Ms. Marsh And Ms. Cooper

November 2043.

Belgravia, Central London.

Elizabeth, Siobhan, and Cass sat quietly around a small cafe table in the corner of an otherwise empty Costa Coffee. They’d keyed their order into the display on the table, one by one, and now they waited to be told it was ready. Nobody said a word. For her part, Elizabeth was staring at the table, not quite ready to disappear into her phone, but also unable to be present in the moment. Siobhan sat between them, looking back and forth.

Finally, the light flashed, with a gentle chime accompanying it. Siobhan leapt to her feet. “I’ll get them!” She dashed straight to the counter just as the drinks rolled out on the conveyor.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth and Cass sat across from each other. A wholly unsurprising amount of tension hung in the air.

“So? Does she know? What really happened, that is?” Cass had come off the blocks and was sprinting headfirst into this conversation. “Does anyone? I figured you’d have written your third book about it by now. What We’ve Lost, What Comes Next, and now, Who I’ve Smashed. The trilogy.”

“She’s my campaign manager,” Elizabeth barked. “She’s the founder of my political party.” She shook her head and looked off to the side.

“You’ve not changed, have you.” Cass needled her. “On to the next then is it?”

Elizabeth slammed her hand down on the table just as Siobhan returned with the drinks.

“Woah, dude! I was gone for like two seconds.” She set the drinks down and, weighing her options, chose to keep the tray rather than risk leaving again and coming back to a crime scene.

“We’re not … ‘seeing each other,’” Elizabeth said, the second part more delicately. Siobhan looked quickly between the two of them, still holding the tray of drinks.

“I’m sorry,” Cass said. “I apologise. It’s been a long time. I can’t stay angry about it.” She looked up at Siobhan. “Did I catch your name?”

“It’s Siobhan,” Elizabeth interjected.

Siobhan laughed awkwardly. “I’m not sure⁠—”

“Stay angry about what exactly, Cass,” Elizabeth fired back a bit too hastily.

Siobhan interrupted with a loud laugh as Cass frowned. “Ha ha, what a scene we’re making, in public.”

Elizabeth tented her fingers in front of her face and exhaled. She nodded and smiled. “Right, look, I’m sorry. It’s just a lot to take onboard today.”

“It’s unbelievable that you ambushed me with that ridiculous story about Mike,” Cass said with an eye roll. “You know it’s not true! If you’re going to say anything, say that.”

“Do I know it’s not true?”

Siobhan gingerly set the coffees down in front of everyone, then slipped quietly into her seat, as if one wrong move might set off a motion alarm that killed her instantly.

“Look, I’m sorry this was stressful for you.” Cass sipped her drink. “But there’s no need to revert to this nonsense.”

“This is all my bad, dude,” Siobhan said, putting one finger in the air. “I didn’t tell her you were going to be here. We probably wouldn’t have come otherwise.”

Elizabeth didn’t remotely understand why she agreed to this coffee, but she wanted it to be over as quickly as possible. Ghosts from her past were popping up everywhere she went in London. She should’ve expected it, but she’d somehow told herself it was fine. Well, Siobhan had convinced her it was fine.

“So Lizzie,” Cass said, “it’s been quite a while.”

“You fucked my husband.” Elizabeth blowtorched the table with that one, Siobhan and Cass both leaning back instinctively to get out of the blast radius.

“Enough! That’s— it’s…?!” Cass was a volcano, finally erupting. “We walked out of a hotel lobby together! Those are your scandalous photos?”

Siobhan sipped her latte. She pointed at the other two sheepishly. “Lattes.”

“Between your outing me as a theatre kid on morning television and The Sun concocting a ridiculous fiction about Mike and I, you seem to have forgotten what actually happened.”

Elizabeth stood up. “This was a mistake.” Cass stood as well.

“Fine.”

Siobhan, not one to be ignored, also stood. “Can we please just be civil, dudes? I want to talk about what happened on the show today, not however long ago this was.”

“It was national news, Cassandra,” Elizabeth fired back at Cass. “There were photos. I just cannot fathom how you managed to work that quickly. I could see it from Mike, he was so fucking insecure he’d leap into bed with anyone who asked, I’m sure. But you? I thought you were my friend.” Elizabeth was seething, furious. Over a decade of rage spilling out onto the table.

“Are you kidding me? Again! It was one photograph of us leaving a hotel. You know better!”

“You were holding hands! And the quotes from the people in the room next door about what they heard, and the hotel clerk⁠—”

“Oh, Elizabeth Marsh.” Cass sounded bitterly disappointed. “You know far better than to believe any of that. It was such a clear, obvious tabloid setup. The story went away in a matter of days! It didn’t hold up at all! And surely Mike was able to explain. And you frankly know why it makes no⁠—”

“I never saw Mike again.” Elizabeth’s voice shook and creaked. Cass leaned back in surprise.

“You what?”

It was quiet again. Siobhan slurped her coffee, watching passersby on the street outside, all of whom were unaware of the history they could witness if they just popped in for a flat white.

“I never saw him again,” Elizabeth said. “I left the studio, I went back home. Nobody was there. I expected to find one of you, or both of you. I never saw either of you.”

“We went to my flat. He wasn’t ready to go back to yours, he was worried there would be press. He didn’t call you? Text you?”

“He texted me. He said he knew there was something we had to discuss. Something he didn’t know how we could ever move on from. I saw that. And I saw the photos.” Elizabeth gritted her teeth and stared down at her coffee as she spoke. Cass stared straight at her, trying to will her to make any sort of eye contact. “It was a decade ago. I don’t know. I don’t remember everything. I just know I sat alone in our flat for what felt like ages. Reporters stood outside, eventually giving up. And that night, I got in my car and drove to Cambridge…”

Cass’s eyebrow went up. She squared her jaw.

“…the next morning,” Elizabeth continued, still sounding quite sure of herself. “I saw my phone had melted from all the texts and calls. Luckily nobody really knew how to find me up in Cambridge. But we do get The Sun in Cambridge. And there you two were on the cover.”

“That’s when you resigned,” Siobhan jumped in. “Shit.”

Elizabeth nodded, and focused on her coffee. Cass’s smile was extremely tight. “So, that’s what you’re saying Mike was talking about. That’s what you are telling me you believe, Elizabeth. That Mike was texting you to speak about the two of us together. Mike and myself.”

“What would you have me believe, Cassandra? It all lined up,” Elizabeth said. Cass sighed, possibly bemused by Elizabeth’s wilful ignorance, or possibly just bored of it.

“This is crazy.” Siobhan tried for another helpful contribution. “This was like, so long ago. Ms. Cooper, you were really helpful today on the panel. Maybe uh, not at first, but at the end. I really appreciate it. I’m sure everyone in the party appreciates it.”

“It was surprising,” added Elizabeth. “Why take bullets for a new political party that will, no offence Siobhan, probably fail to pick up any seats?”

“I didn’t do it for your, what is it? Human First? I did it for you. And one can be a bit less restrained in their comments when they’ve decided to retire.”

“Retire? You won’t stand again?”

“No, and I’ve taken my time letting people know about that. They’ll probably start figuring it out. And then the party will politely ask me to stop appearing on panel shows, no doubt.” She gave a wink.

“Retiring? Sure you wouldn’t consider standing for us instead?” Suddenly Siobhan’s angle was clear to Elizabeth.

“Christ, this whole environment terrifies me.” Cass just shook her head and smiled. “I’ve done my public service. I’m happy to sit back down now that we’re getting to the part where terrorists are stalking people, breaking into offices. I know what comes next.”

“What comes next?” Siobhan turned slightly to face Cass. Elizabeth seemed to be relieved. She leaned back and held her mug of coffee between her hands, closing her eyes. She was determined not to betray just how much of her sanity this little coffee date was costing her. How could it go straight back to how it was, whenever you ran into someone from your past? The moment she saw Mike, she could feel the chaos from ten years ago fighting desperately to break out and come to the surface. She kept a lid on that. But now, here, looking at Cass, sat in a fierce chat with Siobhan, she was worried she had no refuge. No chance to keep it sealed.

“They’re not bloody terrorists,” Siobhan exclaimed. “They’re fighting for what they believe in, they’re trying to wake us up, and we should be thanking them. They’re making people realise there’s a better way. You can’t just write a book about how good you used to have it and then hide away. You’ve got to take direct action.”

“I wrote two, actually.” Now it was Elizabeth’s turn to dive in front of bullets. “Not that anyone read either of them.”

“Beg pardon Ms. Marsh, I’m not saying just writing, well, I mean to say I’m not implying. Obviously your book was a big inspiration to me.”

Cass looked at her with a suspicious gaze.

“I appreciate that, Siobhan,” said Elizabeth tersely. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t butt into your conversation.”

“Please do,” Cass invited her in, against her will. “How do you feel about these Just Stop AI yobs?”

“It’s AI Kills,” growled Siobhan.

“I respect why they’re doing it. I’m glad they’re angry. But I don’t condone it. And I wish they’d stop before things get out of hand.” Elizabeth nodded at Cass. “Don’t you agree, Ms. Cooper?”

Siobhan was unsettled. “You focking middle class women, so comfortable in your middle class lives. Nothing will be different for either of you, no matter what. All my friends? My family? Everyone who volunteers at our events? All conscripts. Slaves for the state. They don’t give a fock if they get arrested for doing what they do. They’re already in prison! How much worse could it be?”

Elizabeth and Cass both looked down at their coffees. Neither made a move or rushed to speak first. The tension was back. Siobhan breathed out sharply and grimaced.

“Look, I’m sorry. I just get where they are coming from, and I want to help them. And I know you two do, too. I just want you to⁠—”

“We get it,” Elizabeth interrupted. “We don’t have anything at stake. You’re right. I have my family money, Ms. Cooper has her state pension. But I promise you, I am here, I’m all in. I want to help.”

Cass glared at Elizabeth, but said nothing. Siobhan looked between them, and inhaled deeply again. She wanted to be calm, clearly, but she kept bubbling over.

“If you’ll excuse me.” Elizabeth had decided to bail. “Need the loo.” At least, temporarily.

She pushed open the door to the bathroom. Her heart started racing. “Fuck, fuck, fuck,” she repeated under her breath as she paced around the grim, unmaintained toilets in the Costa. Was she right? Has she felt this way the whole time? She pored back through everything she’d ever said and done, as was her way. It was all too jumbled, too messy right now. Why would she possibly agree to come out with Cass? And those two not getting along? The cherry on top.

She went into a cubicle and sat on the closed toilet lid. She ran her hands through her hair. And again. And again. Exhaling, inhaling, exhaling, inhaling. Her breathing slowed. Her heart wasn’t quite threatening to beat its way out of her chest anymore. She closed her eyes and kept running her fingers slowly through her hair.

The door to the bathroom creaked open. Elizabeth quickly threw her foot up and kicked the door to the cubicle shut, leaning forward to bolt it. The distinctive sound of heels clopped in front of it and stopped.

“Liz?” It was Cass.

“Cassandra.”

“Liz. How’s your head?” Her voice was softer. Elizabeth remembered Cass’s hand on her arm earlier that day. How she took over in Liz’s moment of brain fog. How her afternoon could’ve been much worse, if Cass had not⁠—

“I’m quite fine,” Elizabeth blurted out. “Lot of coffee today, long day. Will be out in a moment.”

Another sigh from Cass, but nothing else. Clop, clop, clop. She slipped out of the bathroom, the door closing behind her. Elizabeth pursed her lips and squeezed her eyes shut, then stood. For good measure, she gave the toilet a flush, having never even opened the lid. Excellent tradecraft.

Siobhan had moved and was now sat across from Cass. She gave a cartoonish wave as Elizabeth appeared. “I’m explaining the history of the suffragettes to Ms. Cooper.”

Cass smiled. “It’s all news to me, 52-year-old long-serving member of the British Parliament.”

“You seemed like you might need a refresher,” retorted Siobhan through gritted teeth.

Elizabeth shook her head and laughed. “Glad you two are getting on famously now.”

Siobhan and Cass both replied in unison: “We’re faking.”

Elizabeth nodded, then gestured toward the counter. “Shall I get us a few more? If we’re getting into the history of direct action?” They both immediately shook their heads.

“I’m just off actually, Ms. Marsh,” added Siobhan. “Meeting up with a few friends. You two are welcome to stay of course.” They both laughed, appreciating the permission from their 20-something companion to hang out together without her. She gave a curt wave and bounced out of the café, looking back briefly.

Cass stood, and Elizabeth had finally worked up the courage to look at her. She really was the same old Cassie. Just a bit weathered, a bit more distinguished. Still so short, on such gigantic heels. A bit heavier. But her eyes looked as bright as ever, a mischievousness behind them. Elizabeth’s mind flashed to the seared-in image of her sat on the back bench in the Commons, staring on as the trap sprung, as Alastair humiliated her. It had been so cynical, so unbelievably opportunistic. The sickening reality of British politicking. Every friend concealed a dagger. She felt a knot in her stomach. Her throat tightened.

“Actually, let’s find a pub,” Cass said. “We might have to take a taxi, not too far. In spite of everything, it’s good to see you Elizabeth. I’d quite like to catch up.”

Some of Elizabeth wanted to say yes. She looked out from behind her own defences, trapped. Impossible to escape. “I can’t actually. Need to keep my energy up. I should really get back to the hotel, review my speech. I’ve a speech coming up.”

“Right, of course. Split a cab then? I’m –”

“—No, I’m actually quite near here. Just the hotel around the corner.”

The doors slid open as they approached, Elizabeth letting Cass go ahead of her. Cass looked up at her and smiled. “Bloody Ent, you are.”

“I’ve lived a very long, long time,” Elizabeth replied in a deep, growly voice.

“Christ, honestly it’s good to see you. I tried to stay angry. But it’s just nice.” She opened her arms and tilted her head. “May I hug you?”

Elizabeth froze for what felt like an eternity, but was really just a few seconds. She bit her lower lip and nodded, and instantly Cass was wrapped around her, hugging her tight. She hugged her back. They held there, blocking the doorway, their eyes both closed.

“Walk me to my hotel, actually?” Elizabeth whispered that, as she couldn’t quite commit to saying it. She felt Cass laugh.

“How about wait for my cab with me?”

“Sure.” They finally let go, taking each other’s hands, standing there a foot apart. “Cass, I’m sorry I’ve never called.”

Cass raised her finger. “It’s okay. We don’t need to do it all at once. But I’m going to be worrying about you now. Again. You’re mixed up in something now, aren’t you?”

“What do you mean?”

“‘Humans First’? Your little terrorist friend? Focking terrifying, bab. I’d run away from that as fast as I could.”

“There’s quite a big difference between being a terrorist and understanding the motivations of someone who feels they’ve nothing left to lose, Ms. Cooper.” Elizabeth had taken a stern tone. She felt cornered suddenly, threatened. Same old Cass, always sticking the dagger in while she had you in her embrace.

“I’d be frightened if the head of my party was so ready to empathise with terrorism.” A cab pulled up, the door opening automatically. A smooth digital voice quietly said “Cassandra Cooper.” Cass nodded at Elizabeth and climbed into the cab. “Can we please get a drink soon?” The door started to close automatically.

“How do I reach you?”

“Same number, Liz. I never went anywhere.” The door shut, the car pulling itself away from the kerb and into traffic. Elizabeth stood alone outside the Costa, watching it drive away.