Life Or Something Like It. Annie Lyons

queen?’

      Ava put her hand on her heart. ‘By the time we’ve finished with her, she’ll be more popular than Kate Middleton.’

      Cat raised an eyebrow. Paradise Rivers was a former reality TV and now wannabe pop star. She was headline-hogging and about as far from paradise as a person could be but her agent had a number of other top celebrity clients so Cat had to ensure that she got the best coverage possible. ‘Just a few hours trending on Twitter for all the right reasons will be fine.’

      ‘You got it,’ said Ava taking a sip of her drink. Cat sat back in her chair feeling satisfied. ‘So, how are you doing?’

      Cat smiled. ‘I’m good. Busy but that’s how I like it.’

      Ava fixed her with a look. ‘Too busy if I know you.’

      ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’

      ‘I mean, sweet-cheeks, that you gotta look after number one. Listen to your Auntie Ava. Trust me, I know this. All work and no play will burn you out in the end.’

      Cat shrugged. ‘I signed up to this job. It’s just the way it is. And besides, I enjoy it. It makes me happy. But I appreciate you looking out for me, Mum,’ she joked.

      Ava blew a raspberry. ‘I’m serious. I worry about you.’

      Cat shook her head and laughed. ‘Why would you worry about me?’

      Ava counted on her fingers. ‘One: you work too hard, two: you’re never off that phone, three: when was the last time you had sex?’

      Cat nearly choked on her mojito. ‘What’s sex got to do with anything?’

      Ava fixed her with a knowing look. ‘Sex has got everything to do with everything.’

      ‘I have sex,’ insisted Cat.

      ‘When?’

      ‘Last month. With that comedian.’

      ‘The one with the awful hair and sweat-patches? Euw!’

      ‘He was very funny.’

      ‘A funny comedian? There’s a thing.’

      Cat stuck out her tongue. ‘Well what about you and all the sex you’re having?’

      ‘I do pretty well and anyway I’ve got Sergio.’

      ‘Oh yeah, your “friend with benefits”,’ laughed Cat making speech marks in the air. ‘You’re so old school, Ava.’

      Ava shrugged. ‘You may mock but it works. You should get one instead of rejecting every male because he’s not Jesse Hemingway.’

      Cat folded her arms. She cursed the day she had told Ava about Jesse. They hadn’t known each other long; it had been after the launch party for Mwah! Cat remembered that tequila and Ava’s nose for an excellent story had been to blame.

      ‘So he’s the man of your dreams and yet you’ve never slept with him?’ Ava had slurred, reaching over to top up their shot glasses with expensive golden tequila.

      ‘We had a moment,’ Cat had said wistfully.

      ‘A moment? Oh well, that’s almost as legally binding as a marriage.’

      Cat wished she’d never mentioned it but Ava had the memory of an elephant and was fond of bringing up the subject whenever their talk turned to affairs of the heart. Fortunately this didn’t happen very often; the celebrity world kept them more than occupied and Cat had no desire to air her innermost feelings to herself, let alone the editor of the country’s favourite gossip magazine.

      Still, Ava was right in that there was no-one who ever came close to Jesse and, as the years went by, this never changed. Cat enjoyed the odd flirtation and night of passion but nothing ever lasted and it suited her fine. Jesse was now married to an ex-model but it was still Cat who got to spend the majority of time with him. He even called her his ‘PR wife’. This suited her fine as well.

      ‘I am not rejecting anyone. I’m just not looking because I’m happy as I am.’

      ‘Really?’ said Ava with narrowed disbelieving eyes.

      ‘Really,’ declared Cat. ‘This single life works for me. I think I might be the one.’

      Ava gave a hollow laugh. ‘If you say so, honey. And for the record, it works for me too. I don’t know what I’d do if you got hitched and popped out a couple of kids.’

      Cat shook her head. ‘You know me. That’s never going to happen. Let other people repopulate the world. Between you and me, I’ve got a woman working for me who was the best in the business but since she’s had a baby, I’ve had no end of trouble.’

      Ava nodded. ‘Tell me about it. The kid’s sick and suddenly it’s your problem. Am I right?’

      ‘Pretty much. I mean it’s the twenty-first century so women should be able to go out to work but you’ve got to be responsible for your own life and get organised, for heaven’s sake. The number of times I’ve had to let Nancy have time off because of childcare issues. It’s not on. You’ve got to take control and if you can’t, then find another job.’

      ‘I’ll drink to that,’ said Ava draining her glass. ‘Want another?’

      Cat nodded. ‘Please.’ Her phone buzzed with a call and she glanced down to see her brother’s number. ‘I need to take this,’ she said, excusing herself from the table and making her way out into the lobby away from Ava’s gaze.

      ‘Andrew? Are you okay?’

      ‘Hey, Cat. That’s not like you to answer your phone to me first time.’

      ‘Ha ha. What’s up?’

      ‘Just calling to catch up with my favourite sister. I expect you’re somewhere posh and up itself.’

      She smiled. ‘Always. How are Melissa and the kids?’

      ‘Well actually Mel’s got to go to Australia. Her dad’s not well.’

      ‘Oh shit. Is it serious?’

      ‘Cancer. They’re giving him weeks to live.’

      ‘Oh God, I’m so sorry. Poor Melissa.’

      ‘I know. She’s leaving first thing tomorrow so we’re just trying to sort out the childcare.’

      ‘Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help.’

      ‘Ah thanks, Nanny McPhee. Could my children come and stay with you?’

      ‘Well er – ’

      ‘Cat? I’m kidding. You’re so easy to wind up. Much as I relish the thought of you dragging my six- and ten-year-old to the Ivy and the management looking on in horror as Ellie and Charlie ask for ketchup with their caviar, we should be fine.’

      ‘They don’t have caviar at the Ivy so ha! Anyway, I would help you out if you needed me to. You know that.’

      ‘Thank you but luckily Mel’s sorting it so you’re off the hook. I’ll call you at the weekend, okay?’

      Cat gave a shiver of relief as she ended the call. It wasn’t that she didn’t like her nephew and niece; it was more that she’d hardly spent any time with children. She recalled how Andrew had recently guilt-tripped her into attending Ellie’s sixth birthday party. Cat had turned up with the biggest teddy bear she could carry ready to play at being the world’s best auntie. She rang the doorbell and could hear small feet stampeding down the hall before the door was flung open and a small voice squeaked, ‘Eeeee!’

      Cat peered around the bear into the chocolate-smeared face of her niece. Ellie was wearing a white and blue princess dress. She was flanked by two girls in similar outfits with a small boy dressed as a slightly lopsided snowman trailing behind. Cat was good at dealing with most situations but being