Page 70 of Love Is: Two Bodies One Soul

A whole cascade of pennies dropped. Owen, for the moment, was stunned into silence.

‘But that’s not what we were going to tell you,’ Lexie said.

It was George’s turn to look confused.

‘We might have found a buyer for the magazine,’ Owen took over. ‘Roger Carver-Phelan. He’s an old friend of Lex’s and very wealthy. We told him about the problems with the Blanchards.’

‘And how hard you’ve been working to improve WIV,’ Lexie joined in.

‘And how the brothers keep shifting the goalposts on you.’

‘And Roger said he’d be interested in buying the magazine, and he’d get his people moving first thing.’

‘I expect their first contact will be with the Blanchards, so you might hear nothing today, but we wanted you to know early, just in case.’

‘You didn’t consult me.’ George hit the desk with a thwack and leapt to his feet.

‘Ah, no. We didn’t want to raise your hopes in case Roger wasn’t interested.’

‘Even so ….’ George paced for a moment, then seized a biscuit.

‘Shall we help ourselves to the coffee?’ Lexie asked.

‘What? Oh, yes. Sorry.’ George flapped a hand at the tray. ‘I was distracted.’

Lexie poured the coffee while George ranted more at Owen, and then the phone rang.

George flung himself back to his desk and grabbed the phone.

‘You’re kidding? Okay … right. Get the place tidied up. Tell Pete in accounts everything better be up to date, or I’ll have his blood and send Victor’s assistant out for the day. I don’t care where he goes as long as he’s not here. He’s not great for our image.’

George put the phone down and settled back in the seat, looking shocked and said, ‘He’s coming.’

‘Roger?’ Lexie said, passing a coffee mug to George.

‘Yes. And the Carver-Phelan team … don’t know how many, but they will be here at one pm.’

‘We’d better get to work then. Leave you to prepare for the visit.’ Owen stood up.

‘Hang on, don’t you want to talk about our dad?’

‘Not particularly.’

‘Not calmed down yet?’

‘Something like that.’ Owen grabbed Lexie’s hand. ‘Come on, I think it’s the dentist for me today. Then I’ve got to go see Martin.’

* * *

Despite her long legs,Lexie had trouble keeping up with Owen as he left the dentist.

‘Did you get the photos you wanted?’ he asked, swiping his tongue around his teeth, still gritty from the dental hygienist’s activities.

Lexie looped her arm around Owen’s and he slowed his pace. ‘The world will get a close-up of your mouth, but nothing else.’

‘Hmm. Just as long as you don’t have to snap my wisdom teeth coming out.’

‘I won’t be here.’

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