Jeremy sighed. “Volatile. I wonder what Cordwainer said to her. I wonder if he offered to chain her up to his wall again till death do them part, or something.”
Laura wrinkled her nose. “I heard there was something like that going on between them.” She swallowed down a lump of bile, remembering her father’s part in the perverse arrangement. “Perhaps if he pegs it, she’ll come good again. At least Daddy is delirious with joy this morning. Went off to the building site singing.”
“At least somebody is benefiting from my downfall,” grouched Jeremy.
“Oh, lighten up,” Laura said, taking her hands off his knotted shoulders and dismissing his concerns to pour herself a coffee. “You’ll be fine.”
“Will you still stay with me? If I lose my job?”
“I won’t stay with you if you keep the job, Jeremy. I want you to move on. Work for a national, perhaps get into television. I like your ambition. You shouldn’t be stuck here in Goldsands. I was planning to come with you. I wasn’t planning to stay here until the salty fucking sea air kills my complexion stone dead.”
Jeremy laughed despite his anxieties. “I wish you were my editor. I wouldn’t mind getting hauled over the coals by you.”
Laura’s Crimson Petal lips widened into a feline smile.
“Okay. Let’s do that. I’m your editor. You come and confess to me. A little practise run won’t go amiss, I’m sure.” She turned her back and swung her hips into the living room, throwing a saucy glance over her shoulder before shutting the door.
When Jeremy knocked, she was reclining on his sofa, legs crossed, pretending absorption in her mobile phone.
“Enter,” she said. She tried not to smile. She mustn’t smile—it ruined the effect. But this was such a luscious bonus for a postapocalyptic Wednesday morning—how could she help it? Besides, it gave her the perfect opportunity to punish her lover for failing to split up Rocky and Flipp. Not that that seemed particularly relevant anymore. She and Rocky were history, and that was that. Time to dust off, pick up, start again. With Jeremy.
“Ah, Weill.” She sat up as a hangdog Jeremy slunk into the room. “We have things to discuss, don’t we?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Jeremy said, trying to stand tall and brazen this uncomfortable interview out.
“What do you have to say to me?”
“I’m sorry, ma’am, I thought—”
“Sorry is not quite good enough, is it?” barked Laura, bringing her shoulders forward as if preparing to spring at her unfortunate cub reporter.
“The source gave me the information in good faith. She had paperwork. She had a convincing story. I’m sure she was telling the truth, but she’s been got at—”
“Good…faith?” Laura spat. “A tissue of lies, libellous in the extreme, but she gave them in good faith? This is a huge error of judgement, Weill. One I cannot possibly overlook. You do understand that you need to be punished, don’t you?”
“Yes, ma’am,” whimpered Jeremy.
“And you need to be seen to be punished. I can’t have any of my other reporters thinking that I am the kind of editor who lets this kind of slipshod behaviour pass. So you are going to open the office door, Weill, and leave it open, for the newsroom to hear. Go and open it, please.”
“Ma’am.” Jeremy trotted over to the living room door and let it slightly ajar.
“Wider, Weill. I want the sound to carry farther than a few inches.”
He pushed it half-open and checked for Laura’s reaction. She gave him a stern nod.
“Remove your belt, Weill, and hand it to me.”
Jeremy fumbled with the buckle, agitated with excitement, and pulled the leather from the loops, handing it sheepishly to Laura, who was standing now, watching him, grave-faced.
“Thank you. Now you will lower your trousers and pants, please.”
Jeremy obeyed, revealing a coy semierection, hardening with each brisk command that came from his lover’s lips.
“What’s that, Weill, you disgusting little pervert?” She pointed derisively at the tumescing cock.
“It’s my penis, ma’am.”
“It’s what you call a penis, Weill. Not sure if I’d call it that. Ugh, turn around and grab your ankles. You’re getting a good, long strapping for your journalistic sins, Weill. Let it be a lesson to you—and to the rest of the newsroom.”