Page 41 of Fake It 'til You Make It

So maybe she does play a role and maybe I’ll keep playing mine. After all, don’t a pro ball player and an actress make a good match? Better than a computer coder.

In any event, she’s helping to clean up the mess this morning and, when she’s not being headstrong, she’s a distraction I could do with whilst I’m here in New York. Bickering with her takes my mind off real life. And she’s completely safe female company because she is so far beyond what would be good for me right now.

At some point, I have to make a decision on my next move and get out of my brother’s apartment anyway. Out of Abbey’s apartment block. Away from New York.

15

ABBEY

Is this man for real?

Most people would have reneged on last night’s bet. He narrowly beat me at bouldering and frankly, I kicked his butt when it came to snowboarding.

But I let a competitive streak I didn’t know I have until last night get the better of me.

New Abbey is a menace! I went all or nothing on one final game and Mike won.

Now, he’s in the loo on the phone to his brother, and I am solo cleaning the apartment.

Moving over to the large dining table, a focal point in the open space, with the cityscape the focal point of would-be diners, I get increasingly slammy with the pizza crusts, pizza boxes, Coca-Cola cans and beer bottles as I thrust them into my trash bag.

Jarring amongst the chaos, neatly positioned at one head of the table, is a closed Mac and, on top of it, a bundle of papers.

I’m not lookingper se, I just can’t help noticing that the top document is a printed email thread.

Ted,

Thanks for your time on the phone earlier.

I have been through the partnership documents for Vanguard RED Technologies and I have broken down in the attached document the ways in which either you or Roman could instigate an exit from the business.

I’m genuinely sorry to hear things have gone sour. Hopefully I can help make this next step a seamless transition for you.

Let me know when would be a good time to discuss.

Hugh

Hugh Atkins

Head of Corporate Law

Atkins, Turner and Heath

Hearing the bathroom door open startles me and I jump, knocking a used plate from the table, wincing when it breaks into two pieces.

‘Gosh, sorry, it slipped,’ I tell Mike, fumbling to pick up the pieces from the floor, hoping he didn’t catch me reading personal documents.

Although, clearly not personal to him, personal to Ted. Who is Ted and why was Mike looking at his documents?

Never mind, really none of my business. Plus, sports guys must make investments, right? Then, who knows what a pro baseball player gets paid. I could probably retire on as much money.

‘Don’t worry, I can afford a replacement.’ The way he says it is so arrogant, it plays right into the thoughts I was just having – rich and carefree. ‘That was my brother on the phone,’ he says, as if it wasn’t obvious. An apology for leaving me to clean uphismess would have been a better use of words.

Exasperated, I end up slapping my hands to my hips and snapping. ‘Can we just get on with this? A bet is a bet but I have things to do today.’

He rolls his eyes as he turns his back on me to start picking up trash, but I catch it and there’s no mistaking his sarcasm as he asks, ‘Like shopping and doing your hair?’

I really want to take the half-eaten slice of pizza I pick up next and wipe the passata all over his smug face. ‘Yes, actually. I have a date.’ So screw you. I’m desirable and I can be funny and, oh crap, why am I going on a date? I have no idea what dating etiquette is in 2024. In fact, I don’t have any idea what the dating etiquette is in any year and I’m absolutely nervous as hell.

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