Page 46 of The Secret

“Yeah, that works. There’s a new cocktail bar in Chelsea I want to try. I’ll come over first and get you. I need to maximize my ops for seeing Jackson Foggerty anyway.”

I snorted. Jackson Foggerty would not know what had hit him if Payton and her ten-year obsession got her claws in. “Sounds good. So, what’s new with you? How’s your week been?”

“Not bad, but you know, it’s children’s books, etcetera, etcetera. It’s why I drink. But as we all know, I’m biding my time until I can move.”

I rolled my eyes. All Payton had ever wanted to be was a book editor at Simpson and Mather, one of the world’s largest publishing houses. She hadnotwanted to be a children’s book editor at Simpson and Mather, but took the job anyway because she thought it would be better to be in the building than waiting to get in. But she’d been waiting six years and was yet to admit that she actually enjoyed her job - and was very good at it.

“I brought you something though.” She picked up her gym bag and started rummaging through it before lifting out a few hardback books, the top one covered in a big fluffy bunny with a carrot in his mouth.

I flicked through them, all books which had yet to hit the shelves. “Thanks! These are amazing! I’ll read them to Bell later.”

“Have you found any jobs yet?”

I shook my head. “No, I haven’t had time to look. I need to find a new apartment too.”

“I thought the crazy girls were finding one for you.” By ‘crazy girls’ she meant Wolf and Freddie, because since that first phone call, that’s how she understandably referred to them, although in reality they were simply excitable and enthusiastic, as well as incredibly loving and loyal.

The waitress came over and cleared our empty plates. “Can I get you anything else?”

Payton looked at me in question, but there was no way I could fit anything else in. “No, we’re good, thanks.”

She walked off and Payton’s attention was back to me, waiting for me to continue.

“Yeah, they said they would. But they’ve done so much for me already. They organized all the movers the other week and put everything we packed into storage. It’s been super busy with Bell, so I haven’t really had the time to think, plus I didn’t want to take advantage. Columbia called me again too.”

“Have you decided what you want to do?”

“Nooooo, but I know I don’t want to nanny beyond this job, and I know I don’t want to be a kindergarten teacher.”

She tutted at me. “You already knew that. You should take the Columbia job. It doesn’t matter that they were the first to offer you something, whatever you do you’ll be amazing at. And Columbia will look great on your résumé, so you can move on if or when something else comes up.”

“I know. But I want some time to have head space and actually think so I can weigh up my options, which I haven’t been able to do.” The bill was placed on the table and I snatched it up. “I got this one.”

Her eyebrow arched at me. “So I should think after being so late we had to do a different class. It’s your fault if I can’t walk.”

My laughter set her own off. “Come on, let’s get out of here. Where are you dragging me first?”

Her arm linked through mine as we joined the bustling Sunday crowd on the street. Spring had arrived and the sky was bright and cloudless, enough that I needed to put my sunglasses on. “Let’s go and buy some sexy new outfits for our evening out on Wednesday, because we are going to rip the town up and get you laid again.”

“Sure, why not?” My phone started ringing and I reached into my pocket to pull it out, Murray’s name flashing across the screen. “Pay, hang on.”

I hit answer. “Hey, you okay?”

“Hey. It’s Murray.”

“Yes, I know.” I could hear Bell crying down the phone. “Are you okay?”

“Oh yes… well, no. Sorry for calling you, I don’t think Bell’s well. She’s not sleeping or drinking, she feels hot and she was sick again.” He was speaking quicker than normal, panic flushing his tone.

My hand shot up to cover my ear as a police car siren went off at the end of the block. “Have you given her anything?”

“No, I didn’t know what to give her.”

“Have you taken her temperature?”

“No, I didn’t know how.”

“That’s okay, don’t worry.” I glanced at Payton who was shuffling about on her feet, trying to figure out what was going on. “I can be there in thirty minutes.”

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