The Divorced Diva.
Somehow, we had to spin that photo into something positive, then give this PR campaign everything we had. If Julian needed Aetheria to be a massive success – no matter the reason – then I would do everything in my power to make that happen.
‘I’ll have Niki take down the photo,’ he said, interrupting my thoughts.
‘No, don’t do that.’
He looked up sharply. ‘But I thought you said?—’
‘I know, but I think we can make it work in our favour.’
‘How?’
‘I don’t know yet, but there are very clever people on my team. We’ll figure it out.’
‘You’revery clever.’
‘I know.’
We shared a smile.
‘Why are you helping me, Ally?’
‘I care about you – you know that.’
He reached out for my hand, and I gave it to him. ‘Thank you,’ he said, giving it a squeeze, then releasing it.
‘Thank me when it works.’
He smiled wryly and was about to take another sip of whisky when he regarded the glass. He leaned forward and set it on the coffee table, which I took as a positive sign.
‘I need to get back to my villa,’ I said, standing. ‘Lots to do.’
Normally I’d expect Julian to see me out – his ingrained good manners – but he stayed seated, staring into space.
What in the world had he got himself caught up in?
When I closed the door to Julian’s villa, the sun was starting to set and I stood on the porch for a moment to appreciate the swaths of colour sweeping across the sky. In the distance, a bird swooped, then rode a current of air upwards. The falcon! I watched her a while longer, her graceful movements a panacea for my frayed nerves, and the stone in the pit of my stomach started to dissolve. She flew out of sight, my cue to leave.
But on my way to my villa, I heard two people speaking in harsh, hushed tones. I stopped, creeping nearer, and listened in.
‘I didn’t plan for this to happen.’
‘Doesn’t matter. You’re risking the entire operation.’
It was Tommy and Elsa. But what wasthe entire operation?
‘And I don’t appreciate being raked over the coals,’ she added spitefully.
‘Iwas raked over the coals.Youwere toasting marshmallows.’
‘Hardly – and I’m not the one shagging my ex-wife.’
I inhaled sharply and clapped my hand over my mouth. Our paths were about to cross and I didn’t want them to catch me spying, so I did the only thing I could think of – I ducked into the bushes.
And I know how ridiculous that sounds, given how much time I’d already spent amongst the foliage, but I told you this was a bonkers story – and this isn’t even thereallybonkers part yet. My life had become an episode ofThe White Lotus. I half-expected Mike White to pop out and yell, ‘Cut.’
Hidden by the leafy branches, I strained to hear the rest of their conversation, but there was only silence. Had they stopped talking or gone the other way? I slunk between the bushes, parallel to the path, and then I saw them – they’d stopped where the paths intersected.
