Page 112 of I Knew You Were Trouble

‘Agreeing to the donation?’ I ask, looking at the others excitedly.

‘Yep. And if I can get him to do that, then “Penny” could be in London by next Friday.’

‘Are you saying that we could be confronting Jon in less than a week?’

‘Is that Adriana?’ Poppy asks – I should have made this a video call.

‘Yes, it’s Adriana.’

‘It’s sounds like you’re ready to wrap this up,’ says Poppy, commiserating.

‘I am – we all are,’ she replies.

Poppy laughs. ‘To be honest, that would suit me as well. My parents are arriving from Australia soon and I’d like to have all this done and dusted before they get here.’

Adriana smiles at me across the table; she seems relieved.

‘Okay,’ says Poppy, ‘how about you both tell him no – maybe space your messages out twenty or thirty minutes, so you don’t raise his suspicions – and I’ll wait to hear from him. In the meantime, I’ll check in with my boss and make sure we’ve got the contract sorted – for the donation.’

‘Sounds good, Poppy,’ I say, also relieved to see the light at the end of this tunnel.

‘Just be ready,’ she advises. ‘Once the final pieces start falling into place, this could all unfold very quickly. Jon Dunn is an impatient man, and he wants what he wants without delay.’

‘Okay, Poppy. And thank you.’

The others thank Poppy, and we say our goodbyes.

‘Right,’ I say, looking at Adriana. ‘You want to go first?’

‘It would be my pleasure,’ she says with a satisfied smile, and she starts typing on her phone.

I’ve got at least twenty minutes to kill, so as Lucia and Margot start chatting about Verona, a city high on Margot’s bucket list, I busy myself with clearing the glasses from the table, including Lucia’s undrinkable cocktail.

From the sink, I eye my case, which is sitting mere feet from Willem’s bedroom door. Only, it’s unlikely either of us will see the inside of that room. Not after I made a total hash of it, shouting that I’ve essentially been using Willem for sex, as if that’s all this is. Total and utter bollocks, of course, buthedoesn’t know that. And I can’t make it right if he isn’t here…Gah!

‘You bloody idiot,’ I tell myself glumly as I wipe the benchtop.

‘I’ve done it, Kate,’ Adriana calls out, dragging me from my miserable thoughts.

She gets up and brings her phone over to show me.

I’d love to but my students have their performance tonight, remember?

‘Nice touch, highlighting the performance angle,’ I tell her.

‘Thanks,’ she says, accepting the praise with a smile.

‘Wait,doyour students have a performance tonight?’

‘No, I made it up.’

‘Ahh, gaslighting the gas lighter… Also a nice touch.’

‘And it makes his reply even funnier. Look.’ She scrolls down to his instant reply:

Of course. Silly of me to forget. Though you know how I feel about school performances *winking face*

‘He’s such a first-class prick,’ I say. ‘Though wedefinitelychose the right cause for him to donate to.’

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