Guilty Pleasures by Tasmina Perry Read Free Book Online Page A

was the pinnacle of chic. Impeccably dressed in a simple, understated style, she wore no jewellery except for a large diamond stud in each ear lobe, a gift from a lover. In fact, except for the La Perla underwear, she had paid for nothing she was wearing; her entire outfit were gifts from fashion houses and luxury goods companies desperate for endorsement from one of the world’s most stylish women.
    She snapped the compact shut as the car pulled up on Park Lane.
    As Cassandra stepped out of the lift on the 10th floor into the penthouse of the Metropolitan, she could see the smudge of HydePark on the horizon through floor-to-ceiling windows. Phoebe was sitting on the cream couch wearing blue jeans and a white shirt. Long wavy hair the colour of coffee beans was tied in a ponytail. In her late thirties, Phoebe Fenton was still extremely beautiful, but her eyes looked tired and distracted.
    ‘Phoebe, darling! You look wonderful,’ said Cassandra, kissing her lightly on both cheeks.
    ‘Mineral water?’ asked Phoebe, reaching for a crystal tumbler.
    Cassandra nodded. ‘Still.’
    Cassandra sat carefully on the sofa opposite Phoebe and crossed her legs elegantly under her.
I think I’m going to enjoy this
she thought, accepting her drink with a smile. Phoebe no longer had an agent – in fact negotiations for the cover shoot had been done through her PA – and that instantly gave Cassandra the upper hand. A big Hollywood publicist could get you over a barrel. If you upset one star on their roster, they could and would refuse access to any of their charges. You wouldn’t even get photo approval for an ancient head-shot. But now Cassandra was in the driving seat.
    ‘So have you read the interview?’ asked Phoebe.
    Cassandra gave a little deliberate laugh and shook her head.
    ‘Wasn’t the interview on Friday night?’ she asked, ‘Vicky won’t even have transcribed the tapes yet. You need to give these big-name journalists at least a fortnight to get their copy in.’
    Phoebe ran a finger around the edge of her tumbler.
    ‘Well, I’m sure you’ve been told already, but I was a little, well,
manic
at the shoot on Friday.’
    Cassandra raised an eyebrow.
    Phoebe looked down at her glass again.
    ‘You see, my friend Romilly popped by, she often comes to shoots with me. She dresses me for the red carpet and I feel comfortable with her, but she can be a bit … a bit wild. But she’s a good friend and I need all the ones I can get at the moment.’
    Phoebe looked up at Cassandra and the look of sadness in her brown eyes almost melted Cassandra. Almost. Phoebe sighed and continued.
    ‘We had some drinks and I guess I was a little too loose-lipped.’ She leant forward and put her elbows on her knees. ‘Cassandra, I’ve just been diagnosed with bipolar disorder,’ she said quietly.
    ‘Manic depression?’ said Cassandra. Phoebe nodded.
    ‘I don’t know if the separation triggered it, but the doctors sayit’s a chemical imbalance in the brain. It’s a vicious circle. I’m depressed so I’ve been drinking, but drinking seems to bring on these extreme mood swings. I go a bit crazy. I say things I don’t mean. I’ve just been put on lithium to keep it under control but it doesn’t seem to have stabilized me yet.’
    She stood up and walked over to the huge window.
    ‘I’ve never met Vicky, your journalist before. She seems a nice woman but you never know, right?’
    ‘Vicky is one of the best celebrity profilers in the UK,’ said Cassandra with a hint of reproach.
    ‘I’m just thinking she could paint an untrue picture.’
    ‘I’m sure Vicky will be fair.’
    Phoebe went over and sat down next to Cassandra, so very close that Cassandra felt uncomfortable.
    ‘Cassandra, please,’ she whispered. ‘You don’t understand. Ethan is fighting for custody of Daisy and he’s fighting hard. Falling around in night-clubs, doing nude photo shoots. If I look like a bad mom his team of very expensive lawyers are