Chapter Thirty-two #2
‘It might even be fifteen,’ she said, rubbing at an imaginary lipstick mark. She laughed in shock. ‘Yes. Blimey. Time flies.’
‘Righttt…?’ Jesus.
‘Right,’ she said, snapping back to reality. ‘And we were kind of together at one point. Living together.’
I choked on my wine. ‘What? You were together? Together together?’ She nodded coyly. ‘I thought you hated each other?’
‘We do now. Sort of. I didn’t like to mention it before as… well, I didn’t think it was relevant or… appropriate. And neither of us wanted to make things awkward.’ She took a large gulp of wine. ‘Anyway, that part isn’t important.’
Like hell it wasn’t. ‘What happened?’
‘Well, that’s the thing. We were both creative directors at an agency at the time and the executive creative director – Orla – announced she was retiring. We both applied for her job and had to present our ideas for the future of the department.’
She stared off into the distance wistfully.
‘I’d happened upon one of Zach’s suggestions when I was tidying up one day and couldn’t get it out of my head. I thought about it so much, I couldn’t think of anything else and ended up evolving it into a better version and presenting it as my own.’
I stayed quiet, letting her get it all out.
‘I didn’t mean to steal his idea. I’d convinced myself it was different enough to get away with it, but it meant I got the job. My ambition got the better of me and screwed over my relationship. I mean… I screwed over my relationship and betrayed Zach in the worst possible way.’
‘Did you tell him?’
She shook her head. ‘No. We agreed me being his boss wouldn’t work and it was best to focus on careers in different agencies. So, I convinced him to resign.’
‘Savage.’
‘I didn’t want him finding out what I’d done. I wanted to keep both the promotion and my boyfriend and if he wasn’t around, he’d have no reason to suspect foul play. He just assumed I’d got the job through a fair win. I told him I’d presented something completely different.’
At least she had the good grace to look embarrassed.
‘How did he find out?’ I asked, feeling sick. When people tell you who they are – believe them.
‘Zach needed a reference and some career advice, and Orla assumed he knew why I’d got the job over him. We were living together after all. She talked him through where he’d gone wrong and I’d gone right. Just to rub salt into the wound. He was livid.’
‘Sounds like he’s been waiting a long time for payback,’ I said. ‘Do you think he had something to do with it then, rather than Leo? How would he have found out though?’
Heidi looked me straight in the eyes and took a deep breath. ‘Well, that’s the other thing I need to tell you. We er… reconnected during the trip. At the hotel in Lisbon, and while you were in Madeira.’
‘What!?’
‘I know, sorry about that. He left his trainers in our room, and I was convinced you’d find them after I left.’
‘Oh, the Converse are Zach’s. I brought them back for you but that makes more sense. Tell me you didn’t do anything in the bunk beds though, please?!’ I pretended to be outraged.
She nodded. ‘…and at the Uzu Yacht Club and in one of the dressing rooms…’
‘Heidi! This is outrageous salaciousness. I am shocked!’
‘Yes… big reveals all round. Sam and I have been in an open marriage for a while now, so he’s fine with it, but Lisbon was especially wild and I needed to get home to him after that.
It was getting too intense.’ Too much information.
‘But all this is to say Zach had plenty of access if he’d wanted to snoop on our ideas. ’
‘Access all areas, in fact, and a more likely culprit if he had an axe to grind.’
‘Whatever the motive, and whoever did it, they’re not getting away with it.
I admit I was in the wrong all those years ago, but two wrongs don’t make a right.
Me and Zach both know what he did, and he knows I know.
It was your idea, so I know you know too.
I just need to find out where Leo stands in all this and convince Brooke we’re telling the truth. ’
‘That ain’t going to be easy,’ I said, finishing off my glass, my mind whirring. ‘Because I’m pretty sure Brooke chose Amplify for more than just their idea.’
Heidi’s eyes narrowed. ‘In what way?’
‘To add to an already complicated triangle, I caught Leo sneaking out of Brooke’s suite the morning we arrived back in Dover.’ Her jaw dropped. ‘I know. He didn’t see me, and I didn’t bother confronting him. I was too shocked.’
‘Seduction tactics. Well, well, well – a feisty competitor to the end. Doing whatever it takes. I can’t lie, I’m kinda impressed.’
‘Heidi!’
‘What? If the client had been a man I’d have been on him like a rash. Not physically, and no sleepovers, obviously, but nothing wrong with using your womanly wiles to get what you want in life. Although it does pose a different kind of problem, if she’s into him.’
‘I’m not even sure she is. She strikes me as more of the loosey-goosey type. Into everyone for a little while. Give your flirtation tricks a whirl – you never know.’
Heidi rolled her eyes. ‘This job will be the death of me. But we’re not letting them get away with it. Too many jobs are on the line.’