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“Mags, it’s over. I don’t want Fran. She’s fifty shades of fucking nuts.”

Still clutching the flowers, Markus padded into the kitchen and guffawed. “Shouldn’t it be fifty shades of cray?”

Maggie shot him a filthy look before turning her attention back to Alice.

“Ooh, talking of nuts…” Maggie rifled through one of the kitchen cupboards and pulled out a bag of salted peanuts, which she poured into a bowl.

“How’s your friend, by the way? George, is it?”

“Not so good. His brother died, that’s why he ended up having an episode which landed him in hospital. Now he’s waiting for a psych assessment, which he has to have before they’ll discharge him. Poor guy, I really feel for him.”

Maggie raised her eyebrows. “A psychiatric assessment?”

“Yeah, someone needs to check him over to make sure he’s not a risk to himself.” Alice reached for the nuts. “Anyway, would you mind looking over this, please? It’s why I called you earlier.” She slid the manila file across the marble counter.

Maggie opened the file, sipping her wine as her eyes scanned the pages.

“Markus?” she said without looking up.

“Huh?” He lifted his eyes from his phone.

“Can you look over this, please?”

“Uh, yeah, what is it?”

“An NDA and settlement offer Alice got from T&D. What do you think?”

Markus flicked through the paperwork and whistled. He glanced up at Alice.

“If I were you, I’d accept this. It’s a substantial offer. Unless you have the time and energy to take them to court? I think you’ve got grounds, but it’ll be a lot of hassle.”

Alice blinked at him and looked back to Maggie. “I didn’t ask for any of this. I’m not taking them to court. I mean, I’m in the wrong too. I was literally screwing my boss’s wife.”

“Yeah, but he lured you into it. Surely, that’s got to be a form of sexual harassment?”

Markus nodded. “One hundred per cent.”

Because he’d know all about that.

Maggie scooped a handful of nuts into her mouth. “And he fired you when you refused to sleep with his wife for money. Truscote knows how fucked they’d be if it all got out.”

“I suppose when you put it like that…”

Markus placed a heavy hand on Alice’s shoulder and squeezed. “Take the money, Al.”

21

PERSPECTIVE

Under a threatening slate sky, Alice hesitated in the doorway of The Dog & Duck. A morning consumed with panic about what to wear had left her feeling flustered. She obviously wanted to look good to make her ex-lover acutely aware of what she’d lost, yet not so good that Fran would assume the effort had been made for the wrong reasons.

After emptying the contents of the wardrobe onto her bed, Alice had opted for jeans and a light blue blouse, with ballet flats instead of heels. It looked like rain, so when heading out the door, Alice flung on her trench coat. Now, fingering the torn sleeve strap, she recalled the last time she’d worn it, and how little she’d been wearing underneath.

According to her watch, the woman who’d had her heart and fucked her around for the past two years was waiting inside the pub. And as frustrated as Alice was with Fran, when she saw her a week ago, she’d told Alice that she loved her. Fran had paired the declaration with an insult and a threat, but even so, it was a first. And even if, according to Ash, Alice did deserve more, what’s to say that she’d ever find it?

The sky rumbled and rain started to spot from the dark clouds, so Alice dashed inside, ducking her head under the wooden lintel, and emerging into the cosy, familiar pub. She glanced around the room, almost empty aside from an old man nursing a pint at the bar and a middle-aged couple sharing a bowl of onion rings. Sitting at their usual table in the corner was Fran. She’d already clocked Alice and beckoned her over with a wave of her manicured hand.

As Alice approached, Fran stood.