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Well, now, wasn’t that the million-dollar question? Carrie shrugged. ‘Believe in yourself. Believe that you’re worth more than that. That there’s someone out there who will treat you with the respect you deserve, and don’t settle for less.’
The girl sagged against the chair. ‘Oh.’
‘Sorry, probably not what you wanted to hear. If you’ve got another suggestion, I’d be happy to hear it.’
‘I was thinking of making a voodoo doll.’
Carrie laughed. The idea of sticking pins into an effigy of Rupert was inordinately funny. The girl laughed with her.
Charlie winced and made a note to never cross either of them.
‘Nah, I suppose you’re right,’ the girl conceded after a while. ‘How long did it take you to figure it out?’
Carrie laughed but there was a harsh edge to it. ‘Too long.’
The girl sighed. ‘Think I’ll become a lesbian.’
‘I don’t think you get a choice. I think you either are or you aren’t.’
She sighed again. ‘We’d be better off without them.’
Very mature. But then she thought of Dana’s quick girly giggle. And Charlie’s slow lazy smile. ‘It wouldn’t be as fun, though, would it?’
Carrie chatted to the girl for a while longer then excused herself. She was so behind. She’d hoped to get through December’s financial statistics today but helping with the clinic had thrown that out the window. She was just going to have to stay on. Dana was having a sleepover at her sister’s house tonight with her cousins so there was no need to rush home.
She walked past Charlie’s office. He had the door closed and she assumed, hoped, that he was attending to the immunisation clinic’s billing paperwork. The thought of going back to her own stack of papers was exceedingly unappealing. She sat at the table, staring at her laptop, and felt suddenly restless.
She gave herself a shake. She didn’t have time for restless. The board would not be impressed if the report was late. It could ruin her otherwise unblemished record. She’d already messed up one career. She wasn’t going to blow this one. She donned her glasses—they never failed to put her in the right frame of mind.
Charlie opened the door a few minutes later. Carrie looked at him over the top of her rims. Her jacket was off again and he almost turned around and went back to his office to stare at the walls some more.
‘It’s past five. Shouldn’t you be heading off?’ He flicked the kettle on.
She shook her head. ‘Helping you put me behind so I’m working on tonight. That’s OK, isn’t it?’
‘Sure. I never usually leave till nine-thirty or ten. What about Dana?’
Carrie refused to allow the little thrill of pleasure coursing through her any rein. So, he was thoughtful—that wasn’t entirely alien to the male species. ‘Sleeping over at her cousin’s house tonight.’
‘Coffee?’
She shook her head. Heavens, no, she already felt too keyed up.
‘You work long hours,’ Carrie said. ‘I don’t see you claiming them on any of your timesheets.’
‘I’d love for the centre to be open twenty-four seven but with just me, that’s not possible. So I do what I can to open extended hours.’ He shrugged. ‘It’s not like I have anything better to do.’
She watched him pour his drink and stir in two sugars. He sounded like he lived for his work, too. And then she realised she was staring and returned her attention to the screen.
‘Sorry I put you behind,’ he said, leaning against the sink and taking a sip of his scalding hot double-strength brew.
Carrie stopped tapping on the keys again and smiled, thinking back at her afternoon. ‘It’s OK. I enjoyed it, actually.’
Charlie nodded. He could tell. ‘Maybe that’s because you’re good at it. People respond to you.’
‘Nonsense,’ she said, going back to her work. She couldn’t afford to let his praise go to her head. She was in management now. That’s where her future lay. ‘I hardly had any contact at all. Spent most of my time on that damn computer.’
He pushed away from the sink and strolled towards her. ‘Rubbish. They’re a tough crowd, Carrie. Trust me, they liked you. Just look at Tina earlier. She’s one seriously mixed-up, closed-off kid. You had her eating out of your hand.’
‘Tina? Was that her name? She’s a smart girl, that one, she’ll figure it out.’
He nodded. ‘Thanks in part to you.’
Their eyes met. He could see the wariness in her gaze. The denial. And then the phone rang.
Carrie broke eye contact and stared dumbly at the object hanging on the wall. The damn thing rang all day, constantly interrupting her concentration. She was learning to tune it out.
