Page 10 of The Dicktionary Club

She breathed out a long sigh, seemingly relieved. ‘Thanks, although I wouldn’t have gone in there without you guys.’

‘True. Very true!’ Zola said, laughing as we all sat down.

‘How am I going to smash this campaign?’ I asked softly, glancing over the hundreds of RSVP emails I’d sent out without even a glimpse of success. I felt like an absolute failure. I wasn’t used to struggling with anything, let alone work. I wondered what Andrea would do to me if I couldn’t pull this off. Would I get a warning? Or just sent out the door with my P60 in hand?

‘Oh my God!Guys! Guys! Look! He’s .?.?. he’s back with his ex.’ Katy stood up, her face furious. She brandished her phone at us, displaying Mark’s Instagram, where he’d posted the perfect stack of pancakes at Bramble and tagged his ex.

I watched my friend’s face glow scarlet with rage.

‘Katy, sit down. Babe?’ Zola tugged on her arm, and she flopped to her chair.

‘Is he serious? He had sex with me two days ago. Two fucking days ago, Zo!’ Her eyes filled up with tears.

I shuffled my chair over towards her and rubbed her shoulder. ‘Hey, he doesn’t deserve you, Katy. You know that.’

‘He never taggedme. He never tookmefor brunch. Why am I never the girl they want to show off on Instagram or buy fucking pancakes for?’ Her bottom lip was quivering.

‘Do you honestly think he will treat her well?’ I insisted. ‘Babe, you just said he was shagging you two days ago. Do you think he’ll be able to keep this going with her? He’s incapable of a long-term relationship, Katy. Just like most of his generation out there.’

Katy covered her face with her hands.

‘Look, I know it’s hurtful, and it’s not what you want to see, but you are free now. No more questioning his intent, overthinking his short-ass messages, constantly wondering if he’s being dry, if you said something wrong, or if he’s just too busy. You know now. Let’s move on,’ Zola said gently but firmly, and I agreed. ‘Plus, stop following him on Instagram, yeah?’

‘Move on?’ Katy laughed. ‘Move onagain. I’m thirty-three, Zola; my ovaries have fucking dust mites on them. Honest to God!’ She sighed heavily. ‘I’m not even mad at Mark. I’m mad at myself for allowing myself to get hurtoverandoveragain by these fucking men. No, theseboys! I’ve had enough of it.’

There was a silence between us as the truth of Katy’s words struck home for us all. Then, suddenly, I remembered ourconversation from last night.

I turned to them and laughed a little, suddenly nervous about speaking about the website in a more sober circumstance. ‘You’re not thinking what I’m thinking, are you?’ I asked the others.

Katy wiped down her face quickly and looked up with a resigned expression. I could tell she was considering the ultimate revenge she could take. ‘Do it. Make the page, Zo.’

Zola glanced towards me. ‘You’re one hundred per cent in, Ella?’

I looked at Katy, and I saw how much she wanted this. She needed this distraction.

‘Yeah, yeah. Do it, I’m in.’

‘OK. Payback commencing, bitches!’ Zola laughed wickedly, turned to her computer and began typing furiously. She was like that the whole day. Occasionally, Katy and I would try to sneak a peek, but she batted us away. I wasn’t sure if she wasn’t wanting to draw attention to the fact she was creating it on the clock, or if she just wanted to show us the end result only when she was finished.

I continued researching the best places for Alexander’s art exhibition, but I needed more motivation. I knew very little about the art world, never mind how to promote it. I made someComing Soonposters for Instagram detailing the artist’s visit to Glasgow and sent them to my contacts in the press. I wasn’t convincing even myself that it would be enough to make a difference.

Around six, Zola turned to us.

‘It’s almost done!’ she whispered. ‘I mean, I have to add the special features and the security and things but I have the home page and tabs ready.’

I scanned the empty office. I’d been too engrossed in my own project to notice that everyone else had left.

‘Let’s see then,’ Katy said, barging over to Zola’s desktop.

‘Oooh, yeah, show us what you’ve got, Zo,’ I enthused, sliding my chair over.

‘Welcome to .?.?. drum roll, ladies .?.?.’ She tapped her hands off the desk as I giggled beside her. ‘The Dicktionary Club!’Zola announced as she let out an evil laugh.

‘Oh my God,’ I squealed.

‘We can change the name,’ she suggested. ‘I just thought it was fitting.’

‘No, I love it,’ I admitted.

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