Page 3 of Snowed In with You

Kim hung her head. ‘No, obviously.’ Lucy smiled to herself, remembering all the stories Jonno had told her about debauched nights out and passing out on a sunlounger at 5 a.m. Whatever Cannes was, it definitely wasn’t work.

‘Jonno obviously deserves to be on this trip,’ continued Sasha. ‘He and Lucy devised this whole campaign, based on MY strategy.’ She glared at Kim, waiting for her to object.

‘Well, you should definitely be going,’ said Fran, Titan’s Account Director and the cheerleader for anyone who had influence over her bonus. Jonno glanced at Lucy and pulled a face, as if he’d just tasted Fran’s arse-kissing and the flavour wasn’t to his liking.

‘Thank you, Fran, you’re absolutely right,’ said Sasha triumphantly. Fran beamed, entirely oblivious to the laser glares being fired her way as one more place was claimed by management. ‘So that’s me, Jonno and Lucy. Three spaces left. Who are we thinking?’

Lucy glanced in the direction of Nate, who was tucked into the corner of the room like he was trying to blend into the paintwork. So far he’d said nothing, instead scribbling feverish notes on a sheaf of paper that Lucy recognised as the client brief for Titan’s latest campaign. He’d been working for Fran on the Titan team for over a year, having moved to Bristol from the Pukka Paws pet food team based in Paris. Lucy found him surly and uncommunicative, and not just because he was half French. He wasn’t actively an arsehole, exactly; he just gave off an air of being a bit superior, like team socials were all a bit beneath him. Jonno called him ‘French Exit’, because he always left the party early without saying goodbye.

She watched him for a moment, entirely lost in the Titan brief like nobody else was in the room. Dark, floppy hair that curled at his neck, long eyelashes and full lips, like a picture she’d once seen of a young Mick Jagger. Cold and impenetrable, but inarguably good-looking.

‘So that’s Maya and Olly,’ said Sasha, as Lucy snapped back into the room and tuned back in to what was happening. She was happy with both those choices; Maya was Titan’s Senior Art Director and smart and funny, and Olly was invariably the first person in the agency who’d down a bottle of wine and climb onto a table to lip-sync to Beyoncé. He was Sasha’s PA, but at the time of the winning Titan campaign he’d stepped up to Project Manager, organising people and photo shoots and making sure the whole project stayed on track.

‘One place left,’ said Sasha. ‘Who’s it going to be?’

‘I’d like to put my name back into the ring,’ said Steve. ‘Because—’

‘Denied,’ interrupted Sasha, as Maya and Olly started whispering excitedly. ‘Can we just focus, please? These are hot tickets, and I’m not spending the next month listening to you all whinge on about how it should have been you. State your case, or pipe down.’

‘Oh my GOD, guys,’ exclaimed Fran. ‘I can’t believe none of you have nominated me. Like, really?’

‘Buckle in, kids. Fran’s about to blow,’ muttered Jonno.

‘It’s MY account,’ wailed Fran. ‘I’ve been the Account Director for Titan for THREE YEARS.’

Nobody said anything, as any joy Lucy had been feeling about being on the list farted into the room like a deflating balloon.

‘Right, but doesn’t Nate actually do most of the work?’ asked Rachel smugly. Several people took a sharp intake of breath as Nate looked up, and Fran narrowed her eyes as the temperature in the room dropped by ten degrees.

‘That’s outrageous,’ spat Fran. ‘Yes, of COURSE Nate helped, it’s too big an account just for me. But I’m the Account Director, and they’re my client. I’ve, like, nurtured the relationship.’

‘They hate her,’ whispered Jonno. ‘They call her Funsponge Fran, because she sucks all the joy out of the room.’

Lucy covered her mouth with her hand, her shoulders shaking with laughter.

‘Well,’ said Sasha, her voice slightly strained. ‘Does anyone have an issue with Fran taking the last space?’

Lucy didn’t dare look up, instead focusing intently on her trainers.

‘Fran it is,’ said Sasha bleakly. ‘Along with me, Lucy, Jonno, Maya and Olly. Well done, everyone.’

Lucy smiled gamely, thinking that even though Funsponge Fran was the fly in the ointment, the list could definitely have been worse. And at least she’d been saved from a weekend with Psycho Rachel or Moody Nate.

CHAPTER TWO

‘So, we’re off to the Alps for fun times in the snow,’ said Jonno, grinning as Lucy placed his pint, her white wine and two bags of crisps on their usual table in the Brunel Arms. Their post-work Friday drink was a long-standing tradition, and nobody else from the agency was invited. It was their time to dissect the week and offload all their grievances. But since they’d only returned to the office a few days ago, there was really only one thing to talk about.

‘You are OK with going that weekend?’ added Jonno, ducking his head to catch her eye. ‘I know you’ve usually got a family thing around then.’

‘It’s fine,’ said Lucy, wafting him away as if it really didn’t matter. ‘Thanks for nominating me. I would have returned the favour, but everyone already thinks we’re sleeping together.’

Jonno laughed and necked a quarter of his pint in one go. It was a new ale in the Brunel’s ever-revolving door of IPAs with stupid names – this one was called Fainting Lizard. ‘You’re way out of my league, babe. Did I tell you that Sasha asked me about that at the Christmas party?’

Lucy’s eyes widened as she sat on the bench opposite him. ‘Really?’

‘Mmm,’ said Jonno, wiping the foam off his lip. ‘She’d heard it from Fran, and wanted to know if it was true.’

Lucy shook her head and rolled her eyes. ‘That sounds like peak Fran.’