Have You Got Anything Stronger by Imogen Edwards-Jones

Author:Imogen Edwards-Jones
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: WelBeck

“Hi, I’m Kate,” says Kate, shoving her hand out, very much between Will and Valentina.

“Oh, hi guys!” says Will, taking a swift step back, his hands slightly in the air, like he’s been playing with fire. “Hold that thought,” he says to Val, his finger raised.

“I will.” She parts her plump lips. Her décolletage rises up and down, her diamonds twinkle in the dimmed LED kitchen lights, she smells of Chanel No 5 and I already hate her. “Oh, Will?” He stops immediately in his tracks. His face expectant. “Could you serve me a little glass of very chilled champagne?” Her French-polished thumb and forefinger come softly together to indicate quite how small a serving she wants. It’s teeny-weeny-tiny, just like her waist. It’s apparently so small it’s hardly worth pouring into a glass. I am half tempted to yell, “Bring me the rest of the bottle, Will!” But, truthfully, I’m not brave enough. “So, you’re all Sally’s friends?” she says, with a shake of her blow-dry and a rattle of her diamonds.

“Yeah,” says Kate, and nods, standing with her legs apart like she’s been on a How to Succeed in Business weekend near Luton. “We’ve all known her for years . . . loads of years.”

“Actually, I fucked her elder brother,” I add, for good measure.

They look at me. “You must know her really well then,” concludes Valentina, smiling widely and appreciatively and beautifully at Will as he hands her a tiny measure of champagne in a beautiful crystal goblet.

I look down at my plastic beaker full of warm ginger beer. “I was at their wedding,” I add, pointedly. “How long have you known Will? When did you start working for him?”

“I don’t work for Will.” She looks me in the eye, like a snake about to pounce. She’s a man’s woman, that’s for sure. Not one of the girls. I don’t see her dancing to “Single Ladies”, pissed as a fart on tequila. “We’re partners.”

“It’s unusual to find a woman in finance,” chips in Kate.

“It is?” I almost hear a hiss as Valentina’s head spins to lock eyes with Kate. “I don’t find it so. I think women and finance are a perfect match: our brains are capable of thinking around a problem, our thought process is not linear and in this new world, that’s a good thing. Those who can’t think laterally have, and will, be replaced by algorithms. Like half those poor boys in the City.” She doesn’t so much as take a sip of her drink, rather she merely dampens her plump, shiny lips with her champagne. “The only thing we are not so good at is making dispassionate decisions. And all decisions should be dispassionate. As soon as you let your emotions get involved, your judgement is clouded and your thought process is incorrect.”

I simply nod and drink. “Bollocks,” says Claire. “If you take that to its logical conclusion, there’s no such thing as self-sacrifice, and the humanity of the human race is built on love and self-sacrifice.

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