Page 36 of Love Will Save the Day
Chapter Twenty-Five
I rub my eyes like a cartoon character, unable to believe that actual Auguste is here in Bristol.
‘Can you take a break?’ he asks.
‘Yeah, it’s pretty quiet,’ I say, heading towards the back staff room, Auguste following behind. ‘What is it?’ I ask, as soon as we’re in the tiny staff-room and sitting awkwardly close together on the equally tiny sofa.
Auguste takes a deep breath. ‘I am sorry to have to tell you this but… Henry set you up.’
I snort. ‘Sorry? What do you mean,set me up?’
Auguste’s mouth stretches into a grim line. ‘I mean, he knew right from the start that you were not the woman who saved his life.’
‘What?’
‘He knew that because no-one saved his life. He… he made all of the thing up.’
I sit up straighter on the sofa. ‘No. That can’t be true!’
‘It is,’ Auguste urges. ‘He planned it. He planned to keep ‘recognising’ women who had apparently saved his life until one of them was desperate enough to go along with it. And you were the one who did.’
‘What? How do you know this? That’s crazy. Are you serious?’
Auguste nods quickly. ‘I was getting a spare battery pack from Henry’s bedroom and I knocked over his content planner diary. Then I was seeing that the whole plan was down in there. He planned to find a woman who had ‘saved his life’ and pretend to fall in love with her so that it would be viral on the internet.’
‘What? And then break up with her on camera?’ I say, trying to wrap my head around the notion that sweet charming Henry was conningme? ‘That’s so cruel. And crazy.’
‘That part was not planned.’ Auguste tells me leaning forward. ‘I confronted him and he knew he had no choice but to tell me the truth. He said he noticed that you and I were getting closer and he wanted toget ahead of the narrative.’
I think back to the night of the Oxo Tower party when Henry asked me whether I had feelings for him so he “could get ahead of things”. Oh my god. He meant he wanted to know so he could plot his next move!
‘So… he wasn’t in love with me?’ I frown. I mean, it makes a lot more sense. The fact that he was still coming on to me after I kept running off for fake poos. I’m not hot enough for a man to do that.
Auguste shakes his head. ‘No. In fact, he has been dating his manager Elissa.’
I gasp. ‘That scoundrel!’ I picture his twinkling, kind eyes. The looks of adoration he gave me. ‘And a strangely good actor! I cannot believe this!’
‘He knew that revealing you to be a con woman would be evenmoreviral on the internet. And he was right. He’s getting more views than ever!’
‘Oh my god. That idiot! How could helielike that?’
Auguste pulls a face. ‘The same way you did, probably.’
I look down at my feet. ‘I’m sorry about that. I never meant to lie to you. It just…’
‘Happened. I know.’ Auguste takes hold of my hand and my heart immediately starts to beat faster. ‘What a shit theatre.’
‘You mean shit show?’
Auguste throws his hands up. ‘Just let me live.’
I chuckle. ‘I really am sorry, you know. I didn’t expect… you.’
Auguste looks right into my eyes. ‘I was not expecting you, Bess. And I have missed you. A very lot.’
We stare at each other for a few moments. And then Auguste leans forward and lightly touches his lips to mine. Woah. It is the complete opposite to when Henry kissed me in Holland Park. This time my heart lights up and my body melts into his. His mouth explores mine and I am so, so, so into it.
I pull back from his kiss. ‘I… I can’t come back to London, though,’ I murmur. ‘No-one will employ me now. And I have no-where to live.’
