I ate, I expect. Plus jet lag. I’ll be better tomorrow. Can we meet tomorrow night?’
‘Yeah,’ said Bella, resigned. ‘Sure.’
But she went to the club anyway. The Japanese had been enthusiastic when offered a Latin beat and Hombre y Mujer was one of the classier venues. It was new, with some great music and a terrific sprung floor. The décor wasn’t bad either and the food—if you wanted food—was as hot and spicy as the Cuban beat. A lot of professional dancers went there as well as a lot of Latin Americans. The well-heeled Manhattan crowd had not really found it yet. As a result, said Paco the proprietor, the dancing was as good as you got outside Rio or Havana.
And tonight, thought Bella, she could really dance out her demons. She needed to. She had not felt as desperate as this since the night she never, ever, thought about. The night that had left her with a secret that burned into her soul. A secret she was never going to be able to share. Because Annis was the person she shared her secrets with. Annis was her best friend. And this secret would ensure that friendship ended for ever.
That was why she locked it away. Never looked at it. Went on with her life, just a little damaged, just a little wary. And very, very alone. But alone was all right, Bella told herself. She could handle alone.
So she fluffed out her hair, shook out her shoulders, and sashayed out onto the dance floor.
The hell with tomorrow. Tonight the demons were going back in the box.
CHAPTER TWO
WHEN Gil walked into the club, it was already buzzing. He shouldered his way past the queue and nodded to the bouncer on the door.
‘Good evening.’ His clipped English accent was very pronounced. ‘Paco is expecting me.’
‘Oh, yeah. Professor,’ said the bouncer, trying the word out as if it was the first time he had said it in his life. ‘He said to go on up. First landing, door marked Private.’
He held the heavy door open for him. Gil ran up the stairs.
Paco was in his office, sitting at an impressive desk, for all the world like a captain of industry. But when Gil rapped on the door and pushed it open, Paco leaped to his feet and rushed forward like the enthusiastic freshman he had once been.
‘Gil! Great to see you!’ Paco embraced him, then held him at arm’s length. ‘What’s with the suit? You look serious.’
‘And you look like a pirate,’ said Gil, taking in the tight black head scarf and a single earring. He was taken aback.
Paco grinned. ‘Image. Just like they used to tell us in college. Marketing is everything.’
They went way back, he and Gil. They had met in the days when they’d waited tables and had driven delivery trucks to pay their way through college. Paco had graduated from waiter via barman to nightclub owner and, these days, music entrepreneur.
Gil prowled round the room, inspecting huge signed photographs and a couple of framed disks.
‘You’ve certainly made your MBA pay for itself.’
‘You, too, from what I hear.’
Gil swung round neatly. ‘What do you hear?’ He rapped the words out.
Paco looked surprised at the tone. ‘Only what was in the old alumni newsletter. Your company develops cutting-edge research software. That’s what it said.’ His eyes narrowed. ‘Oh, I see. We’re talking industrial espionage. That’s what you’re doing in New York, isn’t it?’
Gil flung himself down in a chair. ‘Am I that transparent? I must have made it so damned easy—’ He broke off. His jaw was as tight as a vice.
Paco looked alarmed. ‘Hey, I’m just making social conversation here. What’s wrong?’
Gil looked at him for a frowning moment. Then, quite suddenly, he shrugged.
‘My famed judgement of people,’ he said in a hard voice. ‘It’s struck again.’
‘Ah,’ said Paco after the slightest pause.
‘Yes,’ said Gil, answering his unspoken comment. ‘I suppose you thought Rosemary Valieri had taught me all there was to know about duplicitous women? You were wrong.’ He sounded savage.
‘Oh, it’s a woman, is it? The English chick you were supposed to bring tonight?’
‘No.’ Gil dismissed Annis with a shake of the head. ‘My marketing director. The first non-specialist I brought in. She’s been with us since the start. I thought she was a friend.’
Paco looked at him with a good deal of sympathy. ‘Happens to all of us.’
‘We all thought she was a friend. She’s betrayed the whole team.’
‘Can you sort it?’
‘Yes,’ said Gil with cold fury. ‘I only have to divert my attention from important stuff. Work my butt off getting additional funding. Spend hours with corporate lawyers. Lie.’
Paco was amused. ‘That’s what makes business a fun world.’
‘I trusted her.’
‘Big mistake.’ Paco gave him a beer. ‘But we all do it. Don’t beat yourself up.’
‘She’s got some big investors moving in to take over the company. I only found out who today. And how they’re going to do it.’
‘Bad. But you’re sure you can handle it?’
‘Yes,’ said Gil. He showed his teeth. ‘Oh, yes.’
Paco was briefly sorry for the unknown marketing director. ‘If anyone can, you can. You were always the most focused guy in the class. Wish you luck, buddy.’ He took a swig of his own beer. ‘Now, what do you want to do? Stick around or go back to the hotel to wheel and deal?’
‘Wheeling and dealing is tomorrow. Tonight I want to release some major adrenaline.’
Paco was enthusiastic. ‘Right on. Have a meal, then boogie. The food’s Brazilian tonight. Chef does a mean feijouada.’
‘Great,’ said Gil, getting to his feet.
‘We got a great couple of DJs tonight. Real enthusiasts, know what I mean? We’ve got the PR crowd, too. Some of those kids can really move.’ He punched Gil lightly on the shoulder. ‘You want to channel aggression, you’re in the right place. Let’s party!’
They ate the spicy food, talking about old friends and new businesses. It was just like being back in college, Gil thought. The same jokes, the same heady sense they could do anything they wanted if they put their minds to it. All the time, the noise from the dance floor rose steadily.
Eventually Paco pushed back his chair. ‘Time I showed myself. Time you hit the floor. Let’s prowl.’
On
