“Look at the first page.”
I flick the magazine open. “Got to be some mistake, surely.”
“No mistake. It’s there in black and white. Oh, and don’t call me Shirley.”
I reread it. Editor - Bex Fox. Deputy Editor - Ursula Shaw.
“He put us in charge,” Ursula says with a grin. “What an idiot, right?”
“But how did they get the print run sorted in time?”
“I spoke to Jo. She said Hunter pulled some strings and made sure we hit the deadline. Everyone’s back in the office getting ready for the Christmas Special. I’d call that a good result, wouldn’t you?”
“When did this come out?”
“This morning. Why?”
“Do we know what the sales figures are?”
“The initial ones are outstanding. According to Eric, we’re more than double this time last year. It’s early days, but I think we’ll be in profit by the new year. Wouldn’t that be something?”
“Yes, it would.” I flick through the pages. “I could be wrong, but I think we used every single one of my ideas.”
“Which is why we’re making money. Melanie should have listened to you while she had the chance.”
“Don’t mention her name. You might summon her. Come on, let’s go take a look at this boutique. See how much work we need to do to get it ready to open.”
59
Bex
* * *
I unlock the door, flicking the lights on. Ursula peers in after me. “This is not how it was when I came to look around, I promise.”
I enter in a daze, pausing in the middle of the shop floor. “You’re not kidding, are you?”
She lets out a yelp of excitement. “We could open tomorrow.”
I run my hand along the row of clothes. “Am I dreaming?” I ask. “This can’t be real, can it?”
She pinches me hard on the arm. “That feel real?”
“Yes, and ow!”
“Stop whinging and start dancing. We did it, Bex!”
I look around the store. The shelves. The dresses. The shoes. The lighting. The register. The fitting rooms. Even the signs on the walls. Every single thing has been taken from the parts of the catalogs I circled what feels like a lifetime ago. “Hunter did this?” Ursula asks, picking up a skirt and holding it against herself. “Got an original Falcone here. Holy shit, did he spend some money on this place.”
“Yes, he did.”
“And you said he did all this despite the annulment? Got to say, I think he did you a solid right here. We can open up with no debts, all this stuff, and the magazine back up and running. He pretty much sorted your life out, Bex. You should at least kiss him and say thank you.”
“I can’t.”
“What? Because you don’t think he loves you and all that crap? Look at this place. Look at the magazine. Look at Eddie and Catherine. He did all this for you, and he’s not asking for anything back. That’s some real medieval chivalry right there.”
“No, I mean I can’t kiss him because he’s on a flight to Rome in an hour. He’s leaving for good, remember.”