Page 76 of We Used To Be Magic

‘My thoughts exactly. But it’s not like any of it was mine, so …’ He sighs again, running a thumb around the rim of his empty cup.

‘To top it off, the rent is going up,’ he adds morosely. ‘I’ll have to pick up some extra shifts.’

‘Except you’re already working full-time?’

‘That’s late capitalism, baby.’

‘I didn’t realise we’d be three.’

Mac and I turn to see Marika, wearing brick-coloured trousers and an oversized white shirt. It’s the most casual ensemble I’ve ever seen her in, and yet half of the restaurant isopenly staring. She throws her coat over the back of a chair and takes a seat beside Mac, either oblivious or unbothered.

‘Post-work drinks?’ she asks, surveying the table.

‘Something like that,’ I say. ‘I’m not staying.’

‘He’s keeping me company,’ Mac confirms, getting to his feet. ‘And he can keep you company while I go pee.’

‘Lucky me,’ Marika says dryly, leaning backwards and regarding me with her fox-like eyes as Mac breezes away. ‘Good day?’

‘Could be worse. How are you?’

‘Good.’ She nods. ‘Busy. How’s Audrey?’

‘Shouldn’t I be asking you that?’ I say.

Marika smiles. ‘I don’t know. I get the sense that you’re seeing more of her than I do.’

‘Not since yesterday,’ I say, sounding more defensive than I’d like. My ear feels hot suddenly – thing is, I’ve got no idea how cool to play this. There’s a chance that Audrey’s told her everything, but Audreyalsotold me that Marika spends most of her time with Nicole, meaning maybe Marika won’t know that things have … escalated.

‘Yeah?’ Marika says, raising her eyebrows slightly. ‘Was that the gallery thing?’

‘The cinema.’ I smile, ignoring a twinge of discomfort. ‘Gallery was the day before.’

Maybe it’s weird, but I don’t really like thinking about that night at the gallery. It was when Audrey and I first kissed, obviously, so on one level it was probably the greatest night of my life. On another, I can’t quite get past that conversation I had with the girl in the smoking area, and my insane, paranoid conviction that Julian or Jonah or whatever his fucking name is did something to Audrey.

I mean – yes, he is a confirmed creep. Yes, Audrey has been in contact with him at least twice – the photoshoot andhis party, after which she was extremely upset. But I have no way of knowing if they even interacted that night. I barely noticed him – didn’t even realise he was the host until someone pointed him out, and I turned to see this bored-looking dude in painter overalls and thousand-dollar sneakers. Except now I remember him smirking unpleasantly, eyes roving the room. It’s projection, I know. But …

‘I actually got talking to a girl in the smoking area about that brand you guys are working with,’ I hear myself say. ‘At the gallery, this is.’

‘Oh?’ Marika says mildly, but her eyes are intent. She’s seen straight past my casual segue, I realise, immediately recognising that I’m burying some kind of lede. I feel a flicker of doubt, but it’s already too late to change course. Besides, I have no intention of spouting my fucked-up little conspiracy theory. I just figure that if she’s worked with this guy, she has a right to know what kind of person he is.

‘Yeah,’ I continue, attempting to sound blasé. ‘It turns out that a friend of hers used to work there. So did that photographer you guys did the shoot with. Julian. Except he wasn’t actually called Julian—’

‘Jonah,’ Marika says. ‘He changed his name.’

‘Right,’ I say, taken aback. I’d assumed this would be a revelation to her.

‘Is that the whole story?’ she prompts. ‘A girl knows a girl who knew Julian?’

‘No, uh – it’s that I think he might be a fucked-up person,’ I manage, looking down at my sake cup. ‘I mean – that’s what it sounded like, anecdotally. And you and Audrey both spent time with him, so, like – I just thought you might want to know.’

‘Fucked-up how?’

‘Uh – harassing this girl when she was an intern,’ I say, throat dry. ‘Groping her at a party. And maybe others – it sounded like it might have been a recurring thing, but I don’t really know.’

Marika says nothing to that. I still can’t bring myself to look at her but she remains perfectly still in my periphery.

‘I guess I just wanted to make sure that you won’t see him again,’ I add. ‘The campaign – that’s over now?’

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