Page 28 of Fake It 'til You Make It

‘Word is spreading fast. Pain and scandal make for the best gossip, Ted. It’s not intended to be cruel; it’s mindless.’

‘Are we in single figures or double?’ I don’t know why I’m so fixated on a number. Numbers are logical, I suppose. They help make sense of things that can otherwise seem out of control. Forinstance,allof our 176 employees knowing would seem impossible to contain. But 10 or even 20 percent I could live with.

‘I don’t think you want me to sugar coat it, so I’ll say the 50 percent who don’t bury their heads in code and analytics all day long.’

I slump back against my seat. ‘Where did it come from?’

‘Best guess? Kimberley.’

Roman’s assistant. No doubt out of jealousy. She’s a fairly forgetful assistant, yet Roman keeps her around, mostly for an ego boost. The flirting is mutually enjoyed, I’ve always thought. So long as it doesn’t interfere with business, I don’t need to step in.

I mentally chastise myself.Howhave I trusted Roman withanywoman for so long?

I guess I didn’t. I trusted him to be a good friend. I trusted him with me.

‘What’s Roman saying about it?’

Mel sighs. ‘Ted, I— Does it matter? What aboutyou? I only care what you’ve got to say about it.’

‘Is he saying anything?’

She looks at me through her camera like I’m a vulnerable, naïve boy to be pitied. I’ve seen the look before. Whenever I was compared to my brother and found lacking as a kid. Except with hindsight, I know now that I just wasn’t the star player in team sports; I hadn’t found my thing then. When I found my perfect match in tech, I showed all those people who pitied me. Look at the business I’ve built.

But I didn’t build it alone. Tech may have been my perfect match but my choices in close relationships have been demonstrably appalling.

‘I— He doesn’t seem to be denying it or trying to stop the chatter,’ Mel says.

I knew that would be the case. I wouldn’t be surprised if he told Kimberley the truth, knowing he would set a domino train in motion.

He wants out, to cash in. He’s trying to force my hand. I shouldn’t, I know, she doesn’t deserve it, but I feel protective of Fleur. Roman has used her to get to me. He’s not behaving like a friend who fucked up; he’s behaving like the Green Goblin to my Spiderman.

Closing my eyes, I rub my temples. ‘Mel, there is something specific I’d like you to do. Please have Hugh Atkins call me today.’

‘Your personal lawyer?’

‘Yes. Please.’

Mel types a note on her laptop. ‘Will do. Anything else?’

Not that my mind can process. ‘Not at the moment, thanks.’

‘Okay, boss.’

We each stare into our screens. I’d like to see her. Who knows if I really can trust anyone anymore but if I can, Mel has to be one of the goods ones. I can’t face going back there. Not right now. I don’t know when. Half the office is talking about me. Soon the whole office will be talking about me. And eventually, the rumor mill will hit Fleur’s social media profiles and the wider business world.

‘Ted,’ she says eventually. ‘I’m just… sorry. So sorry. I don’t even know what to say. I can’t believe they’ve done?—’

I force my lips up. ‘Hey, there are plenty more fish in the sea, right?’

I don’t believe that. Of course I don’t believe that. But it’s time to save face, to retain a modicum of integrity. And that’s the kind of thing my big brother would say.

It’s not like I was going to marry Fleur and vow to spend the rest of my life with her. It’s not like Fleur is a model andinfluencer and has hundreds of thousands of followers on Instagram alone.

Oh, wait…

‘Yeah, right. If you need anything…’

I nod, give a swift thanks and end the call. Now I’m going to spend today considering my options with my lawyer, so Fleur and Roman can add to the list of shitty things they’ve done: ruining Coding Fridays.

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