Page 29 of Worth Every Penny

Elly: You’d better not be working late tonight.

I glance at my watch. It’s edging up to nine o’clock on Friday evening and here I am at my computer, spreadsheets open. I was so engrossed I hadn’t noticed how much time had passed. I sit back from my desk like I’m waking from a dream. There’s hardly anyone here. Even Jack has left. The cleaners are moving between the desks on the other side of the office, vacuuming the carpet and dusting the surfaces.

I’ve been working late every day since Nico dropped that fifty quid on my desk. I wanted to burn that money. Tear it up into a million tiny pieces. Take it to Nico’s office and demand an explanation. But… for what? Knocking my lunch off my deskcouldhave been an accident. I suspect not, but I can’t prove it.

Either way, Nico Hawkston is an arse.

I’ve hardly seen him since. On the few occasions I have, I’ve sensed him first: a slight prickling of the skin on the back of my neck, or a tingling heat in my chest. My bodily reactions areverging on obsessive, but there’s nothing I can do to stop them. It’s inconvenient, but that doesn’t lessen the thrill.

And as much as I hate to admit it, I miss hearing his low, sexy drawl ofLittle K.

My phone buzzes again.

Elly: We’re already here. Where are you?

I save my documents and power down my computer. This morning Elly roped me and our other flatmate, Marie, into agreeing to accompany her on a night out. She put our names on the guest-list for a new club called Martini Gems, which is hosting the after party for the end of Amy Moritz’s World Tour.

Elly has been a huge Amy fan for years, and her most recent album—Limelight—has been stuck on repeat in our flat since its release. There was no way Elly was going to miss out on the opportunity to go to an exclusive club night with the one and only Amy Moritz, and when she begged me to come, she was so excited that I couldn’t deny her. She’d even gone to the trouble of choosing a top secret outfit for both me and Marie and packing them into tiny backpacks. Mine has been lodged beneath my desk all day. She’d shoved it into my hands as I left the flat after breakfast, making me swear not to look inside until the last minute. Amazingly, I’ve resisted the temptation.

Another message flies in.

Elly: All the drinks are free! Getting the first round in. Champagne cocktail? It’ll be waiting for you.

I should be at the club in half an hour and I’ve been so busy all day that I haven’t even checked where I’m going. I bring up Google and type the name of the club into the search bar.

Shit.

It’s in the basement of the Hawkston Mayfair Hotel. It’s been rebranded, so that’s why I didn’t recognise the name. I’m not sure I want to attend a party in a Hawkston Hotel.

Another message from Elly buzzes on my phone.

Elly: OMG OMG Amy Moritz just arrived! Get down here ASAP.

Elly: I will personally murder you if you aren’t here in the next hour.

Marie: Come quick. Elly’s so overexcited, she’s doing my head in. I need someone sane to talk to.

I chuckle at Marie’s last message and push any reservations about turning up at one of Nico’s hotels out of mind. I gather my stuff, shove it in my handbag, and head to the toilets, taking the tiny backpack Elly gave me this morning.

I do my makeup first, spreading blush over my cheeks, gloss on my lips and thick black eyeliner over my top lids before I add more mascara. It’s the best I can do with the time I have.

I wriggle out of the black sheath dress I’m wearing, letting it drop to the floor, and kick off my shoes. They’re my favourite silver heels. I pushed the corporate dress code by wearing them today, but I didn’t have any meetings, and I’m pretty sure I can pair them with whatever Elly has planned for me.

I need privacy, so I lift the tiny backpack and opt for the end cubicle. I step inside and pull the door closed, locking it.

I unzip the bag. There are only two items inside it, both carefully folded. Both tiny. The first is a pair of silky black shorts. I hold them up against my hips. They’re barely going to cover my bum.

Damn you, Elly.It might be warm outside, but this is indecent.

I check the time. Nine fifteen. I’m definitely going to be late.

I haul the shorts on, then shake out the second item. A top. It’s got thin straps, a scooped neck and a low back, and is covered in green sequins. There’s no way I can wear a bra with it.

I imagine Elly giving me her ‘don’t be a spoilsport’ look, and I know she’ll be furious if I don’t wear it. What choice do I have? It’s not as though there’s time to buy a different outfit. The shopsare closed. Plus, knowing Elly, there is some reason for this choice.

In a few minutes, I’m fully dressed. I fluff my hair and empty my bladder and I’m ready to go.

I reach for the lock and try to spin it, but it won’t turn. I put down the tiny backpack and try with both hands.