’t he just the dish of the day?’
    ‘Can’t say I’d noticed,’ smiles Emma.
    ‘Liar.’
    Miranda is a stickler for punctuality, so the clock has only just struck three o’clock when she booms out her welcome: ‘Ladies and gentlemen, I am delighted to be able to gather you together today to witness a truly exciting event. As most of you will know, we have been working tirelessly to lure Richard to Allen Chandler. I am delighted to announce that he has accepted our offer. Richard, we normally get our authors to sign in blood but for you we will make an exception. Would you do the honours?’
    A cheer goes up and Richard bows to the crowd, who laugh. The contract is signed and the photographer ushers Richard and Miranda into the shot. Emma is mortified when Miranda drags her into the frame and is amused to see Jacqui muscling in on the action too. Emma hears her spelling her name to the journalist.
    ‘That’s Moss, as in Kate Moss. No, no relation but thank you, people often wonder if she’s my sister.’
    Emma watches as Joanna whisks Richard over to meet Digby, who embraces him tightly, much to Richard’s surprise. She is feeling a little light-headed due to a combination of early-afternoon champagne and last night’s excesses. She wanders over to the window to take in the view. She is suddenly aware of someone standing next to her and turns to find Richard at her side.
    ‘Hello, Emma Darcy,’ he says with a smile.
    ‘Hello, Richard Bennett. Welcome to the family. I see you’ve met Digby.’
    Richard chuckles. ‘It was like being hugged by a bear. He seems like a decent chap.’
    ‘He is. Actually most people here are.’
    ‘Miranda terrifies me.’
    ‘So she should.’
    ‘And what about you, Emma Darcy? Do I need to be scared of you?’
    Emma looks him in the eye. ‘Petrified.’
    ‘That’s what I thought. Well, I shall make sure I wear my thickest body armour to all our meetings. When is our first meeting by the way?’
    ‘How are you fixed next Monday? I thought we could meet at Kew seeing as it’s the backdrop for so much of the book.’
    ‘Sounds perfect. By the way, I just wanted to say what a fantastic time I had last night. I think we’re going