They both laughed at the thought of little Florrie dutifully skipping off outside to allow her mother recovery time from one of her ‘headaches’.
‘Bless her,’ Polly said, shaking her head in mirth. ‘You see? There’s certainly a way around everything.’
‘So Danny and Icould…’ Brooke’s imagination whirred into overdrive, and she hugged herself at the thought of an afterlife that was suddenly filled with intriguing and exciting possibilities.
‘You could, for sure. But first you’ve got to get him to see you as a woman, and not as some annoying girl that he’s stuck with. Time to make a plan, yeah?’
‘You’re right, Polly,’ Brooke said, smiling. ‘I’ve been too soft with him. It’s definitely time to up my game.’
5
‘Hey, can you believe it? The sun’s come out!’ Jenny took a seat opposite me in the staff dining room and placed her tray of food on the table. ‘It’s forecast to be a sunny Easter. Not that it will make much difference to me, since I’m working tomorrow.’ She picked up her fork and gave me a mock frown. ‘Unlikesomewe can mention.’
I hastily swallowed the mouthful of potato salad I’d been enjoying and gave my colleague an indignant look. ‘You’re hardly in a position to complain! Didn’t you just come back from two weeks in Fuerteventura? Anyway, the store’s closed on Sunday, so you’ll get an extra day off. That’s something.’
‘God bless the Easter trading laws,’ Jenny said with feeling. She dug her fork into some pasta. ‘So what have you got planned for your week off then? Going anywhere special?’
Honestly? I dreaded to think. I had a sneaking suspicion that Rory was about to produce details of several country cottages for sale that he’d justhappenedto come across and considered worth a visit, since we were off work and at a loose end anyway. Did he really think I’d fall for it?
I’m going to have to tell him. But how?
‘Not really. Might have a day out if the weather stays fine,’ I said casually.
‘It probably will. Bet you anything you like that the sun will shine all week for you,’ Jenny said gloomily.
I couldn’t help laughing. ‘Thanks very much. Clearly you’re wishing thunderstorms and hailstones on me.’
‘Naturally. Taking a week off indeed! Who do you think you are anyway?’ Jenny grinned. ‘No, I hope you have a smashing week, honest. Let’s face it, wherever you go you’re going to have a good time. How can you not with the dashing Mr Harrison by your side?’
‘I suppose heisa bit dashing,’ I said, pretending to think about it. ‘Although I can’t imagine how you remember that. You’ve only met him twice!’
‘If I’d only met him once I’d remember him,’ she teased. ‘He’s that yummy it’s a case of once seen, never forgotten. Tell you what, I don’t know how you manage to get yourself into work every day, knowing you’ve got someone like him at home. If he wasmyhusband I’d never let him out of bed.’
‘Should I be offended that you seem to have a crush on my husband?’ I asked, mildly amused.
‘Don’t worry,’ Jenny said with a mock sigh. ‘I remember how he was with you that night at the staff Christmas party the year before last. He definitely only had eyes for you. I hope you appreciate your good luck, Kirsty.’
‘Andyourhusband only has eyes foryou. I hope you appreciateyourgood luck, Jenny.’
She winked. ‘What the eye doesn’t see…’
I pushed away my ham salad, as a sudden wave of guilt and sadness washed over me.
‘Not hungry?’
‘Not really. I should be getting back. I’ve a lot to do before I leave this evening, since I won’t be here next week.’
‘Do you ever think you work too hard?’ Jenny queried, waving a mozzarella ball on a fork at me. ‘Seriously, there’s such a thing as being too dedicated to the job, you know.’
‘I love my job,’ I reminded her. It was something I’d been reminding myself a lot over the last week, as the fear that Rory was about to ask me to give it all up and move away with him gnawed at me.
I could imagine myself standing in the kitchen of some chocolate box cottage in the depths of the countryside, Rory pleading with me to see how wonderful life could be if I’d just agree to leave London behind.
I’d need a reason why it could never happen.
‘It’s my job,’I’d say.‘It’s everything to me. I couldn’t possibly give it all up.’
But even in my best-case scenarios I could hear him replying,‘It’severythingto you? What aboutme?’
