Page 96 of Not So Very Sensible

“Come on. You always have a good head on your shoulders. Do you want to catch a train home from Circular Quay?”

“I think we’re better off going back to your place and getting our things first. We could see how she feels. She might calm down by then.”

“I can always drive you home if you need.”

“You know, that might be best. I can’t be sure whether these trains are going to be running on time anyway. You know what they’re like on weekends.”

At Emma-Jane’s nod, Ellie crouched beside Katie. “Hey, Katie-girl, let’s get going. Emma-Jane is going to drive us home, okay?”

Katie was sobbing openly now but still managed a small nod.

Ellie winced. Poor thing. How would she ever get over this?

Her fingers clenched. These men who befriended women and made them think that there might be a future with them before throwing them off—they should be marked somehow. With a red letter R for rake.

And while Jordan and Liam were good value, it seemed they were rare amongst the men of their generation. She knew of two men who deserved red R‘s.

She hoped she’d never see either man again.

“Ethan, close the door. I’ve heard something a little disturbing.” Gordon Phillips frowned at him from behind his desk. “Is it true that you and Lucinda Steele have parted ways?”

Oh. He wondered how long it would take until this would be known. Still, it wasn’t public knowledge, so he would need to tread carefully and find out exactly who knew and why. “Where did you hear that, sir?”

“Don Steele mentioned something at a business breakfast I attended this morning.”

Well, this was a spectacular way to start the week. “It’s true.”

His boss’ eyes widened. “You’re serious?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Well! This has caught me by surprise. Was this the world’s shortest engagement?”

“Probably not, but as it was never genuine, I don’t really regard it as an engagement.”

“What do you mean?”

How to tell the truth without exposing his personal flaws or making it look like he’d lied to his boss? He still had to tread carefully. “Let’s just say things were blown out of proportion and escalated before common sense could rein things in.”

“She got a little bit excited prematurely, that’s what you’re saying?”

“That’s one way to say it.” Even if it wasn’t quite the truth. Hang it. It was way past time for the truth to be told. “Actually, we were never in that type of relationship. Or any kind of relationship. Lucinda was pushing for it because her mum is so sick and announced things that weren’t true but that I found difficult to deny publicly without exposing them.”

He exhaled. Now, that was the truth.

“Hmm.” His boss eyed him thoughtfully, and Ethan remembered what his father had said. Did Dad really have that much sway over Gordon? It was hard to know. So much was hard to know these days. He waited patiently for the death knell to strike.

“So … what does your father have to say about this?”

“He was in favour of the arrangement.”

“You were not?”

“No, sir.”

“Hmm. I imagine that was not a fun conversation.”

“No. He made his feelings very plain.” Should he admit to what his father had threatened? Oh, what did he have to lose? It was obvious he was going to lose his job anyway. “I felt like I was being manipulated, something proved when my father threatened to impede any promotion I might potentially receive.”