Free All Tomorrow's Parties by Nicole Fitton

a bit freaky – You OK hun?” said Ambra, touching Laine’s shoulder.
    “Yeah fine, just wanna move forward, won’t be playing that role again anytime soon though.” God you little liar – her conscience was knocking the inside of her head out.
    With that her phone rang. With an internal sigh of relief Laine answered and passed it though to Adam. It was a journalist from Smash Hits wanting an interview with Mahler.
    Lunchtime could not come soon enough. Thankfully Tony had not tried to call her again. At 1:15pm Ella popped her head around the door and they set off for Tropics, the local wine bar on Kensington Park Road. A cross between a Caribbean themed restaurant and a local pub, Tropics was Laine and Ella’s favourite lunchtime escape; just off Portobello Road, it was never very busy and compared to other establishments in the area it was cheap.
     
     
    After ordering their usual jacket potatoes and the house white it was all Laine could do to wait until the waiter was out of ear shot, but Ella got there first –
    “Do you realise Laine that our holiday is only a week away? I am so excited”, said Ella, completely unaware of the previous night’s antics.
    “It has definitely come at the right time for me Ella, in fact I wish it were today”, sighed Laine. And with that she preceded to tell Ella everything that had happened the previous night.
    Ella stared thoughtfully at Laine as if she were working out an incredibly complex maths equation.
    “What are you gonna do Laine? I mean you’ve said you and Danny are like a pair of old slippers, are you ready to chuck them out?” Laine laughed. She had made that comment a few months back, but Ella was right: that is what it would boil down to.
    “I don’t know, I’ve never done anything like this in my life before. Danny is back tonight, I don’t even think I’ll be able to look him in the face Ella. I don’t want to lie to him but I’m not sure I can tell him the truth either. He adores me El, I’ll really hurt him. Last night everything seemed so clear cut and now, well…”
    “Listen Laine, my advice is: don’t lie to Danny but don’t offer him the truth either. We’ll be going away next week and you’ll have ten whole days to sort out what you think you should do. As for Tony, just tell him you need some space to figure things out, tell him you’ll contact him when once you get back. For once Laine Marshall you need to do what you want, and that’s not necessarily what you believe is the right thing, got it?” Ella now stared sternly at Laine. She hated seeing her friend so confused.
    Laine agreed this was a good plan, but how on earth she would be able to be with Danny without confessing she had no idea.
    Back at the office an envelope sat prominently propped against her phone - she recognised the handwriting - it was Tony’s. She was always getting stuff delivered so there wouldn’t be any unwelcome questions. A tiny gold brooch with a Persian slipper and a postcard of the Eiffel tower were inside - on the back Tony had written “a golden slipper for my princess - 6.30pm The Castle Ledbury Road. Tx”. She would have to see him. She wondered if Danny was home yet.
    He answered the phone. “Boots I have missed you so much, I’ve got loads to tell you, can you come home now?” His voice sounded genuinely pleased to hear her.
    “Danny, it’s three o clock, of course I can’t…I’m going to be a little late, probably back around 8.30ish, shall I pick us something up?” Laine was trying her hardest to sound carefree, the two glasses of wine she and Ella had quaffed gave her the much needed Dutch courage. If he detected something was wrong he was hiding it well.
    “Yeah that would be good, Chinese and a few hugs works for me.” His voice was light hearted and joyful.
    “OK I’ll get the usual, see you later.” It was a good job he couldn’t see Laines face: she was visibly cringing. She had no idea how she was going to be able to