Page 27 of The Retreat
‘What the hell have you brought me into?’ she hissed.
Talia gave her a wry look. ‘The lion’s den. Smile like you mean it.’
She shook hands as names and titles piled on, laughed when she was supposed to, and nodded along to half-heard anecdotes. All while trying to eat quinoa.
Through it all, Talia stayed close. An elbow brushing hers. A look, here and there, when Imogen stumbled over a question or hesitated too long. She didn’t know if it was,You’re doing OKorDo better. But she hoped it was the former. Because, so far, she felt she had made an acceptable Alex Gray.
As she sipped a coffee among a mixed group of people that included Celeste, the talk drifted towards business—lots of talk of IP and proprietary rights—and Imogen felt safe to glaze over for a while.
But then Celeste’s voice cut through the chatter: ‘So, Imogen! How did you two meet?’
She felt Talia stiffen, just slightly, at her side. Everyone was looking at her. Waiting.
Imogen’s mind went blank.
Seventeen
‘How did you two meet?’
The question was from Celeste. Of course.
Talia kept her expression relaxed. This was worked out, nothing to worry about, Imogen had her script.
But then she felt Imogen pause. One second, two seconds.
Shit. Imogen couldn’t remember the story. Talia could feel it. She thought about speaking for her. Just leaning in and starting the story. But something stopped her.
Give her a second. It’ll come to her.
Talia gave the smallest nod, a movement so subtle it could’ve passed for nothing. But Imogen caught it. She straightened almost imperceptibly, and when she spoke, her voice was steadier than Talia expected. Her brain had come back online.
‘Well...’ Imogen said, eyes flicking quickly to the group, then back to Celeste. ‘I work at Northwick General.’
Talia resisted the urge to exhale.
‘Talia was in an accident. Nothing serious. A car clipped her and knocked her off the road. I was working in A&E that night,’ Imogen went on. Her voice had a touch of stiffness to it, like she was feeling her way across a tightrope. But it was holding.
‘She came in, mostly rattled. A bit bruised. I did the initial exam before she was sent on for scans.’
There was a pause, a flick of the eyes toward Talia, gauging. Talia stayed quiet, face neutral.
‘And she was... chatty,’ Imogen went on, a small smile tugging at the corner of her mouth now. She was settling into it. ‘Despite everything. She kept joking that I didn’t look old enough to be a doctor.’
‘Chatty?’ Celeste repeated with a glance at Talia.
Talia smiled. ‘I can be when I need to be.’
‘Oh, I see,’ Celeste said with a light laugh. ‘Working the charm, were you?’
‘I don’t often meet women like Alex. Had to put the work in,’ Talia said with as close to a lascivious smile as she could muster. She turned to Imogen. It was time for a term of endearment. ‘Go ahead, babe. Finish the story.’ OK, that had come out normally. No dry heaving at all.
Imogen smiled. ‘She started asking what time my shift ended. Very casually, of course. Just out of politeness.’
Light laughter. People were enjoying it.
‘But then, before I could segue into a date request, wouldn’t you know it? I was whisked off for a scan,’ Talia picked up.
More laughter from the group.
