Liv and I met that evening in our favourite bar. It was warm so we sat outside at a small, round table with a glass of wine each as London livened up for the night. I told her what had happened with Davis and Simon and asked for her advice.

‘Wow, Freya, that’s amazing,’ Liv said, her eyes lighting up. ‘That’s exactly what you’ve been wanting.’ Then she frowned. ‘But, hang on, Hayley is going to give you the same opportunity, isn’t she?’

‘I thought she was but…’ I told her about the meeting we’d had with Jake and his publishers, how Hayley had taken all the credit for what had happened in New York, and that I needed to wait another six months to do anything more than be her assistant. ‘It’s not that I think I don’t have to pay my dues… it’s that she promised me that if I was successful at the romance conference, she would further my career. Now she’s just gone back on it all.’

‘That’s not on. She’s gone down in my estimation now.’ Liv sighed. ‘I did worry the other day when you said you wanted to be like Hayley. I think you’re great just as you are. And I always knew you’d be a successful agent one day. I just thought Hayley would help you get there.’

I nodded. ‘Me too. But I don’t think she wants to. Not yet anyway. And I did think I needed to be like her. But then I think about the whole thing with Jake – she didn’t help his career after that article came out. I followed my gut and it worked. Hayley wasn’t any help at all there. I thought I admired her, you know? Now, I’m not so sure. She seemed fake in that publishing meeting. I never want to be fake. I would want to support my authors but I’d have to be honest with them and myself, and whoever we’re working with.’

‘Authors appreciate honesty,’ Liv said. ‘Sometimes, you’re promised the earth but then it never happens. I’d rather be told the truth and then I can manage my expectations.’

‘I’m glad you think so too,’ I said, smiling at her. ‘But could I really do this? Leave Hayley and work with Simon? It would be such a leap, such a challenge, and Hayley is going to be furious when she hears about it…’ I bit my lip. The thought of telling Hayley I was leaving for another job scared the shit out of me. But the thought of the new job was so exciting, even if it would be a challenge. I really didn’t want to run away from something I had wanted to do ever since I fell in love with romance books just because I was scared about it.