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Me:#3 I should have talked to Amanda first
Me:#4 I raised my voice and shouldn’t have done that
Me:#5 I made you cry
Me:#6 I ruined Ewan’s birthday morning tea
Me:#7 I always feel awkward at work and end up snarking at others
Me:#8 I’ve never shown enough appreciation for your work
Me:#9 I suck at being CEO
Me:#10 my father was a better boss and I failed the business, as well as you today
‘Delivered’ changed to ‘Read’ each time but she hadn’t replied.
I was halfway through typing my eleventh reason when her front door suddenly swung open. I lurched to my feet, wincing.
“Lordy, ye really did bang up your butt!” Caroline stood in the doorway; arms crossed and frowning. Her eyes weren’t puffy anymore, but her makeup had been cleaned off. I adjusted the now-lukewarm icepack, wedged in the back of my pants.
“Caroline,” I croaked. “I’m here to apologise.”
“So I’m aware, thanks to your running commentary of how badly ye suck. And I agree with all of it, since I didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Aye, ye didn’t.” I grunted, nodding. “Amanda said I should ask ye about gel tips, but I haven’t the foggiest idea what that means.”
Caroline rolled her eyes. “Gel tips are false nails.”
I stared stupidly at her hands.
“I don’t wear them anymore and that’s the point. I got them done after your cousin dumped me, but they were hell to use on the keyboard!
“I’m not sure I understand,” I confessed.
“I would press five, and the gel tip would clip the edge of the key above it, so it became eight. And, like, one became four, etcetera, that sort of thing! They made my life hell, just like your cousin! I got rid of the bloody things and I thought I’d corrected all my mistakes.”
“Oh.” Comprehension dawned on me.
“The incorrect entries I’d missed made the end of month reports look like fifty thousand pounds had vanished. It was just a silly dumb mistake!”
“Fuck, I’m so sorry Caroline.”
Her mum barrelled to the door, pushing Caroline aside. “Don’t think for a second ye can joost push her around with a ‘so sorry’. Ye owe her, pal!”
“Mum!” Caroline almost choked. “Get away now!”
“You’re absolutely right Mrs, ehm, Caroline’s mum.”
“Mrs Mackinnon!”
“Aye. Mrs Mackinnon.”
“Can ye no remember your own P.A.’s last name?”
“I forget names when I’m stressed!” I took several deep breaths in through my nose. “I just couldn’t think of it now.”
Caroline’s mother stared at me as if I had grown a second head. I shifted the ice pack again.
