Page 53 of The Dicktionary Club

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. ‘AndI’lllet 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.

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