Page 92 of Forever, Maybe
He smirked. Stephanie regarded him admiringly—no doubt reassessing her opinion of him as Marcus’s stooge. A stooge, for example, would opt for holiday pay rather than leave the company scrambling to replace him with just a week’s notice.
Or perhaps she was simply admiring him for having the courage to leave.
“Where are you going?” Nell asked.
Jamie named the largest NHS board in the country, and the job title he rattled off sounded suitably lofty. While White Lightning Communications was one of Scotland’s top PR agencies, its opportunities for career advancement were limited.
“Congratulations,” Nell said, joined by Stephanie, who chimed in with an enthusiastic, “Well done!”
Their questions came thick and fast, and Jamie, never one to shy away from the spotlight, answered with relish. The salary? Astronomical. The responsibilities? Managing a team of ten—ten!—people, overseeing the development and execution of the organisation’s communications strategy, controlling the marketing budget and handling press relations.
Stephanie finished her drink, pulled out her phone and flipped the top open, a smile spreading slowly across her face.
“I’m going to have to love you and leave you, folks,” she said, as she pushed back her chair and got to her feet. “I’ve got plans.”
Nell managed a smile. Stephanie was seeing a guy she’d met on Match.com, and so far, things seemed to be going well. A Friday night date was much more appealing than spending it with work colleagues in a noisy pub.
“You’ve got your keys, right?” Stephanie asked, her words slightly loosened by the vodka tonics. For a moment, she seemed to forget that no one else at White Lightning Communications knew about Nell’s temporary living situation.
Nell nodded quickly, hoping Jamie hadn’t caught on. She’d been crashing at Stephanie’s for the past nine days, sleeping on a camp bed in the living room. It wasn’t ideal—far from it—but she felt stuck, unable to decide her next move. She knew she had to talk to Danny eventually, but the thought made her chest tighten. Their fight about children, combined with his failure to prioritise her exhibition over his work, still stung too much.
“Enjoy your night,” Nell called after Stephanie as she left. Jamie echoed the sentiment, his tone light.
The pub door slammed shut behind Stephanie, and the moment she was gone, Jamie turned to Nell, grasping her hand.
“Why are you staying with Stephanie?”
Heat rushed to her cheeks as she scrambled for a lie.
“It’s just for tonight,” she said, too fast, too high-pitched. “Danny’s away and I’m... not great at being on my own.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Really? Haven’t you had plenty of practice? Danny leaves you on your own all the time.”
Damn it. Those car rides. He always asked about Danny—what he was doing, where he was. His hand tightened slightly around hers. He turned it over, deliberately inspecting the eighteen-carat white gold band on her finger.
“He doesn’t,” she protested, weakly.
His gaze met hers, sharp and knowing. “Have you left him?”
Her throat tightened. Tears prickled, threatening to spill. Any second now and she’d unravel—completely, hopelessly—and she’d never live it down. She yanked her hand free. “None of your bee’s wax, matey,” she muttered, voice wobbling.
Jamie leant back, giving her space but not dropping his gaze. His scrutiny didn’t feel intrusive this time—instead softer and almost sympathetic.
He took a long pull from his beer before speaking. “Promise me you’re not about to abandon me here as well, will you, dear Nell?”
The shift in tone was masterful, and her tears retreated instantly, replaced by a reluctant smile. “Fine,” she said, playing along. “I’ll keep you company. Lucky for you, I’m feeling charitable.”
“Excellent,” Jamie replied, still holding her hand, though his grip was looser now, more casual. He cast a theatrical glance around the room, his expression pained. “Because leaving me here alone with these morons would be downright cruel.”
“Behave yourself!” she chided, though her tone held no real reprimand.
Jamie smirked and launched into a series of scurrilous stories about their colleagues, his wit as sharp as ever. He didn’t hold back, peppering his anecdotes with just enough exaggeration to keep her laughing. Then came the indiscreet revelations about Marcus—juicy titbits that painted a vivid picture of a man both pompous and insufferable.
It was clear Jamie held no love for their boss. For all his outward appearances as Marcus’s stooge, he’d been biting his tongue for years. He revealed he had broken the news of his resignation to Marcus the day before, which, Nell realised, half-accounted for their boss’s thunderous mood in the lead-up to this morning’s pitch.
As the stories unfolded, Nell felt the knot in her chest begin to loosen. Jamie might be infuriating at times, but tonight, he was the perfect distraction.
Her head swam, and Jamie’s face blurred in front of her. She raised a hand to steady herself, her fingers landing on the curve of his cheek.
