I beamed, overwhelmed – happy and ecstatic that we made it, but also sad it was ending.
‘I should go,’ Ethan said, lifting his bicycle helmet from the countertop and strapping it on. ‘I just wanted to deliver the news.’
Zola blushed as he passed her. ‘See you,’ he called out. She waved back.
My two friends sat down beside me, ready to hear the Jimmy chat. I called out, ‘Ethan, who is the investor anyway?’
He turned his head. ‘Khan Enterprise.’
My heart froze. I felt dizzy.
I heard the lift doors close, and I looked to my friends, who seemed even more gobsmacked than I was.
‘He doesn’t mean Philip Khan, does he?’ Katy asked.
I pulled out my phone and began frantically texting Philip.
Ella:TELL ME YOU ARE NOT THE INVESTOR!!!!!
Philip:You’re welcome?
Ella:No, you’re not welcome, Philip! This has fuck all to do with you??
I paused, waiting for a reply, but nothing.
Zola pulled my phone from my hand. ‘OK, think for a second, yeah? He is doing us a favour.’
I shook my head, feeling all my emotions build. ‘He has to involve himself again, though. He will take credit for this brilliant app we’ve created, Zo. I know he will. I wanted this for me! I had to do this for me, for us! Not for fucking Philip Khan.’
I felt Katy’s hand rub my back. ‘Maybe he is doing it because he feels bad he ruined it in the first place?’
I sank my head in my hands, worrying about having both Philip and Jimmy in the same meeting room together. Would they swap stories?Jimmy will think I’m bat shit crazy when he finds out about this one, I thought. My heart raced. I wanted the app to launch, but really wished it could be done without Philip’s help.
‘This isn’t the end of the world, Ella,’ Zola said, keeping me calm.
I paced, debating whether to call Philip or Jimmy, weighing the pros and cons.
At once, our three phones pinged and we leapt towards them. It was an email from Flirtify.
We can confirm that the launch of Stars and Swipes will go ahead on Thursday, with grateful thanks to Khan Enterprise for investing in our product. We look forward to seeing you all at the Four Seasons, ready to celebrate. Congratulations to all involved in this project, especially the creators, Zola, Ella and Katy.
All at Flirtify have enjoyed working alongside these three Glaswegian ladies and hope to collaborate again.
Sincerely yours,
Jimmy Link.
My shoulders slumped. Philip was involved, but our app would launch, and I really hoped it could change the American dating scene. But the launch was now tarnished with Philip Khan’s unasked-for investment.
Jimmy:The deal is done! I have so much paperwork to read over, but I’m glad I got to see you this morning. You will always be my first thought as the sun breaks x
I read his message over and over, clutching my phone. This cunt was smoother than Rabbie Burns. He did something to me anytime I thought about him, and it scared me. I didn’t want to lead him on or complicate things.
Ella:Glad I saw you too x
It was simple – maybe too simple. My mind was a blur, my heart heavy with confusion and longing.
By one, I got productive – chasing vendor emails and ensuring our launch stayed on track. I couldn’t handle another setback, so I got to work properly, while Zola searched Skyscanner for the cheapest way home.
