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“All okay. Seating plan is done, I put you with Jerry,” she said with awink.
I chuckled. “Thank you. Now, let’s find the cateringmanager.”
After a brief meeting to confirm food allergies had been taken into consideration, we met with the event planner and confirmed table layout, the entertainment hadn’t pulled out at the last minute, and that they had enough of the wine Jerry had selected for eachtable.
“Fancy a drink?” Jenny said, once we weredone.
“Sure, whynot.”
We headed to the bar and I hesitated before entering. “He hasn’t checked in yet,” shesaid.
I took a deep breath and sighed. “I checked so I could warn you,” sheadded.
“You’re a star, you knowthat?”
“I know you don’t want to talk about it, but I can tell you this, pretty much every woman in the company has yourback.”
That Idoubted.
“Jenny, it’s not that I don’t want to talk about it, I mean, I can hardly avoid it since we both work at the same company. It’s more that I want to distance it from work. I don’t want it to encroach into how I do myjob.”
We ordered two glasses of wine and found a corner with two low chairs and a coffee table to sitat.
“I was talking to Penelope, Patrick’s assistant. She said that she spat in Scott’s coffee after he’d demanded she make him a cup.” She laughed as she took a sip of her wine. “Not that we were gossiping about you,” she added quicklyafter.
“It’s okay, I hope the fucker drankit.”
It actually felt good to drop the career woman façade for a few moments. Jenny looked at me, wide-eyed, I think it was probably the first time she’d ever heard meswear.
“Are you okay, though? This has got to be hard,” shesaid.
“I’m nervous, of course. I haven’t been in the same environment as him, socially, for a while. But it’s just one night. I’lllive.”
It was as I finished my sentence that I saw him. A man with blond hair, wearing a white shirt and black trousers, faced reception. He had his back to me, but I’d know him anywhere. I caught movement beside him and my stomachlurched.
“Oh my God, he fucking brought her,” Jennysaid.
Standing beside Scott was the bitch he’d had, correction, was still having, an affair with. Partners had been invited to join us for Saturday evening; most had opted to leave theirs at home. Was he trying to make astatement?
“What a prick,” Jenny said, bringing my attention back toher.
“I think I’ll head to myhotel.”
“Don’t let him drive you out,” shesaid.
“He isn’t, but you don’t want to see me smack that bitch if she tries to talk to me,” I laughed, a fakelaugh.
I placed my glass on the coffee table and waited until they’d headed toward the lift. I heard his laughter as he met his colleagues. I saw her hand on his back. My stomach was in knots, I felt physically sick that he would do that to me. That he would bring her to a company event knowing I would be in attendance. Did he hate me? He must have. Before I allowed those tears, that had caused my throat to constrict, to fall, I snuckout.
* * *
Babe,I just found out. I’m telling her to fuck off. Jx
Jerry’s text had come through the minute I’d walked through my hotel roomdoor.
It’s fine. Let the fuckers think they have one over on me. I will smile and laugh, I might even get drunk and kiss someone ;)Ireplied.
Let that be me, please? Think on it, how wonderful would it be if he thought you were fucking the boss?Jerrytexted.
