There was no way to answer any part of that question without lying. Natalii was not some stranger. And maybe it was true Maddie’s heart was involved, at least a little—whether she wanted to admit it or not. She debated how to answer. Maddie really didn’t lie well, and Natalii was far too astute.

“You’re not an anonymous stranger,” she admitted. “I recognised you when you came in. I know who your mother is too. And she doesn’t like my boss much at all. She called her a cafard.”

Natalii gaped at her. “Merde! You work for the insane flower lady? The Bartell woman? There were blooms all over Maman’s house. The smell! I cannot believe this. Your boss is the infamous cockroach!” She gave a wheezing sound that could have been a laugh or something much worse.

“God, I’m so sorry! I really didn’t think.”

“Wait, you didn’t think? You did this?”

“Yes, I’m her assistant, like I said. I’m really sorry. Don’t blame Elena. She left all the flower ordering to me.”

“You must feel very much for her to take the blame for this. Your amour—it is this powerful?”

Maddie shook her head in frustration. “I never said anything about love.”

“You wish to have her, though, yes?” Natalii’s tone was teasing. “I’ve seen this Bartell’s picture. She is very beautiful. I would wish to have her, too, if I worked with her.”

Maddie scowled.

Natalii laughed heartily.

“I apologise to you, poor Madeleine. I was seeing how green with jealousy you are. I have no interest in your insane flower lady. I have my own Adèle back home, and she keeps me well satisfied. But now that we are bonded over our mutual lady loves, we will go out tonight. You will take me to the club for the gays, oui? Girls with the girls? I wish to see the, how is it called? The Sydney scene. Then, if you do this, I will forgive you making Maman’s house smell of blooms.”

“But…I mean…I…”

“No, no.” Natalii waggled her finger. “It is fine. We will look at the beauties but not touch. We must be virtuous for our ladies who have our hearts. Oui? Meet me out the front of this hotel tonight at nine.” She climbed off her bike. “I have some things to do now I should not put off if I am to be so engaged tonight.”

“I…um…okay.” Maddie gave up. Great. Of fucking course, she’d have to hit her first gay bar ever with the lesbianish daughter of the most reclusive designer in fashion history. A daughter who was supposed to be going to some high-profile ball tonight but was planning to blow it off. With Maddie. At a gay bar.

She wished she hadn’t been such a quiet, book nerd in her uni days and had gone and done the whole gay nightclub thing at least once. She forced a smile, which turned into a nervous gulp. How the hell could she be anyone’s guide to something she’d never done?

“That sounds like fun,” she mumbled.

“Oh it will be! And bring all your gay amis!”

Right. All her gay friends. “Uh, yeah. See you tonight.”

CHAPTER 13

Skyfire

The only gay amis, well ami, Maddie could find on short notice was Simon. Who wasn’t even gay but metrosexual enough that he could at least pass as one for a night if she begged him. He wouldn’t care—he’d probably find it a good excuse to swap cocktail recipes with the bartender. The worst part was having to ask him because…well…it led to certain sticky questions. About who she drooled over, or didn’t, for instance.

Simon knew all about Maddie’s girlfriends over the years. It’s just there weren’t that many. There’d been a secret thing with the closeted Rachel, a crazy month with crazier Monica. In New York there was a regrettable one-night stand with a fellow waitress after their staff Christmas party. After that, there’d been no one else.

Then she’d met Elena. And Maddie sure as hell didn’t need Simon knowing about how her hormones sat up and purred around Elena. It was embarrassing enough admitting to herself how gone she was on her boss.

Simon was looking at her funny. “Wait, so let me get this straight.” He tugged on his best eggplant jacket. “This gym chick, what’s her name, Natalii, that you just met has, out of nowhere, insisted you get all your gay mates together for a night out trawling the gay scene around Sydney?”

“Pretty much.”

“So why’d she ask you of all people?” he asked. “Oh wait, you fancy this woman? You told her you’re gay? Shit, awesome! Say no more, Mads. Of course I’ll help. Haven’t I been saying for months you need to get back on the bike?”

Maddie reddened. “No, I don’t fancy her! And I didn’t tell her I’m gay. She just assumed a local girl would know all the hottest spots and asked me to show her.”

Simon gave her a long, doubtful look. “All the hottest gay spots. Can you join the dots for me, cos I’m lost. You don’t want to date her, but you do want to show a total stranger around gay Sydney. Since when does Ms Introvert Maddie Grey do things like that?”

“Don’t look at me like that. Okay, it’s simple. I’m just trying to win a bet, and to do that, I have to get an interview with Natalii’s mother. That’s it.”

“A bet?” His eyes lit up. “Who with?”

Maddie sighed. “Elena.”

“Colour me shocked.” Simon grinned. “Now it all makes perfect sense. The boss you’re fixated on.”

“I’m not—”

“Mads, not sure if you’re aware, but you talk about her all the time. Elena thinks this. Elena’s won that. Well, I think she’s really hot—as in a swallow-your-own-tongue, super-villain kinda way. So I get it. So the bet’s about impressing her. That’s cool.”

God. This was the reason she hadn’t wanted to ask Simon for help. He knew her way too well. She gave him an aggrieved look. “You talk about Elena a lot too. It’s not just me.”

“Of course I do. I studied her business model at uni, along with those of Rupert Murdoch, Bill Gates, and Steve Jobs. And now my best friend is her PA—come on, that’s amazing. But, Mads, you don’t talk about her the way I do.”

Maddie gritted her teeth. This conversation was going nowhere safe. “Can we just focus? Look, the bottom line is, Natalii doesn’t know I want an interview with her mother. I’m being friendly and helpful, like showing her around wherever she wants to go tonight, and hoping to get in her good books and meet the mother later.”

“Intrigue! Gotcha. I can do that.” He gave her a kind smile. “But you do look extra freaked out. Is this your first gay club or something?”

She gave him a pained look.

“Figured. Hey, it’s cool. I’ve been to a gay club before. Remember Mitch? From footy? He asked me to be his wingman one time, so no worries, okay? Been there, done that. I’ve got your back—unless of course some gorgeous chick makes eyes at me and then, bam, under the official wingman rules, all bets are off.”

Maddie rolled her eyes. The odds of him being hit on by any woman at a gay bar were at sub-basement level. “Okay. Deal.”

* * *

It took Simon all of six minutes to be hit on by some cute woman and disappear from her side at Manscape on Oxford Street. How the hell did that even happen? Like, seriously. And how had that awful pick-up line even worked?—“Hey, I’m not gay or bi, but I am Lebanese!” followed by snorts of laughter.

Clinging to her overpriced espresso martini and watching Simon’s retreating back in dismay, Maddie turned to find Natalii staring at her.

“Why would you take us to a club for the hommes?” the Frenchwoman demanded. Natalii looked super hot tonight, in tight, black leggings, white T-shirt, and a slinky jacket of faux snake skin. At least Maddie hoped it was faux. “Do I look like I want to oogle-oogle at the boys?”

Maddie gave her a feeble smile. “I’m really sorry. Simon said the place is usually mixed. Tonight’s some special thing.”

“Oh oui, Simon! Your obviously not-gay ami. He flirted with me the moment we met.”

“Um… Yeah, he does that. He’s incorrigible around pretty women. Sorry.”

“Mm,” Natalii said, but she appeared mollified at having been called pretty. “And so where are the rest? Your other friends? The lesbiennes?”