Page 73 of Shout Out To My Ex

He shoves the last of the designs into his satchel – some of which are mine, I realise – and starts towards the door.

‘Wait.’ He does, rounding on me so quickly, I step back, startled. ‘I just… When are working together next?’

The question pops out before I recognise what it means: I’m prepared to continue this collaboration – despite having just spewed a decade’s worth of anger and hurt at him, or that he’s left so much unexplained…

And despite that Leo is now rushing off to speak to his fiancée.

‘Oh, right.’ He blinks at me as if he’s as shocked by my question as I am. ‘Uh, how’s tomorrow?’

‘Really? But it’s Satur?—’

‘Keep the momentum going, don’t you think?’

‘Okay, yes, all right.’

He starts towards the door again.

‘So, here?’ I ask.

‘Sure, yeah – probably best, ’cause my workroom’s still, you know…’

‘Right, still under construction. And what time?’

I hate that I’m keeping him – his desire to leave is plainly evident – but I don’t want to spend all day tomorrow waiting for him to arrive. Because waiting for Leo Jones would be a very Eloise Bliss thing to do, as demonstrated by the past ten years.

‘Eleven work for you?’ he asks. I nod, unsure of what else to say. ‘Cool.’

He’s about to leave, but spins around as if he’s suddenly remembered something. He walks back to me, leans down, and kisses my cheek – a cold, dry peck and a far cry from THE CHEEK KISS. ‘See ya tomorrow.’

And then he’s gone, and I’m left staring after him, my insides in knots and my knickers very much in a twist.

23

POPPY

A week after theNouveauphotoshoot, Cassie makes an appointment with me and Nasrin at the agency.

Most of her updates have come via text message or phone call, including Elle’s admission that she’s falling for Leo again – a huge win for us – so I can only imagine what kind of update an in-person meeting warrants.

But when I greet Cassie at reception, she doesn’t seem stressed or upset, so maybe this is good news.

‘Come on through,’ I say, leading the way into a meeting room. Nasrin is already seated at the table and looks up from her tablet when we enter.

‘Hiya, Cassie.’

‘Hello. Look, I’ll get straight to the point,’ she says, taking a seat. I sit opposite her. ‘I’ve been doing a little digging.’

‘Into?’ asks Nas.

‘Leo. Now I know you’ve got Marie and she’s made some brilliant finds – that video of Franzia being a diva, for one – oh, and his publicist’s list! But this is more about what’s going on withhim.’

‘How do you mean?’ Nasrin asks.

‘Well, after Elle met up with Leo last month – that first meeting at the restaurant – she told me he was dressed head-to-toe in denim, like Ken from theBarbiefilm. And, Poppy, you saw what Leo wore for his show.’

Nasrin looks to me.

‘Think a stripper dressed as a cowboy.’

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