Page 55 of Be More Octopus

'Couldn't you take her to court for breaking and entering?'

'I don't know. She's banking on me not wanting that photograph to become public.' He took a deep breath and looked at Em warily. 'It's me in a compromising situation. She must've been through my things when we were living together. I'd completely forgotten it existed. Otherwise, I'd have destroyed it years ago. She's threatening to send it to the university vice-chancellor.'

Em's imagination was running riot now. Did he have some weird fetish? Had he robbed a bank? Or worse? It was amazing how many images could flash through your mind in only a second or two. Jack put her out of her misery.

'I'm snorting a line of coke.'

What a relief. Not legal, but not that unusual for a student either. 'Is that all? But I thought you didn't do drugs?' They'd had that conversation in the car on the long journey to London.

'I don't. But I did experiment when I first went up to Oxford. I didn't enjoy it. That's why I've never done anything since.'

'But why have you got a photo of you doing it?'

'One of my flatmates was a photographer. She took loads of photos documenting our first year at Uni. She was still shooting on film - digital cameras weren't good enough then. She used to turn our bathroom into a temporary dark room and do all her own developing and printing. She gave me a set of prints. I put my favourites in an album. Not that photo, obviously. It stayed in the envelope with a few others, and I forgot all about it.'

'Why would the vice-chancellor be bothered about something that happened that long ago? There are even government ministers who've admitted to doing coke.'

'She's vehemently anti-drugs. And she's put me in charge of a campaign to cut drug use on campus.'

'So Isabella thinks it might ruin your career prospects?'

'Yes.'

'And will it?'

'I don't know. I wasn't honest when the VC discussed the job with me.'

'Did she ask you outright whether you had taken drugs?'

'Yes, and stupidly I said no. It wouldn't be an issue if I'd owned up to it. Now she'll know I've lied and wonder what else I've not been honest about. It's not a sackable offence, but she might think twice about getting me to do other high-profile projects.'

'What do you have to do to stop Isabella from sharing the photo?'

'Agree to accept my unreasonable behaviour as the grounds for the divorce, so she comes out of it all blame-free.'

'I guess you've got no choice then.'

'I do have a choice. I can tell her where to go. Enough is enough. If she goes through with her threat, I'll survive. And if she doesn't consent to a divorce, I will get one eventually. It just means I will have to wait a lot longer. What I'm more worried about is what she'll do next. I don't want you to get hurt.'

'What could she do to me? She's only spoken to me for a few moments?'

'I don't know. But she's very creative when she wants to be vindictive. She's given up on trying to win me back. Now she's moved on to inflicting maximum pain as punishment for me not complying with her wishes. '

Em could understand that. She'd seen her mother punish her dad enough times for less serious rebellions than wanting a divorce.

Jack started drumming his fingers on the table. 'Look, I don't really want to suggest this, but I think we shouldn't be seen together. Not until this is all sorted out. She probably still has her spies out looking for us, and if she hasn't, she will have once she reads my response.'

'Have you sent it?'

'No. I was in the middle of writing it when you texted. I'm going to go back now and finish it. I'll email it to her solicitor so we can get this sorted as soon as possible.'

'But if she refuses, it could be years.'

'I know. I'm hoping I'll think of something to persuade her.'

CHAPTER FORTY

Em sat on her sofa when Jack left. What an up-and-down sort of a day. Gallery representation, at last, a glimmer of hope that Jack wanted to be more than friends and now this. She topped up her wine glass and downed it in one.