Unexpected Rendezvous

Chapter 21

Perrie's POV

After we drop off Aaron, we drive in silence to Sorrento's in Windsor. It occurs to me, as I watch the miles flash by outside my window, that insisting on coming along might not be the best idea I've ever had. It's past three already; by the time we track down Zoe's schedule, and then Zoe herself, it could be close to five o'clock. Which is when I'd been planning to start getting ready for Mum's award ceremony. 

The award ceremony is the least of your worries, Perrie.

I shove the poisonous thought away every time it starts to invade my brain, because I desperately need to believe that I can still pull off a perfect night for my mother. I'll make it work. An hour and a half of prep time was overkill anyway. I just won't wash my hair; maybe I'll put it up instead. I could do a French twist like Mum wears, except I don't know how, so I'd have to watch a YouTube video, which I don't have time for, so...

My mind keeps running different scenarios, adding and subtracting minutes as though everything that's wrong about today could be solved with the right schedule, until Leigh pulls into a car park behind a small, redbrick building. It's full of dingy, mostly dented white vans with giant knives painted on the sides. "Okay, I get the nickname now," Leigh says, navigating into the only empty spot between two of them. "But did it seriously not occur to anyone at this company that their branding is a lot more serial killer than helpful kitchen service?"

"It's kind of a running joke at this point. I think customers would be disappointed to lose the murder vans," Jade says, unclipping her seat belt. "Hopefully this won't take long."

I don't want her out of my sight. It's irrational, I know, but Leigh's car feels like the only safe place on earth right now. Outside it, we need to pair up. "I'll come with you," I say, tightening the hood of Jonnie's hoodie around my face.

"Yeah, okay," Jade says. 

My skin pricks as we wind through all the knife covered vans, which I can't help but feel would make the perfect cover for a sneak attack. But we're the only ones in the car park, and reach an awning-covered door safely. Jade pulls it open to the loud jangle of a bell, and steps aside to let me go in first.

I adjust my hood again as Jade closes the door behind us and leads me through the vestibule into a narrow hallway. The walls are covered with a dozen framed "Best of London" awards, and I make note of the dates as we pass them. The most recent one is from eight years ago, so Sorrento's might be a little past its prime.

"Hold on," Jade says, pausing to scan the hallway. "I can't remember my way around. I've only been here once before."

I follow her gaze until an older man's head pops out of an open door near the end of the hall, startling me enough that I nearly gasp. "Hello there," he calls.

"Hi, I called about-" Jade starts, but the man holds up a hand before she can say anything else.

"I'm right in the middle of something, so give me five minutes, okay? Then I'll help you with whatever you need."

He disappears before I can explain that we don't have five minutes. "Ugh," I mutter, frustrated. "Should we follow him?"

Jade stares down the hallway, hands on her hips. "I don't want to piss him off. Let's give him a few minutes. I want to show you something anyway." She digs her phone out of her pocket and unlocks it. "I Googled that Jordan Stephens lad while we were driving. You probably did too, right?"

"Um, yeah," I say, tugging at the hem of Jonnie's hoodie. I don't want to admit that I spent most of the drive planning alternate timelines for award ceremony prep. "I mean, I tried, but my signal was kinda spotty."