Page 46 of Faking It (and falling in love)

“That’s interesting,” said Chrissie. “I remember last year when I was going through a lot of stuff and I was determined to hold on tight to what I thought was the way to live a good life. I mean, I needed to make a change. That was good, but I was being too prescriptive, I think.”

“Oh yes,” said Philippa. “You said you set yourself a rule of not being able to fall in love, right?”

“Ha,” said Chrissie. “I did. And with good reason. But I guess I learned that sometimes to make a change, you have to let go.”

“I, for one, am delighted that you got together with Nisha,” said Philippa. “I can see how happy you make each other. As your friend, I feel really happy for you.”

“And I feel happy for you,” said Chrissie, briefly bringing her hand to Philippa’s back. “I think it’s great you’ve met Alex. You’re so brave. Putting yourself out there at our age is tough. And this is all new to you.”

“I guess,” said Philippa. “But what else was I going to do? I couldn’t just stagnate. And anyway, part of the reason I’ve become so wedded to my job, is that I didn’t feel entirely wedded to my husband, as it were.”

Chrissie giggled. “I love your turn of phrase. Is that something they teach you in law school? Seriously, though, that makes sense.”

“The thing is, I’m not sure where Alex is when it comes to being in a relationship. She has a lot going on,” said Philippa.

“You said that before,” said Chrissie.

“It’s more than I thought. She has a child she didn’t tell me about.”

“A child?” said Chrissie. “And she hid that from you?” She stopped walking.

Philippa stopped and turned slightly to look at Chrissie. “Yes, yes she did, but she’s explained why.” Chrissie frowned slightly. “Though I must admit, that was my initial reaction as well.”

The friends started to walk again, and Philippa updated Chrissie on what had happened and why.

Chapter Thirty-One

Roderick was lurking by Philippa’s office door. She sighed and ushered him in, questioning, not for the first time, the wisdom of glass doors on offices. She couldn’t pretend she hadn’t seen him.

“Morning, Philippa, how are you?” He plonked himself into a seat opposite Philippa’s desk.

“I’m fine, thanks. What can I do for you?” she asked.

“I just thought I’d check in and see how you’re getting on with that bid for the finance firm. The presentation is this afternoon, right?” He was trying to communicate a casual air but was clearly very aware of when the meeting was taking place.

“Yes, that’s right. I think we’re in a good place,” said Philippa, looking down at her notes.

“Is there anything I can do to help?” Roderick seemed keen to be involved.

Philippa gave him a wry smile. “Well, if you’re free at half past two, you could come and be in the room and help answer any questions Gerry and his team have.”

“Sure, I’ll check my calendar,” he said, making a show of taking his phone out. “Yes, I think I can squeeze that in.”

“Very good of you,” said Philippa. “You, me and Sienna. No doubt we’ll make a formidable team. I’ll send you over the slides.”

“Awesome,” said Roderick, unable to keep the triumphant smile from his face.

Philippa’s phone beeped. Alex: “Can I see you tonight? x”

Philippa looked up at Roderick. “Ok, well, we’ll gather here at twenty past and then head over to Gerry’s office. See you shortly.”

Roderick nodded and stood up. “Right you are. See you then.”

Once he’d left the office Philippa smiled, relieved to hear from Alex. They’d shared a couple of texts since the night they’d spent together, but no plans had been made to meet up. She desperately wanted to see Alex again, but didn’t want to overwhelm her. She picked up her phone and responded straight away. “I’d love to,” she wrote. “I’ve got the presentation later today, but I’ll drop you a line when we’re done. You could meet me in town? x”

“Deal. Good luck! You’re going to smash it x” responded Alex. Philippa hoped she was right.

Sienna knocked on the door, signalling that a client was ready for Philippa. It was a complicated divorce case, with a complex financial settlement involving all kinds of assets. Philippa needed to stop thinking about the woman who had kissed her on Monday night and start thinking about court orders. She waved at Sienna to let the client in.

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