‘He said he didn’t see any future for us because I didn’t care enough about my appearance.’
‘What sort of bullshit is that?’ said Lucy. ‘You are gorgeous and you always look amazing.’
‘He said I had a nice face but that... I wasfat.’
I blinked in shock. ‘He saidwhat? The problem is him, not your weight. You’re better off without him. And if I ever lay eyes on him—’
Mike returned, trailing the scent of fresh cigarettes. ‘What’s going on here then?’
‘Jody has discovered that her ex-boyfriend is an arsehole,’ said Lucy.
‘We might be in need of your green beret friends,’ I said.
Jody gasped. ‘You’re joking, Zoë.’ Then, a touch wistfully: ‘Aren’t you?’
‘Just say the word,’ said Mike, winking. ‘No one will ever find the body.’
We convinced Jody to try half a slice of cheesecake, because she was definitely not fat, and because it was definitely the best cheesecake ever made, according to Gavin.
An hour or so later, it was just me and Mike left sitting at the table. Gavin had suggested a rematch, but when everyone had groaned, he relented, picked up his game and walked to the tube with Lucy and Jody.
‘Another coffee, Mike?’
He shook his head. ‘You did well with Jody earlier.’
I shrugged. ‘I only said what anyone would say.’
‘You’re a good leader, Zoë.’
The conversation had taken an odd turn and I found I had a lump in my throat. ‘They’re a great bunch. They probably deserve an editor who’s not taking such a big risk on the magazine’s future.’
‘Your vision might actually secure a brighter future forRe:Sound.’
‘What do you mean, Mike? That sounds like good news, but your face when you arrived told a different story.’
‘A directive came down from Ed the Shred late Friday.’
My neck muscles tightened. ‘What did he say?’
‘He wants to trim the editorial team.’
‘Meaning?’
‘Lose either Gavin or Lucy.’
I felt myself go light-headed. ‘I have to choose?’
He shook his head. ‘I told Ed we wouldn’t stand for it.’
‘And that was enough?’
He gave a wry smile. ‘Yes. That and me forgoing fifty per cent of my salary for the next six months.’
I gasped. ‘You can’t do that, Mike. You’ve got a mortgage and kids.’
‘I’ll cope. I did it to buy us more time. This is a campaign of attrition – they’re going to keep coming back with more and more demands. We need that Marcie interview.’
I hadn’t told Mike that I didn’t trust Nick to deliver me Marcie anymore, but now didn’t seem the time to mention it.
‘And I’ve worked it into our contracts that we get bonuses when we beat their sales targets.’
I noticed he said ‘when’, not ‘if’. God, he really was full of confidence at the moment. Maybe we should all eat French toast every day.
After Mike had left, taking some leftover sausages, the weight of what he’d told me began to sink in.
Mike wouldn’t be able to keep taking pay cuts. I’d offer to take one too if it meant I could keep both Lucy and Gavin, but after that...?
He’d put a lot of faith in me. It was time to pay it back.
