Page 64 of The Plot Twist

‘Well, yes, Will knows I’m working with Martin, but he doesn’tknowthat we’re discussing his parents’ marriage or that I am using it as the basis for my next book. Nor does heknowthat I knew he was Martin’s son before just now and that I didn’t tell him.’

Jess frowned. ‘I didn’t actually realise that you were using their marriage in the book. That’s a bit off, isn’t it? Does Martin know?’

Allie reddened. ‘Well, no, not exactly. I mean, he knows I was using some of his stories as inspiration but…’ She tailed off. ‘Christ, this is worse than I imagined, isn’t it?’

Jess gave a big sigh and put the piece of crusty bread down that she was about to shovel into her mouth. ‘I hate to say it, but yes, it’s bad. I’m not sure how you’re going to salvage this. Honestly, Al, what were you thinking? Did you not think that Martin and/or Will were eventually going to figure out that you were using both of them for your book?’

‘I wasn’tusingthem!’ bristled Allie. ‘I really like Will. I like Martin too. I’d started to think of him as a real friend.’

‘But that’s the thing, friends don’t tell each other’s stories without asking permission first. Imagine how I would feel if you’d used me or my relationship with Tom in one of your books?’

‘I did! Remember book five? I used your meet cute at my book signing?’

‘Yes,’ replied Jess firmly, ‘and you asked us beforehand if it was OK to do so.’

Allie was about to protest further and then she shut her mouth. Because Jess was right, it wasn’t OK for her to have used Martin’s marriage for her book. She had justified it by telling herself that she had been frank with Martin about using some of the stories and situations he had shared with her. But she had never categorically pointed out that she was planning to use his and Angie’s forty-year love affair, near catastrophic demise and the redemptive arc that Martin was currently climbing. Nor had she told Will. And how would she feel if she discovered that someone was using her parents’ marriage without telling her or them? Once she had got over the shock she would have felt very betrayed. Especially if the betrayal had been conducted by someone she thought cared about her.

‘Shit. I’ve messed up.’

‘Can I ask you something? This whole thing with Martin? Do you, I mean have you … you don’t think it’s got something to do with your dad?’

‘What?’ Allie snapped. ‘What do you mean?’

Jess paused, obviously wondering how to bring up the perennially sensitive subject. ‘I just mean, I know how close you were to him, and I know how much you miss him…’

Allie squinted at her friend. ‘Are you suggesting I’musingMartin as some kind of father figure?’

Jess sighed. ‘I don’t know, I just think you seem overly invested in making someone else’s book work. And overly invested in his opinion?’

Allie started to go a little pink. ‘That’s because Iaminvested in his book working, because he’s my friend. And Iaminvested in his opinion,because he’s my friend, anda bestselling author.’

‘But Allie, you’re a bestselling author too. I’m just saying that maybe there’s another reason this has all come about.’

‘Daddy issues?’ spat Allie.

‘No,’ Jess said resignedly, ‘not like that. I’m just worried about you. I’m worried about your book, I’m worried that you’re ruining a thing with a guy who you obviously really like. And I’m worried you’re not thinking straight.’

‘I am thinking straight and this has zero to do with my dad, OK?’

‘OK.’ Jess held her hands up in surrender. ‘So what are you going to do next? Here, have an olive, you look like you’re about to faint.’

Allie gingerly took the olive on a cocktail stick that Jess was holding out at her like a white flag.

‘Well I need to come clean, don’t I?’

‘You do,’ confirmed Jess.

‘Do you think it will be OK?’

‘In what sense? As in will Martin forgive you? Will Will still want to have sex with you? Will you still have a book to deliver? Which one?’

‘All of the above?’ Allie confirmed weakly, reaching for some salami and hoping the salt would revive her.

Jess considered this for a moment. ‘Hard to tell, given I don’t know either of them or much about the book publishing world.’

Allie groaned and put her head in her hands and not even the can-canning burlesque dancers could distract her from Jess’s miserable suggestion that some of this mess could be put down to the fact that she still hankered after her dead dad’s approval.

ChapterTwenty

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