The Winner by C.J. Parsons

Author:C.J. Parsons [Parsons, C.J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-06-15T00:00:00+00:00

The last of the daylight had drained from the sky by the time Heather stepped outside. As she approached the limousine, she could see herself reflected in its windows, lit by the streetlights. She looked better than she felt, wearing a navy midi dress and a quick dash of make-up, hair still damp enough to be wavy despite a short blast of the dryer. The driver circled round to open the door for her. She paused, looking up and down the street to make sure all the reporters really were gone. Then she ducked inside.

Duncan was seated beside the far window, watching as she climbed in, holding down her hem. He didn’t speak as the car pulled away from the kerb, turned onto Holland Park Avenue and joined the flow of night traffic moving past big houses and small cafés towards the city centre.

‘So where exactly are we going?’ she asked eventually.

‘Does it matter?’

‘A man shows up inside my house late at night without warning, bundles me into a car and won’t say where he’s taking me. That scenario could be described as ominous.’

‘Nine-thirty’s not that late. And I think “bundle” is a stretch.’

‘I may have exaggerated slightly for dramatic effect.’

‘Comedic effect.’

‘That too.’

‘You use humour as a distancing mechanism.’

Heather rolled her eyes. They were passing through the heart of Notting Hill now, its pavements crowded with people hustling between pubs and restaurants.

‘You sound like Elliot.’

‘Do I?’ Duncan appeared thoughtful. ‘I have always taken an interest in psychology, the forces that drive people and their varying abilities to withstand pressure. Human nature is a source of endless wonder.’

‘This from a man best known for avoiding human contact.’

‘I prefer to observe from a safe distance.’

Hyde Park slid past the window. The Saturday picnickers were long gone. The gates were locked and the grass looked grey in the night, pools of deeper darkness filling the spaces beneath the trees.

‘You say you prefer to keep your distance, yet here you are, with me, right up close.’

‘I had to come, since you didn’t answer my calls or email.’

‘I told you, I didn’t hear your calls or see your email.’ She turned away from the window to face him. ‘What did it say?’

He gave her a long look. His pale eyes seemed to glow and she thought again of underground creatures, adapted to a world without light.

‘Don’t go.’ He paused. ‘That’s what it said.’

Heather felt her pulse quicken. ‘I’m surprised you’d want me to stay, since I won’t be attracting any more sponsors to your company. In case you haven’t noticed, I’m nearly in the Drop Zone. My time at the Triple F is up.’

‘It doesn’t have to be.’

‘Did you not see my brother’s interview? Everyone says I’m a liar and a hypocrite.’

‘They’re wrong. I have watched and read everything you’ve said to the press or posted on CelebRate. And you have never lied. You’ve said only that you prefer not to reveal your body to the world. That is true. Others labelled your motive as feminism or modesty, but you never did.

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