Agent Provocateur (7 page)

Betty scribbles the time and the address of the restaurant in her Filofax. She has already booked it, or Hannah has, anyway. She replays the conversation with Grace over in her head. Grace’s responses were so brief that Betty was unable to gauge her character at all. Was it indifference or fear? She cannot imagine that someone doing that job would be scared. But Grace did not sound the way Betty expected. She guesses that it is all an act. She probably flaunts a nice, friendly front, when she’s really a bitch. Whatever it is, she will not find out until tomorrow.

Betty has a feeling that Grace will do the piece and she doesn’t know if she is happy about that or not. Part of her would like her to say no, but part of her knows that this could be a good piece, and a good by-line. A lot meatier than the sex tips, diet tips and work-related issues that seem to have dominated her time lately. Instead of features where she invented research, this time she has a real story. One that, despite her personal feelings, the readers would find interesting. So why, deep down, is she feeling so scared?

Betty isn’t a big baby; she can take of herself. She has always done so, although now more successfully than before. The timid creature that lived in her body for most of her childhood is gone. Betty is the sort of woman who knows what she wants and gets it. Her job and her husband are perfect examples of this. So her behaviour over the honey trapper, so wet, so pathetic, isn’t something she welcomes, nor something she truly understands.

Her hangover is still gripping her, so she decides to call someone for reassurance. She calls Johnny.

‘Hi, how’s the head?’

‘Pounding. Why did you let me drink so much?’

‘I can just imagine how you would have reacted if I’d tried to stop you.’ He laughs; his anger has dissipated as it always does.

‘I called her.’

‘Her, being the honey trap woman?’

‘Yeah, she sounded OK, but I think it’s a front. I’m meeting her for lunch tomorrow.’

‘Betty, you have to be nice to her if you want her to do this.’

‘I know and I was very nice.’ Betty is going to do a good job with this assignment and she is going to be nice to Grace.

‘I bet you were. Shall we go out tonight?’

‘No way. I need a long bath and an early night.’

‘Now that I can do.’

She hangs up and looks at the clock. She is willing the time to pass because she could really do with a hug from Johnny. Some reassurance from her faithful, trustworthy husband.

Chapter Six

Betty gets to the restaurant early, ten minutes early. She sits at the table and imagines what sort of person will walk through the door. She is expecting her to be stunning, that much she knows, but she also imagines well groomed, expensive looking. In Betty’s mind she looks like the mistress of a rich man. In Betty’s mind that is exactly what she is. No better than a mistress.

Betty has made an effort. She is wearing a cream trouser suit, high-heeled boots and her hair is swept up on to her head. She raided the beauty department for some make-up and also persuaded the beauty assistant to apply it for her. There was no way she will let Grace upstage her. She is unsure why it bothers her so much, but it does.

She orders a mineral water and sips it while watching the door. Every time a woman walks in she wonders if it is her. Suddenly she stops as she sees the door open again and in walks a woman who is so beautiful that Betty is immediately terrified it is her. She is not sure she can cope if it is her.

She is tall, almost six foot at a guess. Her hair is long and sleek (not like Betty’s bird’s nest), framing her face, which is a masterpiece. She is wearing a dark grey suit: knee-length skirt and long jacket, which is buttoned up, with nothing underneath. As she gets closer Betty notices her huge hazelnut eyes and her lips; she has never seen lips like them. As she follows a waiter to Betty’s table, Betty realises instantly that she hates her. She could have any man at all, with her looks, yet she insists on trying to seduce other people’s. She may say that it is her job but Betty knows this is a guise. She can spot a bitch at one hundred paces and Grace is a bitch.

Grace doesn’t know what to expect. She doesn’t know what journalists look like, but she is convinced that she will be either smart or trendy. She isn’t sure if she herself is trendy. Her work wardrobe is more classic, her casual clothes are quite simple. She thinks she passes as fashionable, but that is as far as she goes.

The maître d’ leads her to Betty’s table. As soon as she sees her she pauses for a moment to collect her thoughts. Betty is attractive, her wavy hair is off her face, her make-up looks as if it was done by an expert and she is, as Grace thought, trendy, or very modern-looking. Grace feels relieved she is wearing her grey suit. She is relieved she is wearing a jacket that blatantly has nothing underneath and shows a hint of cleavage. She is pleased she applied lipstick.

Betty stands up as Grace approaches the table. She puts her hand out a little sooner than she should so it is there, slicking out like a branch of a tree. Grace moves herself toward Betty’s outstretched hand and shakes it lightly. She is not someone who is used to formal handshakes.

‘Hello, how are you?’ Betty asks.

‘Fine, thank you,’ Grace replies, sitting down.

‘Can I get you a drink?’

‘A tomato juice would be lovely.’ Grace smiles and, like a mirror image, Betty smiles back. Grace, unused to much female company, feels intimidated by the confident, soldier-like Betty.

Betty thinks that Grace is far too self-assured, and refuses to let her intimidate her.

After Betty orders the drinks, she picks up the menu and gestures for Grace to do the same. She looks at the food, and tells Grace what she thinks is the best the menu has to offer. She wants Grace to think she dines here a lot. Grace is only half listening as she looks around the restaurant, taking in the lunchtime trade. She sees a number of business people, some chattering women, some lovers. She looks at Betty over the top of the menu and wonders what the other people make of them.

They order the food when the drinks are delivered. Betty tries to talk Grace into a starter, but Grace insists on only a main course. Betty thinks she is one of those women who don’t eat, which would explain her thinness. Truthfully, Grace doesn’t like eating too much at lunchtime. Betty orders a glass of white wine with her meal, while Grace declines. Betty thinks that Grace is a control freak; Grace wishes she could have a drink, but knows that lunchtime wine goes to her head and she doesn’t want to risk saying anything silly. As they make small talk, they seem to be sizing each other up. Betty is looking at Grace the way a predator looks at its victim; Grace is looking at Betty the way a victim looks at its predator.

It is not until the food is in front of them that Betty broaches the subject of the magazine feature.

‘We want a profile, a sort of week in the life of a honey trapper.’

‘I hate that term.’

‘Sorry. What would you prefer?’

‘Detective, specialising in infidelity.’

‘But it is known as honey trapping.’ Betty looks at her sharply. ‘Detective specialising in infidelity’ hardly sounds catchy, she thinks, rolling her eyes.

‘It is.’ Grace sighs. She realises she will have to capitulate.

‘Well, anyway, what we want is to follow you round. I would observe you at work – you know, before a job – and then when you are on a job. Of course I’d keep out of the way-I just want to watch – and then we’ll profile you as well as talk about the industry as a whole.’ Betty sounds more confident than she feels; Grace feels far less confident than she sounds.

‘I’m not sure I’m comfortable being followed.’ She wishes she could articulate better.

‘I promise you’ll get used to it. I guess photographs would be a problem.’ Betty wishes that she hadn’t said this, as she already knows the answer.

‘No way.’ Grace feels her face redden. Then she feels stupid; she is getting upset over nothing.

Betty looks at Grace sharply; she feels that the tone of voice she used was a little unnecessary. ‘We can do without photographs,’ she says kindly.

‘You’ll have to.’ Grace knows that she is being needlessly harsh, but she cannot seem to help herself.

‘So, tell me, in theory, how do you feel?’ If you have feelings at all, Betty thinks. Despite her resolve not to be riled by Grace’s job, she is already riled by the woman herself.

‘The publicity would be good for business and, of course, I believe that the industry is interesting to women, and necessary, absolutely necessary. I’d like to see a proper proposal, of course, and I’d like to be given some sort of say on the final draft. I also want to run it all by my boss. She set this up with your boss, I believe.’ Grace hopes she sounds like she knows, what she is talking about; in reality she is clueless.

‘I’m not sure about final say, but I will ensure that you agree the proposal before you start, and I give you my word that we will stick to the proposal.’ Uptight and whore don’t generally go together, but then control freak and whore maybe do, Betty thinks. She is growing to dislike Grace more by the minute, but she is glad that her instinct was right.

‘OK, well, I’ll wait for your proposal and we’ll take it from there.’ Grace can’t explain, what it is about Betty that makes her dislike her so strongly. She certainly didn’t turn up for lunch expecting to feel such animosity towards her. She wonders if it is just intimidation, but she can’t shake the feeling it is something more. However, she will do the piece, she has already decided that. She’ll do it for Nicole.

After a painful and forced conversation over coffee, Betty signs the bill with a flourish, another action that Grace finds irritating. They get up to leave.

‘It was lovely to meet you,’ Betty lies, air kissing Grace’s cheek.

‘It was lovely to meet you too,’ Grace lies, wondering if Betty’s blusher will be attached to her face when she moves away.

When she gets home, the first thing Grace does is call Nicole.

‘Hi,’ Nicole says.

‘How come you’re always at your desk when I call?’

‘I feel like I’ve been grounded! Really, there is so much admin to this damn job that I don’t get to do as much detective work as I used to.’

‘Doesn’t that bother you?’

‘No, actually. I’m getting lazy in my old age and I like to sit on my arse all day.’ They both laugh. ‘So, how was lunch?’

‘You know, this is going to sound really weird, but I get the impression she disapproves of me.’

‘Tosh. She doesn’t know you. Grace, you can be a bit paranoid sometimes and sensitive, especially when it comes to people you don’t know.’

‘My job is based on my confidence,’ Grace protests.

‘Yeah, but your personal life is based on something else. Gracie, I love you, everyone loves you, and don’t you let anyone persuade you otherwise.’

‘I asked for a proposal before we agree it.’

‘Good. Let’s make them think we’re in the driving seat.’

‘But we are going to do this?’

‘I told you, it’s your decision. But I would be pleased.’

‘Then we’re doing it.’ Grace basks in the pleasure of doing something to please Nicole. ‘That’s my girl.’

Betty is sitting in Fiona’s office.

‘So what was she like?’

‘Stunning with a capital S. My God, she’s straight out of our fashion pages. She seemed a bit quiet, not terribly chatty. I’m not sure if that’s because she’s really arrogant or because she’s only used to chatting up men.’ Betty is trying to display her diplomatic side.

‘If she’s so gorgeous, it’s a shame we can’t photograph her.’

‘No way will she agree to that, or your friend her boss. They’ll lose all their business.’

‘I think that’s a bit dramatic, but never mind. You can describe her as stunning; we’ll have to content ourselves with that. So, is it all agreed?’

‘She wants a proposal to run by her boss, but apart from that, I think so, yeah.’

‘So we can get going soon?’

‘I don’t see why not.’

‘Betty, you’re brilliant. This is going to be a great story.’

Betty smiles weakly at her boss and hopes that she is right. ‘OK, I’ll go and write the proposal.’

‘Will you email it to me before you send it to her? I’m sure it’ll be fine but I’d like to check. You know, I think this honey-trapping thing will really appeal to our readers.’

‘You do?’ Fiona seems a little too enthusiastic.

‘Yes, and I wish I’d used one years ago to nail my bastard ex.’

‘But you divorced him anyway.’ Betty knows that Fiona is going to take this feature personally, which makes it worse for her.

‘But I couldn’t get him for infidelity, which was so unfair because he shagged half of London. I think honey trapping is a great industry.’

Betty sees the glint in Fiona’s eyes and knows that she has no choice but to write a brilliant feature.

Chapter Seven

Saturday.

‘Let’s go to bed.’ Eddie says this with a knowledge that the answer will be no. That does not stop him trying.

‘No, Eddie. I’m all dressed up to go shopping.’ Grace is wearing her one pair of trainers, flared black trousers and a-jumper. Eddie is wearing a shirt and some chinos, his normal uniform. Eddie is the older of her lovers, and he has lost most of his hair. He is also a couple of inches shorter than she but she thinks he is adorable. Reliable and adorable.

‘I can’t believe you invite me over on a Saturday and you want to drag me round the shops.’ He looks exasperated but is wearing a hint of a smile.

‘I need new clothes.’

‘You have a million clothes.’ Eddie rolls his eyes. He will never figure Grace out, which he knows is probably why he is still with her. The minute she starts to make sense (which he is sure will never happen) is the minute he falls out of love with her, or infatuation – he is unsure which.

‘I need more.’ Ever since she met Betty, Grace has felt that something new is needed in her life. New clothes, new shoes, and maybe a new handbag. A female solution rather than a Grace solution. She thinks it is actually a Betty solution.