Page 46 of You Spin Me Round

But a minute passed in silence while both of them tucked into the food. Alex made a firm decision not to break the silence. Leigh could take it from here, and eventually, she did.

‘So, yeah, let’s talk about what happens next.’

Alex finished chewing her bite, swallowed, and smiled. ‘What happens next is that Isabelle leaves your girl exactly where she found her—which is to say in the doldrums of mediocrity—and goes on to have the career she should.’

‘That’sthe narrative, is it? That Erin was some sad little waif who wouldn’t have had any success whatsoever without being rescued by Isabelle?’ Leigh asked snarkily.

‘Pretty much,’ Alex shrugged.

‘You think that’s the right way to go?’ Leigh asked her.

Alex was amused. ‘You don’t?’

‘Not my place to question it.’

‘Yet you just did. So, come on, then. Let’s hear it. School me.’

Leigh shrugged. ‘It’s just, well, I guess I might think that it leaves you open to doubts about questionable power dynamics within the relationship, wouldn’t you say?’

Alex didn’t respond immediately. Because—and Alex would rather have pulled out one of her own teeth with the lobster crackers than admit this—but Leigh might have had a small point. Not that Alex couldn’t spin it.

‘Hmm,’ Alex said. ‘That’s certainly interesting. And if Erin had been twenty when they met, I’d agree. But she was nearly thirty.’

‘Twenty-eight.’

‘That’s old enough to know better.’

‘But young enough to be impressed by an established actress trying to get into your knickers, that’s for sure,’ Leigh countered.

‘Youknowit wasn’t like that,’ Alex said irritably.

‘You know what Iknow?’ Leigh said, getting quite pissy. ‘It’s that Isabelle has control of the money, and she’s left Erin without a pot to piss in, even though Erin’s been earning real money for a decade. But Isabelle took Erin’s money just because shecould. Sounds like a power imbalance to me.’

‘Isabelle hasn’t taken anything,’ Alex said, waving a dismissive hand. ‘Erin spent every penny she earned while letting her sugar momma take care of the day-to-day expenses.’

‘Shespentall her fees? On what?!’ Leigh asked, exasperated.

Alex didn’t know, so she opted for a snarky reply. ‘That will be detailed in the court transcripts, I’d imagine.’

‘You’re ridiculous!’ Leigh said a touch angrily.

Alex knew she was under Leigh’s skin. She didn’t mind that. That flush in Leigh’s face, her dark eyes wide with anger, it was a good look on her. It wasn’t a far cry from how she might have looked if… Well. Anyway.

Get your mind out of the gutter, Alex warned herself.You can’t win against her like this.

Twenty

Leigh took a moment to gather herself from her ill-advised outburst. ‘You know, Alex, you really are a very skilled wind-up merchant. If nothing else.’

Alex laughed. ‘If nothing else? That’s all I can do, is it?’ She ate a bit of steak.

‘It’s all you’ve done to me,’ Leigh told her. She immediately regretted it. Alex couldn’t know she was getting to her.

But Alex was looking rather pleased with herself, so that ship had sailed. ‘Can we cut to the chase?’ Alex asked.

‘What chase is that?’ Leigh asked, playing for time.

‘What is it you’ve got for me?’ Alex asked plainly.

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