Page 96

‘Great. You free now?’

‘It’s gone midnight,’ Leigh pointed out.

‘Somewhere will be open.’

***

They were a few miles from the hotel, at a twenty-four-hour cafe. It was a shithole, but it was open late. Leigh and Alex had been sitting in the place for a while, talking, mocking each other, playing footsy under the table. Leigh felt… What was it? Oh yes. Happy. Relaxed. It had been a long time since she could say that. It felt like a very good sign.

Alex’s phone kept beeping. ‘Christ, I gotta turn off my notifications for Isabelle’s news alerts.’ She got out her phone and tapped around.

‘It’s that bad already?’ Leigh asked.

Alex glanced at her phone and started laughing. ‘Ohyeah.’ She put the phone away.

‘It happened a few hours ago, and it’s the middle of the night. How is it getting traction already?’

‘People at the screening posted, and it’s still business hours in the US.’

‘Global in hours,’ Leigh marvelled. ‘It’ll be an utter circus by tomorrow. I can’t wait to talk to my bosses. I wonder if they’ll fire me right away or let me serve out my notice?’

‘Youwarnedthem,’ Alex said.

‘Yeah, and then I got a bunch of women to speak up without letting them in on it. It was explained to me once already that I was doing the opposite of my job, so I’m sure they’ll love me now,’ Leigh said.

She had made peace with getting sacked when she’d gone all in on the plan. It felt like a relief, in a way. She’d never felt like she knew what she was doing at Carter and Simon.

‘You can put it on me,’ Alex assured.

‘Oh, I will,’ Leigh assured her with a smile and a nod. ‘I’m going to scapegoat you so hard, they’ll think you’re Satan in kitten heels.’

‘I wearstilettos, thank you very much.’ Alex looked around at the greasy spoon they were sitting in. ‘Long time since I’ve been in a place like this.’

‘Because you’re fancy now?’ Leigh asked, putting a salt-encrusted fry in her mouth.

They’d been here so long that both of them needed something between a midnight snack and breakfast. They’d settled on fries and ketchup.

‘You think I’m fancy?’ Alex asked, pleased.

‘Yes. Mostly because you keep telling me you are,’ Leigh said. ‘Making fat stacks off the back of all those scandals and everything.’

Alex started laughing and laughing hard.

‘What’s so funny?’ Leigh asked her.

‘I think I need to tell you something. I’m not actually rich.’

‘What? But you said all that stuff about making a fuck ton of money?’

‘I wanted to impress you slash compete with you,’ Alex said, stuffing her giggles back.

‘But all the clients, all the press you get…’

‘It’s expensive maintaining a business, paying back the startup loan,’ Alex explained. ‘I’m doing a little better than breaking even, but that’s about it.’

‘But the suits… Thecoat, for Christ's sake!’

‘I repped someone in fashion. She sent me so many clothes. Upgraded my drip, as Baker put it.’