Chapter 5 #2
‘I sit every day just waiting for my chance and now you’ve found yourself a rich man. Tell me I can still hope?’
I smile at Paul sitting on the ground by the entrance to my office block, his plastic cup empty in front of him. He must be freezing. His sleeping bag is wrapped around him and only a piece of cardboard separates his body from the bitterly cold concrete. He’s shivering but as charming as always.
I crouch in front of him. ‘Did you manage to get a space to sleep last night?’ I ask, placing my two pound coins into his cup.
He nods. ‘Got a bed.’
‘Did you indeed?’
‘Sure did, I’ve been winking at my soup angel. She’s falling for me, I know it. She keeps looking out for me.’
‘So all that business about still hoping for a chance is rubbish; you’ve found yourself a soup angel?’
He chuckles, the kind that lifts his shaking shoulders. Though I’m smiling, my heart breaks for Paul, the young man with no home, no possessions and whose story I don’t know but who can laugh and smile and be polite despite everything.
I open my bag, not at all worried that he might try anything funny because he never has, and hand him my wool gloves. ‘Here, take these. I’m sorry about the bows.’
‘I think they’ll look good on me.’ He smiles.
‘Me too.’
He puts on the gloves without delay, wriggling his fingers to stretch the wool. ‘Thanks, Scarlett.’
‘You’re welcome. Happy hunting.’
Making my way to the revolving office doors, I call back to him. ‘Paul, hot drinks and food, okay?’
‘Sure thing.’
In truth, I don’t mind what he spends my two pounds on and I never do because the reality is, my two pounds can’t buy him a home and if I was living on the cruel streets of London, I might spend my last penny on a drop of alcohol to numb the pain too.
As the lift doors open, Margaret walks past with a stack of ring binders and I fall into the same stride as her kitten heels.
‘Good morning, Scarlett. Your latte is on your desk and I’ve sorted the paper mail. Only one letter you need to action. I’ve popped it in your top tray. Did you have a good weekend? How was the big party?’
I stop dead in my tracks, regretting that I haven’t had the foresight to prepare a response to simple questions like this. Margaret looks back over her shoulder and I quicken my pace to catch up to her. ‘It was fine, thank you. Did you have a nice weekend?’
‘Nice but tiring. My daughter brought my grandson to visit and we had a pyjama party on Saturday night. He’s a little bundle of treasure and terror all wrapped up in one three-year-old body.
Before I forget, Neil Wallace has a brunch with a potential client at the Savoy this morning and he’d like you to go along if you’re free. ’
‘Am I free?’
‘You can be if I juggle your diary. You’ve got a call with the CEO of the Platinum Spring Hotel Group ten until eleven but I’ve checked your emails and it looks more like a catch-up call than an instruction, so I could bring it forward to nine thirty or bump it to tomorrow, then you could go to the brunch. ’
‘What time’s the table at the Savoy?’
‘Eleven.’
‘Who booked my meeting with Richard Blakely: him or his PA?’
‘His PA.’
‘Okay, bump the meeting to tomorrow and let Neil know I can go to brunch, please. Do you know who he’s entertaining?’
‘I’ve already printed some information from their website and left it on your desk.’
‘What would I do without you, Margaret? You’re a star.’
She blushes and rolls her eyes. ‘Oh and one more thing: an appointment just came through from Mr Ryans at GJR Enterprises. I haven’t accepted it yet but it mentions an interview with The Times Magazine at GJR’s office; does that ring any bells?’
‘I’ll deal with that one, thanks, Margaret.’
I take a seat at my desk, dump my laptop into its docking station and fire up my computer, then take a big gulp of latte. As I’m typing my username and password, Amanda struts into my office then plants her hands on the hips of her grey, tailored dress.
‘What are you doing here?’ She’s whispering but her words are fiery.
‘Happy Monday to you, too.’
‘Scarlett, how aren’t you completely freaking out right now? You can’t be at work when, after, well, you know. I mean, holy shit, how are you?’
My best friend is upset and I know it’s not just about me. Saturday was a shock for everyone and only now is it dawning on me that I’ve spent the last two days thinking about Gregory, Jackson and myself and not about the other people in my life.
‘Come here,’ I say, rising from my desk and holding out my arms.
Amanda walks straight into me and relaxes into my cuddle.
‘Are you okay?’
She pulls back, shaking her head. ‘You’re asking me if I’m okay? Scarlett, babes, stop worrying about other people. Sit.’
Despite how irritating it’s becoming to have everyone telling me what to do, I sit and Amanda plonks herself on the desk in front of me. She takes my hand in hers, bracing herself to tell me something I suspect she won’t be able to take back.
‘Whatever it is, Amanda, don’t. Please.’
‘No, I’m going to because if I don’t, I’m not sure anyone else will.’ She takes a deep breath and straightens her back. ‘Gregory is bad news, Scarlett.’
‘Amanda, I said don’t.’
‘No. I was never his biggest fan, you know that. He’s miserable and arrogant but I could’ve gotten past that for you. Now, things are different. He’s killed a man and—’
‘Amanda, stop it.’ My tone is low and surprisingly ominous.
‘No!’ She’s standing now. ‘You shouldn’t be with someone like him. You’re nice, you’re perfect. You’re the person everyone looks to when they need to know what’s right and wrong. He’s no good for you.’
I rise to confront her, matching her height in my heels. ‘That’s enough.’ The venom in my voice is so unfamiliar, there could be a third person in the room.
‘For Christ’s sake, Scarlett, he’s a murderer!’
My nostrils flare and my eyes feel like they’re going to explode. My lungs stretch with each deep draw of breath. ‘Get out before I say something I’ll regret.’
She stares at me for two seconds more then turns on the pointed toes of her shoes and makes to leave the room.
‘What would you have done?’ I call after her. ‘If you were him, in that room and that sick bastard was going to kill you, then me, what would you have done?’
She’s thinking, turning my words through her mind. I know because she’s motionless. I don’t break the silence; I simply watch her until she leans her back against the door, facing me with her eyes closed. ‘I wouldn’t have let anything happen to you.’
My anger dissipates instantly as I move towards her, taking her hands in mine. ‘He did what he had to do to protect himself and me.’
She slowly opens her eyes. ‘But he put you in that situation in the first place and he still killed a man.’
‘In self-defence.’
‘It doesn’t matter. How can you stay with him after that?’
‘Because he did the right thing in the circumstances and one night doesn’t define a person.’ God, I hope it doesn’t.
‘He killed a man, Scarlett.’
‘Amanda, I won’t leave him over this and if you and I are going to be able to get past this, you need to never ask me to leave him again. I don’t want to lose you either.’
‘Please tell me this isn’t about your dad.’
My heart nearly stops beating. Does she know?
‘It’s still so recent. I don’t want you to think you need Gregory because you don’t. You have me and you’ve got Sandy.’
I exhale slowly. ‘I do need him, Amanda, but not because I feel alone.’
‘But how, Scarlett? How? Why?’
‘Because I love him. I’m in love with him.’
‘Holy shit,’ she whispers. ‘Come here.’ She pulls me into her body and gives me an Amanda bear hug. ‘And he loves you?’
A light tap on the door breaks our hold and saves me from having to answer the question I wish I knew the answer to, the question I keep begging my subconscious not to ask.
‘Come in,’ I say.
A young boy in an ill-fitting suit and too-skinny tie, but with quite a handsome face, is looking at us nervously. ‘Erm, I’m looking for Scarlett.’
‘Yes, that’s me. And you are?’
‘Jonathan, Jon, Jonnie Pencey.’
‘Which is it?’ I ask as he thrusts his hand too anxiously, first to me, and then to Amanda. His hand is clammy and trembling.
‘Erm, err, Jon, I think.’
Amanda sniggers and I glare at her.
‘Sorry. I’m Jon, I’ll start again. I’m the new trainee in the Corporate team. I’ve been pulled out of my seat in the Banking team because Corporate needs more support. I was told to see you and help with whatever you need.’
‘Right. Who sent you?’
‘Neil Wallace.’
‘Okay, well I’ve got a lot of work on so I could definitely use some support. Whose office will you be sharing?’
‘Amanda Darling but I’m not sure who—’
‘Me?’ Amanda all but yells. ‘Why do I have to have a trainee? Don’t move your stuff in yet, Jonnie.’
With that, she turns on her heels again, and this time, she does storm out of my office.
‘She’ll come round,’ I offer. ‘I need to get sorted and I’ve got meetings most of today but get yourself set up and I’ll come to see you with work.’
‘Awesome. Thanks, Scarlett.’
Awesome? I walk around my desk and sit back into my office chair. Jon is still watching me when I raise my head from my computer screen to look at him seconds later. ‘Was there anything else, Jon?’
‘Ah, err, no, sorry.’ His cheeks flush pink and he shakes his head before scurrying out of the office.
Finally, I skim the new emails in my inbox.
There’s one from Neil Wallace inviting me to brunch and separately explaining that there might be a potential sale of the Platinum Spring Hotel Group to a company based in Abu Dhabi but it’s highly confidential at this stage.
Margaret has sent me a calendar appointment for the meeting I’ve moved to tomorrow and Gregory’s invitation to his interview with The Times Magazine is waiting for a reply.
To: Ryans, Gregory
From: Heath, Scarlett
Sent: Monday 9 Nov 2025 9:28
Subject: Re: Times Mag Interview (1pm)
Gregory,