I down a shot at the bar and turn around just in time to see her kiss Matthew for the photographer. Lara catches my eye for a second and looks away. I'm her bridesmaid; I should be over there, making sure she looks good, holding her flowers. But the truth is, I can't. I've reached my limit for the day. It's nearly 7 pm and I've done well to last this long. Another hour or so and I can slip away to my hotel room, pack my b...

Applause ripples through the room as my husband Charlie and his business partner take to the stage, cutting through the gala tables in their expensive tuxedos and smiling from ear to ear. The awards night theme music booms from several speakers above us and the cameras beam images of them on to large screens either side of the stage. “Charlie Sheppard and Pete Mulhern... best start-up,” says the host, who wouldn’t be out...

My publicist Emily leads me to a table where several stacks of my books are piled like Jenga towers. My stomach stirs at the sight. I love book tours and this is the first stop on a two-week jaunt across the country to promote my second novel. Before the month is out, I’ll have done ten signings, two TV appearances and countless radio interviews. I sit down and fix my hair as the bookshop manager prepares to unlock the fr...

I take a pew at the back, partially obscured by an ornate pillar. Mourners trickle past me, some familiar. It’s the first time I’ve been home in a decade and everyone looks kind of weathered. Except him, that is. Josh turns around as the church organ roars into life and catches my eye, then presses his lips into a tiny smile of acknowledgement, of gratitude. I feel overwhelmed by sadness. His Facebook photos don’t do him...

The rain pounded against the Velux window above my head in relentless, hail-like bursts. The journey home from work earlier had been a blur; the dated underground carriage lurching from side to side as I stared through the window at the dark tunnel walls and thought over my options. It was only early evening now, but the sky above was already a murky grey colour and within half an hour it would be pitch black. I had to wa...

The car came to pick me up at six next morning. As instructed by Liam, I had packed an overnight bag, but I still had no idea where we were heading to. The only clue I’d been given was that it involved flying of some kind. Tossing and turning all night, I had fantasised about everything from helicopter rides over central London, to hot air ballooning through the Cotswolds, even wondering for a split second if he’d organis...

I was almost home by the time I realised that my phone was still charging in Liam’s apartment. “Shit,” I said, prompting his chauffeur to tap the brakes as we approached Clapham Common. “Everything okay?” He looked at me through the rear-view mirror and indicated to pull in. He had a thick grey moustache and reminded me of a Mario Brother.  “Sorry. I think I left my phone.” I tapped my non-existent pockets; the universal...

The driving rain pelted the ground as I emerged from the London Underground and made my way through the crowds of damp commuters towards the office. It was two weeks before Christmas and the shopfronts twinkled with sparkling festoon lighting and colourful gift displays. Despite the terrible weather and the lousy, underpaid job I was headed to, there was nowhere else I’d rather be at that time of year than London. Clutchi...

The mid-morning sunlight cut through the kitchen blinds, casting bright stripes on the bench-top where Olivia had stationed her laptop and mug of coffee. It was Valentine's Day and Matt hadn't reserved anywhere for dinner yet. She typed 'best restaurants in Sydney' into Google and waited for the results to pop up. If he couldn't be bothered booking a table on the most important night of the year, she would do it herself a...

The lush English countryside passed in a blur of yellow and green as the express train whizzed towards London. Sitting in a business class carriage near the front, Rachael shuffled her conference speech notes and rehearsed the talk again in her head. It was the millionth time she had read through her speech since she departing a rainy Edinburgh that morning. MediaTrax 2018 would attract the biggest movers and shakers in t...

He’s standing at the altar. It’s the first time in ten years that I’ve seen him and my stomach leaps up into my chest cavity. The faces on either side of me blur into a mass of toothy smiles as the church organ roars into life.  I try to focus on my job as maid of honour. I straighten out the train of Zoe’s dress and press my lips together into what I hope looks like a smile. He’s the best man, and my ex--the one that got...