‘TFI Friday.’ Ray Glover flew into the kitchen and poured himself a coffee from the jug. ‘Marcus and I are off to a reassuringly expensive spa hotel in Hampshire. I cannot wait.’
Penny was at the water cooler, filling her water bottle. ‘All right for some. I have a weekend of rugby practice.’
‘I don’t think you’ve quite got the thighs for that, dear,’ Ray laughed.
Penny rolled her eyes. ‘Funny, funny. I am the official terrible twins’ chauffeur, as darling husband is off on a golf weekend. You men have it so easy,’ she harrumphed and marched back to her desk as Victoria, coming in to get herself a coffee, crossed with Ray on his way out.
‘How’s things?’
‘Fine,’ Victoria replied, her voice hollow.
‘When a woman says fine… even I know what that means. Have you got time for a chat?’
Vic sat opposite Ray at his desk.
‘What’sthe matter,chica?’
‘I haven’t spoken to Orla since my outburst.’
‘Oh, OK. Has she tried to contact you?’
‘No.’
‘And you her?’
‘No. Because she was the one who acted like a complete arsehole. Cleaning like a madwoman as if she thought I was contagious.’
‘Friends are the family you choose, Vic, so if she can’t take a few Fs being thrown at her then she never was your friend. But from what I’ve seen and heard about her, she’ll be back.’
‘You do make me laugh.’
‘Good.’ Ray looked at his inbox as an email pinged in.
‘I just don’t know what to say to her.’ Vic stuck out her bottom lip. ‘Funnily enough, though, it was Orla who said if you don’t know what to do, do nothing, say nothing and the answer will come to you. Maybe I should just be the bigger person here and hold out the olive branch and meet her for a drink?’ Vic paused. ‘Because as much as she’s an annoying bitch sometimes, I do miss her. And as for Mandy not picking up the phone to me, well, I’m not surprised. Orla O’Malley has always played the Pied Piper in our friendship group.’
‘There you go. Nobody likes a stubborn old mule. If you miss her, just do it.’ Ray slammed his hand on the desk, making Vic jump. ‘Right. Midday already. I’m leaving early for my weekend in the shires.’ He looked down at his mail again. ‘Jerico Flint. Poor bastard. His dog has died. He wanted to explain his delay in paying his invoice. Said he would be in contact in due course.’
‘Oh, no, poor Jerico.’ Vic put her hand to her chest. ‘I sent an email and received an amusing out of office from him. Just his way, I guess.’
‘Yes, we’re all guilty of hiding the tracks of our tears. Well, maybe not you.’ Ray laughed and then grimaced slightly, worried of Vic’s reaction.
‘You’re such a sod. But you’re right. I could fill the Thames at the touch of a button at the moment.’ Vic smiled, got up, opened Ray’s office door then turned around in the doorway.
‘Talking of Jerico, what does he do for a day job, do you know?’
‘No. I know as much, if not less, about him than you. Why?’
‘Just interested.’ Vic was casual in her reply.
‘Because she fancies the arse off him, that’s why.’ Penny strutted past on her way to the toilet.
Vic shook her head at her blonde colleague. ‘You know that’s not true.’ However, if she were honest with herself, Vic did find the eccentric author intriguing, as well as attractive, sexy and funny – very funny. But with Nate now gone, she had already resigned herself to the fact that no man would want her, and that hurt. It hurt a lot.
‘What did he get you for Christmas, then?’ Penny wasn’t going to be letting up any time soon, it seemed.
‘A Jack Vettriano book. I bloody love his work. Some of it is so tastefully raunchy it literally sizzles off the canvas.’
‘Nice,’ Ray chipped in. ‘That sounds like a gift that somebody who is pleased with two great illustrations would give. How were your clients’ gifts this year, Penny?’
