Page 102 of You Belong With Me

‘I’m wrong-footing you by forgetting your name and thus hazing you about how insignificant you are.’

‘Fuck’s sake. I’m pitching to make funny clips on TikTok, not joining the Marines,Edna.’

‘Swearing and petulance. You’ve lost the account.’

Declan grinned at her. He looked good in T.M.Lewin, slightly unexpectedly, given his usual look was more unironed free spirit.

‘Whatever happens, this is fun,’ he said, indicating the pair of them. ‘It’s been fun putting it together, too. Let’s go after more big fish. What is there to be scared of in trying, even if we fail? The only thing to be scared of is boredom.’

Edie nodded, while thinking that this might be precisely the sort of moment she’d previously missed. On the surface, all Declan was doing was being boosterish about their work. Underneath that, he was emphasising their connection, their value to each other.

Couldn’t that be him being nice, though, she interrogated herself? It was still a leap that it indicated a desire to peel her Fair Isle cashmere cardigan off. Elliot’s being vigilant and articulate didn’t make him infallible.

Once they arrived at Chancery Lane and nerves were jangling, Edie was nothing but grateful for their effortless mutual support. They agreed afterwards, cautiously, that the presentation had gone well. They knew their case back to front, and when questioned, had a sixth sense about when to cede the floor to the other. Both of them liked a win; neither of them was cut-throat about it, and nor were they fans of pretending to be someone they weren’t or laying it on thick.

Whether Pepsi liked their ideas or not, Edie decided, was the luck of whether the meeting room members were their way inclined. Like selecting a jury: whether you got people who were sympathetic to your world view or not was entirely a matter of chance. At least they’d acquitted themselves respectably.

Afterwards, they met Richard for a late lunch at the Midland Grand. He arrived looking typically and impossibly sharp in a three-piece brown wool suit and claret tie. He was entirely in tune with the opulent Grade I listed dining room.

‘Worth it for this alone,’ Edie whispered, looking up at the gilt plasterwork ceiling. ‘Like being in an Agatha Christie. I hope wehavemade it worth it.’

‘A bottle of champagne to start, please,’ Richard said, snapping the wine list closed and handing it back.

‘I hope that doesn’t jinx us,’ Declan said.

‘Unlikely, given Pepsi have already called me. The digital contract is ours for the next eighteen months – conditional on the two of you being the ones who run it. Neither of you have plans to leg it to one of my rivals anytime soon, I hope?’

Both Edie and Declan whooped. Edie found herself grateful they were seated and couldn’t hug, however. Had guilt infected her, or was this telling her something?

‘Oh my God! Already!’ Edie said, dumbfounded. She wasn’t used to overachieving.

‘We were lucky it was the right idea at the right time,’ Declan said.

‘Luck is simply when opportunity meets readiness,’ Richard replied.

Once a waiter had ceremoniously filled flutes, they clinked, and Edie momentarily basked. She’d finally repaid Richard for his faith in her. He’d been life coach and friend at a time when Edie badly needed allies. She’d never forget it.

When Declan dipped out to take a call, Richard turned to her. ‘I hope you won’t find it too paternalistic if I say I’m very pleased you’re doing so well. In your professional and private life.’

‘Thank you,’ Edie said. ‘It does feel like I’ve found … equilibrium.’

‘Declan pushed this particular project forward, I know, but the ideas and spark come from you. All you lack sometimes is self-belief. No one else sees why you should doubt yourself.’

‘Hah. Alotof people see why, I’m afraid,’ Edie said. ‘Hence why I’m bloody grateful not to go into the HQ today …’

‘Ah, Edie …’ Richard said, shaking his head. ‘You were an object of scorn, and now you’re an object of envy. Treat those two imposters just the same. Notice instead that when you persevere, good things happen.’

‘Is that it – the secret? Stop caring about what people think of you? Move forward regardless?’

‘I’m not sure aboutsecret– I’m not pretending to be any guru,’ Richard said, topping up the superb red wine that had made Edie’s earlobes grow warm. ‘But how much was your life – I mean the one before the Harrogate contretemps – dictated by what people thought of you? And would you want to go back there? Your former status quo, not the Yorkshire spa town.’

Edie did a double-take. ‘Do you know, I’d never considered that. All this time I’ve spent yearning to go unnoticed again.’ She paused. ‘I suppose I spent a lot of time trying not to make mistakes or stand out or be talked about. To be liked was everything. I rated myself by the negatives that hadn’t happened, not by the good things that … hadn’t happened either.’

‘There you go,’ Richard said.

‘How did you become so wise?’ Edie said.

‘I made lots of mistakes, of course,’ Richard said, smiling broadly.

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