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Hurt prickled inside Estelle’s tummy the moment James re-entered the conference room. She hid it by putting two fingers in her mouth and wolf-whistling.
He frowned at her and retook his seat.
‘Who was that?’ she asked.
‘No-one you need to concern yourself with.’
The prickle turned into a blade, slicing open the box containing his words from the Winter Ball. The ones where he said he wanted to flirt with her, have a drink with her. Henry was right, James was a manwhore who couldn’t be trusted. He didn’t even care enough about his latest shag to give her a name or introduce her to them.
Max sniggered.
‘Is something funny?’ James snapped.
‘Not at all, boss,’ Max replied, lowering his head, the smirk still in place.
Estelle took a packet of Wonder Woman tissues from her bag and held it out. ‘It would appear that “No-one” wears some pretty bright lippie.’
James rubbed his cheek, then stared at his stained fingertips, his mouth a tight line.
Taking a tissue from the packet, Estelle handed it over.
Snatching it from her, he wiped his face, as if attempting to remove a layer of skin along with the lipstick.
‘You’re making it worse,’ she said. ‘Now it looks like half of you is auditioning for the role of Bashful in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.’
Both his cheeks coloured.
‘And now you’re one hundred per cent in character!’ She scrunched up her features as if in deep thought. ‘Although maybe Grumpy would be a better part for you to go for in this year’s pantomime… Max, what do you think?’
James shot him a look that could cut through steel. ‘Let’s keep this environment professional, shall we?’ His fingers jabbed at the keyboard of his laptop.
‘Absolutely!’ Estelle replied, channelling the eternally sunny enthusiasm of Libby. ‘So, no more passionate trysts in the stationery cupboard then? Heated glances over the water cooler?’
He glared at her.
‘Hang about. I didn’t know we even had a stationery cupboard. Do I have to pass my probation before I find out where it is? Or work my way down to the seventh layer of hell?’
James slammed the lid of his laptop shut, stood, then turned to Max. ‘Set Estelle’s laptop up and go through our systems with her.’ He stalked to the door.
‘Where are you going?’ she asked.
‘To my office,’ he replied, not looking back. ‘I’ve got work to do.’
Yanking the door open, he strode into the corridor.
‘Don’t you mean our office?’ she called after him.
He didn’t reply.
Estelle waited until the door closed, then turned to Max.
‘So who was at the door?’ she asked, unable to stop the question bubbling out.
Max leaned back in his chair, a smug and secretive smile on his face. Estelle immediately wished she’d kept her mouth shut. Max was more slippery than a bagful of eels.
‘Well,’ he began. ‘I haven’t met his family, but I have seen a woman coming and going. Blonde hair, slim, pretty.’
Estelle’s stomach tightened. That sounded like a description of Henry’s ex, Elizabeth, who James had stolen from her brother.
