Page 56 of The Last Kiss

“I wasn’t talking about me, I meant Flynn.” She grins, a splash of bright-red lipstick. “I only hired him because I thought you might like him.”

“Rebecca!” I’m honestly shocked. “That’s no reason to hire a person.”

She scrunches her face, her practically lineless and ageless skin crinkling for a moment. “It didn’t work anyway, did it?” She taps her ruby nails on her desk. “It’s such a shame you don’t date. It’s not good for you to be living in that flat with that awful cat.”

“For the record there is nothing wrong with Barney, and I do date. I just don’t feel the need to waste my time on pointless hours spent with someone that I probably don’t like that much.”

She narrows her gaze, analysing, and I pull at my hair, fiddling with the ends. “Hmm, why? You’re a good-looking woman. I just don’t get it.”

I shrug… brain… France… again…

With a deep sigh I slump back a little in the chair. “I guess I spent too long trying to be the good girl.”

“Good girls are a bore, Julianna. Be bad for a change.”

I nod, although I know the ticking death sentence hanging above my head has limited opportunities to re-acquaint myself with my bad side. She’s been locked up a long time.

“Would you mind if I head off? I’ve got to get to Hamleys to get Paige’s present. I’ve left it until the last moment again.”

“Sure, sure.” Her gaze meets mine, devilish flash in the depth of it. “Want to take Flynn with you?”

Shaking my head, I get up and smooth down my skirt. “Don’t mind if I pass.”

“Have fun at Hamleys.”

I shoot her an evil stink eye. “No adult ever had fun at Hamleys ever.”

“Have a good weekend, Julianna. Don’t eat too much jelly and ice cream.”

Like she thinks that’s the highlight of my weekend… oh wait.

“Rebecca?” I stop and turn at the door.

“Mm?” She’s pretending to look at something important, but I know she has Vogue under the paperwork—I can see the thick edge of the glossy mag.

“Don’t sell yet, will you? I really want to get us online.”

She looks up, defeat on her face. “We wouldn’t be selling, Julia. We’d need to close. No one wants to go into business with us. And who can blame them?”

“But if we were online and current they might. You could get that place in the Bahamas after all.”

Rebecca claps her hands with amusement. “Darling, I already have one. God awful place with those mosquitos.”

And there you have it. A different breed of woman altogether.

“See you Monday.” I slip out of her office and grab my stuff, quickly shutting down my computer before Flynn can ask me for that glass of wine again. I need to hit Hamleys and get home. I’m tired. More than tired. I’m exhausted, and there is no chance in hell that I can let Liv see that tomorrow. I’ll hide it for as long as possible before I let her see the truth that time is slipping away.

“Bloody Hamleys bear,” I’m grumbling under my breath as I get out of the cab. I was going to do the Tube, but my chest felt too tight. I couldn’t walk because of my heels, rather than the exhaustion pulling my body down until I’m almost parallel with the pavement. So, I went for a black cab and joyfully spent ten quid stuck in a three mile traffic jam.

Damn heels.

And damn dying.

And damn, damn Hamleys bears. I should have got one off eBay.

Stopping myself, I draw in a deep breath. This isn’t who I want to be. I don’t want to be an aunt who wouldn’t travel to the moon via Mars if it meant getting the bear my niece wanted. Liv, Paige, and Lenny, they are all I have really. And Barney. The least I can do is throw myself into an oversized and overpriced toy store to get her the perfect teddy bear.

Right. Let’s. Do. This.