Page 95 of The Cottage in the Highlands

Athena pushed out her Botoxed bottom lip with disapproval. “Why?”

I drew on all my acting skills, which were rather limited. “I don’t want to jinx it, but I’m very close to bagging another possible exclusive. Also, I’d like to check out a few contacts about the Chandler story, before we fully commit.” I plastered on a big smile. “We want to get all our ducks in a row, don’t we?”

I kept my gaze fixed on Athena, pulling on all the confidence and persuasiveness I could muster. I was also aware I was throwing one of her favourite phrases back at her. It was almost like a game of who would dare to blink first.

Athena’s brows tangoed. “That sounds intriguing.”

“Oh, it is.”

Beside Athena, Kerry reminded me of a wobbly deer on ice. She was still struggling to make eye contact with me.

“And you can’t give me any more details at the moment?” pushed Athena.

“I’m afraid not. All will be revealed soon though.”

As soon as I can come up with a plan.

“I’m not saying we can’t go ahead and publish the Chandler story,” I clarified. “All I’m asking is for a little more time to tie up a couple of loose ends.”

Athena relaxed in her chair and steepled her fingers. “All right. You’ve got one more week, young lady to get the information and clarification you need. Deal?”

I stifled a sigh of relief. I channelled Athena’s coolness. “Deal. Thank you.”

I departed Athena’s office and exhaled a rush of breath. Now all I had to do was think of an idea that could make this Chandler exclusive dead in the water. No pressure then.

“Leonie.”

Kerry was shuffling from foot to foot by Orion’s desk. She flicked me a look from under her lashes.

I could barely bring myself to speak to her, let alone look at her. “What is it? What do you want?”

“Can I talk to you for a moment please?”

“I don’t think so. Whatever we talk about will end up being printed.”

Her bottom lip wobbled. “Please, Leonie. I’m so sorry. I need to explain.” I offered her a frozen stare. “Look, I don’t blame you for being furious with me. Just let me explain what happened and then you don’t have to talk to me ever again.”

There was another bigger lip wobble. I was also aware of a couple of colleagues beginning to watch us from the office floor.

I rolled my eyes. “Come on then. Let’s go to the breakout area. You seem very familiar with it.”

Kerry reddened. I knew it was a cheap comment, but I couldn’t help it. I sizzled with betrayal and, in turn, Flynn thought I had betrayed him. That thought twisted inside me, like a knife, over and over.

No sooner had we arrived under the spot lit ceiling of the breakout area than Kerry’s eyes brimmed with guilty, fearful tears. “I’m sorry! I’m so sorry.”

I dragged an exhausted hand through my tangle of curls. “What on earth did you think you were doing? I thought I could trust you.”

She gulped back a sob. “I should have told you about Athena, but she was having another go at me, telling me to up my game.” She dashed a tear from her cheek. “She started going on about what a mistake she had made giving me this opportunity and that I was letting her down.”

She let out a sob-laden breath. “I got so angry. All I kept thinking about was being able to prove her wrong; to show her I wasn’t useless.” Kerry swallowed. “I happened to be passing by here and I overheard you talking to a good-looking guy with dark hair.”

Flynn.

Her chest heaved with guilt at the memory of it. “You were both having a heated discussion and then I heard him say something about his grandfather being the people’s artist.” Kerry cast her eyes downwards to the petrol-blue carpet. “I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. When he’d gone, I checked out the visitor signing-in book down at security and it listed his name as Flynn Talbot.” Kerry flushed deeper claret at her deception. “I wasn’t going to say anything to Athena at first, but then I kept going over what she had said to me and something snapped.” She pulled her watery green eyes away from me. “I just wanted to prove my aunt wrong and show her that I’m not some naïve no-hoper.”

“Well, congratulations to you. You’ve just gone and bagged the exclusive of the year, if not the decade. What a Christmas present. You must be thrilled.” She dropped her head and sniffed. “You have indeed managed to find out who the elusive Chandler is and in doing so, you have well and truly dropped me in it now,” I whispered, my frustration evident. “Not only does the man I have grown to care so very much about now think I’m a cheap liar who would sell her own granny to get a story, I’ve got to try and come up with a plan to stop this exclusive being printed.” I puffed out my cheeks. “If it does go to print, it’s going to damage people that I have grown very fond of.”

“I can help,” she offered, butting in and sending her sheepish green eyes wide.