All Because of You (Lakeview #2) (8 page)

“There better be plenty, Natalie – we badly need a number one this time round.”

Well, maybe if you lot concentrated less on the partying and more on the music, you just might get one,
she thought uncharitably – not at all in the right frame of mind to deal with Ken and his demands. Not when her mind was decidedly focused elsewhere.

“Well, you know we’ll do our best to help you achieve that, Ken,” she replied instead. “I just have a few things to confirm, and then we’ll send over a full publicity schedule. Don’t worry, this will be Blast’s biggest campaign yet.” 

“OK, Natalie, I’ll leave it in your capable hands,” he replied grudgingly. “We’ll talk soon.”

“Sure, great to catch up,” she replied, before ringing off and sighing heavily. She and Danni would have to work double-time to get a decent campaign going for the group, who barely a year ago were UK pop’s Next Big Thing, but following some poorly subscribed concert dates, and a lacklustre follow-up to their debut single, were already in danger of becoming old news. Which would make it
very
difficult this time round for Natalie to secure Blast the requisite TV appearances and magazine features, and in effect, the second number one their manager so desired. 

And speaking of number ones … Natalie moved to the next item on her list, concert tickets for British music’s Current Big Thing – a favour to another client. 

“Mark? Hi, Natalie Webb here.”

“Well, hello there!” the concert promoter, who was one of Natalie’s many social contacts, replied. “How’s London’s sexiest PR queen?”

Natalie grinned. “You sure know how to flatter a girl, Mark Wallis. But listen, any chance you could get me a couple of tickets for The Murderers gig next weekend?”

“Sure, no problem. I didn’t know you were a fan.”

“I am but they’re not for me, unfortunately. Thanks for that, Mark – I owe you one.”

“Anytime, Nat. But with all the tight spots you’ve got me out of over the last few years you know damn well you owe me sod all.”

“Cheers, Mark!” Natalie quickly ended the call and made a mental note to get the tickets sent over to Jason Phillips, the MD of a technology company Blue Moon represented. She wouldn’t phone Phillips now though, she thought, looking at her watch. It was heading for six o’clock and today she needed to get home early.  She glanced guiltily at the rest of her telephone messages. Damn it, they’d have to wait until tomorrow – as would her emails. Normally, she wouldn’t dream of leaving a clients or contact waiting overnight, but today, she couldn’t help it. She just wasn’t in the right frame of mind. No, for once, she’d have to give over some of her precious time to her personal life. Hopefully, it would be worth it.

Picking up her Balenciaga bag and D&G trench, Natalie left her office and went back out front to Danni.

Her colleague looked at Natalie, and then at the clock, mock surprise written all over her face. “What’s this? The great Natalie Webb leaving for home
before
eight o’clock on a weekday?”

Natalie winked. “I’ve got a date tonight, remember? A very important date.”

“Oh, I totally forgot! Yours and Steve’s anniversary!”

“Yep. Hence the last few weeks’ lipo sessions and yesterday’s spray-on tan.”

“I see,” Danni sat back, a dreamy look on her face. “So where is Mr Wonderful taking you tonight, then?”

Natalie grinned. “As if I’d discuss our bedroom antics with you.” 

“Oh, you know what I mean!” Her assistant reddened. “What have you got planned? Are you two going somewhere nice?”

“I don’t know yet,” Natalie told her truthfully. “I think he’s planning to surprise me.” 
And hopefully not just with the location,
she thought to herself.

“You lucky thing,” Danni sighed dreamily. “For our last anniversary Lee and I sat in with a takeaway. He wouldn’t go out because the Reds were playing, and the only celebrations we had that night were for the ball hitting the back of the net.” She sighed deeply.

Natalie said nothing. Danni and Lee had got married early that year and clearly adored one another, and in truth Natalie would have given her right arm to be in Danni’s position of cosy coupledom  

Well, if all went well tonight, it mightn’t be as far away as she’d thought up to now. 

“Well, have a great night, and you can tell me how it all went tomorrow,” Danni said, shaking her head sadly. “Make me even more jealous that you managed to land a dreamboat like Steve Watson, while I ended up with a yob like Lee.”

Outside the Blue Moon offices, Natalie tried in vain for fifteen minutes to hail a cab.  Shit, today of all days, she’d hoped she wouldn’t have to take the tube. But there was little or no hope of her getting back to the flat any other way, so she’d have to bite the bullet. Tottering along on her heels, she made her way down the street to the nearest underground station, trying to remember the last time she’d travelled this way. Given that she usually left the office sometime after eight p.m., there was never any problem getting a cab, and in any case, she wasn’t usually in that much of a rush to get home. 

But this evening, the dreaded tube would have to do, despite the fact that the dead air in the tunnels always seemed to tire her out. And Natalie wanted to be fully alert tonight – especially if tonight turned out to be
the
night. It had to be, didn’t it?  They got on fantastically well, were madly in love, and the sex was just amazing! 

He’d ask her tonight, Natalie was almost certain of it. He’d been a bit coy and evasive lately, which she thought was a big hint. 

No, her boyfriend’s confidence and single-mindedness were some of the traits that had made her fall for him in the first place. They’d met at one of the many social events she attended in the course of her work, and had been introduced by mutual friends. That night, she couldn’t take her eyes off this tall, handsome and self-assured individual who, with his broad chest and closely cropped blonde hair, seemed the embodiment of potent masculinity, and who unfortunately also seemed hell-bent on resisting her charms. It had taken a while (and a few glasses of Veuve Clicquot) for Natalie to break him down and interest him enough to ask her out, but break him down she did, and the two had been together ever since.

Hopefully after tonight they’d be together for good, she thought, feeling the distinctive warm blast of air that signalled the imminent appearance of the next train to the platform. Soon after, she boarded the train and squashed into the carriage with what seemed like half the population of the city, trying her utmost to ignore the sweaty stench emanating from the person brushing up alongside her. It’ll be worth it, she told herself. You’ll be home soon, and will have plenty of time to get ready for tonight. 

Natalie’s flat was situated not far from Central London, and luckily for her, only a few stations away. Eventually reaching her destination, she practically raced out of the carriage and away up the stairs towards the exit.  

Seven p.m. Steve would be picking her up at eight. Despite their intense relationship, the two hadn’t yet moved in together, although this was because of Steve’s necessity to be near the airport for all the travelling he tended to do with work. Natalie, on the other hand, had no desire to live outside a five-mile radius of Central London – she preferred the city on her doorstep. Still, she knew this couldn’t last forever, particularly if she and Steve were to get married. No doubt he’d want to move somewhere sensible and affordable, whereas Natalie would give anything for a pied-à-terre in Belgravia. Well, a girl could dream.

Reaching her flat, she flung her bag and coat on the sofa and headed directly for the shower. Their housing arrangements were certainly something they’d have to discuss when he popped the question tonight. Well, one thing at a time, she thought, massaging Clarins shower-gel onto her bronzed skin – bronzed courtesy of the good people at Sun FX. If tonight Steve produced the ring like she was certain he would, they could think about the practicalities some other time. 

Half an hour later, Natalie was fully made up and dressed to impress in a strapless raw silk Ben de Lisi, the raspberry colour of the dress setting off her dark eyes and glossy hair, now styled with seductive flicks à la Kelly Brook.

An hour later she was still waiting, the flicks drooping in tandem with Natalie spirits.  Where the hell was Steve? He’d assured her he’d pick her up at eight before heading out to this surprise destination, which Natalie hoped was a suitably romantic spot for a marriage proposal. She’d tried his mobile, which was switched to messages, sent him a text enquiring about his whereabouts and still, nothing.

At about nine thirty, when Natalie was just about to give up and change into a pair of comfy pyjamas, ignoring the La Perla ensemble she’d bought especially for the occasion, the love of her life appeared at her door.

“I’m so sorry,” he said, when Natalie had thrown the door open, her hands on her hips and the expression on her face leaving him in no doubt that he was in the doghouse. “Something came up at work, and I couldn’t get away.”

“You couldn’t get away for long enough to phone and let me know what the hell was going on?”

“Don’t be like that, babe,” he said, reaching out and lightly caressing her bare arm, “You know how these things can go.”

Almost immediately Natalie’s resolve softened. She could hold a conversation with someone as important and charismatic as Bill Clinton any day of the week without batting an eyelid but when it came to this man she was like a piece of limp lettuce. In a way, it was what she loved most about him. He was unpredictable, could be very unreliable but yet was totally addictive. 

And if he was planning to propose she couldn’t go too hard on him either, could she? Heaven forbid then that he might change his mind!

“You could have let me know,” she went on, her tone softening. 

“I know and I was going to, but I didn’t think things would go on this late. If I had known I wouldn’t have let myself get caught up in it. Especially when you look so good,” he pulled her into his arms, “so good that I don’t know if I want to go out at all.” He began to gently nuzzle her neck.

“But what about your surprise?” she asked.

He stiffened slightly. “My what?”

“Your surprise,” she reminded him. “You told me you were bringing me somewhere special for our anniversary, but you wouldn’t say where.”

“For our what?” Suddenly, Steve released her from his arms and drew back.

“Our anniversary,” she said. “Our six-month anniversary?.”

Steve gulped. “Em, right, yes.”

By his tone, Natalie knew
he’d forgotten all about it. He hadn’t planned any bloody surprise for them at all, never mind a big proposal! He hadn’t even remembered that today
was
their anniversary – that they’d had six whole months of romantic bliss.

“I’m sorry, I erm … thought we were just going out for a bite to eat . . . I didn’t realise it was that important to you.”

Obviously not, Natalie thought, disappointment flooding through her as Steve went through to the living room. OK, so maybe she’d jumped the gun a little bit with the proposal thing. But she was so sure she’d read the signs right! She and Steve clearly adored one another, and he was always telling her how wonderful she was – particularly in bed, where they tended to spend most of their time.  

So why wasn’t she wonderful enough to marry? Sod it! Natalie followed him into the room, yet again cursing herself inwardly for wanting it so much – and admittedly so soon. Maybe six months wasn’t that long after all – not long enough for Steve anyway. Six bloody weeks had been enough for Natalie to know she wanted to marry him – or indeed to get married at all!

But why
did
she want it so much, she wondered? What was wrong with things the way they were?  They got on great and had a great sex life – what more did she want?

But despite her exciting career and lively social life, lately she’d been thinking a lot about settling down and starting a family. At thirty-two she’d been living, working and partying in London for nearly fourteen years and at this stage was beginning to tire of it all. While she adored her work, deep down she felt that there had to be more to life than working eight to eight and schmoozing some of London’s most self-important glitterati. 

And, she admitted ruefully, her good friend Freya’s forthcoming wedding had a lot to do with that. 

When Natalie first moved to London almost a lifetime ago, she’d been full of energy and enthusiasm, eager to experience life outside rural Hertfordshire. Hoping for a foot in the door of the London PR scene, she’d applied for a job as a senior publicist’s assistant, and it was here that she first came into contact with Freya Parker.

The two girls had hit it off almost immediately and for the next few years they shopped, partied and sampled the best of what the city had to offer, including the men.  Naturally confident and incredibly flirtatious, Freya was never short of a man or two, while Natalie’s curvy figure and outgoing personality also drew men like flies. Throughout the years, Natalie worked hard at the agency, gained some important clients and even more important media contacts, and it wasn’t long before she was headhunted by one of London’s most prestigious firms, Blue Moon PR – the improved salary greatly helping to finance her girl-about-town exploits.