Page 80 of Fling

‘First time for everything,’ Tara replied, smiling.

‘We think the three of us should join you for your pitch meeting,’ Mark said.

‘And why would I let you do that?’

‘Well . . . based on Dick Mulligan’s public persona, we’re not sure if you should be alone with him,’ Rob said carefully.

‘We think he’s not as interested in your idea as he is in . . . you,’ Mark added.

‘Wow. Is it really that hard to accept that my pitch was better?’ Tara said, taken aback.

‘It’s in your best interest if we come with you,’ Tommy said.

Tara was furious. It felt like a threat. ‘In my best interest? What is this, some kind of mob shakedown?’ she asked.

‘No, it’s us trying to have your back. You know you’re one of the Lads,’ Tommy said.

‘Oh please, for years the three of you have pushed me out of big accounts because I’m not a man. Well, guess what? I don’t want to be one of the Lads. This campaign is a job for a woman,’ Tara said, standing tall.

‘Well, “lads” is technically a gender-neutral term,’ Rob said.

‘Oh really? How many lads have you slept with?’ Tara said to Rob. He was suddenly silent.

‘We’re just trying to look out for you,’ Mark said.

‘No, it seems more like you’re showing up at the last minute to take credit for all the work that I’ve done. Sound about right?’ Tara said.

‘You know what,’ Tommy said calmly, ‘we’ve said what we came here to say.’

‘Well, thank you so much for stopping by, but it’s not my job to hand out participation trophies for ideas that didn’t make the cut. Why don’t the three of you go back to foosball. Some of us have actual work to do,’ Tara said smugly.

Tommy turned and left Tara’s office, followed by Mark and Rob.

Emily looked at Tara in complete awe. ‘Oh my GOD!’ she yelled. ‘I wanna be you when I grow up.’

They were the exact words Tara had always wanted to hear. The words that made her feel that she, as a woman, had made a difference.

‘Never underestimate the power of a curly blow-dry,’ she said, flicking her hair back over her shoulder.

Chapter 26

As Tara sat in the backseat of the taxi on the way to Elixir, she found herself riddled with nerves yet giddy with anticipation, the feeling one gets just before going on stage. She couldn’t wait to perform the role of Claire, but she was still anxious about Jack’s review.

She reminded herself that she was currently looking better than she had in years. After work, she had changed into a black satin dress with a cheeky thigh-high slit. Emily had tried to set off the fire alarm when she saw the sultry transformation. Tara was looking fabulous and she knew it. But her appearance wasn’t the source of her confidence. Her erotic energy was radiating outwards from within, her core supercharged. She took pride in knowing that with a little bit of effort, the image in the mirror was capable of reflecting how Tara saw herself on the inside. She had always been her own worst critic and the fact that she had impressed herself meant she could impress anyone.

With her mind at ease, Tara relaxed her shoulders and told herself to enjoy the present moment. The excitement, the curiosity, the wonder – all these feelings were rare in Tara’s life and she wanted to relish them. It was as if she had rediscovered some of her favourite records in an old dusty attic and she was finally allowing a needle to release the symphonic melodies they contained. Music was back in her life once again.

Out of nowhere, the taxi driver suddenly jammed on the brakes and jolted Tara back to reality.

‘Jaysus, feckin’ jaywalkers. The bane of my existence!’ the taxi driver yelled as he stopped in front of a man crossing the street. When Tara sat up and looked out the front windscreen, she saw something completely unexpected.

It was Colin.

He was crossing the street in front of her cab and turning onto Harcourt Street. Not only that, but he was dressed rather stylishly and looked impeccably well groomed. The stubble she wanted to hate made him look annoyingly handsome. He was a downright hunk!

But Colin had texted her earlier to say he was working late. After he had crossed the road, he began to walk down Harcourt Street. What was he doing so far from his office?

She had to know.

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