‘I’ve no idea what you mean.’
‘Vicious gossip. The fact that half of my office saw us kissing. The general opinion that something was quite obviously going on between you and Luke prior to the fact. For whatever reason and whatever form.’
‘There’s nothing going on between us. It wasn’t like that,’ she protests hotly. ‘He has a pregnant girlfriend. You know that, and they will too, soon enough.’
‘If I know, it’s only because I have your word for it. Meanwhile, Luke hasn’t mentioned it to his parents. All is quiet on that front. So you were caught kissing me following your actions after your pitch meeting. Actions that were remarked upon.’
‘What are you talking about, actions?’ she asks, suddenly sitting bolt-straight. Perhaps the recollection is as uncomfortable as the realisation.
‘Tactile touches, longing looks, that sort of thing. Add to that the rumours that will no doubt begin to filter down after you were subsequently caught kissing one of his superiors.’ Eyes wide, I feign a little shock.
‘You aren’t superior to him in any way, shape, or form,’ she retorts. ‘Seems to me you’re both cut from the same cloth.’
If that’s the case, my cloth comes from Savile Row, and his is one of an inferior quality, picked up from some East End outdoor market.
She refuses to meet my gaze, despising me for the things I say. But no one ever said business was easy or life was fair. And I’ll do what I must to get her to help me in this. No one else will do.
‘How has business gone since?’ I ask evenly. ‘Do you have any more meetings or pitches lined up?’
‘You know I haven’t,’ she answers quietly. The kind of dangerous quiet that comes before a storm. ‘And now I know why.’
‘Who knows? Perhaps the next few days will see this work in your favour. You might end up having no end of people willing to see you.’ Her gaze lifts but not her head. ‘Men in particular.’ I allow the implication to hover in the air.
‘God, I hate you.’
‘Some would say your honesty is a perfect basis for marriage. And most marriages turn to hate at some point anyway. The same way wine turns to vinegar after a time.’
‘Is that a personal observation?’ I don’t answer her sickly-sweet enquiry. ‘How about you stop trying to sell me on this, telling me what my problems are and how you can fix them. How about you tell me what you’d get out of this arrangement?’
I almost answeryou. Ridiculous, really. And also partly true, I find.
‘In short, the illusion of having settled down. The appearance of a stable personal life. And the ultimate chance to get my hands on ownership of JBW business.’
‘Settling down with his stepson’s “nice” girlfriend who, for all intents and purposes, has since been painted as anything but nice? Surely that won’t help.’
‘It has no bearing.’
‘You might’ve been better served to set your laser-sharp sights on someone less tainted.’
‘And where would the fun be in that? Besides, I would be doing Mark a favour, in his mind, by preventing his son from making a mistake with a woman willing to ingratiate herself to any man who’ll help.’
She blinks heavily, and I get the impression she’s throttling me in her mind.
‘So the word at JBW is that I’ll do anything to get my hands on money. Marrying me won’t help you. It also occurs to me that marrying you isn’t going to helpmyreputation either. People will still remark “first Luke and now you”, which, in reality, is a little like choosing death by the devil or the deep blue sea, not that anyone will say that. They’ll say I’ve married you for your money. How can that be flattering to you? How can it help?’
‘I think you’ll be surprised. Firstly, you’re a pretty girl—when you’re not scowling, that is—and very engaging. Second, you’re a good actress, so you’ll win people over. Third, no one has ever seen me smitten by anyone or anything.’ Except money. ‘They’ll buy the fact that we’re in love, especially once we’ve done the rounds by touring a few dinners and social functions.’
‘Why do you keep saying that? That I’m a good actress? That I pretend?’
‘Intuition.’
‘You are so wrong. I can’t mask who I am so what you see is what you get. And that’s why I can’t pretend to like you. Because Idon’t. I bet that didn’t occur to you, did it? That I’m mean to you because you deserve it and because I don’t like you.’
The lady doth protest too much? She doesn’t need to like me, not in that sense. I know she desires success above all things. Just as I know she wants me. And that’s enough.
‘I’m sure people will delight in the almost karmic play of things. That I deserve being tied to a girl who’ll trample on my heart.’
‘You haven’t got one. If you did, you wouldn’t be making me do this.’
