"No coffee and pastry for Mistral?"
"We don't need any for Mistral," says Elly. "She doesn't need bribing."
"Elly!" Jeanette smile-frowns at her.
"What? He's not stupid. He knows what's going down."
"He's not too keen on learning the details, though," I add. "How about you thank Lutek for me and give the coffee and croissant to a deserving member of the public. Someone who knits hats for orphaned elephant babies, or something."
"You already know the details," says Elly. "We're here to convince you it's in Bess' best interest to change your mind."
"Aha. So Mistral shared her idea then. An idea she said she would put to bed when I emphatically told her 'no'."
"Yes," says Elly.
"No Lutek?"
"Lutek is predictably ambivalent," says Jeanette. "Sweet boy."
I fill my lungs, hold it for two seconds while I grapple with making a decision, then release it in a rush. "Alright," I say, taking the coffee and pastry and returning to my desk. "Make it good."
I pull Mistral's chair towards me, put my feet up on it and take a sip of Lutek's ever-delicious coffee.
"You know why," says Elly. "All I can add is a heartfelt please on the behalf of Bess and all the artists she represents at the gallery."
"Go on then. Let's hear your heartfelt 'please'."
Elly grips her hands together and pulls them to her chest. "Paleeeeeeeeeese," she says, her eyes large and pleading, brows knitted upwards in a show of desperation.
I pull a piece of croissant off and say through a mouthful, "That was pretty good. Not 'good' in a way that would make me want to deceive Bess, but it was a decent effort, so fair dos."
Elly straightens and pushes her lips into a pout any teenage selfie taker would be envious of.
"Ed." Jeanette says it gently. She slides a hand across the counter towards me. "This is the best way, my love. Bess has massive reach. Her audience's willingness to buy art has already been tested and proven, hasn't it?"
She turns to Elly who "Uh huh"s in response.
"She'll understand. If all of us put our faith behind this, she'll see we had her best interest at heart, won't she?" Jeanette gives me her best heart-winning smile, which requires very little effort on her part, because whenever Jeanette smiles it's heart-winning.
I shift my gaze to Elly to avoid being suckered in by it. Elly's face is composed into an expression that appears to reflect a conviction I'm the biggest spoil sport this side of the Americans entering World War Two. Which is less heart-winning.
"Also," says Elly. "Her mantra is 'Whatever It Takes'. You were there when she said it, Ed. And when she painted a painting about it."
Jeanette nods at Elly, then at me. "This is going to be what it takes."
I place the coffee and croissant on my desk, my appetite for them gone. "You really think you can carry the burden of deceit until such time as we tell her or she finds out? Because I know I can't."
"Yes," says Jeanette with a conviction I've never seen on her before. Its rarity makes it almost compelling.Almost. "When it works and we tell her what we did, she'll get it. I know she will. Right, Elly?"
"Absolutely."
"Ed, honey, when you have a lot to lose, you'll do anything. She's made that very clear."
I take my feet off Mistral's chair and lean towards them. "I think you're wrong. Bess values integrity too highly. She wouldn't want to compromise it by lying to her audience."
Jeanette opens her mouth to respond and Mistral strides through the gap at the end of the counter and into the library office space. "Hi you two," she sing-songs. "What you doing?"
I eye her. "You know very well what they're doing, Mistral."
