Page 75 of Best Served Hot
But Alex would need to pin down a director of photography herself because that wasn’t something to delegate. She was thinking of a few people she’d known back in the day, wondering if she had current contact details for them when someone put a hand on her arm tightly.
She spun around and shoved her assailant as hard as she could, knocking them on their arse. Only to realise she was looking down at Lena. ‘What thefuck!?’ she yelled. ‘Why the hell are you attacking me?’
Lena looked up at her, annoyed. ‘I was calling your name, but you were in your own little world. You need to cut down on the caffeine. You sent me flying.’
Alex glowered and held out a hand to Lena. Lena took it and hoiked herself up, dusting herself down. She patted her bum gingerly. ‘I’m gonna have an arse bruise now. Thanks for that.’
‘What the hell do you want, you bloody stalker?!’ Alex demanded, livid.
‘If you’d let me speak, I’d have told you. I’m here to deliver a message. From Nicole.’
The wind went out of Alex’s sails. ‘Nicole?’
Forty-Three
Once Lena had stopped crying—Nicole had given her a few arm pats to expedite it—she had switched to cursing Ethan’s name.
‘We’re wrapping in two hours. Meet me after. We’ll talk,’ Nicole told her.
Funny this was happening again. She’d found yet another member of the ‘Ethan dicked me over’ club, and she was teaming up with them. Though somehow, she didn’t think she and Lena were going to fall in love.
But hate? Hate could unite almost as well. And so it did, over machine coffees in the very beige offices ofCriminal Thoughts, deserted for the day.
‘He sacked me. And dumped me at the same time,’ Lena confessed.
‘Classic,’ Nicole said sourly. ‘What reason?’
‘He said it wasn’t working out with us. And that I didn’t have what it takes to be a producer. That bastard.’
‘So he fired you?’ Nicole questioned.
‘He said it would be too painful to see me around.’
‘I’ve got to ask… Was itthatmuch of a shock?’
Lena took a big sip of her drink, sustaining herself with the sugary coffee. ‘Maybe not. But… But when we first got together, he told me Alex had dumped him. He seemed so sad. And then when I realised he was married… I just felt like I’d invested too much. I loved him.’ She sighed. ‘I can’t believe I’ve been this fucking stupid.’
Nicole couldn’t say she didn’t understand that a little. ‘That’s not stupid. That’s what he counts on. That the people you choose mean something. And sometimes, even when it goes wrong, it’s hard to let go of what you wanted it to mean.’
Lena teared up. ‘I always liked you. I hated it when I found out you were his wife. I wished it could have been somebody rubbish.’
‘Thank you. But it wouldn’t have mattered who I was. Cheat’s cheat, ya know?’ Nicole told her.
‘Yeah, I know. I know,’ Lena said woefully. ‘So you’re divorcing him?’
Nicole nodded voraciously. ‘Yes. Very much so. If I could apply for a special divorce where I’d be abitmore divorced than usual, I’d do it.’
Lena smiled a little through misty eyes. ‘He was upset about you divorcing him. He said he didn’t care, but…’
‘What he was upset about was getting found out,’ Nicole told her.
‘Mmm, maybe. But something was wrong with him after the wrap party. He wasn’t himself. Or, well, maybe I should say he wasn’t playing nice at all anymore,’ Lena said sadly.
Nicole was perplexed. ‘That’s odd. I’d think he’d be happy after the wrap party.’
Lena frowned. ‘Why would that be?’
Nicole chewed the inside of her mouth, considering her next move. In the end, she took a chance. After all, what rule was this chat breaking?
