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Fran peered into her face, a saccharine grin spreading over her lips. “Okay, well, that’s settled. Let’s kiss and make up, shall we?” She closed the gap between them. With her fingers twisted in Alice’s hair, she kissed her with a fierce intensity, hungry and desperate, but not in a good way.

When she pulled away, Fran inhaled sharply through her nose. “Why don’t we get you out of this silly little coat? Then I can show you just how much I care about you.” Fran tugged at the waist belt, and the coat fell open, revealing Alice’s lack of attire underneath; a lacy black bra, matching panties, stockings, and suspenders.

“Oh, hello gorgeous,” Fran purred.

Alice touched a finger to her lip, throbbing where Fran had bitten it. “So, just to be clear. We’re making up?”

“Yes, of course.”

“But is anything actually resolved?”

“Oh, Alice. Please, let’s not go over it all again.” Fran moved closer, her hot hands pawing at Alice’s underwear.

“No, this is important. Are you or are you not leaving Jeremy?”

Fran’s mouth twisted into a sneer. “That’s all you really want, isn’t it? For me to leave my husband, so that I’m as alone and pathetic as you are. Struggling to get by, and grateful for handouts from kind benefactors, like a pigeon pecking up crumbs.”

Ouch.Fran’s words were a verbal slap across the face.

Again, Alice’s voice came out calm and at odds with the confusion and anger swirling inside her. “Like I said, it was you who suggested it in the first place, Fran. How have you forgotten that? I thought we?—”

“I thought we, I thought we…” Rage rattled through Fran’s words, like they were shutters in a storm. “You thought wewhat?That we’d live out our days in luxury, sipping Champagne on yachts and fucking in expensive hotel rooms. Is that what you thought, Alice?”

“We talked about getting a place together, and being?—”

“Oh, get real. That isn’t going to happen, is it? Where will we live? Another dreary little flat. What will we live off? A PA’s meagre salary. Surviving on tinned soup and pre-sliced bread? Fat chance even of that when you’re fired for fucking your boss’s wife.” Fran panted, breathless from her tirade.

The air stilled. Alice pulled her coat around her and tightened the belt. As she moved towards the door, Fran grabbed at her arm, her manicured nails scratching Alice’s flesh like talons.

“You’re not leaving, Alice.”

Noticing how that wasn’t a question, Alice stared down at her heels. Earlier, when she pulled on her stockings, she’d felt sexy and desirable; now she just felt cheap and ridiculous.As if an affair with my boss’s wife wasn’t sordid enough.

Fran sniffed and stepped toward her. “I’m sorry I hurt you. Can I kiss it better?”

Alice looked on in a trance-like state, as Fran lifted the forearm she’d just clawed to her lips, dark, apologetic eyes searching through thick eyelashes.How does she change so quickly?

“Come on, let’s have a nice weekend together.”

“I can’t do this any more, Fran.” Alice turned and gripped the door handle.

“Stop being so ungrateful. After everything I’ve given you.” Fran spun her around and gripped Alice’s shoulders. “Why don’t we just?—”

“You’re hurting me. Stop it!”

“No, you stop it.” Fran’s fingers dug into Alice’s biceps. “The sooner you realise that I’m the best someone like you will ever get, the better.”

“Let me go.” Alice pushed her and Fran stumbled backwards, shock registering on her face. She gritted her teeth and her lips twisted in a savage sneer as she lurched forward and grasped Alice’s arm, clutching her coat. Alice snatched it away and the sleeve strap tore.

“Look what you’ve made me do. Happy now?” Fran screamed.

Hot tears stung in Alice’s eyes. She didn’t dare blink because she didn’t want to give Fran the satisfaction of making her cry. She didn’t want Fran to think she’d won, because she hadn’t, far from it.

“It’s over, Fran. I don’t want to see you again.” The words came out quiet but steady, and because of this, they both realised she meant them. And as if her rage had just evaporated, Fran’s face fell. A mixture of sadness and hurt flickered across her features as she reached out and took Alice’s hands.

“You don’t mean that, Alice. We have a good thing going on. Let’s not over-complicate it. Why don’t we?—”

“No.”