Well, shit.
‘Jessy, I wasn’t sure whether to believe the gossip online,’ said Karun brightly as he strode forward, hand outstretched. ‘Karun Gupta, lovely to meet you – if there is anything I can help –’
‘Right, you want a moment, come on then,’ I interrupted Karun, desperate to escape the room, and rose to my feet. ‘Meeting room three is probably –’
‘Why not take the boardroom? I assume this is a business matter,’ my boss suggested with a gleam in his eye.
Oh, crap. ‘Erm –’
‘Yes, of course. I would like to speak to Jessy about a small matter of business,’ Patrick said lightly, as though there was nothing unusual about one of the world’s biggest artists showing up to an office, unannounced and uninvited, and asking to speak to a low-level employee. ‘Shouldn’t take long.’
God, I was never going to hear the end of this when I came back. And what was all this about ‘business’?
Is he here to call the contract off? Is that why he’s found me at work, so I can’t make a scene when he inevitably breaks up with me?
Is this even a break-up if we aren’t dating?
I shuddered. ‘We’re going to want somewhere a little more private.’ I looked at Karun, thinking about the boardroom’s tall glass walls and the uninterrupted views they afforded. It would guarantee us being gawked at like animals in a zoo.
Karun nodded. ‘How about the director’s office? He’s out with a client all morning.’
‘That’s very kind of you, thank you,’ Patrick said with a warm smile.
It was hard to believe. The guy was guarded, he’d told me that – and I’d seen plenty of evidence to support his statement … and yet here he was, charming the literal pants off my boss.
And he was Karun’s type, according to the photo of his husband on his desk.
‘Patrick,’ I said quickly. ‘Come on.’
‘Just a second, Jessica,’ Karun interjected. He stepped between us. ‘I didn’t know you ran in these kinds of circles. You really should have told me.’ He kept his voice low, and I could see Patrick raising his eyebrows in interest.
I focused my attention back on Karun. ‘Right, sorry –’
‘We’ve got a few celebrity clients that I’d like you to meet,’ my boss continued quietly. ‘I’ll brief you on them soon.’ Karun leaned away and turned back to Patrick. ‘She’s all yours.’
Flushing furiously, my cheeks so hot you could roast a marshmallow on them, I grabbed Patrick’s arm and dragged him out of the room.
In stony silence, I led us around the corner and down a corridor, heading straight to the director’s office – a place I’d only been once.
And it was nice. Large, with a wide window, a desk and three chairs – but, most importantly, thick walls. Made of bricks.
I shut the door hastily and whirled around.
Patrick’s smile had faded somewhat, but it was still there. ‘Hey, Jessy –’
‘What the hell are you doing?’ I hissed. ‘Everyone in my office is talking about this,’ I continued, pointing at the door. ‘Right now! God knows how many photos and videos could be being uploaded this very –’
‘Good.’ Patrick’s smile was only a flicker, but it had definitely been there. ‘I want them to talk. I want them to know that you’re important enough for me to come and see you.’
I swallowed hard, my righteous anger disappearing with his soft words.
Was this the grand apology that Laura had said I was owed? Was it really an apology if he hadn’t said sorry?
I wasn’t even sure I knew what I was owed. We weren’t actually dating – I had to keep remembering that. Patrick didn’t owe me any sort of exclusivity … and he didn’t owe me his life story.
I’d replayed our argument at dinner over and over again. I couldn’t fault him for keeping the details of his past to himself. It was clear this Cassie was a sensitive topic for him. But I’d shared all kinds of things with him. I’d told him about Ross, about my mum. Clearly I had mistaken our physical attraction for a deeper connection.
Whoever this Cassie woman was, she was his business.
