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45
Rebecca
I slid into my chair at 9.15 when I should have been at my desk at 9. Of course, Amanda had noticed me skulking across the office the one time (OK, the second time) I’d ever been late. Within seconds, she sashayed over to my desk, bringing with her a cloud of perfume, one of those heady eighties scents that were marketed to powerful women who wanted to get ahead in business but just left everyone else gasping for breath.
‘Rebecca, could I possibly have a word? Meeting room 2?’
‘Sure,’ I said, thrown off guard.
Had she dredged up something to bollock me for so that she could exert her newfound power over me? I grabbed my notebook and a pen (old habits died hard) and followed her into the meeting room next to the kitchen. She sat down with her legs crossed at the knee, her designer button-through maxi skirt revealing her calves and a hint of thigh.
I closed the door behind me and sat down.
‘So I wanted to talk to you about something. It’s a touch … sensitive,’ she began.
‘Right,’ I said, unsure where this was going.
She took a deep breath. ‘Tyler Martin and I have been seeing each other. And I’ve heard some rumours about the two of you and I wanted to ask you if they were true.’
‘Wow,’ I said, taken aback. This wasn’t how I’d expected this to go. ‘So what, he was seeing us both?’
I thought I saw Amanda’s bottom lip wobble. God, was she really into him? Then again, I could imagine he was just her type.
‘I haven’t had a chance to speak to him,’ she said. ‘But it would seem so, yes.’
I sighed, feeling a bit bad. Amanda clearly really liked him and if I’d thought for a second he was involved with both of us, I would have ended things straight away, not that there was anything between us anymore.
‘We only saw each other a couple of times,’ I said, trying to reassure her. ‘And it was nothing serious. It ended a while ago.’
Amanda was looking more flustered by the second. ‘Can I ask how long ago? Was it before or after I caught you in the photocopier room?’
I wouldn’t have put it quite like that. ‘Before. Well, we went for dinner after, but nothing happened.’
She nodded. ‘Right. Good. That’s good.’
‘I’m sorry if this has come as a shock,’ I said.
Amanda took a deep breath. ‘I should have known better than to get involved with someone in the workplace.’
I put my pen down. I hardly needed to write notes on this.
‘I didn’t feel comfortable with it myself,’ I admitted. ‘Which is why it’s probably a good thing I’m leaving.’
Amanda did a double take. ‘You’re what?’
‘Leaving.’
‘When?’
‘Well, I’ve only just handed my notice in to Mike. So a month from now, hopefully.’
Amanda looked decidedly put out, probably because now she wouldn’t get to lord it over me and boss me around like she’d planned. She’d have taken even more delight in it now, probably.
‘Where are you going, then?’ she asked.
It felt weird saying it out loud, but totally uplifting at the same time. They’d rung me late last night and I’d wasted no time handing in my notice. For possibly the first time in my life I was trusting my instincts and going after what I really wanted.
‘Bit of a change of direction. I’ll be working for Children in Crisis. It’s a charity.’
She looked impressed for a second and then seemed to think better of it. ‘Well. Good luck.’
I stood up. ‘You too,’ I said.
‘Did you not go for the head of press and marketing, then?’ she asked. ‘Just out of interest?’
I shook my head, realising I’d shattered two of her illusions in the space of five minutes. She’d still beaten all the other candidates to the role – wasn’t that enough for her?
