“You should give Vivian your new number,” he suggested. “So RJ can contact you whenever.”
I looked towards Vivian’s desk, where she was talking to Ralf. “That means interacting with her, huh?” I had very strong doubts that I would ever be able to win her over.
“I’m afraid so.” Elliot’s phone rang and he glanced down, his face tightening. “I gotta take this.” And then he stalked off, murmuring a soft greeting into his phone. I watched him leave, my optimism at an all-time low. The man couldn’t stand me, let alone trust me. How were we going to work together successfully?
“Hey, look who it is!” Ralf said genially as I approached Vivian’s desk.
“I have my American mobile number,” I said. “Could you give it to RJ?” She looked at me blankly. “If you have pen and paper?”
“Mo-bile,” Ralf repeated. “Adorable.”
Vivian sighed heavily and shoved a Post-it my way. “Here.”
Ralf chuckled. “That’s not very welcoming, Vivi.”
Vivian turned her mask-like face to him. “The ticker-tape parade is booked for tomorrow,” she said.
Ralfoohedat me. “Lucie, this is a rare thing – humor! Not often Vivi blesses us with it.”
“Vivian,” she said, sounding bored. “Let’s be professional, we’re at work.”
“Is it work you’re doing right now?” Ralf tilted his head to look at her screen. “Because that looks suspiciously like the webpage forGolddiggers Confidential?”
Vivian rose to her feet. “Run along, Ralf and find someone else to bore with your crass attempts at world domination.” Then she stalked off, leaving a trail of cloying perfume in her wake.
Their dynamic was fucking weird. “Is she always like that?”
“She runs hot and cold,” Ralf remarked.
“Was that hot or cold?” I said. “Because I can’t tell. And she didn’t take my number!”
“Here.” Ralf stuck the Post-it note to the computer screen. “I’d like to tell you she’s a cuddly teddy bear under all that couture, but that would be a huge disservice to teddy bears.” He frowned. “And actual bears, come to think of it.”
“Is her fiancé really old?” I asked.
“Baldemar?” Ralf laughed. “When I met him, I thought he was her great-grandfather.”
“I take it he’s rich?” I said. “And also,Baldemar?”
“Ha! I know. I can’t work out if his parents hated him or his birth predated the English language,” Ralf said. “But it doesn’t matter, the guy owns like half of the Upper West Side, so yeah, he’s wealthy.” He glanced around and leaned in. “Between you and me, Vivian wants to start her own film financing group. Gee, I wonder if there is someone in her life that could set her up?”
“I’ve heard of worse ideas to get ahead,” I said.
“She’s a true New Yorker,” Ralf said, with a tone that almost sounded like admiration. “Hard work but a hard worker.”
“Are you from New York?”
“Boston and proud!” Ralf puffed his chest out. “And what about you? That accent, it’s … intriguing. It’s not London, is it?”
Was he flirting with me? I couldn’t tell but I sincerely hoped not. Trying hard not to blush, I shook my head. “Yorkshire. The north of—”
“It is utterly delightful,” Ralf talked over me. “And listen.” His voice dropped. “If you need help with the script, even if just a second opinion, I can make myself available. I’m in with the financiers, I know what they want, and I can always steer you—”
“We’re good, thanks, Ralf.” Elliot had reappeared, his expression fierce.
“Hey, buddy.” Ralf stepped back, arms wide. “I’m just saying, I can help.”
“Listen,buddy,” Elliot snarled the word. “We’ll be just fine.”
