“So,” Jules said casually, gesturing at the two photos Alyson still held, “that’s the new line? Going to be top sellers?”

“Yes.” Alyson narrowed her eyes. “And this is all the time I have for you right now.”

“You designed these, didn’t you?” Jules asked.

Alyson started.

Jules tried not to smirk. “That’s why you only want these to go in Du Jour. Does Ms. Waight Keller even know you’re doing this? Or were you going to tell her that we just happened to pick your designs?”

Alyson recovered quickly and gave Jules a nasty glare. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, but you’re wasting my time. And I don’t—”

“Okay,” Jules said. “So I can just tell Vivian that you don’t have anything else to show us, and Du Jour can feature absolutely nothing by Givenchy, and when Ms. Waight Keller calls us to ask why, we can direct her your way.”

“Wow. You’re pretty impressed with yourself, aren’t you?” Alyson said. “Especially for being the next person Vivian Carlisle’s going to chew up and spit out. And when that happens and you’re looking for your next job, I’ll still be here and—”

“Are you sure? Lucia won’t be,” Jules said. “She got fired this afternoon.”

Probably. No, certainly. Jules was absolutely certain that when she got back to the office, Lucia’s cubicle would be empty. Nobody tried to make Vivian look like a sucker.

Alyson stopped with her mouth still open and went pale.

“Vivian is about one second away from calling Ms. Waight Keller herself and demanding the same for you,” Jules added, bluffing like hell. “Look, I’m trying to help you save your skin here. Why not let me look at the other photos? I’ll bring Vivian what she wants, and we can put the rest down to Lucia’s bad judgment.” She smiled at Alyson, heart racing, wondering if this was actually going to work.

“She fired Luce?” Alyson asked faintly.

Jules tried to look appropriately sympathetic. “It was kind of scary.”

“Fuck.” Alyson ran one hand through her perfectly styled hair. “I told her it was a bad idea.”

It had been Lucia’s idea? Jules tried not to shake her head in disgust. Lucia had worked at Du Jour for four years. Didn’t she know better than to pull this stuff?

“Well, nobody says you have to go down with her,” Jules said. “Just give me what Vivian’s asking for.”

“Which is what?” Alyson sounded frantic now. “We have tons of things. Does she want something specific? I mean, Jesus, if I send her the wrong thing now…” She gave Jules a scared look. “What should I send back with you?”

Jules looked at Alyson.

Alyson looked back at Jules.

* * *

She heard Simon before she saw him.