Page 25

“No, it’s fate. Your eyes met across a crowded room and you thought you’d never see each other again, yet the fates intervened, and now you have your second chance.”

“You’re a romantic idiot,” Ellie said.

“Bet you a tenner I’m right,” said Carys. She frowned. “Why’d you turn her down again? She’s attractive enough if I remember correctly.”

“She’s… attractive,” said Ellie, being scrupulously fair. “She also wanted a one night stand. Probably. Remember?”

“Ah,” said Carys with a sniff. “Well then, I suppose she might not be all class.”

“There’s nothing wrong with casual sex,” Ellie said, not understanding why she was jumping to Jem’s defense. “It’s just not my scene is all.”

“Fine, fine,” Carys said, holding up both hands in surrender. “So what does she have to say about all of this?”

“That’s where things get… complicated.” Ellie explained the stilted, odd meeting she’d just had, Carys shaking her head as she listened.

“So you both pretended like nothing had happened?”

“Well, Jem didn’t bring it up,” Ellie said.

“Jem now is it?” Carys said, eyes sparkling. “Well, I suppose there’s no accounting for who we’re attracted to, is there?”

“I’m not attracted to her!”

Carys nodded, pursing her lips a little. “Fine, well then, it shouldn’t be a problem to work together, should it?”

“I suppose not,” said Ellie doubtfully.

“And as long as you’re both pretending that you’ve never met before, well, I suppose there’s no harm in it, is there?” She paused and looked thoughtfully at Ellie. “As long as you can forget that she was attracted enough to you to hit on you at a bar.”

“Not helpful, Car.”

“Fine, fine, the two of you plead ignorance then. I’ll still have my tenner on this being the hand of fate.”

“It’s business,” Ellie said, determining that she had made the right choice. She’d just pretend she’d never seen Jem before and the whole embarrassing incident would be behind them. They did have to work together, after all.

Chapter Eleven

Jem’s legs were shaking so much that when she walked away she thought she might topple off her heels. And wouldn’t that just be perfect? Not only had she had to endure the humiliation of that woman turning her down at the club, but now she was supposed to work for her too?

Try as she might though, she couldn’t turn her fear into anger. The second she was out of the building she texted Rolly. Just one word. Emergency.

An hour later, they were sitting in high backed armchairs at Rolly’s club and Jem was sipping at a therapeutic whiskey.

“Bit early,” Rolly said.

“Fully necessary,” said Jem. She took another warming sip before telling him exactly what had just happened.

By the time she was done, he was open-mouthed. As in literally agape. “Sweet Jesus.”

“Don’t bring him into it, there’s enough players in this little game as it is,” Jem said grimly. “So the real question is, what do I do now?”

“Nothing drastic,” Rolly said quickly. She eyed him. “I know you, Jem. No sending her death threats or showing up on her doorstep or anything.”

“I wasn’t even thinking of it,” said Jem, who had very much been thinking exactly along those lines.

“Great, you do that and all she has to do is ring your father,then the cat’s really out of the bag, isn’t it?”

Jem rolled her eyes and took another drink, but it was a fair point. “Alright then, what do you suggest?”