even more vulnerable. I try and concentrate my mind on the possibility that she cancelled my interview at Palmers because she really doesn’t want me to leave. But the feeling of paranoia that’s mounting by the minute is getting harder and harder to suppress.
‘No,’ I say quietly, as I head towards the door, which flings open just as I reach out to the handle.
‘Ahh, Georgina.’ The Heff appears, looking surprised to see me and clutching an enormous bouquet of red velvet roses. ‘Err, these arrived.’ He throws a look in Maxine’s direction.
‘You can put them over there,’ she says, pointing towards a side cabinet, without even bothering to look at them properly.
‘Err, right you are,’ The Heff booms, striding past me to place the flowers down, before settling on a sofa and flinging his arm along the back in a very casual pose. An awkward silence follows.
‘That’ll be all.’ Maxine looks at me.
‘Of course,’ I reply, quickly ducking out of the door.
As I make my way back to the lift, I can’t help wondering why The Heff has been relegated to delivery boy now. I’d have thought that would be another job for Eddie.
17
‘I’d just like to spend some time unwinding with you, if that’s OK?’ It’s late and James and I are the only ones in the canteen again. He looks at me, edging his fingers along the top of the table until they’re almost touching mine.
‘Err, well I’m not sure.’ I search his face, wondering what he’s up to. He never used to be so flirty with me … I decide to address it once and for all. I quickly pull my hand away.
‘Look James, I’m flattered, really I am, but what about your wife?’ I ask, scrutinising his face.
‘What about her?’ he says, his face not changing. I can’t believe his front. He’s always seemed like such a decent guy. In fact, I’ve seen him coming back to the office at lunchtime with armfuls of presents for her in the run-up to the Christmas holidays. I even heard him on the phone one evening, outside the big Wetherspoon’s in the centre of town, when we all went out after work to celebrate Debbie in Haberdashery’s fiftieth. His voice was all soft and interested.
‘Well, don’t you think your wife might mind?’ I reply, crossly, wondering if he was this forward with Maxine.
‘Soon to be ex-wife.’ There’s a long silence, and then it registers. I stare at him and see a puzzled look on his face.
‘What did you say?’ My pulse quickens.
‘Oh right. You don’t know, do you?’ James clutches his head in his hands.
‘Know what?’
‘I’m getting divorced. I just presumed you knew,’ he says, peeping through his fingers. He shakes his head, his voice filled with concern. ‘Georgie, I’m so sorry, what must you think of me? No wonder you couldn’t wait to escape from the bar that night.’ I sit in silence, trying to process this information. Poor James.
‘James, I didn’t know.’
‘It figures,’ he says, shaking his head again. ‘Yes, Rebecca decided she preferred my best man to me. Apparently he’s more ambitious than I am, oh and better in bed, I think she also mentioned, when I wouldn’t agree to let her have the cat. So, under the circumstances, I agreed to a divorce,’ he finishes, with a wry smile.
‘I’m sorry. Truly I am. But why didn’t you tell me before now? I thought we were friends.’ I can’t believe it. So he’s not a two-timing flirtatious rat after all. My mind races.
‘We are. But you know how it is in work. There just never seemed like an appropriate moment. I guess I just presumed you knew. Eddie knows, and I thought with you and him being such good friends, he would have told you.’ I think of Eddie – lovely loyal Eddie, even if he is a massive moaner; it’s not his style to break a confidence, never has been.
‘James, I feel dreadful now. With the uncertainty at work and everything else going on,’ I say, thinking his wife must be completely insane to let him slip through her fingers. I notice the tightness in his shoulders, and for the first time I really see him. He has the look of a man who’s been through the wringer.
‘Well, now we’ve cleared that up, will you please come out for a drink with me?’ He grins.
‘I’d love to,’ I reply, and all of my doubts about him instantly evaporate. I can’t wait to call Sam, she’s going to well and truly freak out over this.
18
After several large glasses of Pinot, and lots of talking and laughing, it’s nearly closing time. James, who is sitting opposite me in the red leather banquette booth, leans over the narrow table towards me.
‘Shall we do this again?’ he says, staring straight into my eyes.
‘Depends what “this” is,’ I tease.
‘A date, of course, unless you’re in the habit of frequenting intimate bars with all of your colleagues.’ He smiles and takes my hand in his, giving it a little squeeze.
‘In that case, yes, why not?’ I smile, thinking it might be fun, but then wondering if it’s such a good idea when we’re going to be competing at work, and he has just been dumped by his wife. Hmm, guess there’s no harm in seeing how it goes.
‘Great. But let’s just keep this to ourselves – neither of us needs the wagging tongues at the moment,’ he says, stroking the back of my hand. ‘And the last thing I want is for you to be cited in the divorce. No, I want it to go as smoothly as possible.’
‘I agree, as long as you’re not just saying so in case a particular person called Maxine finds out?’ I say before I can stop myself.
His face drops and I immediately know I should have kept my mouth shut. I scan his eyes for clues as to whether he still has a thing for her.
‘You know about that then?’ he says, staring intently at his empty wine glass. He pulls his hand away.
‘Yes, you know how news travels in Carrington’s.’
‘It was well and truly over years ago,’ he says, taking my hand again.
‘So, did you two work together or something?’ I say, trying to sound uninterested. I’m curious, no more, and I don’t want him thinking I’m some kind of mad bunny boiler.
‘Not exactly. I met her on a training course. It didn’t last long though. It was around the same time I met Rebecca.’
‘So I imagine Maxine was pretty pissed off at being dumped for another woman,’ I say, feeling my way for fear of probing too much.
‘Just a bit, but then can you blame her? I did mess her around.’ I decide not to push it any further but then he says, ‘Like I told her in the meeting, it was a long time ago and we have to be professional about it, given our work situation.’
