Page 92 of Shout Out To My Ex

‘The distinction being that the second option will be us “bringing back the hat”? Or attempting to.’

‘I think so. Don’t you?’

‘Excuse me, Elle,’ says Zara. I’ve been so caught up with Leo, I didn’t even notice her standing there.

‘What’s up?’

She’s grasping her phone as though it holds the secrets to life, the universe, and everything. She holds it up. ‘Just wondering if you’ve seen this?’

I take the phone from her, and Leo leans in to read over my shoulder. It’s some sort of article with the headline:

Announcing a Collaboration Between the World’s Hottest Young Designers

The first two lines mention me and Leo and how we’re working together. I’m about to read on when Leo steps away, sighing loudly and cupping the back of his neck with both hands.

‘Thank god,’ he says. He expels another loud breath.

It’s obvious Leo had something to do with this but before I ask, I turn back to Zara. ‘You’ve read it?’

‘Yep. It’s about how you’re just working together – that nothing’s going on between you,’ she says, glancing at Leo. ‘Nothingromantic,’ she adds unnecessarily.

This brings instantaneous relief – I’ve hated being painted as ‘the other woman’. But it also highlights the crux of my dilemma: that the more time I spend with Leo, the more Iwantthere to be something romantic between us.

‘What site is this on?’ I ask her, hoping this will set yesterday’s tabloid readers straight.

‘It’s everywhere –Fashion Now, Today in Fashion, First Looks.’

‘Oh,’ I reply, disappointed.

‘It should have gone out wider than that,’ Leo pipes in.

So, thiswashis doing.

‘Wait, I think it has,’ says Zara, navigating on her phone. ‘Look,’ she says, holding it up for us to see, ‘it’s on the BBC site.’

‘Well, ifthey’vepicked it up…’ says Leo, voicing my exact thought.

‘Thank you, Zara,’ I say.

‘Sure,’ she replies with a cheerful smile. I suspect she might be atinybit disappointed that I’m not embroiled in a lovetriangle with Leo and Franzia – she can get in the queue – but I do appreciate her bringing this to me.

‘So, the clearing of Mystery Woman’s name…’ says Leo, coming back to the workbench.

‘Indeed. Your doing, I presume?’

‘Joint effort. I called Aunt Serena this morning. Super late her time, but she’s a night owl. Anyhoo, we agreed to confront the rumours head on, get out in front of them, and clarify that you and I are simply colleagues, pooling our talents in a collaborative collection –andthat we were close back in college, in case that comes up at some point.’

The ‘simply colleagues’ stings, as does the ‘close back in college’ remark, especially after our moment yesterday in the museum, but I let it go – for now.

‘And “World’s Hottest Young Designers”?’

‘Aunt Serena’s idea, to build the hype.’ I nod. ‘You can read the whole thing, if you like,’ he says, taking his phone out of his front pocket.

‘Oh really? Why, thank you so much!’

‘Wait, are you pissed at me or something?’

‘No! Well…yes, actually.’

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