Chapter 26

“What are you doing on Saturday night?” Jules asked.

Sinead had her cell phone pinned between her cheek and her shoulder as she shuffled papers at her desk, a pen loosely held between her lips like a cigarette. She knew she looked a bit of a mess - she hadn’t washed her hair in a few days and it was pulled back into a rough ponytail, and her rushed makeup wasn’t doing her any favours. The problem was that chasing the little leads she’d gained during her ‘undercover night out’ with Marc had been hectic. Things moved quickly in the underworld sometimes, and if Sinead was going to get any use out of the risk she’d taken without going back to Marc, she needed to do it now.

“I don’t know,” Sinead muttered to her friend. “Working, probably?”

“On a Saturday night?” Jules asked. “Did your hours- wait, you’re not still doing unpaid overtime, are you?”

“...” Sinead felt a bit of shame and didn’t want to answer. That silent pause was more than enough for Jules to read her though.

“When was the last time you took a night off and had some fun, bitch?” Jules demanded.

Sinead’s mind immediately flashed to sitting with Marc in one of the fanciest restaurants in the city. Dressed up to the nines, her hair and nails professionally done. She still had the dress hanging by itself in her closet. It was the single nicest piece of clothing she owned and she didn’t know what to do with it. The jewellery had gotten mixed in with her various other accessories, but every time she looked at the small box she kept them in they stood out like they didn’t belong with the rest.

“A while,” she said. She didn’t have to say ‘a week,’ because she’d been working that night so it didn’t count.

“Well, you’re not working Saturday,” Jules said. “I know a guy. He’s a month out of a serious relationship and he wasn’t the problem, so he’s not ready for something serious but he’s fun and charming and I think you too would be good for each other.”

“If he’s so good-”

“It’s my cousin, Sinead,” Jules said. “So no, I can’t date him instead.”

“Oh,” Sinead sighed.

“Saturday. He’ll pick you up,” Jules said. “Dress up nice. Feel pretty. Let him buy you dinner.”

“A blind date, though?” Sinead asked. “Can’t you at least tell me his name, or his social media accounts so I can snoop?”

“No,” Jules said. “Because then you’ll convince yourself you should work instead. Saturday. You are going on this date.”

“Fine,” Sinead muttered. “I’ll go on the date.”

“I’ve received a meeting request that isn’t associated with a contact, Mr Fornier,” Jillian said from the doorway of Marc’s office. She was slender, dirty-blonde, and the kind of pretty that would distract most of the various clients who stepped onto Marc’s floor looking to hire his services. She was also an excellent lead secretary for his division despite her youth, which made her a total package when it came to his professional needs. “The name associated was a ‘Victor.’”

“Ah, Victor,” Marc said, leaning back in his chair and tapping a finger on his lips thoughtfully. “Please do, Jillian. But push it back. Late next week sometime, I think.”

“Actually, Mr Fornier, he’s waiting down the hall,” she said, pursing her lips just slightly. It was enough to tell Marc that she was unimpressed by whatever line that Victor had used on her, but that the man hadn’t pressed his advances into something unbecoming.

“Mmm,” Marc hummed. “That changes things then, doesn’t it? Alright, keep him waiting for ten minutes then bring him back here.”