Page 21 of Hate You to Love You

Elliot leads me through room after room until we exit into an outdoor area reminiscent of a private beach-side resort. There’s a large infinity pool, a deck that extends out to a terrace, and – of course – a stunning view of the ocean. We’re right on the edge of the cliff, and I can hear the sound of waves crashing up against the rocks below.

‘For god’s sake,’ Elliot hisses suddenly. I watch as he grabs one of the lounge chairs, places it down by the pool, and then takes a step back. Something about the set-up must displease him, because he moves the chair back and forth to no avail.

Dallas had told me at the launch that Elliot has earned himself a bit of a reputation while he’s been working at Redhouse in London. He has clear goals, objectives and standards that needed to be met for his authors, and if you can’t adhere to them, Elliot will make the job hell. But it was this meticulous attention to detail that meant his authors had stand-out campaigns. After only a short time at Redhouse, Elliot had risen from relative obscurity to be paired with some of the publishing house’s biggest names. It was impressive, but not surprising, that he’d been trusted with Claudia’s comeback. I had to respect that.

‘I’ve got some concerns,’ Elliot snaps suddenly.

‘Concerns about what?’

‘Your plan for the day.’

‘Plan? Isn’t this meant to be a casual meeting to get to know Claudia?’

‘Yes, but surely you have some preliminary questions or an idea of the angle of your story?’

I’m ready to bite back with a sarcastic comment, but I force myself to pause and think this through. Maybe the reason Elliot’s getting under my skin is because I’m letting him? What if faking that I’m calm and in control is the best way to get the real upper hand with Elliot?

So I smile back at him and coolly say, ‘I’ve got a plan.’

I reach into my bag and pull out the notebook I always carry and wave it in his face.

‘See?’ I say. ‘All my notes are in here.’

Brushing past Elliot, I stop in front of the pool and observe the mosaic trim around the edge, trying to look nonchalant. My cool, calm composure doesn’t last long, because whenever I look up, I can see Elliot watching me. Staring at me.

‘Can you stop that?’ I demand.

‘Stop what?’

‘Watching my every move,’ I reply.

‘Considering the little spectacle you made at Dymocks, I think an extra pair of eyes on you is warranted.’

‘That was your fault,’ I snap.

‘I was trying to help you!’

‘Learn to read the room, Elliot. I don’t need your help.’

He doesn’t seem to be listening, and instead he lunges to grab the notebook out of my hand.

‘What the hell do you think you’re doing?’ I yank my hand away from him.

‘I just want to take a peek at your notes. If you’d be open to my feedback, you’d see that—’

‘I’m done listening to you,’ I spit back, cutting him off.

But he reaches for the notebook again. Furious, I sidestep him, and – suddenly I’m losing my balance, falling backwards. I reach out wildly, and when my hands find Elliot’s shirt I grab hold – hoping to stop myself from falling. Instead, he wobbles and comes down on top of me, right into the waiting infinity pool.

After the splash, everything is quiet for a moment as we are both submerged in the cool water.

‘What did you do that for?’ Elliot asks angrily once we’ve both surfaced. He pushes his soaked hair back and out of his eyes.

‘Me? You’re the one who forced me closer to the water,’ I yell at him.

‘Didn’t mean you had to pull me in too!’ he contends, splashing water in my direction.

I splash back at him, treading water for a moment before turning to climb out of the pool. I’m about to lift myself out when I notice someone watching Elliot and me from the deck.