Page 8 of The One That I Want

‘I do. She’s not just my protégé; she’s also my friend. Well,ish– I’m still her boss.’ She shakes her head, seeming lost in thought, then meets my eye. ‘Perhaps this whole thing is misguided. I realise it’s incredibly patronising of me, thinking I know best for someone else.’

‘Although, sometimes that’s the case,’ I say, thinking of the times I’ve had to nudge Shaz in the right direction – likenotending her relationship with her girlfriend, Lauren, because she was afraid to commit.

‘Look, I adore Greta,’ Anjali continues, ‘and if there’s something I can do to make her happy –happier, I should say, because she really is a cheerful person – then I want to do it. Which, of course, is where you would come in.’

‘As an advice columnist forNouveau Life.’

‘Yes.’

This still makes no sense. ‘And how exactly does that fit into your plan?’ I ask, hoping to get more clarity.

She rests her elbows on the desk, her dark-brown eyes flashing with excitement. ‘Iconvince Greta to hire you as acontributor, writing an advice column forNouveau Life, andyouhelp Greta find love.’

That’s it? That’s the extent of her plan? While writing an advice column could be interesting, I’m failing to see the connection between that and helping Greta find love. Does Anjali want me onsite atNouveautocoachGreta, to act as some kind of love mentor?

I couch my next question carefully, so I don’t come off as rude. ‘So, you’re envisioning that I work here undercover to dowhatexactly?’

‘Help Greta find love,’ she states matter-of-factly.

Great – still as clear as mud.

‘So, we’d be telling Greta who I really am? That I’m a matchmaker?’

Anjali appears horrified by the idea. ‘Oh no, definitely not. Then Greta would realise that we’re trying to find her a match.’

‘And you don’t want her to know?’ This is getting more complex – and less plausible – by the second.

‘Well, no. I think we only tell her about your experience as a psychologist. Surely that alone uniquely qualifies you as an advice columnist?’

I don’t agree, but her assumption raises another issue.

‘Aren’t you concerned that Greta already knows me from the Elle Bliss/Lorenzo article? Won’t she think it’s odd that a fashion journalist now wants to write an advice column?’

‘Oh… Interesting point,’ she says, frowning. ‘I hadn’t thought of that.’

She huffs out an exasperated sigh, and I quickly parse what I’ve gleaned so far – that Anjali seems to believe my very presence will magically draw the right man to Greta –andprepare Greta to pursue a romantic relationship with said man. So, matchmaking by osmosis?

And then it comes to me – the missing piece.

‘The advice column is an inspired idea,’ I say, blatantly buttering up the client – theVIPclient. ‘Being a contributor toNouveau Lifewould give me close proximity to Greta, allowing me to get to know her personally. It’s always helpful when selecting potential matches to know as much about the client as possible. It would also be the perfect cover story for the rest of the team, so they’re not confused about why I’m here.’

‘Well, that’s a much better way of articulating it.’ She gives me a wry smile.

‘But,’ I add – and here’s the clincher – ‘I think we should tell Greta who I am and what I really do.’

‘No, no, no…’ she says, lifting both palms towards me.

‘Please hear me out.’

‘All right.’ She sits back, regarding me intently.

‘We tell Greta I’m a matchmaker because you’re going to assign her an article forNouveau Life– actually, make it a series of articles. I’ll set her up on dates and she’ll write about her experiences. Ten first dates… Dating as a career woman… I’ll leave the angle up to you – or Greta – but dating will become herassignment. I’ll provide the dates, and if I’m successful, one of them will be Greta’s match. What do you think?’

That spark of excitement returns to her eyes, and she grins at me. ‘I think you’re a bloody genius.’

I chuckle softly. ‘I’ll take that.’

‘And the idea of it being a writing assignment – that’sperfect. Greta’s already told me she wants to contribute at least one piece per issue – keep her hand in as a writer, as it were.’

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