Page 54 of In This Together

It was childish but he made her say it.

Sofia chuckled, then said, ‘I love it, Ros. I’ll put it on the wall in the sound booth. Thanks, so much.’

‘Yay! So, it’s okay that I’m here?’

‘Of course it’s okay, Ros,’ Sofia said, already replacing a framed picture of The Beatles on the wall with the picture Rosalie had gifted to her.

Despite her pouting and planting her hands on her hips in waiting, Seth didn’t confirm her presence was okay. What was his problem?

‘Seth, perhaps you could hang yours in your apartment,’ she quipped. ‘I have no idea where you live. In fact, I dread to think. But I can tell that you need to seriously feng-shui, my friend. Your aura is needlessly prickly.’

At that, Jimmy, Frankie and Billy laughed, dragging a half-smile, which Rosalie could admit was quite a treat, from Seth.

14

HANNAH

Andrea had been stomping ahead of Hannah into the office after their lunch with Rosalie at Meadow Sweet. Her temperament was always volatile but it had been especially so in recent days. Was it that she missed Hunter? Was it that she walked out on Tommy after their night together and now Hannah was having to field his calls, wondering why the heck Andrea had left him? She didn’t know. She would never know because when Andrea decided to shut down, she couldn’t be prised open.

What shedidknow was that Andrea’s hips were swinging with prime-time swagger as her stilettos pounded the sidewalk as best as their skinny heels could.

Hannah had learned that silence was best in these situations. Until the volcano finally erupted, Hannah had no way of telling whether that hot lava was coming after her in a friend capacity or in her capacity as an executive PA.

They reached the revolving entrance doors to XM Music Group’s office block. Andrea paused, then sighed, then spun those doors so fast that Hannah decided it would be safer to let her complete the revolution alone.

And she did complete the revolution. After a full three-sixty walk through the revolving doors, Andrea was back on the sidewalk, facing Hannah, on the verge of eruption.

‘Isn’t it enough that everyone in this place thinks I slept my way to the top?’ she ground out through her teeth. ‘Now, everyone will be saying,There goes Andrea, CEO of Stellar label, who slept with the boss and screwed her clients to keep them.’

The way her arms flailed as she spoke and her cheeks flushed red made the situation almost comical.

‘Is that why you encouraged me to go to Tommy’s? Huh? So you could tell everyone? Gossip to whoever will listen?’

Hannah felt like shaking Andrea’s shoulders hard, both in anger and to stop the hysteria. She raised her arm and forced her fingers to point instead.

‘Youdecided to go to Tommy because you were mourning the loss of dirty grandpa from your panties.Youdecided to fuck Tommy. Yes, I thought seeing Tommy was a better idea than pining after that douchebag, Hunter. He’s a significant improvement from screwing your friend’s dad.

‘You like Tommy, whether you can admit it to yourself or not. And he likes you. Hence him calling my desk every second to find out why you’re not taking his calls and why you walked out on him,again.Which, by the way, is a question onlyyoucan answer because, despite the fact youdolike Tommy and you’ve gone back there a thousand times in the past,youlefthim,again.’

‘That’s none of your business, Hannah, and it’s certainly not your story to go gossiping to Rosalie about.’

Hannah raised her hand to saystop.‘I’m not finished.’

Andrea straightened, dropping her hands on her hips and pulling her lips into a pout. But she didn’t move from her spot on the sidewalk.

‘You sleep with someone like Hunter for six months and walk out on someone like Tommy, who you get along with. You’re terrified of being with anyone who might stick. You’re afraid to be committed to anyone.’

‘I have been committed to people all my life,’ Andrea snapped back.

‘You lost your mom. You took care of your dad when he needed help. You brought up Sofia as if she was your responsibility. You have never committed by choice and you’re terrified of doing so.’

Andrea lowered her voice, glancing at passers-by on the street, whose attention had been drawn by the showdown. ‘You’re the prime example of how that statement is bullshit,ProfessorHannah. I’ve never walked away from you. Or maybe that’s because I feel a sense of responsibility to you too, huh? With a million mouths to feed and a lazy, selfish husband to take care of. Well, let me tell you something, Hannah, I’ve had enough. I’ve had enough of playing friend instead of boss when you take endless days off for sick kids. When you leave early because Rod got a new job and didn’t have the decency to discuss it with you first.’

Hannah saw the proverbial red mist. ‘Do. Not. Talk. About. My. Family.’

‘Yeah, it’s shitty when someone spreads crap you don’t want to hear, isn’t it?’

Hannah squared up to Andrea. ‘I told our friend – one of your best friends – that you slept with Tommy. I wasn’t gossiping, I was putting her as far off the scent of you fucking her dad that she could get. That’s the joke, Andi, I was protecting you. And why? So that you could badmouth me and my family? I’ve stood by you for years and you’re currently throwing it back in my face because I’ve called you on your shit. You’re terrified of getting hurt. Well, aren’t we all, Andi?’