‘Actually, Ava’s heading there too.’ Rob beams, not like Father Christmas at all, but someone just handed the biggest present under the tree. ‘I hoped you might take her under your wing, Jean – few rival your corporate law expertise, and your connections couldn’t hurt either.’
Christ on a bike. Which is more unethical: to mentor the woman she’s fucking, or withhold assistance like some penalty for their sexual relationship? It’s not a dilemma Jean could have foreseen. And her mind’s still reeling from their encounter in the closet, too dazed to puzzle it out. Ava won’t meet her eye, but Rob’s still watching Jean, expectantly. ‘Let’s talk it over on the way to our session.’
‘Splendid!’ Rob claps his hands together. ‘My work here is done – I’m off to brush up on property law. Until later, ladies.’
He travels in the opposite direction, effortlessly parting the dwindling crowd. And Jean speeds off in the direction of the Knowledge Exchange session. But Ava doesn’t fall into step beside her. When Jean looks back, she’s exactly where Robert left her, all earlier certainty gone.
‘Are you coming?’
Ava jogs after her, still not looking at Jean when she catches up. ‘Sorry, I had no idea you were the person Robert wanted me to meet.’
Jean shrugs. After her earlier slip towards Glenn Closean tendencies, she’s keeping it mellow. Collegiate, even. ‘There’s no way either of us could have known.’
They’re silent for a long moment, passing a cluster of panicked junior associates arguing over the map. Ava stops to help them puzzle it out, but is seemingly just as confused. Huffing a sigh, Jean pulls the sheet from her hands and points them in the right direction.
They make it to the Wren Room with moments to spare. Bernard Crane’s facilitating, one of Henry’s old colleagues from his stint at Maddox Waring. And he’d been kind to Jean, back when she was still performing the role of Wife, asking interested questions about her own career; even intervening when Greg Waring asked pointed questions about when she and Henry planned to start a family. Of course, it did nothing to bridge those long silences on the journey home, nor to stop Henry walking round looking like a kicked dog after the inevitable argument – but Jean appreciated his solidarity all the same.
Jean’s pleasure at seeing him is sincere, if undermined by Bernard’s arrangement of the room: all around, chairs have been set in distinct pairs. The intimacy of one-on-one teambuilding exercises is excruciating to Jean. Ava weaves between them, heading for the board where the delegates are clustered.
And Jean asks Bernard how he’s enjoying life at the top of Maddox Waring. Henry never shared his ambition, nor Jean’s – yet, since it was Henry who brought them together, the conversation inevitably turns towards him.
They make plans for dinner and a proper catch up, Ava lingering all the while, watching for a gap in their conversation. With a grin, Bernard turns to face the other delegates.
‘Welcome, everyone, and thank you all for coming! I’m Bernard and today I’ll be taking you through some teambuilding exercises designed with two goals in mind. The first is to have colleagues across all stages of their careers engaging with one another – a Knowledge Exchange.’
He catches Jean’s eye then, as if reading her mind, and the corners of her lips twitch upwards.
‘And the second is to strengthen our communication skills. In law, being able to connect with people, reading them and responding appropriately, is at the heart of what we do.’ Bernard gestures towards the chairs. ‘We’ll be working in pairs today. If you haven’t already, check the board to see who you’ve been allocated. You have precisely three minutes to find them and take a seat.’
Jean’s on her way to look at the list when Ava blocks her path, hands in shallow suit pockets. She’s ill at ease in this environment – and Jean doubts her presence is the only problem. Ava looks nothing like herself in sedate grey, the life combed out of her curls. And Jean wonders whether this might be her fault, if Ava took her comments about appearances and fitting in to heart. But there’s no time to ask, even if they were free to speak.
Then Ava opens her mouth, and every coherent thought is obliterated. ‘I’m your partner.’
The pit of Jean’s stomach goes into freefall. ‘Wh… what?’
‘For the exercise.’ Ava speaks as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, and Jean feels a fool for imagining any other possibility. ‘We’re next to each other in the alphabet.’
‘No. We’re not.’ Desperate, Jean gestures to a passing judge. ‘Amelia Hawthorne’s here – that comes between Harris and Howard.’
‘Yeah, but she’s senior track.’ Ava points to her own lanyard. ‘Like you, she’s destined to mingle with us blue peasants.’
Colleagues across all stages of their careers engaging with one another. Jean nods. ‘Right.’
In the time they’ve been talking all the nearby seats have gone, but Ava darts off to claim a pair in the corner. Jean follows, grateful that they’re at least out of the way. Tugs her skirt into place as she sits.
‘Great!’ Bernard looks thrilled as he takes in the room, every duo seated. ‘This bodes extremely well for what’s to come next. We’re going to play a classic game: two truths and a lie.’
Excitement dances in Ava’s eyes. And Jean can remember playing it years ago with Naomi, Cora, and Imogen, splitting a bottle of tequila between them. Their workload had been too intense to cut loose often – but when they did, they’d made it count. She reaches for fact and fiction as Bernard outlines the rules, mindful of Ava’s unending curiosity.
‘You first,’ Jean says.
‘Alright. Two truths and a lie coming right up.’ Ava leans forward, elbows balanced on her knees, regaining something of her usual swagger as she speaks. ‘My middle name is Taiye. If I hadn’t gone into law, I’d have been an actress. And my first crush was Jessica Rabbit.’
Jean’s Irish colouring betrays her as she flushes scarlet. And Ava’s smirk confirms the truth about Jessica Rabbit: apparently curvy redheads are her type.
Jean weighs up the remainder of her words carefully. Ava mentioned her mother passing on Nigerian culture, whispering the words into Jean’s hair – perhaps Taiye is part of that. But an actress? That seems unlikely. Ava’s too passionate about her advocacy work.
‘Jessica Rabbit and Taiye are true. Being an actress was the lie.’
