‘Oh.’
‘I thought maybe it was a one-off. Only after that, I couldn’t even play in front of my friends, let alone strangers.’ He shrugged. ‘Twenty years ago, and I’m still chicken.’
‘But can’t you?—’
‘Ah, it don’t matter,’ he said. ‘I’ve got the businesses now. It’s fine. I can play for myself. It’s cool. But yeah, I get it. I get having a dream.’
Brad sat back, leaning on two legs of the chair in a way that would have driven Bella’s mother mad, took a thoughtful sip of whisky. Then, just when she was about to excuse herself and scuttle off – embarrassed that she’d bared her soul and wondering how she was going to continue to live with someone who now knew what an utter fraud she was – he pitched himself forward, the front legs of the chair clicking against the tiles.
‘Got it,’ he said.
‘Got what?’
He set his glass down. ‘Look, I know what it’s like out there. It’s a fucking jungle.’
‘It is?’
‘Are you kidding me? It’s impossible to get a job, let alone a good one right now. Whenever I recruited anyone, I’d get like fifty applications for each role. And these are shitty roles. People just want to be given a chance.’ He looked at her, his blue eyes filled with something she couldn’t read. ‘You know?’
She nodded.
‘And most people like me – people who own companies or whatever – we’re usually only where we are because of luck. Tons of hard work too, right? But you check anyone’s back story and there’s always this moment where someone gave them a break, or a shot. And that’s the thing that opens the rest of the doors.’ He took another sip and she watched silently. ‘I was maybe twenty-five when I started this business. It was going OK. But then I got this goddamn tax bill. I was naïve; didn’t realise how much I’d have to pay. My folks couldn’t help. I was going to have to fold the whole thing up. Not that it was much back then anyways.’
He was staring off into the middle distance. ‘Then this guy – he was an uncle of one of my friends, he’d trained me in baseball when I was about ten – he offered to lend me like ten grand. Not give me. Lend. And he saved me.’
She was nodding now. ‘That was kind of him.’
‘Yeah. And you know what the kindest part was? That he didn’tgiveme the money. He was loaded. He wouldn’t have missed it. But he lent it to me, made sure I agreed to pay it back. And then I knew…’
‘Knew what?’
‘That he believed I could do it. That I could clear my debt but then go on to make a success of things. I could make the money back. He felt confident and something in that— it changed everything for me.’
Bella wondered suddenly if he was going to offer her money. She started searching in her mind for ways in which to gently turn him down. In any case, what good would money do her? Yes, it would mean that if she quit her job she wouldn’t be instantly destitute. But she wanted to fix things, not run.
‘Maybe I can be that guy for you,’ he said.
‘I don’t get it?’
‘I’m a businessman, right? Businessperson. Whatever. I’ve done tons of hospitality things. I know the sector inside out – don’t mean to boast.’
He smiled broadly, almost triumphant.
‘I’m sorry. But… I’m not quite sure what you’re saying.’
‘Bella,’ he said. ‘I can help you. Get yourself off the Internet and start tapping into this thing.’ He tapped the side of his head. ‘It’s got everything you need.’
‘Oh. I couldn’t…’
‘You can. Look. You’ve got the goods. You’re clever. And more than that, I can see – I know we’ve only just met, but honestly – that you want this. That you have that drive. That’s rare nowadays. That passion. You just need someone who believes in you.’ He prodded his chest with his thumb. ‘And I’m it.’
31
NOW
‘Where are you going?’ Henri moaned, turning over and reaching for her.
She’d slept in her own bed again last night, not quite ready to completely forgive him. Then this morning, she’d woken early and crept into his room – half expecting he might have company. But he’d been alone. She’d sat on the edge of his bed. ‘I have to go out,’ she whispered. ‘Work stuff.’
