41. Sara
41
SARA
M agdalena had tossed a couple of twenty-dollar bills at the bartender before strolling toward the exit. Grumbling and hissing about going too long without a cigarette. I’d called after her a couple of times, asking her what she meant by ‘what makes you think he stopped there?’ She’d carried on regardless, deciding she’d fed me everything she was willing to.
And so, I remained at the bar. Miserable and Contemplating.
Magdalena said she was press. In what capacity, I’m not sure. I doubt she came to photograph the shrimp display. She strikes me more as the investigative type. Someone well-informed of current scandals that whisper their way through any given industry.
Someone with eyes and ears everywhere…
My hand comes over my mouth, because, no…no…there’s no way that she was hinting about the leak? About Drew…
“There you are,” Francis says, planting a hand on his hip. “I’ve been looking all over for you.” I twist all the way around on the stool to face him. His eyes widen. “Jesus, you look like you’ve seen a ghost. No wait, you look like a ghost, you should put some bronzing powder on or something.” He makes a sweeping gesture over his face.
“I’m fine, what’s up?”
His expression changes from judging to urgent. “I saw Kandi and Vandenberg together,” he says pouting. “And whatever they were talking about, it did not seem friendly. I’ll bet he’s figured out she’s the one behind the leak.”
My heart sinks, and I want to share what I suspect about Drew, but hearing this from Francis sends a surge of hope through my body. Maybe Magdalena wasn’t talking about the leak, maybe she meant something different entirely…
“I think I saw them heading upstairs.” He taps his foot, gesturing to the door.
“And what? You want to go up there and spy on them?”
He eyes me flatly. “No, I want to stay in this dusty room while the drama unfolds without me.” He tugs me down from the stool, linking arms with me. “Of course I want to spy! Hurry!”
We navigate our way through the crowd until we pass beneath an archway which leads to a grand, curving staircase with golden rails and a mustard rug that lines the center of the creamy marble steps.
We rush to the foot of the stairs, staring up to the first landing.
Francis picks up one side of my skirt while I gather the other, and then we begin to climb.
We reach the top of the staircase, only to be confronted by a crossroad: three corridors. This place is a labyrinth .
“I’ll go this way, you go ahead,” Francis says, already charging off. “Text if you find them.”
I nod, striding through the maze until a cool breeze touches the bare skin of my arms and chest.
I move along the corridor where a gentle wind pulls me toward a set of double doors where I hear voices. When I step out onto a large balcony area, I see a man with a camera and a couple of assistants arranging a lighting set-up. The space is lit by fairy lights and glimmering sconces, and beneath their glow, is Jack. Alone.
When he spots me, a smile sweeps over his face as he crosses the patio to meet me.
“What happened?” The smile disappears when he’s inches from me, concern blazing in his eyes.
“Nothing, I came to see if you were okay, I heard that you?—”
“What happened?” He moves even closer to me, his eyes searching my face for answers.
No. I’m the one who’s meant to be worried, I’m the one who came to offer comfort. I thought I’d hid my disappointment, I thought I’d tucked it away. But when I open my mouth to tell him that, my voice breaks.
“I didn’t get that promotion.” It slips out before I can stop it.
A crease forms between his eyes. “What? When did you find out? It’s not because of this leak, is it?” Each question is like a boiling pot about to spill over the edge.
“I don’t know.” I shake my head. “I don’t have many answers right now. I literally just found out that…Drew got the job instead.”
“ That guy?” Jack’s voice booms. “I don’t understand. He’s in finance for starters. The guy’s a loose wire.” Then a little darker, “I hate loose wires. Anyway, he’s not taking your job.”
“It was never my job,” I say absently. “Just something I wanted. Anyway, I’m okay.” I glance up at him. “I promise I’ll be fine.”
He studies me, his face entirely unconvinced but he doesn’t press.
“I didn’t come up here to make things about me, I came because Francis told me he…saw you fighting with Kandi.” I shrug apologetically. “I just wanted to make sure everything was okay. She’s got something on you Jack, I know it. I said I didn’t care what happened between you, but I didn’t mean that. I know that whatever it was, it’s something bad and I want to know so I can help…I want to know everything.”