Page 95 of Love Letters on Hazel Lane

‘Can I help?’ she said.

Leona looked baffled. She looked behind Jo, as if suspecting that she was up to something perhaps. Or making sure that David wasn’t around.

‘I’m not saying you’re not capable or anything,’ Jo added. ‘Caroline sometimes files things in an unusual way and it can be pretty tricky to locate stuff.’

‘I’d have been fine,’ she said, ‘if she hadn’t gone so suddenly. If I’d had the proper handover like David promised.’

‘Of course you would. Now what are you trying to do?’

‘The most urgent thing is this programme budget,’ she said. ‘I’ve found the file – I can’t make head nor tail of it.’

Jo leaned over, one hand on the desk, the other pointing at the screen as she talked her colleague through all the figures, helped her fill in the missing bits and ensured that everything added up.

‘Make sure you save that spreadsheet, Leona,’ Jo said. ‘I didn’t save my work once and it got me into a whole load of bother with David.’

Leona kept her eyes fixed on her screen but Jo could tell from her expression that she’d been right in her suspicions: Leona had deleted that spreadsheet.

Then they heard voices; David and one of the producers were coming back down the corridor. Leona shot Jo a horrified look.

‘Thanks for sorting that out for me, Leona,’ Jo said, straightening up. ‘It makes sense now.’

‘No problem,’ said Leona.

Jo went back to her desk.

Was this the right tactic? Not only had she helped Leona, but to conceal the fact from David, she’d made out that Leona had helped her. And the woman hadn’t even said thank you.

*

Nevertheless, Jo kept it up all week. Every time she heard even the slightest sigh from Leona’s corner of the office or saw her eyebrows furrowed, she’d scurry over to her side and say loudly, ‘Leona, could I run something by you?’ To everyone else, it must have looked as if Leona was helping Jo out rather a lot, when in fact the opposite was true.

‘Clever,’ said Kate when Jo told her as they walked through the park one evening. ‘Letting her save face. I bet she’s squirming. She must feel awkward. She gets promoted above you, then she can’t do the job so you’re constantly having to help her out.’

‘Yeah, but how long should I keep it up for?’ said Jo. ‘I haven’t had so much as a thank you yet. Although she has stopped gossiping about me. Or at least, I haven’t caught her gossiping recently.’

‘And she hasn’t nicked any more of your ideas?’

‘There haven’t been any to nick.’

*

On Friday morning, Leona emerged from David’s office looking very relieved. As she passed Jo’s desk, she said, ‘Don’t suppose you could make me a coffee, could you? That budget meeting was hell.’

A coffee? Who did she think she was?

‘Please?’ she said imploringly.

‘Just this once,’ Jo said and headed for the kitchen.

So much for learning to stand up for herself.

She was spooning some instant into two mugs when Leona appeared by her side.

‘I’ll do that,’ she said taking the spoon. ‘This was an excuse. I wanted to speak to you without everyone watching. To say thank you. You saved my bacon this morning. You should have got Caroline’s job, not me.’

‘Well, it would have been nice,’ Jo said, ‘but you’ve got it now and that’s that.’

‘I won’t keep it for long. I managed that meeting but it’s only a matter of time before David realises he chose the wrong person. I’m struggling, Jo. Even with your help, I’m really struggling.’