‘It’s been that way ever since we’ve known each other.’
Kat shrugged. ‘We don’t need to put a label on it.’
‘And he feels the same?’
‘He knows how I feel. Anyway, this conversation isn’t about me, it’s about you and your new Icelandic hook up.’
Hook up. Was that what it was going to be? Was that what she wanted? Needed?
‘So, what do you know about him already?’ Kat asked.
What did she know about Gunnar? ‘Well, he’s an orphan, like me.’
‘Things in common! Great! Not that you necessarily need things in common to have an amazing time with someone.’
‘No, but, well, it’s good to be able to talk with guys about mutual interests.’
‘So do you have any? Mutual interests? Apart from eye contact and sexual chemistry?’
She didn’t know. She barely knew anything about him. She’d only just met him. She didn’t know what music he liked or his favourite colour.
‘OK,’ Kat said, leaning forward. ‘Your eyes are glazing over now. It doesn’t matter what you know or don’t know. It’s new. And that’s what dating is all about. The finding out. And you can find out when you’re dog sledding.’
Chloe nodded but the conviction that this was at all a good idea was fast fading. And then her phone rang. She saw immediately from the display that it was Michelle.
‘Of course it’s Michelle, late in the evening when we’re having a nice meal,’ Kat said, tutting as she got up. ‘Just going to the loo.’
Chloe didn’t hesitate to answer the call. She was hoping her boss was going to give her some feedback or pointers on the two varying proposals she’d briefly emailed.
‘Hello, Michelle. Is everything?—’
‘Hello, Chloe, I don’t have long, but this is very exciting and very important and I want you to rearrange anything you might have arranged already, yes?’
There was only one response Chloe could give. ‘Er, yes, OK. What?—’
‘So, tomorrow one of Lincoln’s trusted account managers is going to be in Iceland! Actually in Reykjavik! But only for twenty-four hours and they are going to make some time to meet with you and give their suggestions for the celebration event.’
‘O-K,’ Chloe said slowly.
It wasn’t OK. It didn’t feel OK for a few reasons. Why was Michelle needing someone from Sinclairz Chairs to meet with Chloe to make suggestions? Was this person an event planner like she was? Why didn’t Michelle trust her competence and skill set? What was with this third-party interference they’d never had before? And they were still only pitching for the job; nothing was confirmed, was it?
‘I mean this is amazing, right? Lincoln must be almost absolutely certain he’s going to go with us for this event if he wants one of his people to meet with one of my people.’
It didn’t feel amazing to Chloe, it felt like someone was needing to oversee her, as if her boss didn’t trust her to make these calls. Yes, she had sent Michelle some ideas, asked for a little more detail on whether she should go down the traditional themes route or the high-end festive cocktails being sipped by a steaming thermal spa way, but other than that she was in charge of this, she needed to be in charge of this. And she should spell that out to Michelle.
‘Michelle, I mean, it’s great that Sinclairz Chairs want to have input from the beginning but that’s not usually how we work,’ Chloe began. ‘I’ve put together two very loose suggestions for itineraries for events and I just wanted to get your take on?—’
‘I’ll be honest. I haven’t had a chance to look at anything you’ve sent me, Chloe. Because I’m having a baby.’
The last sentence was said like this was akin to captaining a space craft into uncharted galaxies with no other crew and the threat of alien life forms ready to start a battle over a black hole or three. Michelle had always demanded that it was business as usual but now it was a company gamechanger that was going to alter the way they worked.
There was only one way to handle Michelle when she was like this. Flattery.
‘I know that,’ Chloe said. ‘Of course I know that and you are doing such an incredible job of seamlessly growing the next Baroness Brady and handling everything that?—’
‘So, you’re going to meet her and be really nice to her, Chloe, because she’s going to be reporting back to Lincoln and I can’t tell you how much I want this job.’
Be really nice to her, Chloe. When wasn’t she nice? When did she start needing to be told how to behave in business? Her hackles were really starting to raise now.
