‘No, thank God, he’s been fine since .?.?. but, it’s always there, you know.’ He sighed. She was struck by the contrast between her easy chat with Francis and this terse exchange with Pete, where every twitch was charged.
The reason was, she realised, with Francis there was nothing at stake. No strong feelings. What there was between them was just a memory.
‘Pete, are you really planning on renovating upstairs?’
‘It’s an option, sure. Would you like that, Patsy, would you? Yes .?.?. yes, you would.’
He took the puppy from her arms and mussed his fur; as Ally watched, Patsy yawned, before settling contentedly into his owner’s strong arms. A silence fell.
‘But, actually, I might have to go away for a bit.’
‘Oh, really?’
‘Yeah, I’ve a bit of work to do up north, for my mam.’
Her heart sank. Evelyn was right, there was absolutely nothing she could do in the situation. It seemed that her path and Pete’s were moving further and further apart.
Chapter 18
Ally arrived into the office on Wednesday morning to find a yellow Post-it note on her desk.
Can you come and see me in my office ASAP? Georgina.
A jolt of anxiety ran through her – ‘in my office’ had an ominous tone.
She took a deep breath and headed across the hallway into the overstuffed hub of Hogget and Simpson. Georgina was looking tired and even more stressed than usual.
‘I won’t waste time, Ally, something has been brought to my attention .?.?. You have been connected to some, shall we say, unsavoury and loutish behaviour, which we simply cannot be associated with in this firm. I’m not suggesting that you yourself did anything wrong, simply that the optics are at odds with our image.’
‘You’re talking about the videos on TikTok?’
‘Yes. Now, I want to stress that this has nothing to do with the quality of your work here, which has been excellent, and I will have no problem in giving you a reference, but I’m afraid this will have to be your last day. I think it’s probably for the best if you pack up your things now. Again, Ally, I’m sorry. I have personally found you an asset to our firm .?.?.’ Georgina paused.
So, was that it? She was dying to ask why this mattered more than being a good worker who got the job done, but then realised Georgina’s attention had already returned to her computer screen.
OK .?.?. So, she’d just been fired.
Again.
Back at her desk, steaming with righteous indignation while she packed up her things, Ally was thinking of all the times when men did stupid stuff and women got the blame. Just then her phone buzzed.
Hi, wondering if you’d come shopping for an xmas tree with us this afternoon? P
Without thinking, she fired back:
OMG YES! LOVE TO. u have no idea what shite day am having!!! :(
Great! Meet u at The Owl’s Nest at 6, we’ll take the van. ??
Perfect ??!
Oh joy! Pete, Patsy the puppy and the smell of pine trees. There was a God after all!
Chapter 19
Ally jumped off the packed Luas and dodged her way through the crowds across Smithfield Square until she could see the familiar façade of The Owl’s Nest, dark and shuttered. Parked outside it was Pete’s van. She broke into a run, filled with relief, as she headed towards it, causing him to switch on the headlamps, practically blinding her.
She climbed into the high cab next to him and slammed the door with a sigh.
