“That’s great,” Vee said excitedly.
“And I got a new job,” I added as I took a seat cross-legged on the floor, deciding I needed more chairs in this room and feeling slightly smug that I’d continued with Pilates, because not only did I feel more toned, but I could sit like this, which would have been impossible a few months ago.
“A new job?” Vee exclaimed. “I didn’t know you were looking. Was Thomas okay with you leaving?”
I shook my head, laughing. “I’m not leaving. He gave me a promotion and doubled my wages. I even have a fancy new job title.”
“Which is?”
“Head of operations,” I told them, knowing they had no idea what Thomas did for a living and sure that my inconspicuous new job title wouldn’t give anything away. “I’m getting the office next to the one Thomas and Sean now share and we’re getting a new PA… someone will bring me coffee.”
I laughed at the idea because it still felt ridiculous. Thomas informed me that I’d be too busy deciding who dealt with what jobs and overseeing the teams as they travelled to different parts of the world.
“And what exactly does that mean?” Lizzy checked. “I still don’t understand what you all do in that place, even though you’ve worked there for forever.”
I swatted my hand through the air. “Ah, it’s dull, and you’d fall asleep if I tried to explain, but I’m excited. It’s about time for something new.”
“And are we still not allowed to mention the uniformed one?” Lizzy asked. “I mean, it’s been a month… are you ready to maybe try dating again if you’re not getting back with Jax.” My face crumpled at the sound of his name on her lips. “Sorry,” she mouthed.
“There’s no point talking about him. It’s over.”
Just then my doorbell rang and Vee leaped up as if she were expecting it, making me very suspicious.
A few minutes later, she returned with a large cardboard box in her hands, which she placed in front of me. “This came. It was on the doorstep.”
“Right. And you didn’t see anyone leaving it?”
“Nope.” She rolled her lips between her teeth as if she were trying to hold in a laugh or, more likely, the truth. “Open it.” She pointed to the box.
I ripped off the tape and eased the top open, gasping when I saw what was inside. I lifted it slowly, terrified I would break the beautiful blue, white, and gold bowl. Turning it in my hands, I noticed that it looked like it had already been damaged and the gold paint held it all together.
“Is there a note?” Vee asked from her seat on the sofa where she was now sitting again.
I placed the bowl on the floor and looked inside the box. “Oh, yes. How on earth would you know that?”
“Well, it’s rude to give a gift without a note, right ladies?”
“Absolutely.”
“Height of rudeness.”
I ignored the replies of my friends as I focused on Jax’s familiar writing.
The beauty is in the brokenness.
I found myself staring at the bowl once again; the sun glinting off the gold. I couldn’t work out if Jax’s note meant he thought he was broken, or because I’d told him that he’d broken us and it would never be the same, but either way, I liked that it reminded me of how unique something could be because it had been damaged.
My fingers twitched around the phone in my hand as I wondered if I should thank him, but the sensible side of me decided against it. Instead, I picked up my purse and headed out to work.
I managed to distract myself by getting up to speed with my role, writing notes on the upcoming jobs and who would need tobe where so I knew what was logistically possible before I ran it past Sean, but after a couple of hours, the bowl and Jax’s note popped into my mind again and I couldn’t resist sending him a quick message, telling myself I was just being polite.
Me: Thanks for the gift. It was beautiful.
I stared at my phone for far too long. It had gone through, which told me I was no longer blocked, but it didn’t show up as being read and he didn’t reply, so I dropped it back into my bag just as Sean knocked on my door.
“That feels weird,” I told him. “I’m not meant to have an office.”
Sean winked. “Get used to it. New PA starts tomorrow, so you’re officially sacked from that role, but I wondered if you wanted to do one last PA task as your big send off.”
