Tan dropped Zoe off downtown two hours before her midday coffee shop meeting with Manhattan, refraining from commenting on her fear of being late, or indeed making any comment whatsoever that might rattle her. A kiss and wishes for the best was the limit of her advice. Zoe found a corner table and went through Tan’s list titled ‘Sensible Safe Questions for MM.’ Surprisingly she found them better than hers, bar the last one which strongly recommended not dropping her knickers on first contact.   Midday arrived and twenty minutes later she began checking she had the right coffee shop. A minute later he was sitting opposite explaining how his flight from New York was delayed. He quickly got down to business while Zoe scanned every square inch of his top half. “So, Zoe Ashton has quite a reputation for succinct writing, with her bent being politics and she has been employed for five years by a media group with a reputation for being to the extreme right of Genghis Khan. Have I left anything out?”

“Pardon? Um, yes. No, yes and no. My employer claims to provide a balanced approach. I claim to be a loyal staff member.”

“Right. Not bad. On a tangent your big kahuna calls climate change crap. Where do you stand?”

“I have absolutely no opinion.”

“Really?”

“Exactly, I leave all of that up to the experts, the scientists.” Michael smiled. “I can see I’m going to have to watch what I say to you. My advisor has recommended I say everything is off the record in respect to this chat with you. Then after I redact all stupid comments I’ve made, I then consent to the rest.”

“May I ask who your advisor is?”

“Sure, my grandmother. So are you recording this? I was further informed the recording device should be placed in sight.”

“I forgot.” She placed it on the table. He smiled, she blushed. “Do you know Zoe I’ve never been formally interviewed by a journalist before?”

“Yes, someone mentioned that. Might have been my grandmother.” She failed to prevent her wince from reaching the surface.

“Fair enough. The point I’d like to make is I’m naïve when it comes to the press so I’m relying on you to do the right thing. Do you still say press or is it media these days? Do you want a coffee?”

“Coffee? Um, yeah, sure. Press, media, paper, all are ok.”  He went to the counter, she breathed in deeply and imagined Tan sitting at the table whispering loser, pathetic. Tan’s cruel comments muddled her mind, she had difficulty remembering the questions let alone the order they should be in. He placed the coffee in front of her and shook his head. “Sorry, I should have asked if you wanted something to eat.” She politely declined. “How long are you in LA for Michael?”

“Unsure, at least a few days, I’m here to visit my aunty. She’s my west coast political advisor.”

“What’s her name? I mean if you don’t mind telling me.”

“Gladys. She’s ninety, in a home, a bit of a freelancer. Like your grandmother I imagine. I watched the Far East Wing on the flight here, have you seen it?”

“I didn’t think it was very funny, too sexist, racist and poorly written.”

“It’s a comedy? I missed that.” Zoe held her tongue and waited for the slight quiver of his lips to expand or die. It grew into a smile. “Sorry Zoe, I’m in some sort of odd mood. Yeah, not the funniest. Look I’ve got to see aunty before she has her nap, what about coming with me and we can talk on the way? Otherwise you’ve twenty minutes of me.”  Zoe took the aunty option. Seven hours later she was dropped off by a cab and greeted by Tan on the porch. She sat down and grabbed Tan’s wine glass, taking a large gulp.

“You silly bitch, you rooted him didn’t you?” Zoe shook her head. “You’ve disappointed me Zoe, so what have you two been up to? The truth.”

“He dropped me off at the Mexican border. That was as far as he could take me without the right ID. Then he drove his aunty south for half a mile and came back and picked me up.” Tan put a hand on Zoe’s forehead. “You ok?”

“His aunty is in a home in San Diego and she’s never been to Mexico. That was on her one hundred things to do before she dies list. We flew down to San Diego in a private jet just in case you’re going to question the timing.”

“Never occurred to me, but I was thinking of asking you about all the juicy bits you sucked out of him.”

“I was hopeless. I’ve never been that bad, I can’t even remember much about what he said. I’ve got a few minutes recorded, but that was drivel on my part. I remember my drivel vividly. I think he asked more questions than me.”

“Like interested in nicking off to Monaco for the weekend Zoe?” Zoe shook her head. “More along the vein of what did you think of my aunty and trickle down economics, helicopter money and climate change.”

“Sounds like you were on a date. You know, your ideal date. Me too sadly.”

“No Tan, I just think he kept talking because I was in a bit of a daze. He’s got this…..I don’t know, maybe it’s a presence, charisma, a bit overwhelming.”

“I can see it would be a knee knocker for poor little you. Never mind, leave it to me to tell Jack you fucked up.”

“Thanks Tan. Tell him I got enough for a paragraph and I won’t be getting another crack at him.”

“Oh shit, you’re a mess. You poor hopeless loser. My advice to help you get over your incompetence is to look at the facts. This unattached billionaire hunk spends an entire afternoon squiring a boring tart around, even takes her to a home for the befuddled, introduces her to his family and why do you ask has he gone to all this trouble? Only one reason, he’s as fucking boring as bat shit just like her, he’s finally met his soul mate. Or maybe he’s just a wanker. How’s that?” Zoe played with her wine glass, slowly turning it at the same pace as her nodding while Tan leaned back and waited for a response. She gave up. “Stop nodding like one of those stupid little oil rig thingies and say something. How about that’s great advice, you are so helpful my best friend Tan, what would I do without you. Don’t answer the last bit.”

“It might be good advice and all very logical if I hadn’t had recent history with another charismatic bastard.”

“He had the charisma of a dog’s fart Zoe, you just lost your sense of smell.”

“Maybe I’ve lost it again.”

“Oh shit, now I am worried.” Tan took Zoe’s hand. “I’ll bet you he’ll be in touch, he’d be an idiot not to. Look….hang on, don’t look, the big C is backing out of her drive, she’s spotted the lesbros touching flesh, she’s stationary, quick, give me a tonguey, give her something to talk about. Too late, your big chance gone.” Zoe laughed, Tan got up and gave her a hug. “That’s better Zoey. Now a few messages. The cleaner wants to change to tomorrow at nine. I aggressively said no no Heather no deal, she whined and I told her to fuck off but she got nasty and she’s on.”

“The house is a mess. Please don’t let her suffer your room, we’ll lose her you know. What else? And if it’s about Jack I don’t want to know?”

“Ok. Jack didn’t call and he didn’t leave the name of a cop he wants you to talk to regarding Manhattan.”

“What cop? What’s it about?”

“No idea. I was telling Jack that racketeer arsehole he insisted we chuck our brains at last month might just end up giving us a sensational story. I started crapping on about possible collusion with the Russians and Chinese gangsters which of course always helps tart up any story and he stops me midstream and gives me the cop’s details. He then says forget for now the racketeer, China, Russia, fucking Confucius  et al and focus on Manhattan. So it seems he has zero interest in a story bigger than Watergate and every other gate. Potentially anyway. Then he pisses off before I can grill him. So what’s going on?”

“No idea. Maybe we grill him on why he’s giving Manhattan such a high priority?”

“That’s profound. Clever girl indeed. Let’s look at the facts. Our immediate boss has brownnosed his way to a senior position in the company. The Chairman relies on him to get the sort of stories no one else does, sometimes known as investigative journalism. Don’t laugh. You and me are on the front line and we’ve done all right. Funny though that a lot of our work is related to rivals of our company and people who have opinions the Chairman despises or have been  rude to him. The bottom line, shit I hate that term, is why the interest in a guy who’s kept to himself, been a passive investor for years and who’s a long way from getting any form of political power? Come on, your thoughts. ”

“When are you going to start looking at the facts, or did I mishear you?” Tan raised her eyebrows. “I beg your pardon, sarcasm does not suit you. Take that from an expert. Ok, point accepted, I might be paranoid, probably am. Am. Anyway pointless talking to you about this, you’re going to focus on Manhattan regardless if there’s a story in it.” With that she sat back down and refilled the empty wine glass and passed it over. “Cab Sav Zoe, top drop from Margaret River, I didn’t think you’d be home so early. I wasn’t being sneaky, I just didn’t want to offend our last quality red by having it die on a brain dead palate. Listen sweetie I’ve put your mug on three matchmaking sites, you never know.” Tan drank from the bottle then patted Zoe’s back. “You don’t have to thank me Zoey. I thought you’d love your description and I didn’t gild the lily. It was nice.”

“I’m sure it was, have to be wouldn’t it given you’re so nice.”

 “I suppose I could have added more of your great virtues but I thought cheap slut with great bod will root anything for nix was succinct enough.”  Red wine from Zoe’s mouth sprayed over her lap as she broke up.

Start Writing!

Next Chapter: Chapter FOUR