The Liberation of Alice Love - Abby McDonald [114]
Vivienne, having suggested no such thing, was looking even paler than usual, but before she could speak, there was a cough.
“Ah, congratulations,” Anthony said, reaching to shake Alice’s hand vigorously. “Yes, well done indeed. Excellent news.”
At his cue, the others joined with their own warm words. “Good luck to you.” Tyrell flashed his gleaming smile at her. “Just make sure you don’t fall behind with those contracts!” He laughed, not at all joking.
“Thanks.” Alice beamed back regardless. “It’ll take me a while to get the hang of things, I’m sure, but I’m looking forward to being a part of the team.”
There was silence.
Vivienne cleared her throat. “Well, now that we’ve got the…big announcement out of the way, shall we get down to business?”
As the rest of the agents settled, pulling out files and papers, Alice took the opportunity to sneak a glance at Vivienne. She was staring at her leather-bound notebook, but the tight smile on her scarlet lips betrayed her obvious displeasure. Alice forced herself not to waver. This was a calculated move, she reminded herself; the lengths that Vivienne had gone to avoid directly confronting Alice over the Rupert affair had proved, if anything, how indispensable Alice was to the agency. If Vivienne hadn’t wanted to risk offending Alice over that, then neither—she hoped—would she object to this.
“So, Alice.” Vivienne finally looked up, fixing her with a dangerous smile. “Why don’t you go first? Let’s hear what you’ve achieved so far for dear Kieran and Julia.” She waited, clearly expecting mumbled apologies, but Alice simply opened her notebook.
“I haven’t had much time, I know, so please bear with me.” She gave a self-deprecating smile. “I’ve withdrawn Kieran from those comedy auditions and decided to focus on pure drama. So, I’ve managed to set him up with some meetings next week: just informal drop-bys with commissioning editors at Juno, Pipergate, and BBC Drama, but it should give them a fresh reminder about his look, to keep in mind for future castings.”
Vivienne’s smile slipped.
“Now with Julia, I think her problem has been more at the audition stage,” Alice continued, her confidence growing. “So we’ve had a chat, and she’s agreed to meet with me to pick out a new work wardrobe and change her look to target older roles.”
“That’s all very well.” Vivienne seized the chance to interrupt. “But shopping trips aren’t exactly jobs, now, are they?”
“You’re right.” Alice smiled back. “So I also have a list of eight different auditions lined up for her next week. We’ll be able to get immediate feedback on the new approach and move on from there.” She closed her notebook and waited, heart pounding. If there were ever a moment for Vivienne to lash out, then this was it.
An eyebrow flickered in displeasure. Alice steeled herself for war. But, as if realizing the delicacy of their public setting, Vivienne just pursed her lips. “Hmm. We’ll see.” Her gaze drifted to the next victim. “Tyrell? This is no time to be checking emails. Put that thing away and tell me about what’s happening with Nick Savage.”
Alice felt a great rush of celebration. She was officially the newest agent at Grayson Wells.
***
After such a major victory, dinner with Nathan seemed like a breeze. Alice slipped home early to get ready, even inviting Flora to help select some jewelry and help her fix her hair up in loose curls. By the time Nathan arrived to pick her up, she was perched calmly on a stool in the kitchen, watching Stefan stir-fry a spread of vegetables with his usual crisp efficiency.
“Look who’s here!” Flora led him in with a none too subtle exclamation, as flushed as if she were the one going on her first date. She stood by the counter, beaming proudly.
“Why do I feel like a teenager again?” Alice joked, nodding at their audience.
“I’ll have you back by curfew, I promise.” Nathan laughed, leaning