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‘Because I sent it to them,’ Hugo said.

Helen was horrified. ‘You did what?! I meant for you to hold it up on my phone so they can see!’ She turned to Leigh and Alex. ‘Delete thatimmediately.’

Leigh smiled. ‘Sure.’ She stood. ‘Well, thanks for the tea. I need to go now.’

Alex stood as well. ‘Yeah, me too. Places to be.’

‘You’re not going to delete it, are you?’ Helen asked, livid.

‘Kind of surprised you care,’ Leigh said. ‘Not your problem, is it?’ She was shocked at herself. She was being so bloody bolshie with Helen Archer. It was utterly unlike her. She was usually passive in the presence of the rich and famous.

But something was changing in her.

Leigh headed for the door, Alex behind her, Hugo at the rear of the party. ‘I’ll see you out,’ he said.

They walked back through the airy reception. Hugo opened the main door to release them.

‘Thanks for the photo. I’m sorry if you’re in trouble,’ Alex said, back outside with Leigh.

‘Like she said, I’m incompetent,’ Hugo said with a sly smile. ‘What did she expect?’ He shut the door.

Alex looked at Leigh. ‘Well, I guess we can call this one a draw.’

Leigh looked back at Alex. ‘Today,’ she said. ‘But only today.’ And she went and got into her car, realising what the difference in her was.

It was Alex.

Thirteen

Alex drove home utterly befuddled. FuckingLeigh, man. Alex had imagined that she was going to walk right over her at the Helen Archer meeting. But that was not what had happened by any stretch of the imagination. Leigh was different now. Bolder. And if she’d meant to trick Helen Archer into showing the photo, then she was sharper, too. She’d played that woman like a fiddle. Leigh had been playing 3D chess while Alex was playing snap.

Alex couldn’t remember she’d been so surprised by a person. Not since… Alex thought about it and concluded the last time that had happened, it had been Leigh herself, back in the day.

Ten Years Ago

The bar was closing. Alex didn’t know how she was still here. She’d been intending to go to bed several hours ago. Now, she was sitting here with this beautiful, sensitive creature, and they were really talking.

Alex didn’t understand it, and she didn’t trust it, either. It couldn’t be as easy as this, could it? You couldn’t just see someone and know them, could you? Because it kind of felt like that was exactly what had happened to her.

Alex had looked at Leigh and known something about her. And everything that had happened since had proven that initial gut feeling to be correct. Leigh was good andright.

Still, this wasn’t life, was it? Not Alex’s life, anyway—which Leigh wanted to know all about. Anyone else, Alex could have fobbed off. It was easy to play simple, charming, and shallow. Most people accepted that persona.

Only Leigh wasn’t giving up so easily. ‘Come on, I know you’re complicated. I can tell.’

‘How?’ Alex asked.

‘Because your eyes have that “I’ve seen some shit” look.’

Alex laughed. ‘Wow. That’s my look?’

Leigh sat back, regarding Alex carefully. ‘You’re edgy, all right.’

‘Edgy?’

‘Yeah, but what’s interesting is that it sort of contradicts the way you talk. You talk like everything’s easy,’ Leigh said.

Alex was floored. Leigh had her pegged, alright. She took a sip of her drink, wondering where to start.