Page 33 of All the Right Words
Gina tried to get her game face back in place. ‘I just had a chat with the woman. No need for this.’
‘Look, I’ve just come from Brenda, and I know it’s more than that. I’m determined to find out what you did. So will you let me take you to lunch while I get it out of you?’
Gina was oddly alarmed. ‘Oh, no, I couldn’t…’
Olivia appeared at her interconnecting door, and her mouth was ahead of her eyes because she asked, ‘Gina have you got my pho- Hey! Harper! You’re here!’ She laughed with an edge of hysteria.
Gina was thrilled to remember that Olivia’s phone was in her desk drawer.
‘I just swung by to take Gina to lunch. As a thank you,’ Harper explained.
‘Oh?’ Olivia replied, just slightly disappointed.
‘Yeah. She’s being a bit resistant, though,’ Harper said with a cheeky smile.
‘Then we must apply pressure,’ Olivia said, though she didn’t look too sure. ‘Gina, go to lunch with Harper,’ she said to Gina. ‘Or I’m gonna tell HR you’re being needlessly combative.’ She winked at Harper. Harper smiled back. It was a little bit sickening.
‘Fine,’ Gina groaned. She was secretly pleased that Harper wanted to give her some credit. Not that she’d ever let on. That would never do.
***
They were at a nice place. Not too nice, but certainly not the kind of place where they shout your order for everyone to hear. Gina always found that a bit stressful in case she missed her name, and then the staff did that dreadful thing where they paraded through the café screaming your order irritably so that everyone knew you were the kind of idiot who couldn’t even manage listening out for your own name.
Not today, though. Today was table service. Gina ordered the same as always, a tuna sandwich. But with an extra helping of dignity. Which cost double.
‘I’ll have that too,’ Harper said.
The waiter left, and they were alone. Gina felt uncomfortable. That led her to get her phone out, a terrible habit. She glanced at Harper, who looked like she was trying not to seem affronted. ‘Sorry, work emails,’ Gina lied. ‘Just gotta…’ She tapped a few times in the pretence of doing something real and put the phone back, feeling like a rude bitch. Which she supposed she was.
Harper smiled. ‘You work hard.’
Gina shrugged. ‘Everyone does.’
‘Not everyone,’ Harper said.
Gina thought of Vincent and his connection to the board. ‘No, I suppose not. But there’s no plan B for me. So I’m too busy, or I’m not busy, and I starve to death.’
Harper nodded. ‘Yeah, I guess I’m the same.’
‘But it would take a lot longer foryouto starve, I’d imagine. With a cut of Brenda’s money for the rest of time?’ Gina noted.
Harper paused and swallowed. ‘Fair point.’
Gina knew she was being cunty. She didn’t want to be. It was such an odd juxtaposition to the conversation they’d had this morning over text. She’d been able to be more like the person she wanted to be. But being warm and kind always frightened Gina. She felt like if she gave that to people, they’d laugh at her. Worse, use it against her. She didn’t believe that Harper was like that, but somehow, she couldn’t seem to turn off the attitude. The button was jammed down, stuck in place. Fruitless to try and find a paperclip to try and wiggle it out. It wasn’t going to happen. She was who she was. Her tombstone would read, ‘Gina Nash. Kind of a bitch.’
Though it had been nice to taste something else. Another way to be. Gina suddenly understood why people catfished. The chance to be who you wanted to be in your secret stupid little heart.
But even if she was stuck as herself, she could try and tone it down a notch. ‘So, Brenda’s in the zone, then?’ she asked.
‘She didn’t want to talk to me,’ Harper smiled. ‘And Brenda always has something to say.’
‘I’d noticed,’ Gina said with a dry smile.
Harper laughed softly. ‘I’ve never been so happy to have a door slammed in my face.’
‘Well, when I talked to her…’
‘Yes?’ Harper pressed.
