Pure Feeling

shattered souls

The nature of my work meant I had to be equipped to handle unforeseen problems arising. I'd managed to turn over a bathroom in a matter of weeks with no hiccups and also finish several other rooms for Harry after that. I'd been pushing my luck and now it seemed everything was going wrong in one space.

The oven and stove I'd ordered had been lost, the cabinetry wasn't done, the wrong size sink showed up. Nothing seemed to be going right and I'd been on site all day trying to fix as many problems with the contractors as I could before I spent tomorrow in the office chasing suppliers and stress-eating a cheesecake.

"I need the cabinetry installed by the end of the week, Tom. You're two weeks behind schedule, and I'm not paying you three times your usual rate to be messed around," I warned. The gruff man of few words nodded his understanding and scooted off back to the shell of a kitchen I dragged him from.

I dug around in my handbag for my phone, needing to fire off a few emails before I went onto the next part of my inspection. My fingers closed around my iPhone, and it started buzzing.

"Sasha Ginsberg." I didn't bother looking at the screen before I answered.

"Sash, it's me." I recognised Nadia's voice immediately and the panic in her tone didn't go unnoticed. "Genevieve's gone to Ibiza."

"Shit." A builder walking past me raised his eyebrows and I scowled. I switched to Russian and slipped into the sitting room, where the construction noise was quieter. "I didn't think she'd actually take up that idiot's offer."

A model turned fashion designer Gen had done some work for invited her to spend a week in Ibiza with him and his entourage. If even a tiny portion of what the papers reported was true the guy only participated in group sex. They also suggested his thing was for white women with blonde hair, which meant he might leave Gen alone. Even still, a week in his private villa didn't exactly sound like the best way for Gen to heal her wounds.

Nadia sighed. "This break up has really hit her hard, Sash. I think there is more to it than Gen's telling us."

"Do you think he conned her? What's it this time? Money? Plane tickets? Fuck!" I slammed my fist down on the arm of the sofa. "She's been saving for a flat, you don't think she..."

"Gen was head over heels for this guy, I'd believe it." I heard William's voice in the background and Nadia sighed again. "Sorry, Sash, William's asking for English. I'm going to put you on loudspeaker."

"It's fine." I couldn't exactly stop her.

"Hi Sasha." William greeted me warmly, as if we were old friends when we barely knew each other at all. I made a mental note to set up a dinner with Nadia, William, Harry and me.

"Hi, William."

"Nadia has filled me in on Gen's past relationships and what she knew about the latest one. There are a lot of red flags." I bit my tongue. I wasn't going to swear like a sailor while William was listening. "It seemed odd that Genevieve was so enamoured with this man, yet neither you or Nadia had met him." I chewed on the inside of my cheek. It seemed rude to point out I was in the same situation with Nadia and William. "I had my private investigator —" I screwed my face up. What was it with rich guys and private investigators on speed dial? "— look into him. The man is a ghost. There is nothing on him, not an iota of information. No online presence, no birth registration or other formal identification."

"Her behaviour makes sense if she got scammed by this guy for all her savings. She's probably embarrassed and doesn't know how to tell us."

"Liam can you email me everything you have? I'll see what Harry thinks about it." In other words; I'd get Harry to work his hacking magic. "I have to go deal with a rogue plumber right now but I'll talk to you later, Nadia."