‘This is much bigger than Pocahontas in the park, Katy. We need to dig in and find out what they don’t want us discovering. We need to make allies and track down as much information as possible,’ Zola concluded. ‘And maybe we have to start by telling Travis.’
I turned to Zola, surprised. ‘Really? Isn’t that throwing ammunition to the enemy?’
‘He’s high up; he’ll know any beef that’s clouding this company. And tonight, you’ll have to rule Jimmy out. He’ll be a great ally, plus he’ll know if any competitors are really invested in wanting this app to fail,’ Zola said.
‘I can’t tell him without admitting what happened with Katy and Travis, though.’
‘Don’t tell him that, for fuck’s sake. Just ask the right questions. Gather intel,’ Zola said, speaking quietly despite her indignation, so that the driver couldn’t overhear us.
I swallowed, feeling unexpectedly energised, ready for a mission. Is this what Tom Cruise felt like in the 1990s before a job?
‘Right. OK,’ I agreed.
As Katy let out another wail, I squeezed her hand.
‘We’re in this together, Katy,’ I told her. ‘And no one gets away with blackmailing my friends!’
Chapter Twenty-Five
Ella
I finished work and left at a reasonable hour to prepare for my evening with Jimmy. On the way home, I picked up a new highlighter and instant tan at Sephora – the sun definitely wasn’t as intense lately, and my sickly tiger-bread-style skin was on full show. After a long, exfoliating shower, I shaved and plucked my body until it was smooth, then dried and styled my hair. I was excited to go out – even though TikTok showed Summit One as crowded, the views seemed incredible. The only downside was that my trip there was with Jimmy. He was a lovely guy, but I knew I didn’t want to rush into anything. I wasn’t ready to date. Fuck, I wasn’t even sure what had gone wrong with Philip; one slight inconvenience and he managed to move on to his next burd before my tea had turned cold.
They were swirling in my head, but I tried to push thoughts of Philip and his new girlfriend aside. When he flashed into my mind again, I forced myself to take a few steady breaths and move on. Like Zola had done with Curtis, I archived his WhatsApp, making sure I wasn’t analysing when he was active, wondering who he was messaging. Maybe I needed this? A simple night out, feeling fresh and sexy again. Someone to harmlessly flirt with and distract me from Philip, even if it was just for a few hours.
Katy and Zola helped me pick an outfit, and eventually we settled on a classic black satin dress, a blazer and low pumps. I wanted to look polished but didn’t fancy walking the streets in stilettos. At five minutes to seven, I was dressed and gazing at my reflection in the living room mirror. I looked good. My long blonde hair was slicked into a tight ponytail, allowing my new highlighter to emphasise my cheekbones. But I still felt subdued, and I knew I was overthinking the entire night. My stomach was in knots, and I wasn’t sure if it was nerves or if I’d overloaded myself with coffee and actually just needed to go to the bathroom for my third poo of the day.
Katy and Zola, in contrast, were hyper, jumping around the apartment, arguing over Spotify tunes and playing the ‘imagine if this happened’ game.
‘Imagine he just whips it clean out in the car and goes,’ Katy slipped her voice into an exaggerated American accent, ‘“Wrap those mighty fine lips around this mighty fine hot dog, Ella.”’
Zola was giggling and clapping her hands at the thought.
‘What would you even say?’ Katy asked, insistent.
I huffed, feeling a bit too nervous for this ridiculous game, just in case he came up to the apartment and overheard this entire conversation.
‘I’d obviously tell him to bolt!’ I replied, half-smiling as I glanced over at the elevator door as if he might walk through it.
‘You wouldn’t give him a hand job, then?’ Zola managed between giggles. ‘Not even if he asked nicely?’
‘In the car?’ I shot them a look as they both dissolved into fits of laughter. I smirked. ‘OK – fine. Maybe just a couple of strokes.’
Zola’s eyes widened. ‘How big do you think? If you actually sleep with him, I’ll die. Literally die.’
‘Seriously, it’s not like that. He asked me out because I always work late. He wants me to see the city a bit more. This is strictly platonic,’ I insisted, though I kept wondering myself what his intentions were.
‘Yeah, and don’t forget we need to know if he has any beef with anyone, in or out of that company,’ Zola added. ‘If you forget to beplatonicand sleep with him in between, then .?.?. enjoy it.’
I glanced at my watch and felt my nerves descend. ‘It’s almost seven, I’m going to wait downstairs. You two are far too unpredictable for him to come up here.’
‘Aw, don’t! Ella!’ Katy moaned. ‘I want to see his outfit.’
‘I want to see his bulge!’ Zola burst out laughing, and Katy joined in again.
‘Bye!’ I tittered, heading towards the elevator and making my way down to the lobby.
As I reached the foyer, the doorman, Otis, was standing as smart as always with a broad smile.
