Page 72 of Going Solo

“How are you holding up, Tobes?” Denzil asked. “It must be mad weird.”

“I’m not gonna lie to you, it’s been an emotional week.”

“Bringing back a lot of old feelings, I bet.”

“Nothing I can’t handle.”

“Toby’s absolutely fine,” Nick said. “No meltdowns at all. We’ve started calling him the Iron Homosexual.”

I slapped him on the arm. “Quit it.”

Denzil looked at us suspiciously. “Is there something you aren’t telling me?”

“Only that I will not fail in my mission,” I said. “Nothing will pierce my resolve.”

“It’s not your resolve he’ll be piercing,” Nick said.

I slapped his arm again. “I’ll slash your tyres in a minute.”

“Any hope of…” Denzil waggled his finger in the air, hopefully.

“I’m not getting back together with my ex so you can sell a radio station.”

“Fair enough, bruv.” Denzil spun around, plucked a bottle of Lucozade out of his bar fridge, cracked the lid, and took a swig. “But do you think you could see your way clear to maybe being photographed together, at least?”

“There’ll be publicity shots from the interview,” I said, blood pressure rising.

“Yeah, but I mean, like, if youhappenedto get photographed going into a restaurant together or something…” Denzil waved a hand around casually. “Nothing untoward. Maybe a hug? Within range of the paparazzi.”

“I’m not doing it, Denz.”

“No, of course not. But, if youdid, for example, happen to get photographed walking down the street with Cole’s arm around your shoulder. I’m just saying, I would not be upset about it. So we’re clear.”

“Are you having a laugh?”

“I’m saying we’d have your back, that’s all. It would be OK with us. With Pure. And with the board. During this difficult time.”

Denzil smiled.

“Are you ordering me to get photographed with Cole Kennedy?”

“Of course not.” Denzil raised his hands. “I’m certainly not suggesting that you fake date a pop star to save the network. I’m saying if youhappenedto start dating a pop star, or if the public somehow got the impression you were, it wouldn’t hurt our figures. The network would support you, and we’d find a way to deal with all the amazing publicity.”

Nick laughed. I was speechless. Denzil unscrewed the cap of his Lucozade and took a swig, all without dropping eye contact. As he screwed the lid back on, he popped one pec muscle, then the other, then both pecs back and forth in quick succession. The Lucozade people were missing a trick not using him in their advertising.

I stood and stabbed my finger into his desk. “It’s too much, Denz. I’m not doing it. Interviewing Cole in a professional setting is one thing. But I would never put myself in a situation where his fans, or the press, might think for even a millisecond that there’s anything personal going on between Cole and me.”

Denzil leaned back in his chair.

“Because that is the fastest way I know to ruin every single part of my life,” I said. “And I might love this station, but I won’t destroy my life to save it.”

“Tobes, I hear you. I’m not asking you to do anything you’re uncomfortable with.”

“Good.”

“But if youdodo something you’re uncomfortable with, just make sure it’s on camera.”

I roared in frustration, turned on my heels, and stormed out of the building.

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