Page 56 of Best Served Hot
‘Oh look, you two, together. Shocking,’ Ethan said quietly as they met.
But everyone was focusing on loading up on sugar and caffeine at the other end of the large space. There was some degree of privacy.
‘Well, she’s my assistant, so you can expect to see quite a bit of that,’ Nicole replied dryly.
‘We need a chat,’ he said, sighing and scratching a temple.
‘I’ve had quite a few of those with you lately,’ Alex said. ‘I don’t know if I’ve got another one in me, truth be told.’
Ethan folded his arms across his Tom Ford-clad chest. ‘Look—’
‘Don’t,’ Nicole said quickly. ‘This is over. We’re not doing this anymore. No little chats in your office, no threats, no bribes, no extortion. You leave us alone; we leave you alone. And we—you and me—talk through lawyers. That’s it. Now go back up to your office and let us make TV that you can slap your grubby little name on.’
Ethan looked at Nicole with a dash of fear that she didn’t hate. ‘What the hell happened to you? You used to be nice. Was it her?’ he asked, throwing a look at Alex. ‘Did she make you into this?’
Nicole didn’t think he was owed an explanation, but she didn’t like the Alex dig. It riled her enough to throw back a shot. ‘I was nice when I thought you were nice. And even when you weren’t, I felt like I had to compromise and keep being nice. But now I know, you should never have gotten my nice. And youwon’tanymore.’
Ethan unfolded his arms and put them down by his side stiffly. ‘That’s your position, is it? It’s allmyfault.’
‘Yeah. That’s my position,’ Nicole told him.
‘Everything you did. Tricking your way into this job so you could ruin my life? Cheating on me? Sending your new girlfriend to blackmail me? You’re OK with doing all that because I deserve it?’ Ethan asked.
Nicole just wanted him to go away now, as quickly as she could manage. ‘I guess I am.’
‘OK.’ An odd smile crept onto his face. ‘I guess that’s all I need to know.’ He put his hands in his pockets and strode off.
Nicole looked at Alex. ‘I didn’t like that.’
‘Me neither,’ Alex agreed.
‘He’s up to something.’
‘He’s always up to something. I just worry what the bloody hell it is this time,’ Alex said.
Nicole was tired of this. She couldn’t have any peace. She couldn’t have any romance. She was starting something exciting and beautiful, and that fucker couldn’t let her do it, could he?
She turned to Alex. ‘I’m gonna have to go up to his office, aren’t I?’
‘We. One of him, two of us.’
Nicole reached down and squeezed Alex’s hand. ‘Alright then. If you’re with me.’
‘I’m with you as long as you want me to be,’ Alex told her.
They swapped a quick smile, and it gave Nicole just enough comfort to be able to go through this whole bloody rigmarole yet again.
Thirty-Two
Alex almost regretted ever starting this vendetta. But of course, without it, she’d never have gotten this close to Nicole. So she could never say she wished it hadn’t happened. Only that she wished it could be over with minimal impact on Nicole’s psyche.
Alex entered Ethan’s office first, like she was going to be some kind of human shield for Nicole. Nicole had tried to protect her so much in all this, and she wanted badly to be able to do the same.
‘Right, what the fuck wasthatabout?’ she demanded, slamming into the office. She thought she was going to surprise Ethan with the force of it.
But that didn’t happen. He turned like he’d expected them. ‘Ahh, there you are. Just getting set up here. I won’t be a minute.’ He was holding his phone. Alex realised too late what she’d walked into.
A TV in the corner came to life, mirroring Ethan’s phone. He opened a video and hit play, looking like the cat that got the cream. And there they were, Alex and Nicole, side by side in a hidden camera shot.
