Page 61 of Be More Lucy

A sneery thing to say. Josh was showing his true colours today. But Lucy was conscious she was stuck in a car with him. She didn’t want to get into a row now. ‘He’s not much older than me, but if that’s what you think.’

‘Past his physical peak. Unlike me.’ Josh glanced at the satnav. ‘And in 30 minutes’ time, I’ll give you a reminder of what an excellent physical specimen I am.’

Cocky sod. He was going to be disappointed. She should’ve taken the train home.

Josh must’ve sensed her mood. His next sentence was more conciliatory.

‘I’m sorry I went off with Hannah. I’d have rather spent the time with you. It got fucking boring after an hour. You wouldn’t have given me chapter and verse on Virginia Woolf’s life.’

Josh put his left hand on Lucy’s leg and slowly moved it up her thigh, pushing her skirt up higher.

‘I’d prefer it if you kept both hands on the wheel,’ she said.

He took his hand away. ‘You didn’t say that the other day.’

‘You weren’t driving at 90 miles an hour in the outer lane of a busy motorway then.’

Lucy concentrated on her phone again, hoping it would discourage Josh from chatting.

He took the hint. She opened Instagram. Perhaps her friends and family had had more successful weekends. She paused over the latest post from Mark. A selfie of him and Hannah embracing in front of an airport departure board, both of them smiling at the camera as if they were the happiest couple in the world. Lucy read the caption.

Heading back home with my darling H #missingspain #couplegoals

It didn’t look like Mark was upset with Hannah. So much for him being passed his fuck by date. She put her phone away and watched the suburbs of Birmingham whizz by.

Twenty minutes later, Josh pulled up on the double yellow lines outside Lucy’s flat. ‘I’ll drop you and our bags off, then find somewhere to park.’

They both got out of the car.

Josh opened the boot and passed Lucy her case.

‘You can leave yours in there,’ she said.

‘But I’ll need it for tonight.’

‘That’s why you better take it home.’ She smiled. ‘Bye, Josh,’ she said as she walked towards the entrance.

33

‘That should help.’ Kizzy put a steaming mug of tea down on the conference table in front of Lucy.

They’d just finished the latest in a series of tricky meetings with Lucy’s newest clients, the two directors of a company that imported artisan coffee from obscure locations around the world. After enduring their continuous bickering for two hours, Lucy could understand why their previous marketing company had decided to end their contract.

‘Thank you! You’re an angel.’ Lucy leant back in her chair. ‘I wish they were more willing to listen to our advice instead of point-scoring against one another. We’ve been in this room most of the morning, and all we’ve agreed on is a change of font for their logo.’

‘Perhaps we should bin them off?’ Kizzy suggested.

Lucy laughed. ‘If we got rid of every client you suggested we binned off, I’d have no business, and you and Flynn would be looking for new jobs.’

She looked through the glass wall where Flynn was beavering away on a new ad campaign on his Mac. ‘If we can make this account work, we can afford to take on another member of staff, and then you and Flynn won’t have to work so hard. I’m not going to give up on Swanky Grinders just yet.’

‘Do you think they fancy one another?’

‘Who?’

‘The Swanky Grinders - Michael and Aaron.’

‘What makes you say that?’

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