I glanced at my friend, my emotions stirring at her words, but doubt lingered. Fee was right: I hadn’t worked in New York or met the investors. But I knew Britney was shady and somehow involved in some of the weirdness that was happening to us. I couldn’t let her near this project.
‘Send over the plan,’ Fee said with a deep sigh.
‘Copy me in, will you?’ Britney added smugly.
Ethan let out an uncomfortable laugh at the tension, then stood up. ‘I need to go somewhere quiet now.’ He headed towards the door but then turned back to the table: ‘Zola, are you coming?’
Zola turned to me, and I offered her a reassuring smile. She stood. ‘Yeah, we’d better get on this. Lots of work to do.’
Jimmy agreed. ‘Yeah, let’s all crack on. You’ve done great work so far. Let’s keep up the momentum.’
His inspirational words seemed to get lost in the awkwardness of the room, and I hurried towards the door.
‘Ella,’ Fee called out.
I paused, letting everyone else leave first until it was just the two of us.
‘That was nothing personal, OK?’ She rubbed my shoulder. ‘I know Jimmy isn’t going to see it like that, but I’m his sister and this app rollout has to be perfect.’ I could see the concern on her face, but at the same time, I felt pissed at her gunning for me in front of the staff.
I gently shrugged off her touch. ‘Look, I get it, but give me a chance, Fee. I changed Britney’s plan because it was tacky and outdated. Mine is classy, and it’ll tie in with the app like a dream. Plus, I’ve shown Jimmy and he likes it.’
Fee laughed. ‘C’mon, Ella,’ she sighed. ‘Jimmy would like your plan regardless. He’s head over heels for you, and I love that for him, for both of you. I really do, but this is work. Important work.’
I felt my cheeks flush.
‘You know, I’ve never seen him like this before, and I hope for both your sakes it works out. But I can’t sit back and let him jeopardise this company because he’s too trusting of a girl he’s only met a hot minute ago.’
I shrugged. I felt unsettled by a strange feeling of happiness at his sister’s blessing, yet disappointment that she thought I was part of the problem. I didn’t know what to say.
‘I’m sorry you have doubts,’ I said at last, ‘but I’m not part of the problem here, Fee. I’m trying to help fix it.’
She paused, then opened the door. ‘It’s been a stressful few days. Please let Britney help. That’s what she gets paid for, Ella. Yeah, she can be a bit of an ass, but she’s damn good at her job, too.’
I managed a smile, but I knew deep down that bitch wasn’t getting anywhere near my project. She was trying to bring it down.
I just had to prove it.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Ella
Another week passed, and I spent most of my time reaching out to the investors’ and board members’ secretaries and ensuring the catering staff noted any dietary requirements for the launch party, which was scheduled – already! – for the following day. I had sent my launch night plan to most of the office, but intentionally left out Britney and Fee. I couldn’t risk Fee sharing it with Britney until I had hard evidence that she was somehow involved in Jimmy’s takedown. The strength of that suspicion drove my caution.
Late at night, after work, Jimmy and I explored New York, had dinners from every corner of the world in every district, and afterwards we mainly stayed at his. It felt like my dream life. I was finally living. I loved having someone not only to date, but to talk to – someone who didn’t judge me, someone who made me laugh, feel sexy, someone who pushed me to be the best version of myself. My connection with Jimmy made me realise how superficial and one-sided my relationship with Philip had been. I felt lucky to have him. Even with Philip lurking in New York, probably partying with strippers or chatting up young women in trendy bars, I didn’t care. For the first time in forever, I felt secure enough to let someone else into my life. I pushed away the reality that I would be heading home soon whenever it entered my head, knowing how unintentionally attached I had become to Jimmy.
Zola was working hard behind the scenes, too. Now, the investor/media party was only one day away, she seemed to be pouring all her energy into the app to distract herself from the chaos of her relationship breakup at home.
Zola and Ethan had sent us the link to the app. It was finally up and running! It looked amazing, packed with all the extra safety info I loved – tips on checking in with friends, spotting a narcissist and escaping a bad date. It was better than I could ever have imagined, and I was so excited to share it with the world. This was something I could be proud of.
Katy was also working hard – finally focused and producing results. She was uploading feedback and gathering recruits. Altogether, things seemed to be coming together. Still, a dark cloud hung over us as we wondered if the stalker would strike again. They’d been quiet for weeks, and I wasn’t sure if that was a good sign or bad.
I was sending the final timeline for tomorrow’s event to Brooke from the Met, who had been my right-hand woman while planning this event, when there was a light knock at my office door and Britney stood there, her hair scraped back into a seriously tight bun.Ouch, I thought.That bobble head is going to be killing her when she takes that out.
‘Ella,’ she said in her usual condescending tone.
‘Britney.’ I matched her tone, adding a polite smile.
She tilted her head, and I noticed how my demeanour had unsettled her. ‘I understand you like to work alone. You seem a bit of a control freak, and that’s not a criticism.’ She laughed, a sharp, high-pitched noise barking out of her.
