Page 18 of The Retreat
‘Yes,’ Talia said confidently. ‘Unless you’d prefer to fake your own accident to be carried away from the first one?’
‘Don’t tempt me,’ Imogen muttered.
Talia gave her a reassuring look. ‘Just look serious and say things like “It could be viral” or “You should really get that checked out at a hospital.”’
Imogen slumped back against the cushions. ‘Will that work?’
‘Would you buy it?’ Talia asked.
Imogen shrugged. ‘Maybe. But what if it’s more serious?’
‘Look, the odds are, any problems will be minor. So, unless someone loses a limb, it’s going to be fine,’ Talia said. ‘And even then, we’ll just say it’s not your area.’
Imogen was silent for a moment, mulling over the plan. Yeah, it probably would be OK. But she had to wonder why Talia had to go to this trouble of building a fake doctor girlfriend. She’d said something about career setbacks, but was that the real reason? Or was Talia simply a bit unhinged?
She couldn’t think of a single way to ask without chapping Talia’s arse, so she bit her tongue. The last thing she needed was another fight.
‘The doctor stuff isn’t that important. What is important is that I need you to be personable,’ Talia continued. ‘Alex is confident, outgoing, and—’ She paused. ‘The kind of person who can hold her own in front of my colleagues.’
‘Hold my own with who, exactly? Cutthroat corporate lawyers?’ Imogen asked. The words came out before she realised what she’d said.
Talia’s expression grew immediately cold. ‘Oh, I’m sorry, I realise you’re used to the gentle, moral world of art curation. Where everyone is kind andhonestand there’s no bullshit whatsoever.’
Imogen decided not to rise to that.
But Talia wasn’t done. ‘Oh, no, what am I saying? You don’t work in that world anymore, do you? Would you be more comfortable if I only worked with wait staff? Because you’re the salt of the earth now, right? No more fancy art world for you.’
Imogen stood up. ‘This isn’t going to work.’
Talia groaned. ‘Sorry, OK? Sorry.’
Imogen stayed standing. ‘No, it’s not OK. You think because you’re paying me, you can talk to me like dirt?’
Talia blinked. ‘No, I don’t think that,’ she said with much more sincerity. Even a little shame.
Were it not for that, Imogen would have walked out. But she paused, and Talia jumped into the gap.
‘Look, this is weird. Webothknow that. But no. I don’t have the right to talk to you poorly in this situation. No amount of money buys that.’
Imogen felt Talia was being sincere. She wondered if the possibility of clearing some air might exist. If only to make this situation a touch easier. ‘We could…talk.About the situation. The former situation, I mean. That might make it…’
‘No,’ Talia said quickly. ‘That’s not going to help anything. The only way to get through that is to put up a mental block on... that topic.’
‘Mental block?’ Imogen repeated. Not really a great plan.
Talia nodded. ‘Yes. I’ll just… push it down. I promise.’
The promise was good. It gave Imogen a way not to leave. Because she couldn’t afford to blow this either.
Imogen sat down again. ‘Do what you have to. But I expect you to treat me with a baseline respect. And not just when I’m being Alex,’ Imogen said. She sat down again, gathering herself. ‘So. Alex...’
Talia gave a small shrug, moving past the tricky moment quickly. ‘She’s an A and E doctor. She likes to hike. She’s tough, but not cold. Likeable. She’s...’ She hesitated as if she were searching for the right words. ‘Someone who fits in but doesn’t get swallowed up by the crowd.’
Imogen laughed, but it was dry, humourless. ‘Great note. Very specific.’
‘That’s all I have for you.’
Imogen rolled her eyes. It wasn’t the details of the fake girlfriend she was supposed to embody that irritated her so much; it was the way Talia kept talking about Alex as if she were some kind of perfect person.
