Alexia?Molly checked her watch with a sigh. It was already after one, and she’d been so busy she hadn’t even stopped for lunch yet. “Okay. I’ll be right out.”
As she walked along the short corridor, Alexia turned from chatting to Nathan and flicked her hair over one shoulder.
“Alexia. To what do I owe the pleasure?” Molly had been in her presence for only a few seconds and was already presenting a fake version of herself. Still,“I can’t deal with your bullshit right now”was not an appropriate greeting in a business environment.
Alexia addressed her with a “hi hon,” an air kiss, and a limp hug. “I was wondering if we could have a brief word. I need to run something by you.”
With limited space in her life for the Alexia drama-school model, Molly forced a polite smile while quickly weighing up her options. “Sure. Come through.”
Molly led her into the boardroom,a seldom-used internal space with intense lighting, bright blue carpet tiles, and a lingering new-build odor. Alexia sat in the offered chair and cast a critical eye around the room before she spoke.
“Thanks for seeing me, hon. I really do appreciate it.”
Molly held her smile tightly in place and waited for Alexia to continue.
“I’d like to talk to you about Jesse… totally off the record, if you get my drift.”
“Jesse?”
“You do know I’m contesting his will?”
“Yes, so I’ve heard.”
Alexia played with her very long thumbnail. “Hazel mentioned that you’re a beneficiary, so I felt I should fill you in. After all, if I’m successful, your share will be much less, possibly even nothing.”
Molly remained silent. She’d met with Annabelle two days before and asked to be taken out of the will. The email confirming that she’d been removed had come through that very morning, but there was no need to discuss it with Alexia.
“Anyways, I just wanted to give you a heads-up. Because, despite what Jake says, Jesse and I were super close before he died. I’d floated an idea for a new social media account to him, and he was so impressed that he said he’d do anything to help. We didn’t talk figures or anything, but he basically implied he wanted to invest. But then Jake arrived home from France, and Jesse suddenly clammed up.”
“As I said, this really has nothing to do with me.”
“Maybe not, but I loved Jesse, and Jake has a rep for making things difficult for people, so I can’t help but question his motives.”
“What do you mean?”
Alexia pulled an oversized designer water bottle out of her tote and took a long sip, her glossy nails tapping the side like she was filming a social media post. “Look, let’s just say the guy’s always had a giant crush on me, and he’s such a sore loser. It puts me in a delicate position, actually.”
Molly’s mouth went dry. She stood and filled a paper cup from the water cooler, drained it, and refilled it.
“Just between you and me,” Alexia continued as Molly returned to her chair, “I’m trying my best to keep him happy, if you know what I mean, but he’s such a stickler for the rules. That guy has a giant chip on his shoulder and needs to loosen up a bit, don’t you think?”
Molly had no idea what Alexia meant by “trying my best to keep him happy,” but again, she remained silent.
“Plus, Henry seems to dislike me for some reason. Still, the guy’s a jerk. Dad’s never had any time for him, which says a lot because my dad likes almost everyone.
“Anyways, no offense, but clearly Jesse was thinking with his dick when he included you in his will. I mean, no one had ever heard of you until recently.”
Molly bristled at her “dick” comment.This woman was a piece of work; how had she not seen that initially? “Sorry, but you said Jesse mentioned me.”
“What? When was this?”
“That day at the cemetery.”
“I don’t think so.” Alexia shrugged. “You must be confusing me with someone else. Anyways, I was just thinking, you’re a reasonable kind of girl, am I right?” She blew out a sigh. “So… yeah. I guess what I’m asking is for you to do the right thing here, hon.”
For a moment, Molly thought she must have misunderstood her meaning, but as she stared at the woman in front of her, that moment quickly passed. “You want me to remove myself from Jesse’s will?”
“Why do you look so shocked? Guilt, possibly?”
