What the Lightning Sees: Part One (2 page)

“And I want a de-brief after each meeting. We’re not going to fuck this up. We don’t want another Beckham incident.”

I nodded resolutely and stood, leaving Robert and Harry. Robert was worried if he mentioned the Beckham incident. No one ever dared speak of it. We hadn’t had A-List celebrity co-operation for about a year after Emily ran a piece on his alleged extra-marital affairs alongside a week in the life article that he’d co-operated on.

I headed back to my desk, mulling over what Robert had said. My initial excitement was overtaken by a sense of confusion over what he had said about my fit with Sandy. What had he meant? I knew Robert thought I was a bit uptight, he was always telling me to relax. Maybe Sandy was the same?

Jake

“So Harry, you think Haven will work?” Robert asked. He called me Harry as everyone, other than those closest to me did. It was a nickname I’d acquired in college, and not the most creative one, given my surname was Harrison.

I shrugged. “I think so. It’s hard to tell. She’s blonde, which helps. I remember Sandy saying she thought blondes were tacky. But she’s not as unattractive as I expected.”

“But you wouldn’t call her attractive. I mean she dresses like . . . I don’t know what. She’s not exactly beating them off with a stick.”

It was true, Haven was dressed like she was going to a funeral, in a black turtleneck and gray skirt with thick black tights and flat shoes. Her hair was pulled back into a severe bun and she wore the expression of someone ready for a fight. But she was undoubtedly attractive with delicate features and something curious behind her eyes, and Sandy didn’t like anything overshadowing her.

I didn’t know Sandy well, but I’d met her a few times at parties and we had a mutual friend, Gay Dave, who I went to college with. She’d tried to kiss me once. She’d been very drunk and trying to piss off her boyfriend. I’d pretended I hadn’t noticed and she hadn’t held it against me. I hadn’t seen her much since her first album had been released and gone double platinum, but I’d dropped Dave a text to say that I’d be the photographer on the article for Rallegra if she signed up for the piece and she’d emailed me to say she was excited to see me again. She was a fun girl—as long as she was the centre of everything. Haven seemed to be exactly the opposite, which I hoped would mean that Sandy wouldn’t see her as a threat. I’d suggested to Robert that he use a male journalist for the interview if possible, or a woman who wasn’t going to outshine Sandy. It was curious to me that he’d chosen Haven. She wouldn’t have been my choice.

“Do you want to grab lunch today?” Robert asked.

“Actually, I have a thing with some investors. Later in the week?”

“Sure, you know where you’re sitting, right? It’s by the small meeting room, so if you need to make calls . . .”

“Thanks man, I appreciate it.”

“Don’t thank me, you know you’re doing me a massive favor filling in like this. I should have made Brad work his notice, but he was such a pain in my arse.”

“You never know, I might become a professional photographer at this rate,” I said.

Robert laughed and I headed toward my newly allocated seat. Not that I would be in it a lot. I needed to check my email and then I’d head to my lunch. I wasn’t planning to be in the office unless we were meeting to discuss a feature. I was sure Robert would have Brad replaced within a month or so, and I was happy to help him out while I finalised the funding on my next project.

I fired up my laptop and started working my way through emails. There was an overwhelming amount to do to get things off the ground. Unlike my last business, this required coordination of scientists and computer geeks, but it could lead to something really special. I hoped this Sandy thing didn’t take up too much time.

My phone started to vibrate on the desk as Haven approached. “I’m sorry Haven, I have to get this. Can I come and find you?”

She nodded and headed off. I wasn’t sure where she was sitting, but I’d find her.

“Hello, lovely girl,” I greeted my sister.

“Hey, Jake. How’s your first day going? Did you find what I left you?” Beth asked.

“You put something in my bag?” I reached under the flap and rooted around and pulled out a sandwich box. “You made me lunch?”

Beth laughed. “A snack really. A juice box, an apple and an energy bar.”

“You’ll make someone a lovely wife one day.”

“If I was there, I’d hit you.”

“If you were here, I wouldn’t say it.” I laughed. “Is everything okay?”

“Of course, it’s fine. Stop fussing,” she said.

“I’m not the one calling.” As much as my sister accused me of being over protective, she was made the same way. “I’ll be home early, though, and I can tell you all about it. Unless you’ve got plans?”

“Nothing other than a House of Cards marathon. I’ll see you later. Try not to break any hearts before you get home.”

“No promises.”

“Loser.” It was her typical sign off.

“Likewise,” I replied.

I hung up and went to find Haven. I didn’t have to search very hard. She was in the cubicle next to mine.

“Sorry about that, did you want to talk?” I asked.

She kept her eyes on the computer screen. “I don’t want to interrupt any emergency you’re having, so please, in your own time.”

I couldn’t help but grin. She had clearly overheard my telephone call and was being a little bitchy because she thought I was prioritising my personal life over work, which I was. Beth would always be top of my list. “My emergency’s over, so if you want to talk, you know where I am.”

She pressed her lips together and turned. She looked at me, narrowing her eyes and paused as if she was deciding whether or not to say what was on the tip of her tongue. “Okay, let’s go into the small meeting room.”

“Lead the way.”

As she had done when she came into the earlier meeting, she set her pad, pen and drink on the table in front of her and smoothed down her hair before she started speaking. I wondered if she ever wore her hair down? Was it long? And did she always wear those turtlenecks?

“Are you American?” She asked. I hadn’t expected that.

“Yes. From Chicago. But I went to college over here.”

She put her hand up as if to stop me from revealing any more information. “So, as an American, you won’t be offended if I speak frankly?”

Jesus, this girl. I wasn’t sure whether I should laugh or shake her. She needed to loosen up. I shook my head. “Please, go ahead.”

“I understand you’re friends with Robert, like most of the rest of the world. And I get that this is no big deal for you, and that you’re probably playing at photography until the next part of your trust fund pays out, but I need this job and I really want this feature to be a success. My job is important to me. I work hard and I’m good at what I do. I really can’t have you mess this up for me.”

“You think
I’m
going to mess this up for you?” I stared at her, not quite believing what was coming out of her mouth.

“I know men like you. You’ve probably never had a real job have you? You’ve done a series of so-called freelance jobs at friends of Daddy’s companies. And that’s fine. Good luck to you. I just need you to take
this
feature seriously. Please. I need you to turn up when you say you’re going to. I need you to be available to discuss the article, not constantly on the phone to whichever poor girl you’re shagging this week.”

It wasn’t the first time people had made assumptions about my background and character. I was used to it being an American living in London, and normally I didn’t give a shit. For some reason, Haven’s outburst got under my skin. “Wow, you’re a bitch.”

She opened her mouth and there was a split second of hesitation before she hit back. “So I’ve been told. You’re a spoiled, entitled rich boy. We all have our crosses to bear. If you want to tell Robert that you didn’t want this assignment, I’m sure we could find someone else.”

I was pretty sure that there was no way Sandy would be doing this feature with Rallegra if I hadn’t said I was going to be the photographer. But I wasn’t about to tell Haven that. She’d find out soon enough, and I was going to enjoy the expression on her face when she did.

“Maybe you should tell Robert that you don’t want the assignment if you think I’m going to be such a problem for you.”

She blushed, and for a moment she seemed stumped. “Robert isn’t going to bump me from this article. I’m really good at my job.”

“Well, guess what, sweetheart, so am I.” Frustrated, I pushed my hands through my hair and stood up to leave.

“Don’t ever call me
sweetheart
. How dare you? And where are you going? I’m not finished.”

“Well I am. If you decide you want to be polite and professional, I’ll be around. But you’re not my boss, not now and not ever. And if you were? I’d resign. Get your shit together.” I really didn’t need more drama in my life, especially from a job that I was doing as a favour to a friend. Anyone would think Haven was on the brink of curing cancer, not planning an interview with Sandy Fox.

Haven

Bollocks. That wasn’t how that was supposed to have gone. I was just so fucking angry that he’d waved me off while he took a call from his girlfriend. Who did he think he was? This was his first day at Rallegra. I wouldn’t do that to a colleague, and I’d been here years. It might not be The Times but we had the highest weekly readership of any magazine in the UK. This was a great gig for him.

I hated people who didn’t appreciate the charmed life that they had, particularly when it was handed to them on a plate. There must be a million people gagging for his job, but because of his connections he’d waltzed into it and therefore had no regard for it, or any of us that had worked our way up to get here. Life was just too easy for some people.

But at the same time, I hadn’t set out to have an argument with him. I just couldn’t hold my tongue. I should have been more patient. I had enough enemies in the office, I didn’t need to make new ones.

I had to get some air. I grabbed my coat and purse and headed to the stairs. I was the only one that used them. I never took the lifts if I was on my own. Six floors up and down. That and running were the only two bits of exercise I did.

I bit back the tears of frustration that started to form. I seemed to have an amazing ability to sabotage anything good that happened to me. I didn’t want him going to Robert to tell him I was a bitch, and that he wouldn’t work with me. I couldn’t lose this feature. I might be good at my job, but that wouldn’t matter if I pissed off one of Robert’s friends. Jesus, why couldn’t I have sewn my mouth shut? I found it difficult when people brought their personal lives into the workplace, because I tried to keep my life inside and outside the office separate. I didn’t understand why everyone didn’t do the same.

Once I was outside, I called my brother—one of two people in my life I could rely on. He and my best friend Ash were
my people
. The ones who I let see all of me. They saw the good and the bad and loved me anyway. Luke was always on my side, and right then I needed to be the whole Haven and not focused, driven, work Haven. “Hey. Am I interrupting?” I asked.

“No, sweets, what’s going on?” Luke replied.

“Oh, someone just called me a bitch.”

“A bitch?” He wasn’t asking me to confirm what I’d said. He was asking me if it was justified.

“Yeah. A bitch,” I replied sheepishly.

“And? Were you?”

I took a deep breath and tears began to trickle from the corners of my eyes.

“Perhaps a little bit.”

“You know people don’t get to see your beautiful heart if you do that. What brought that on?” Luke always said exactly the right thing.

“I didn’t want to be, it’s just I found out I got the Sandy Fox interview and I want to do a really great job on it.”

“That’s amazing. Well done, you deserve it.”

“I’m not sure I do. Anyway, Robert will probably give it to Emily now I’ve upset his friend. I just got stressed because if I do a good job, it will help my chances at the promotion I told you about. I want it to be perfect. I want it to be the best celebrity interview we’ve ever done. I have to work with a new photographer, and he’s not taking it seriously. I lost my temper with him.”