zipped up her bag and stood, straightening her jacket and smoothing her trousers. He wouldn’t recognise her, nor would he remember. She could start again and pretend he was a completely different person from the one she’d met all those years ago.
* * *
As she walked into the coffee lounge she saw him immediately, sitting in one of the easy chairs grouped around each table. He still took her breath away. His hair was shorter and neater but still gave his face an almost angelic quality, even though the softness around his eyes had gone. He was dressed impeccably, a dark suit with an impossibly crisp white shirt and a subtly patterned, expensive-looking tie.
Everything about him screamed celebrity: the winter tan, the way the waiter knew exactly who he was and where he was sitting when Alex said who she was there to meet. She wondered whether the air of gravitas, lent by the pile of papers on his knee that were currently taking his full attention, was for her benefit and dismissed the thought. She was the one who needed to impress him, not the other way around.
He looked up as she approached, the sudden flash of uncertainty in his eyes giving way to recognition. Then he sprang to his feet, his papers dropping unheeded onto the carpet.
‘Lieutenant Tara!’ His smile was just as melting as it had ever been and the shock of being recognised and suddenly catapulted backwards in time left Alex momentarily at a loss. ‘As I live and breathe... How are you? What have you been up to?’
‘I think you know already. That’s my PR bundle you’ve just dropped on the floor.’
He put two and two together with creditable speed. ‘You’re Alexandra Jackson?’
‘Yes. Only I prefer Alex...’
‘Fewer syllables to contend with?’ Leo’s quiet, understated humour had remained intact, at least. She grinned up at him stupidly, a mixture of pleasure and panic rendering her silent.
‘Did you know it was me?’
It was somehow engaging that he could even entertain the notion that someone could forget his smile. ‘Yes. I didn’t think you’d remember me.’
‘Well, it’s good to see you. I’m afraid I haven’t had a chance to go through all the material you sent yet.’ He bent to pick up the papers, shuffling the disorderly pile and laying it on the table.
She’d read every word of his PR material. Top of his class at medical school, and now practising as a GP in central London. An advanced diploma in counselling, and membership of a long list of professional bodies. Co-hosting a radio phone-in had quickly led to his own show, which aired three evenings a week, and then TV appearances, a couple of bestselling books and patronage of various health initiatives. On its own that was impressive, but if his social life was even half as interesting as the papers would have everyone believe, it was practically superhuman.
‘So...’ He gestured her towards the armchair standing opposite his. ‘Shall we get down to business?’
‘Yes. That would be good.’ That was what she was here for. Not to spend the time gawping at Leo’s smile.
‘Right, then.’ He seemed impatient now to start and Alex dumped her coat and bag onto an empty chair, sitting down quickly. ‘I’d like to be honest with you about why you’re here.’
That would be good. Alex nodded dumbly.
‘Only I need your confirmation that this information will stay confidential. It’ll be public knowledge soon, but I’d prefer it didn’t come from anyone connected with us.’
‘I understand. I won’t say a word.’
‘Thank you.’ His stern look promised all kinds of retribution if she did. ‘As you know 2KZ, the radio station I work for, holds an annual charity spotlight during February. And your charity applied to participate in that.’
‘Yes. We were told before Christmas that our application wasn’t successful.’
‘It wasn’t.’ He paused to let that particular defeat sink in. ‘But the charity we chose has had difficulties. We stuck by them for as long as the allegations were unsubstantiated but, now that they are, we have little choice but to look elsewhere.’
‘And we have another chance?’ Alex wondered which charity it was, and what the allegations were, but Leo’s measured professionalism made it clear that he wasn’t about to divulge that information.
‘We considered abandoning our plans for this year completely, but we feel that a new charity, which we can investigate thoroughly for any sign of irregularity, would be an appropriate fallback position. The format would be slightly different—we’ll be doing informal phone-ins instead of a series of pre-recorded programmes, because of the time factor. Are you still interested?’
Alex swallowed. ‘This is a big project for us and it’ll take a good proportion of our resources if we get involved. Can you tell me how far down the list we were?’ Her feelings about being told that they were second best were irrelevant, even if Leo could have put it a little more tactfully. But she did need to know that 2KZ were interested enough to present her charity properly, and that they weren’t just filling a few spare hours in their programming schedule.
‘No. That would be inappropriate. But I can assure you that we’re fully committed to going ahead with this and that I believe you’re a good fit for the project. And I do need your answer now.’
In other words, she had to trust him. The old Leo would have been a lot easier to trust than this new one. But Alex knew she’d have to be crazy to pass up a chance like this.
‘Yes, we’re interested. Thank you. This is a wonderful opportunity for us.’
He dismissed her gratitude with a practised smile, a flip of his finger bringing a waiter over. ‘Shall we have some tea? The Darjeeling, I think...’ The waiter began to scribble on his pad.
She’d never been here before and had no idea what to order. All the same, Leo had left her to choose for herself at the coffee bar. Alex supposed that it had been a bit more straightforward then—coffee or tea, with or without milk. But it seemed that everything had been a bit more straightforward that night.
‘That sounds nice. But I’d prefer Lady Grey if they have it.’
The ghost of a smile flickered around his lips. ‘Lady Grey it is.’ He looked up at the waiter. ‘A pot for two, please.’
‘Sandwiches or cakes, sir?’ The waiter’s gaze turned to Alex as Leo deflected the question her way.
‘No, thank you. Not for me.’ Dealing with Leo was taking all of her concentration. She wasn’t sure she could manage cake crumbs as well.
Leo was shuffling through the papers in front of him on the table. ‘Right. So your charity is called Together Our Way?’
‘Yes.’
‘No acronyms? Something a bit more snappy?’
‘No.’ Defiance bloomed suddenly in her chest. If they were going to do this, she was going to have to learn to stand up to Leo’s steamroller tactics. ‘We like to be referred to by our full name because it’s the way we do things.’
