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Shoving back my chair, I push the thought of Roger from my mind and sift through the pile of post Min has left propped up on the counter. I spot an official-looking letter from Sussex University, and put down the rest of the envelopes to open it. They don’t usually send out new contracts this early, and I wonder if they’ve changed my course schedule.
I unfold the letter and quickly scan it, and then I read it again, more slowly this time, with mounting fury. I know exactly who’s behind this.
Well, if she thinks this will scare me off, she’s soon going to find out it’s had exactly the opposite effect. Two can play this game.
Maybe I haven’t changed that much after all.
Chapter 16
Caz
You’d think it’d be the thought of my husband in another woman’s bed that keeps me up at night, but it’s the idea of Louise in my home that makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I imagine her pawing through my clothes, opening drawers and cupboards, spitting at my photograph as she noses through my things. Andy thinks I’m ridiculous, of course. ‘She’d never do that,’ he said indignantly, when I objected to the arrangement, as if I was twisted for even thinking it.
I’ve put up with a lot over the years, God knows, but he’s crossed the line this time. Inviting Louise into ourhome, for God’s sake! Angie’s right: any other woman would have thrown him onto the street.
An email pings into my mailbox, startling me out of my bitter contemplation. I open it, then exclaim in frustration. ‘AJ! Get the creatives on the Vine account down here!’
AJ swings round in his chair. ‘What’s the problem?’
I tilt my computer screen towards him. ‘Take a look.’
‘Seems OK to me,’ AJ says.
‘Take acloserlook.’
He scoots over and peers over my shoulder, then looks at me, confused. ‘You said you wanted diverse. Mantiba is really cool right now, everyone’s using him. Her. You know what I mean. Gender fluidity is—’
‘I’m not worried about the model, AJ,’ I say tightly. ‘Take a look at what they’rewearing.’
‘You don’t like pyjamas? Vine want their kicks to look relaxed, like you could wear them all day—’
‘Blue-and-white-stripedpyjamas,’ I interrupt. ‘Remind you of anything?’
‘Not really,’ AJ says.
‘Well, maybe we might get away with it, though I think it’s a little close for comfort, if it wasn’t for thestar-shaped yellow Vine logoon the top left pocket.’
The penny drops.
‘Oh, my God!’ AJ exclaims.
‘There you go,’ I say, turning the monitor back to face me.
‘That looks just like—’
‘I don’tthinkHolocaust chic is a thing,’ I say, ‘but let’s not put it to the test, shall we? Go and put a rocket up the joint creative arse and get them to fucking sort it out, would you? Before we end up crucified in theDaily Mail.’
To my dismay, AJ’s eyes fill with tears. ‘I’m so sorry,’ he says. ‘I’ve let you down. This is all my fault—’
‘Shit, AJ. This isn’t on you.’ I crouch down by his desk and put my arm around him, feeling awful formaking him cry. ‘Come on. We caught it in time. It’ll be fine. There’s no need to panic.’
‘Wayne and I split up,’ he says suddenly. ‘It’s OK. It’d been on the cards for a while.’
I’m a crap friend. I should’ve picked up on this sooner. AJ’s always been a bit fragile. He was brutally beaten up by some homophobic thugs in his second year at art school, and dropped out of college for a year. The worst of it was, his boyfriend at the time was still in the closet, and actually joined in the attack. AJ’s found it hard to trust anyone since then, and it took him a long time to risk his heart again. ‘Oh, AJ,’ I say softly. ‘I’m so sorry. I thought you two would really go the distance.’
His eyes cloud. ‘So did I.’
AJ’s phone rings, and he takes the call. ‘Talk later,’ I mouth, and he gives me a quick thumbs up.
