Page 101 of Cover Story

‘Anticipating our inevitable downfall does have a certain “sparse theatre production” feel doesn’t it?’ Bel said. ‘Jodie Comer and Aaron Taylor Johnson give career-best performances inFucked…’

‘Are you Jodie Comer? Jodie Porn Star Martini Coma more like.’

Bel threw a cushion at him.

Full of fried food and numbed by Merlot, unable to concentrate on anything, they both lay across the sofas and listened to rain on the windows.

‘Connor, can you tell me about your dog? The one you loved enough to have a photo of him on your desk? Was he called … Mosley?’ Bel said.

‘“Mosley”? Named after the fascist leader, Oswald Mosley?’

‘Oh bugger … Mo … M … Maurice!’

‘The night before I get sacked and possibly criminally charged, why don’t I discuss my much-missed dead dog?After that let’s revisit the times I have been laughed at while naked.’

‘Have you been laughed at while naked?!’ Bel said.

‘No,’ Connor said, sitting up, pointedly contemplating the remainder of a battered sausage and making Bel honk. ‘My bare form has inspired only awe.’

He ate it, brushed his hands and lay back down again.

‘I bought Maurice as a puppy for fifty quid from some sketchy guy in the pub in Dagenham who intuited I wasn’t going to let him leave in charge of an animal. I’d never had a dog and had to Google what to do. I was only mid-twenties and it was like having a baby overnight, in terms of responsibility. Then Maurice became the making of me. We went everywhere together, except when he was with the dogsitter from eight to six that cost as much as a nanny. I realised I could actually really enjoy routine and responsibility. I was a bit of a pointless lad at the time, treating everyone and everything like it didn’t matter.’

‘I can imagine a lot came easily to you,’ Bel said.

‘Yeah it kind of did, if I’m honest,’ Connor said.

Bel realised this was a different era between the two of them, because she could pay him a compliment, and he didn’t react defensively.

‘Maurice bore witness to a lot in my life and gave me so much more than I ever gave him. The day I lost him …’

His voice thickened and he stopped. ‘… Nope, still can’t do that without weeping.’

‘I’m so sorry, Connor. I wish I’d met him.’

‘I wish you had too,’ Connor said, swiping a tear from his cheek.

Their livelihoods were about to be detonated but they were fully healed as friends.

There was a just slightly concerning brief memory fuzz for Bel in the middle of yesterday evening, like losing your central field of vision. And whatever had been said …why did it feel as if it had made him more forgiving with her?

She hoped to hell she’d not told Connor he was fit.

‘I’ve said to Toby we need an urgent Teams and he’s offered us 10.00 a.m.,’ Bel said, handing Connor a black coffee at eight the next morning. ‘Not too long to wait.’

She’d been awake since five. Bel had entered the phase of thinking the prospecthadto be worse than getting it over with, fanciful self-soothing which was no doubt about to be corrected.

‘Urgh,’ Connor rubbed his eyes. ‘That’s going to be a real treat of an hour.’

‘It won’t be an hour. I’m taking the view this is at least a guillotine execution. As soon as Toby hears I robbed the iPad, that’s it, mission disavowed, contract terminated.Youare negotiable.’

‘I’m not. If I scoured the Ring video from it, I’m full accessory.’

The doorbell sounded. Bel couldn’t remember if she’d ordered anything.

‘Ant, great to see you again!’ Connor muttered, and Bel said: ‘Don’t.’

She opened the door to Amber, in a faux fur bomber jacket and Lululemon leggings.

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