She frowned. What was wrong with her? She’d told Conall to back off and he had. She’d got what she wanted.
They’d built a friendly work relationship but they weren’tfriends. He was her boss, even if he’d recently gone above and beyond. That just proved he was a decent guy. And that he valued the work she did for him.
Her mouth flattened. He’d wanted her better and back in the office.
That’s unfair. He was worried.
But he’s not worried now.
Greer should be glad things were back to usual. Instead she felt flat, as if his easy acceptance when she barred him from her private life disappointed her.
She couldn’tmisshis concern, could she?
There was no pleasing her these days. She might be functioning almost as well she used to, but her emotions seesawed.
Maybe being reminded of how alone she was had affected her more than she realised. Child of a single mother, who was in turn an only child, meant no relatives now her mother was dead. Greer knew nothing about her father except that the thought of him had scared her mother. They’d moved often and Greer had got into the habit of self-sufficiency, reliant only on herself and her mum.
Greer had friends but they weren’t so close now. They were back in West Australia and her job left little free time for socialising. As for men, there’d been no one special, given her career focus and innate caution.
Greer surveyed the open document, but her thoughts were elsewhere. No matter what she’d told Conall, she didn’t feel in charge of her life. How could she when she had no recollection of what she’d done over five whole months?
She was doing everything she could to look after herself and get better. Yoga stretches and a brisk walk each morning. Time out for lunch, forcing herself from the office and down into the botanic gardens for fresh air every day, whereas in Perth she’d often eaten at her desk.
It’s time for you to get out and meet people. Build a network of friends in this new city.
In the weeks since the accident no one had texted or called, wondering where she was, which made her think she’d devoted all her time in the city to business.
That stopped tonight. Drinks at Circular Quay with Matt and his friends was just what she needed.
She sat straighter and reached for the keypad, determined to take a leaf from Conall’s book. She intended to get on with her life, building it the way she wanted it to be, rather than worrying about a past she couldn’t recall.
Greer ended up working later than intended.
Though she and Conall had worked together for almost two years, since returning to work she’d found it difficult to corral her thoughts when he was in the office. Even on the rare occasions that he shut the connecting door, she wasawareof his presence, an ever-present distraction.
She hadn’t discussed it with the doctors but maybe the brain injury meant she required more solitude to concentrate.
With Conall elsewhere, not expected to return that day, she’d had the executive suite to herself, a rare luxury. Now she was pleased with the progress she’d made. Which tempted her to work on. Conall had been insisting she leave by five and it felt good to catch up with some of the backlog.
Matt had said to turn up any time. He and his colleagues would be at the outdoor bar for hours.
Refreshing her lipstick in the executive suite’s private bathroom, she met her eyes, seeing the truth there. Okay, so she was a little reluctant about joining a group of strangers for a drink, even though Matt’s cheery enthusiasm was probably the antidote she needed to pull her out of this trough.
Still, the idea of a boisterous group didn’t appeal.
What does appeal, Greer? You don’t know what you want, that’s the problem.
But she neededsomething. Each day she grew more restless.
Eyeing herself in the mirror, she frowned.
Had she overdone it? They were gathering to celebrate Matt’s promotion so she’d thought in terms of a party but really, it was casual drinks and maybe bar snacks. Greer had looked in her wardrobe, finding tailored business suits in sombre tones and a selection of exercise wear and comfortable jeans, wishing that for once she had something bright and cheerful. Then she caught a glimmer of colour at the back of the cupboard.
As soon as she saw the midnight-blue dress she wanted to wear it. It had a scooped neckline, narrow shoulder straps and ended high above her knees. She had no recollection of buying it and it was vastly different to anything shecouldremember buying, but just looking at it lifted her spirits.
Now she smoothed her hands down the stretchy fabric that shaped to her contours. She looked carefree and sexy, something she hadn’t felt in a while.
Greer tilted her head. Did the sparkles in the fabric make it too over the top for casual drinks by the harbour?
