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‘Katerina, I don’t think this gentleman –’

‘It’s okay, Marcus.’ I try to keep my voice from shaking.

‘You’re sure?’

‘Yes.’ I nod, neck stiff. ‘Just give me a few minutes.’

‘Okay. I’ll be in the T&C Media private box. I’ll meet you there later.’ Marcus’s lips pull tight. He walks away, strident and unhappy.

‘Chris?’ I turn, voice low and furious. ‘You need to leave. Haven’t you caused me enough pain already?’

‘How am I causing you pain?’ Chris demands. ‘I want you back. I would have thought you’d be happy –’

‘You always want me back,’ I hiss. ‘And when you get me, you leave again. Can’t you just go? I don’t want you here.’ Pain shoots up into my hip and tears come.

‘I’m not leaving.’ Chris crosses his arms, revealing a hole in his suit elbow. ‘Not until you give me another chance.’

CHAPTER33

It’s stuffy in the Salt Marketing box. Freddy feels it keenly. Not the heat, which is pathetically mediocre and British. The atmosphere. Everyone is so blandly attractive, in their identical suits and dresses. If only Kat were here to argue with him.

Still.

There’s alcohol. That’s something.

Freddy heads to the small private bar.

‘Good afternoon. Can I get a shot of tequila?’

‘We don’t do shots, sir,’ says the barman. ‘This isn’t that kind of bar. But I can do you a measure of Cuervo Gold.’

‘Isn’t Cuervo Gold tequila?’

‘It’s a luxury, cactus-based spirit.’

‘Yeah, that’ll do.’

The barman presents Freddy with a small shot glass filled with premium tequila, and a bill that could pay for three bottles of wine in a supermarket. Not that Freddy buys wine from supermarkets.

‘I thought you didn’t do shots?’ Freddy asks, examining the glass.

‘We don’t.’

‘But this is a shot glass.’

‘I wouldn’t call it a shot glass, sir.’

‘Well, what would you call it?’

‘A miniature tumbler.’

Freddy knocks back the tequila in one, slaps the glass on the bar and says, ‘I’ll have two more of those miniature tumblers.’

‘Certainly.’

Freddy throws two more tequilas back, then decides he’d better check in on Kat again. He’s been watching her from the balcony. Maybe it’s a little intrusive, but Freddy monitors all product launches closely. Just not usually with binoculars.

Hey … that’s weird. Marcus isn’t with Kat anymore. It looks like she’s talking to …