Page 124 of Ride the Wave

She freezes. Her smile evaporates.

‘That’s what this has been about all along, right?’ I say, no longer cocky to have one over on her, not angry and raring to fight. I’m disappointed to have played a part in it and I’m sad I didn’t see it before. ‘The call for boycotts against your publications on social media, the shift in how the public feel about you. The Bind Inc. board is getting twitchy.’

She gulps audibly.

Bullseye.

‘It was your publicity team who set up the feature,’ I recall, thinking back on mine and Toni’s conversation. ‘They were in contact with theStudioeditor, not you. I assumed it was your idea, but I think it was theirs. I think they’ve been behind all of this. You know, when I accepted this feature, I openly acknowledged that it was great for your dismal public image – but I somehow convinced myself that was an advantage, not the full motivation.’

‘I don’t—’

‘Were you ever planning on coming to watch Leo’s heats?’ I ask, cutting her off, somehow emboldened by the truth. ‘You didn’t phone him or message him directly. It was your publicist who led Leo to believe you’d try to be there, right? Not you.’

Leo turns to look at her, his jaw ticking. When she doesn’t say anything, he prompts her, needing the answer: ‘Mum?’

She purses her lips, clasping her hands in front of her again. I picture her in board meetings doing this when she’s challenged, biding her time to think of a rebuttal.

‘My schedule was always going to be busy, and to be honest, Leo, I… I was worried you would fail in the first heat and I didn’t want to watch that – it has been a long time and there’s a lot of fresh talent,’ she admits. It’s the first time I think she might be speaking from the heart, actually. She adds, with a satisfactory pinch of shame, ‘I am pleased to have been proven wrong.’

Scrunching his eyes, he runs his hand down his face, muffling an angry groan.

‘I hope to attend one of the rounds, Leo,’ she asserts. ‘Maybe not the Quarterfinals, but perhaps if you reach the Semifinals, I’ll be able to shift some things in my schedule.’

He snorts. ‘Okay. And what about tonight? Was I ever actually invited? That bullshit your publicist spun about both of you thinking the other one had asked me. Am I only here because I’m doing well? Something you didn’t foresee but can happily use to your advantage?’

Her jaw clenches.

‘Wow.’ He puts his hands on his hips, grinning manically at the ground. ‘I’m a fool. What iswrongwith me?’

‘You’re not the fool, Leo,’ I say quietly, looking at Michelle.

She’s masking it well, her regret, but it’s there in her hardened features.

‘The big deal about this photo. It’s a photoop, right?’ Leo says, his eyes flashing furiously up at her. ‘That’s the only reason I’m here, isn’t it. Your team is scrambling to save your public image, the one you’ve been fucking up so well recently. The big new documentary, the flashyStudiofeature, and a photo at your big new charity launch with your beloved son. Holy shit, Mum, congrats,’ he claps his hands, ‘you played me so well.’

‘Leo—’ she begins.

‘No, I don’t want you to try to talk your way out of this,’ he says, shaking his hand at her. ‘I’ve always felt like a disappointment, but here we are and suddenly the only disappointment is you.’

She sighs.

His eyes harden; he’s focused now, clear-minded. I could burst with pride.

‘You made it clear that I owed you theStudiofeature because of all your effort to protect my image before,’ he states coldly. ‘I’ve done that now. I’ve shown up to your event, your cameras have captured our heartwarming reunion. That’s enough. I’m done. We’re even.’

She closes her eyes briefly. ‘Iwastrying to help you.’

‘You were trying to helpyou,’ he claps back. He sighs, softening his voice. ‘You’ve never been happy with my choices, and that always felt like my failing, but it’s not, it’s yours. I wouldn’t change anything. Honestly, I’m grateful to you, Mum.’

Her eyes lift to his in surprise.

‘I’m grateful for what you did for me back then,’ he tells her. ‘But more than anything, I’m grateful that because of you, I said yes to the feature that would change my life.’ He gazes at me, reaching for my hand and taking it, holding it tight. ‘It led me to Iris.’

Smiling, I reach up to untie his bow tie, leaving it hanging loose around his collar. He finishes the job, lifting his chin to undo the stiff top couple of buttons.

‘Better,’ I observe. ‘We should get out of here.’

He looks back to his mum, growing taller as he straightens, his shoulders rolling back, his free hand sliding into his pocket as though he hasn’t got a care in the world.

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