My eyebrows shot up into my forehead. ‘You need my help,’ I repeated incredulously.

Davis sighed down the phone. ‘I suppose you’ve heard what happened in New York…’

‘I did,’ I replied, trying to focus on what Liv had told me, pushing Jake away from my mind. ‘You upset the conference organisers and then pushed over a table and had to be escorted out, something like that?’

‘Something like that,’ he said. ‘I have a bit of a problem knowing when I’ve had enough to drink and once I’ve had too much, I can’t filter myself very well,’ he added uncomfortably.

‘I’m not sure you filter yourself very well when you’re sober,’ I replied.

‘Freya, this is why I need to speak to you. You’re honest, and that in our business is pretty rare. Please. I promise I’ll make it worth your while.’ He coughed. ‘I didn’t mean that to come out like an innuendo, I swear. This is a mutually beneficial career situation. I know that I was a bit… flirtatious in New York.’

‘I’d say creepy,’ I said flatly.

‘God, Freya, I’m sorry. Will you please meet me? Hear me out? Nothing creepy will happen.’ He chuckled then. ‘I don’t think I’ve ever promised a woman that before.’

‘Maybe that would help your chat-up skills,’ I mused as I crossed the road, the office in my sight then. For the first time since I got the job there, I was kind of dreading going into work. Thankfully, Hayley was out for at least a couple of hours. I had no idea what to say to her about what had happened in Jake’s meeting. I felt myself slow down a little bit.

‘See? You’re brutal and I need that right now.’ He sighed. ‘I’m sorry I was like that with you in New York. I actually have a girlfriend. I was just trying to push Jake’s buttons by talking to you,’ Davis said. ‘Please meet me, Freya,’ he added in a pleading tone.

I had no idea what to say. I didn’t trust the man but he sounded sincere about needing my help, and I was a little bit intrigued. It helped too knowing he had a girlfriend and wasn’t hitting on me, I supposed. ‘I don’t know…’

‘You mentioned needing career advice; this will be even better than that.’ Some of his usual arrogance crept into his tone. But then he added, ‘I would be incredibly grateful.’

‘Fine,’ I said finally. ‘I’ll meet you but if you are anything less than polite, I’m leaving.’

‘Thank you!’ He told me where and when to meet him, then we hung up. I really wasn’t sure about this but with everything feeling like it was up in the air, I reasoned I didn’t have much to lose.