Mia shifted on her seat. She wished he’d at least look at her, acknowledge that she was asking for his help. ‘I could show them both,’ she murmured, though she doubted they’d like that. They wanted to be shown one clear direction, and yet here she was, staring at two completely different ways of selling their health drinks, which she’d been pretending were delicious since she’d first tried one six months ago.

The truth was Mia didn’t like anything that tasted too healthy, but she wasn’t about to tell them that. The Coopers account was critical to Morris & Wood, and if she wanted to keep her job, she needed to do whatever it took to keep them in favour. If it meant gulping down a cold-pressed green juice with a shot of cayenne pepper once a week, then that was the least she could do.

‘Fine. Okay,’ she said. ‘That one. The outdoor campaign. Let’s go with that.’ She waited for Mike to tell her she’d made the right decision, or even the wrong one, but he did neither. Instead he expelled a puff of air as he leaned forward and started fiddling with the borders as if the whole thing was a waste of his time, even though everyone knew it was the biggest thing he had on right now. Eventually Mia pushed her chair back and stood up, trying to ignore his efforts to make her feel like she really had no idea what she was doing when what she really wanted was to tell him how rude he was.

Mike Lewis was a difficult man to work with, by virtue of the fact that he never looked anyone in the eye. His thick-lensed glasses didn’t help, but still, behind them, his eyes would desperately avoid contact with hers. She had come across people like Mike before. In her previous company there were a few like him and they never made the day go more smoothly.

Mike was a prickly character, yet still Mia had been shocked when Sarah Clifton first opened up to her in the toilets about her boss. Mia could see Sarah now, waiting for her. She waved a hand and immediately Sarah sprang to life and hot-stepped towards her.

‘Can we talk?’

‘Of course.’

When Sarah didn’t move or speak, Mia gestured to the nearest vacant meeting room and ushered her inside.

‘I’ve been thinking about what you said.’ Sarah spoke quietly.

Mia nodded, her mind stretching back to the conversation they’d had the week before.

‘I know you’re right, but I don’t think I can say anything.’