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Harry’s fiancée clambered to his side, all pleading arms, sniveling tears, and streaky mascara. He flinched backwards, his lip curled.
“Harry, look—she sold her play to me…for rent money. She’s always broke, you know!”
Alex rubbed a raised eyebrow. She didn’t feel anger anymore, just…pity.
Every time Harry stepped back, Olivia edged closer. “She wrote the original draft, but I’ve improved it so much since then, so it’s mine really…”
Isabella exhaled and stood up. “Olivia, stop.”
“And you still won’t tell me the truth. Me of all people.” Harry’s hands were shaking. “I heard everything. The stealing. The cheating allegations—I would never…” His voice broke as he covered his mouth with his hand. “Apparently I had more faith in you than you ever had in me…I’ve heard enough.”
“Harry, please…”
He stormed out of the room. A cluster of eavesdropping actresses and the other playwrights swung their heads back and forth between Harry’s exiting blur and the three women. Olivia scrambled to collect her belongings, dashing towards the doorway.
“Olivia, your actions cannot be tolerated. Until I can investigate further, and make a phone call to the professor at Emory, your involvement in this workshop is suspended,” said Isabella. “I also don’t take kindly to threats. I suggest you refrain from any actions, legal or otherwise, until you hear from me.”
“I was only trying to protect what’s mine,” Olivia shouted, amidst tears as she clicked down the hall.
“Yeah, so was I,” said Alex.
Thirty-Seven
One week later
Perched on a wooden bench beside the front window of Freestate Coffee on Southampton Row, Alex took a quick sip from her soothing cup of hot chocolate, waiting for her guest’s arrival. She arrived before the lunch rush to grab this perfect spot, knowing she could lose herself in the passing double-decker buses and impatient black cabs. Eight months on from her arrival last May, she was still smitten.
A friendly face waved from the doorway, prompting Alex to stand up.
“Thanks for meeting me.” Harry hugged her quickly. He eased out of his Burberry coat, but Alex noticed something was up. Normally well-groomed and fashionable, Harry looked like he had grabbed whatever clothes were lying on the floor of Tom’s room. His grey point collar shirt was wrinkled and buttoned up incorrectly, and a rare five o’clock shadow crept above his lip and along his cheeks and chin. His usually sparkly blue eyes were sombre and sleepy, sinking into purple circles. He didn’t smell clean and sweet like Harry, either. If Alex didn’t know him better, she would’ve assumed he’d been on a bender.
“I love this place.” Alex smoothed her black sweater and skirt as she sat down. “I don’t get to stop in too often, but it came to mind when you suggested somewhere off the radar.” She couldn’t avoid the obvious. “Harry, you look shattered.”
“I’ve had better weeks.” His smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Let me grab a tea, and we’ll catch up.”
A few minutes later, he returned with his Earl Grey, a plate crowded with two large chocolate brownies, and a pair of shiny forks.
“Someone’s trying to butter me up.” Alex laughed.
“It’s nice to be in the company of a woman who eats without counting calories.”
“Why bother? I’m terrible at math.” Alex dug into her brownie, scooping a bite too large for the fork. “I’m glad you texted. I thought I might never hear from you again. You wouldn’t be in this mess if I had stayed in the States.” She savoured the chocolate’s brief sweetness and swallowed.
Harry looked down at the table. “You should’ve told me about the play earlier, but I understand why you didn’t. Olivia has a talent for making people do exactly what she wants. Once upon a time, that was one of the things that made me fall for her, the way she knew her own mind, her self-confidence.”
“How’s it at home? I bet she’d freak if she knew you were meeting me.”
“That’s why I wanted to meet somewhere she doesn’t frequent. Another confrontation is the last thing I need. Home’s been good, actually. Best thing I did was chuck her out of my flat.”
“You threw her out? Tom, too?”
“Yep. We had a huge row at home after the workshop. I told her that she had to be gone by morning. Tom was great. He just shrugged in his typical style and offered to move on, but Olivia begged. That wasn’t pretty.”
“Ouch,” said Alex.
“It’s done; we’re officially…over.” He exhaled heavily, swirling a spoon in his tea. “Her stealing and bullying—it was horrible, completely inexcusable. What she put you through, Alex, I’m horrified you were put in a position where you felt you couldn’t tell me. And if you thought you couldn’t trust me, then who have I become? Olivia didn’t exactly bring out the best in me. I see that now.”
His eyes wandered towards the window, staring into nothing. “The fact that she doubted my fidelity and commitment to her was the last straw. I can’t be in a relationship with someone so easily poisoned by jealousy. Shame it took me four years to figure that out.”
