The Life Daisy Devlin Designed

CHAPTER 23

MyStarScope Taurus: With Mars in ascension this week,

somebody may threaten a close relationship.

“Mrs Jones, the best thing you can do is to make a wish list for your kids: careers, marriage, how many grandchildren you’d like.” Laura paused. “Of course I’m not joking – feng shui is a serious business. Now, make the list and we’ll see what we can fit in the budget.” She put down the phone and looked over at Daisy. “Mrs Feng Shui. She’s on a tight budget, so one child might have to choose between kids and a career.”

Daisy grinned, her day-and-a-half old hangover rapidly vanishing. “You really can’t take the piss, it’s not professional.”

“I’m just embracing the madness of my client.” Laura gave Daisy a long look. “You don’t look great.”

“Yeah.” Daisy sighed. “Is it possible that I could still be hungover?”

“Doubtful, babes.” Laura turned her attention to the screen.

Daisy slipped in behind her own desk. Clearly, the churning sensation in the pit of her stomach was something else, she thought. Guilt, probably, over the small matter of having kissed her ex, at a party organised by her current boyfriend. She’d blame everything on drink. God, she was delusional. She couldn’t just blame it on drink! The truth was, the last time she’d had a big birthday bash, there’d been no awards to win, or mortgage to pay, or a live-in boyfriend who spent way too much time with the twenty-three-year-old who rented their spare room. And who’d skipped out on her before they’d hardly spent a single moment together on her big night! In fact, she’d spent half the evening fending concerned queries about his disappearance. In the end, she’d told everyone he’d gone home with a migraine. “I didn’t realise James suffered with migraines” – her mother had sounded sceptical.

Daisy looked over at Laura. “So, wasn’t Saturday amazing?” she demanded. “Did you have a good time? I had a great time.”

Laura flicked some imaginary specks of dirt off her slim-fitting skirt. “I’m glad.”

Daisy wondered if Laura somehow knew about the making-out incident. She could have seen them. Or maybe somebody else had seen them and word had got around, and now everyone was wondering if James knew. God, what had she done? Nothing, she’d done nothing! It was a birthday kiss! Okay, maybe a bit more. She’d replayed it over and over in her head, recalling how they’d closed every last tiny space between them, fitting together like a perfect memory during those impeccable few moments.

“Did you send me all the photos you took?” Daisy said casually. She’d barely lifted her head from social media all day Sunday, as she’d searched through countless Instagram stories from the previous night, checking for incriminating pictures of her and Matt together. Thankfully, there’d been nothing.

She struggled to organize her thoughts for Laura. “James told me you helped organise it.”

“ Hmm. ” Laura shrugged. “You can thank me for the choice of venue. James wanted to rent out some bar in your local hotel.”

Daisy tried to think of something witty to say but failed. So he hadn’t picked the actual venue. It didn’t matter now.

James had been asleep when she’d got home and, by the time she’d got up, he’d barricaded himself into his office, and she’d told herself she was too hungover to face him. The truth was, all she could think about was how James and Alma had left the party together, hours before anyone else. Worse, she couldn’t seem to find the words to tackle him about it. Anything she said would just cause a row.

When he’d finally surfaced again, she’d asked if he’d managed to sort his work problems. James had mumbled something about more complications, and asked her if she’d had fun at the party, but Daisy had stopped listening. She couldn’t believe that he’d gone to so much trouble to organise a surprise party – and then almost ruin it by refusing to put her first for a single night.It had been Matt who’d rescued the evening for her. She’d forgotten what a good dancer he was, how much fun he could be, how he kissed and what his body felt like when –

“Did he get over his migraine?” Laura flicked her a sharp look.

“What? Oh, James, yeah, he’s fine.”

“ Hmm .” Laura smoothed a hand back over her hair. “Didn’t Alma leave around the same time?”

“Yeah, I think so.” Daisy did her best to sound off-hand. “She didn’t really know anyone there, so she just came along for a while to be polite. I mean, James had to invite her.” Although she could have made an excuse not to come – she didn’t have to say yes! She stabbed the power button on her laptop. “Where’s Fionn? Did he come in?”

“I sent him for coffees.”

Daisy sighed and searched around for another topic. “How’s Stephanie?”

“Completely hormonal and absolutely huge. That’s what happens when you decide to birth a litter. She’ll probably never return to normal again.” Laura frowned at something on screen, as she tapped away on the keyboard. “She’s decided on minimalist, child-friendly and open-plan. I could probably plan it in my sleep.”

Fionn came in, holding a cardboard tray with three coffees. Laura tapped the desk beside her. “Finally. Decaf, yes?”

“ Er , yes.”

Daisy suppressed a sigh. At a guess, Laura was probably still upset because Matt had turned up. And it was typical of Brian to have invited him, and not mention it to Laura. He’d clearly been betting on maximum embarrassment, which definitely would have happened if James hadn’t left. But it wasn’t like she and Matt had spent the whole night together. Although she felt a bit bad that she hadn’t spent more time with her parents. They’d danced together most of the evening, and Daisy had envied their comfortable chemistry.

“Isn’t James a pure dote for doing this?” Miriam had said, as she’d hugged Daisy goodnight.

Daisy had pasted on a bright smile, and agreed that he was. Her mother hadn’t mentioned Matt again, but Daisy had been able to read between the lines.

“You know, I was a bit surprised to see Matt there,” Daisy said carefully.

“I didn’t invite him.” Laura was sharp.

“He told me Brian did.”

Laura shrugged. “Maybe Matt remembered your birthday, and said something to Brian. Or Brian told him about the party and Matt invited himself. Who cares? Most of the time stuff gets lost in translation, anyway.”

What did that mean? Daisy briefly caught Fionn’s eye, but he hastily glanced away.

She felt a bit sorry for him – watching your employers squabble must be a bit like watching your parents fight, she thought.

Laura announced she was going to the shop, and Daisy expelled a slow breath.

“Sorry about that, Fionn,” she said after Laura had left.

“Don’t sweat it.”

“Laura isn’t exactly Matt’s biggest fan,” Daisy added.

“I know, yeah.” He chewed his lip. “Speaking of which, remember you asked me to do that horoscope for him?” He leaned over and handed her a typed page. “It explains what planets were in ascension during the date and place of his birth.”

Daisy looked it over. “Great. Um , does this reveal anything about him now? Like, anything in particular?”

“A few things.” Fionn looked thoughtful. “He’s quite a secretive person, who’s prepared to wait for what he wants. He also finds it difficult to trust.”

Had that been the problem in their relationship? But she couldn’t remember any time when Matt had mistrusted her. She’d certainly never given him any reason to.

“By the way, you and Matt are two of the most compatible signs in the Zodiac: Taurus and Scorpio!”

Maybe that was why he was back in her life. And after what had happened at her party, he definitely seemed to want more.

She just had to wait and see what that meant – for both of them.