Page 77 of Unstitch

Fuck, I wish I’d been a fly on the wall to see him undoing Dex. It must have been crazy levels of hot.

So, yeah, I’m feeling a bit more hopeful now that Dex has sent me that lovely text. I’ve only read it about fifty times. (Maybe sixty.) Still, the balance has now swung away from my worries that Gen will kill me—and Max—when she hears what I’ve been up to and in favour of getting some sisterly advice.

She and Anton got back last night, and I’m sure she’ll have a tonne of work to catch up on, but I bet I can persuade her to grab a bite to eat. I’ll rope Maddy into my plans too, and she can help coerce Gen if need be.

My sister looks revoltingly, stunningly tanned. Her skin is a dark, even gold and her hair is platinum and, in her ice-pink linen sheath dress, she’s easily the most gorgeous and elegant woman in the Dover Street Arts Club today.

I suspect she’s also the happiest. You could see her glow from space.

Maddy’s dressed down in skintight grey Varley yoga pants and a cute pink cropped t-shirt. I’m pretty sure she’s flouting the dress code, but I don’t see any of the businessmen around us complaining. And I’m in an easy sherbet-yellow maxi dress that I’ve totally failed to iron, but no one is looking at the creases, because it’s my boobs’ best friend.

Yep. We’re definitely the most interesting people in here.

Gen has given us the rundown of her honeymoon (to recap: sex, food, sailing, sex, food, sailing, rinse and repeat). It sounds like it was incredible.

‘It’s really nice to know Anton’s stepped down, though, isn’t it?’ I muse. ‘He’ll have loads more time to spend with you now—maybe that’ll make being back a bit easier.’

‘You say that,’ my sister scoffs, breaking open a bread roll, ‘but he’s gone into the office this morning. He’s got serious IPO FOMO—the man’s incorrigible.’

Maddy laughs while I freeze. If Anton’s seeing Max today then it’s another reason to come clean. No way will Max be able to keep his mouth shut, and my sister needs to hear this from me.

The conversation veers towards Maddy and Zach’s wedding, which is happening in Puglia in a month’s time. ‘It feels so awful not inviting you,’ she pouts in my direction, ‘but Zach’s being really strict about the guest list. I’m so sorry.’

‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ I tell her. ‘You’ve only known me a couple of months. I’d never expect an invitation.’ I smile coyly. ‘Besides, I’ve got some stuff going on that’s keeping London interesting for me right now.’

Maddy shoots me an excited grin. She thinks she knows what I’m going to say, but she’s not remotely up to speed.

‘Go on,’ Gen says in her best headmistress voice as she cuts a wafer-thin slice of beef carpaccio. The subtext is clear: think very carefully before you get yourself into trouble.

I shoot a panicked look at Maddy, who nods encouragingly, and take a deep breath. ‘I’ve been seeing Max.’

Gen’s head jerks up. ‘Seeing as in…’

‘Seeing.’ He did take me for lunch that time, after all. Even if I fucked him in his office beforehand.

She frowns. ‘I’m going to fucking kill him. I told him to stay away from you.’

‘Well, he didn’t,’ I say. I won’t mention his attempt to pay me to dance for him. ‘And we’re happy.’

That gets her attention. ‘Really?’ she asks, her voice softer. ‘I get it, believe me. He’s a ridiculously attractive, charismatic guy. But he’s Max, you know? Variety is the spice of life for him. Anton says he despairs of him ever settling down. I just don’t want him hurting you.’

‘I know,’ I say. I feel a bit emotional for some reason. ‘For what it’s worth, I don’t think he will.’

‘He’s really into her,’ Maddy volunteers. ‘They’ve seen each other almost every night since he asked—since they got it on. Isn’t that right, babes?’

I’m seriously relieved Maddy just didn’t throw me under the bus with an accidental mention of his indecent proposal. ‘Yeah. He’s been really sweet. And… protective.’ I think of how angry he’s been with Dex for ghosting me. I could never have imagined Max getting so incensed that someone didn’t follow through after sex, especially because he’s probably done it to a million poor men and women himself.

‘Well, that’s lovely to hear,’ Gen says, cutting into her watercress salad. She says it with feeling, but I suspect she’s not totally convinced. Not yet, anyway.

‘There’s something else,’ I say, my gaze flitting between the two of them. ‘It’s pretty crazy, and I don’t know what to make of it, but it’s driving me absolutely insane, and I need some advice.’

That gets their attention. They both set their cutlery down on their plates and stare at me expectantly. Maddy’s grinning—she’s the biggest gossip I know.

‘This is really, really confidential,’ I tell her specifically. ‘You can’t tell Belle—I mean it.’

She screws up her pretty little nose. ‘Belle? What the heck does Belle have to do with it?’

‘Do you promise or not?’ I demand, pointing my knife at her.

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