Chapter Eighteen
Ella
I scurried through the office to my desk to spill the news to my friends. Zola nudged Katy when she saw me, and they both spun their chairs around, eager to get the lowdown.
‘Well .?.?.’ I could see nervousness behind their eyes, and I immediately wondered if Andrea had been making threats behind my back that they weren’t telling me about.
‘Yes, well?’ a voice said behind me, and I turned, managing a welcoming smile at my boss, who had a face like a slapped arse once again.
‘Oh, good! You’re here, Andrea,’ I began. ‘So, I have secured the venue for the Alexander Cambri exhibition, which will take place on the thirty-first of July.’ I beamed proudly, and I noticed the wave of relief pass over my friends’ faces.
‘Where?’ Andrea asked immediately.
I stood up straight as I delivered my killer blow. ‘Kelvingrove Art Gallery.’
I noticed the shocked look descend onto her pinched face.
‘We have the entire building for the evening, at no cost. This will allow me to spend the entire budget on delivering the very best décor and beverages.’
‘No cost?’ she questioned, still hovering above my desk as if it was a trick.
‘Nope.’ I smiled. ‘Philip pulled some favours. Great news, eh?’
‘ Hmm .?.?. Well, yes,’ she was forced to admit. ‘Great news indeed, Ella. You certainly excel at networking, eh?’
A wave of pure relief washed through me.
‘But tell me, what does a man like Philip Khan expect in return?’ she asked.
I paused, glancing around me.
‘Nothing,’ I said. ‘We’re friends; well, more business acquaintances really.’
Andrea cackled a high-pitched laugh. ‘I’d say best friends with your little nicknames.’ She sneered. ‘Huh, Yoga!’
‘Pilates,’ Katy piped in, correcting her.
‘Sure.’ I screwed a face up to Katy. I totally wasn’t in the mood to divulge the full fake-name scenario, especially not to a woman who hated me.
‘Pilates, whatever. At least it’s done. It took you long enough,’ she muttered under her breath, then turned around and strode towards her office. ‘And I’ll let Alexander know,’ she added, as she slammed the door behind her.
My two friends began squealing and hugging me.
No! No! How the fuck did you manage that one, Ella?’ Zola asked.
I sighed, slumping onto my chair and leaning back, feeling completely exhausted after a day with Mr Khan. ‘Honestly, I didn’t. He did.’ I rolled my eyes.
‘You do realise Andrea is in that office right now, speaking to Alexander and taking full credit for the venue, right?’ Katy shook her head, annoyed at the thought, but I was perfectly aware. ‘You’ve smashed it, though! I’m proud of you, Ella.’
I reached over and grabbed both of their hands. ‘Thanks, guys. I’m so happy. But I now have to find enough people to come. As in A LOT of people. The venue isn’t exactly intimate. It’s huge.’
‘If we have to hand out flyers to every Tom, Dick, Harry and Fanny in the city, we will,’ Katy said, giggling. ‘Though we can already count on at least one Harry.’
‘Yes, we fucking will all right! But wait, tell us about Big Phil. Was he polite or pervy?’ Zola asked, sipping on a bottle of Starbucks Frappuccino.
I made a face. ‘He is always kind of pervy.’ I paused. ‘Though maybe more flirty, I’d say. But I did notice a lot of women phoning him, like the entire time we were there.’
‘Ohhh,’ Zola tilted her head and let out a tut in disapproval.
‘And he told them he was in a meeting.’ I laughed. ‘Anyway, I’m obviously very grateful to him. But at the same time, I just don’t get it. Why is he helping me?’
‘Maybe he is just really kind?’ Katy suggested innocently.
Both Zola and I erupted into laughter.
‘Wait, what?’ she said, looking confused.
‘No man is that kind, babe. I can’t even imagine the favours he’s pulled to get one of the country’s most expensive, prestigious venues to hire .?.?. and for free!’
‘But he could be a nice man? There are genuinely nice people out there,’ Katy exclaimed.
‘And this attitude is precisely why you get yourself into the situations you do. You believe the best in people.’ Zola turned to me. ‘Mr Khan wants into your knickers, darling. That’s it, plain and simple. It’s the law of the jungle.’ She shrugged.
‘He did ask me to go for dinner tonight too. He said he would pick me up at seven,’ I confessed.
Both of them gasped.
‘Sorry. What? Wait. Are you going?’ Katy asked, bouncing up and down on her seat excitedly.
‘Of course I’m not. He’s Glasgow’s biggest playboy.’
‘Write about it,’ Zola said, a light going on in her eyes. ‘For the Dicktionary Club! Babe, you have to. Go along, humour him and write up a profile!’
‘But does he even have Tinder or Bumble or any regular dating apps?’ Katy questioned. ‘His photo might not be on the database?’
Zola lifted her phone and began typing ferociously.
‘I don’t know,’ I said. ‘And fuck that, even if he does, the man is a zillionaire; he would sue the life out of us for defamation of character.’
‘Shit! He doesn’t have any of the regular apps,’ Zola said with a grunt, placing her phone back on her desk.
‘That cunt probably only uses Raya!’ I said, reminding myself of the exclusive dating app I would only consider joining to track down Henry Cavill.
‘OK, so we should still do a profile on Big Phil, like a feature piece. Once a month, we could write about some B-listers! Some semi-famous or well-known guys around the city. We won’t give personal details like the venue of the date or where they were, just in case they track it all back to us.
But we could give hard facts on their personality and how they treated their date. ’
Katy was swaying. ‘But he’s treated her nicely so far. He’s just saved her job, Zola!’
‘Let’s face it, Katy, Philip Khan has an ulterior motive. He’s a fucking man !’
I gulped down, feeling nervous about going full-on spy mode. ‘He did make a joke about me coming to see the art in his home.’
Zola let out a tut. ‘And you know what art is code for, Katy?’
Katy shrugged.
‘He wants to show Ella his crown jewels!’ Zola winked.
We all began laughing, then kept it down as the stares came our way.
‘C’mon! This could be the edge that the Dicktionary Club needs! It’s like a little gossip column about someone relatively famous,’ Zola persisted.
‘I suppose you could do one date,’ Katy said, coming round to the idea. ‘And if it’s a good one, then you write it up as a good one.’
I rolled my eyes, understanding the method in her madness. It was certainly a hook for subscribers, but I couldn’t afford to jeopardise the Kelvingrove gig. ‘One date?’
‘One simple report, and that’s it. Look how Andrea’s just spoken to you, Ella. This website is our Golden Ticket out of here!’ Zola put her hands together as if to pray.
She was right. Andrea’s domineering ways and bizarre mood swings were close to unbearable. I turned towards her office and watched as she giggled like a fucking hyena on the phone. I knew she was in there, taking full credit for my work.
‘OK. Fine!’ I accepted the challenge.
‘Thank you. Now, what are you going to wear?’ Her eyes brightened.
‘It has to be sexy, something to get him interested,’ Katy said.
‘I’ll need to see where we’re going first.’ I brought out my phone and texted my address to him. ‘I can’t believe I’m doing this. I have never given a man my home address. If he stalks me now, it’s on both of you.’
‘He knows where you work, Ell? And where you train? If he wanted to stalk and murder you, he would just follow you home, OK?’
‘Oh, thanks, Zola,’ I replied. ‘That’s really put my mind at ease.’
Zola gasped. ‘No! Fuck! Wait! Alvaro! You can’t let him down again, Ella.’
I felt my shoulders drop. ‘Seriously? You’ve just spent ten minutes convincing me to write up Philip.’
Katy giggled. ‘I’m so glad I’m taken for now. You girls are crazy!’
‘Right, fuck sake! I’ll text Alvaro,’ Zola moaned, throwing back her head in dread. ‘I suppose it’s an excuse for me to message him all night instead.’
Katy gently slapped Zola’s arm. ‘That’s terrible!’
Zola shrugged her off. ‘Oh please. He’s replying to Ella’s pictures, not mine. It’s like Andrea said – it’s only networking!’
We all laughed together.
Philip: Perfect. See you at 7. P x
Ella: Where are we going?
Philip: For dinner x
I huffed at his secrecy. And at the kiss.
Why couldn’t this man ever give a straight answer?
I liked to know plans. I hated uncertainty.
I enjoyed being in control, but Philip seemed to know this and enjoyed torturing me by denying me it.
Instead of replying to his childish guessing game, I turned on my laptop and began emailing Alexander, copying in template designs for set-ups he might like for his exhibition, dropping subtle hints that I secured the venue at the stunningly perfect Kelvingrove Art Gallery.