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“I feel like such a tramp. I’m literally turning up to work in the clothes I was wearing when I left on Friday evening.”

“Yes, I suppose that is a little bit slutty.” Fran chortled a throaty laugh and rested a hot hand on Alice’s knee.

“I just hope no one notices. It’s bad enough that I’m, what…” she shook her watch free from the cuff of her blouse, “…four hours late.”

Fran laughed louder. “You’d have to be kidding if you think Jeremy’d notice. And as for Truscote, she’s so far up her own arse she can barely see daylight. You look gorgeous and you smell divine. That’s all that matters.” She leaned in and brushed Alice’s lips with her own. “I’m having a hard time not thinking about where those lips were last. Are you sure you have to go to work?”

“Yes,” Alice said through a smile. “So don’t get yourself all revved up again.” She gently pushed Fran away, to which she groaned, slumped back into the driver’s seat and closed her eyes.Obviously tired, and just trying her luck… because Fran always gets what she wants, if she really wants it.

Traffic buzzed by the intersecting road, but in the peaceful bubble of the car, Alice studied Fran’s side profile, as she had a thousand times before.God, she’s beautiful.

A surge of affection soared through her. Why would she not want to be with Fran?

The truth was, she couldn’t really imagine why Fran wanted to be with her. But she did. At least, she said she did. Who did Alice think she was to resist? Even if the future was a hazy blur of complications, they’d have each other.

Alice’s thoughts spilled into words and punched through their silence. “You know what you’ve been saying lately... about leaving Jeremy?”

“Mmm?” Fran remained in position, her features serene.

“I was wondering… are you serious about that?”

A slow smile crept over Fran’s lips, and she turned to look at Alice with one arched eyebrow. “Deadly.”

“Okay. Well, in that case… I think you should.” Alice took one of Fran’s hands between both of hers. “Let’s make a go of things.”

“Is this you agreeing to be my sex slave?”

Alice laughed. “No, but if you seriously want to leave Jeremy and be with me, then let’s plan for that. I’ll find another job and we can move. Start over somewhere else?—”

“Good idea. A nice penthouse in London with a swanky postcode. Somewhere trendy, with wine bars and restaurants?—”

Alice scoffed. “Don’t get carried away. You know how much PAs earn, right?”

“I thought you were an Executive Assistant?” Fran actioned air quotes around Alice’s job title.

“I don’t earn that much, Fran. I won’t be able to afford?—”

Fran waved Alice’s protest away. “I’ll get a good divorce settlement; don’t you worry about that. We’ll figure it all out.”

“I don’t just want to freeload, though, I want to contribute to our lives together.”

Fran squeezed Alice’s hand. “Oh, you’ll do your part alright.”

Alice rolled her eyes but smiled in spite of herself. “I better get going.”

Fran leaned in and crushed Alice’s lips with a hard kiss, mussing her hair and smudging her lip gloss. “Think about me,” she purred into Alice’s mouth.

Alice pulled back, breathless from the bruising kiss. “Christ, Fran. I barely think of anything else.”

7

QUEEN OF I-FUCKING-TOLD-YOU-SO

Alice peeked around the doorframe and smiled at the sight of Ash curled up on the couch, adrift in peaceful slumber. She fought the urge to replace the cushion Ash’s arm was wrapped around with herself.

For the first time in a long time, Alice’s waking thought hadn’t been of Fran — it had been of breakfast. But with the doctor sleeping in her lounge, it would be rude to rattle through the bare cupboards, searching for food she knew wasn’t there.

Alice tiptoed down the hallway and softly closed the front door behind her. Blinking against the stark sunlight, she gripped the wet railing and focused on the steps down from her flat.