‘What’s rude is that woman thinking you have no other options and taking advantage of that.’
Kat said the last sentence with so much ferocity, conversations between other customers ceased and attention was definitely focussed on them. Chloe put down her knife and fork and took a sip from her water glass. Kat was always harsh about Michelle, she knew this, but amid the harshness was there an element of truth?
‘Sorry,’ Kat said to Chloe. Then she smiled an apology to the couple sat closest to them who went back to their own meals.
‘It’s OK. You always tell me exactly how you see things.’
‘I know, but sometimes I could tone it down a notch. And I know you’re not stupid, you know Michelle takes advantage of your loyalty.’
Now it felt like the water was souring in her mouth. Did Michelle actually really take advantage of her?
‘Chlo, you know that, right? We talked about it the night she made you hunt down a needle and thread like it was a task onThe Apprenticebecause she couldn’t possibly give a speech at the entrepreneurs’ dinner with a loose hem.’
‘That was so long ago,’ Chloe answered. ‘And I didn’t mind.’
‘Like you didn’t mind dropping everything to come to Iceland?’
‘It’s my job,’ Chloe reminded her. ‘And she’s trusted me with the groundwork for this big opportunity. And it’s not like I have any social life to let go of. Present company excepted, and you’re here now so…’
‘I just want Michelle to value what you do a little bit more, that’s all,’ Kat said, tone a bit softer. ‘Because you do so much for the company and I think, sometimes, you do it because you think there’s nothing else for you. There, I’ve said it.’
Chloe swallowed, sat back in her chair. ‘What do you mean?’
‘Oh, Chlo, I just… I don’t know… sometimes I think maybe you hold on so tight to your job with Michelle because it’s like a lifebuoy. Now hear me out because I know what you’re going to say and?—’
‘I’m going to say this is more to do with you wanting me to date than it is to do with my career. And you’re doing this, Kat, like you always do, because your mum is stressing you out and no one but me in your friendship circle is single now that Harriet has got together with Justin.’
Kat was shaking her head. ‘And now you’re deflecting like you always do when you tell me anything I say is because I need you to date. When really it’s because you can’t see Michelle’s flaws, because you’re clinging on too tightly to a job you’re doing so you don’t have to stop and think and come to terms with Michael leaving.’
Now the whole restaurant was silent apart from the background festive music that was at complete odds with the atmosphere in the room. Chloe got to her feet.
‘I’m just going to the toilet.’
‘Chloe, don’t go. I shouldn’t have said?—’
But Chloe left the table not caring about whatever Kat had to say next.
18
Chloe took a deep breath of the crisp, cold air and hoped it would work magic to her heated-up temperament. She shouldn’t have let Kat’s line of questioning get to her. Why had she done that? Because there were elements of truth to it? She swallowed, watching tourists coming out of the Icewear store, bulging totes full of knitwear. Baggage. Like she was carrying? She sighed. She knew she had unaddressed issues to work through, she was trying to work through them by literally working through them.
‘Please come back and finish the fish and chips.’
It was Kat, at her shoulder, looking like she might burst into tears.
‘I will,’ Chloe said. ‘Just, give me a minute.’
‘I’m an idiot,’ Kat said. ‘But you know that. I don’t think, I just say, and sometimes I could do with a muzzle.’
‘Well maybe a muzzle is a little far but?—’
‘Don’t be nice to me, I don’t deserve it. I’ve got on a plane here without asking you if it was OK and now I’m here I’m pushing my agendas probably because my mother does that to me and how awful is that?!’
‘It’s OK,’ Chloe said, putting a hand on her friend’s shoulder.
‘It’s really not.’
‘And, maybe, just maybe… you have a point.’ She sighed. ‘Perhaps I have been burying myself in work to forget about… everything.’
