He gave a short bark of laughter. ‘You crazy bitch. A little publicity and your luxury-hotel bookings will go all to hell. We know it’s already started to happen. Right, Bessel?’
‘Oh, shut the fuck up, Rupert,’ Bessel hisged.
‘You might be right. About the negative publicity, at least in the short term. Only the thing is, we’ve decided we’re prepared to start over rather than let you do this. So, if you proceed, here’s what we do,’ Lira said. ‘I’ve talked to my old bank manager who has the financial records for what you did to me. At the time, you were right, I couldn’t have afforded a lawyer. Guess what? It’s not the same now.’
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‘And I go to the press and say you hit me.’
‘I’ll sue,’ Rupert said nastily.
‘Maybe you’ve forgotten Sharon,’ Becky said calmly. ‘I have a witness. You wouldn’t get anywhere.’
‘I already told Pete that I’ll give Ad Week a long, exclusive interview talking about his plagiarism of my work, not to mention his sexual harassment and discrimination. My deputy Janice knows a bunch of girls still at Doheny. She made some calls - they’re prepared to testify. He knows he can’t risk that. The bleeding would be huge. And I can start over, take small accounts. My work speaks for itself. Besides …’ Lita coughed. ‘Once we get you on the stand and it’s clear “you don’t know the first fucking thing about advertising, not only will the judge throw out your case but we’ll sue for perjury.’
‘That’s a criminal offence,’ Becky said.
‘And what have you been doing over in Monaco? We looked up that Baronne you were with. She’s old enough to be your mother, Rupert. An English lord turned gigolo,’ Lita said, grinning. ‘The press would
love the human-interest stoW there, wouldn’t they?’
‘She wouldn’t say anything,’ Rupert managed.
‘Oh, yeah?’ Becky was triumphant. ‘And would any of them, do you
think? How confident are you? They can’t be all that pleased, anyway.’ ‘What the hell do you mean?’ Rupert spat, colouring darkly.
‘I mean, my lord, that you are the worst goddamn lay I’ve ever had,’
Lita said. ‘You can’t keep it up and you last,all of two minutes.’ ‘That long?’ Becky asked, looking at her.
Lira smiled maddeningly at Rupert. ‘And don’t think I won’t tell them. Because I’m not a shrinking violet. Though I seem to recall that
you were. Now, do you really want that in the papers?’
‘Bessel?’ Rupert barked.
Pete Bessel looked at him with open loathing. He had never believed that any of the bitches at Doheny would talk. Never thought Lira knew about that, or that she would contact them. Goddamn women sticking
together. He couldn’t operate there any more. He’d have to resign. ‘I told you to shut the fuck up,’ he snapped.
‘You can’t do this to me. You wouldn’t dare,’ Rupert whispered.
‘You think not?’ Becky shrugged. ‘Here’s a copy of the press release we’ll be distributing if your suit isn’t withdrawn in the next half-hour.’
She handed over a copy of the paper, and Rupert’s face darkened
further as he read it. He steadied himself against a great rush of nausea. ‘I’ll withdraw,’ he muttered.
‘I know you will.’ Lita smiled again. ‘And you’ll get the hell out of
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England. And don’t bother trying New York either. I have an olce there, and I never want to see your face again.’
‘We have things to do. You see, you did us both a favour. You made me realize my operations were too exclusive and boutique. What if some two-bit piece of shit like you comes along and tries to make more trouble? What I need is advertising. A little more of a base. That way, there won’t be the cancellations.’ Becky patted Lita’s shoulder. ‘New Wave is going to take care of that for me.’
‘We’ll be working on a commission basis. I think it’s going to be very profitable.’ Lira looked at her former fianc& his face ashen, slumped back against the chair. ‘We’ll be going now. Goodbye, Rupert. I’d say, See you around, but I know I’m not going to.’
‘So long,’ Becky said. ‘If you want my advice, you’ll find a pliant girl with money and keep quiet for the rest of your life.’
‘How do I know you won’t publish that stuff anyway?’ P,,upert said, and even to himself his voice had a terrible whiny catch to it.
Becky looked him right in the eye. ‘Because we’re second cousins, R.upert. As long as you disappear, I won’t have to.’
‘I can’t stand you,’ l:kupert snarled. ‘You know that, right?’
Lira giggled.
‘You know what, Rupert?’ Becky said. ‘I think I’ll get over it.’ Then she walked out and shut the door,
Lira slipped her arm through Becky’s as they walked to the elevators. ‘That was fun,’ she said.
Becky shook her blonde head, and even her Boston Brahmin accent didn’t bother Lita any more. ‘It was. I think we’re going to make a lot of money.
‘I know we are,’ Lira said. ‘They just expected us to act how they think women act. They never expected us to fight fire with fire.’
‘Well, that’s not my problem.’ Becky reached out and tugged one of Lira’s curly dark tendrils. ‘There was a little girl, and she had a little curl, right in the middle of her forehead. And when she was good, she was very, very good—’
‘And when she was bad, she was horrid.’
Lira finished the rhyme, and they both started to laugh.
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