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She put the Busy Lizzie plant down on his desk and Alex picked it up, examining the bright red flowers. ‘Is this a subtle hint that my office could do with brightening up?’
‘No, I don’t do subtle. It’s more in the way of a brazen, in-your-face hint.’
Alex smiled, walking over to the windowsill and putting the pot at the centre. He moved it to one side and then the other, finding the place he wanted it.
‘I don’t suppose you have any more of these, do you?’
Marie hid her smile. The old Alex was still there—he just needed a bit of coaxing out. If he wanted more plants she’d fill his windowsill with colour.
‘I’ve got loads at home. I took some cuttings from my mum’s. I’ll bring you more tomorrow.’
‘Thanks.’
‘I’ve got an idea.’ She sat down in one of the chairs on the other side of his desk.
‘Fire away.’
His lips curved a little. Alex clearly hadn’t lost his penchant for ideas of all shapes and sizes.
‘The light wells. They’re pretty awful as they are, and I’d like to turn them into gardens. I spoke to Jim Armitage and he says that there are some brick pavers that were taken up from around the gym and he saved because they were still good. He reckons they should be fine on top of the concrete, but he needs to get out there to check everything. The key card lock disengages, but there’s an original lock still on the door. Jim was going to climb out of the window, but I persuaded him not to.’
The foreman of works was a portly man approaching retirement, and Marie had feared he’d either get stuck while climbing out or not be able to get back in again. The same thing had obviously occurred to Alex, because one of those flashes of humour that reminded Marie so painfully of the man he’d once been lit his face.
‘Good call. I might have the key somewhere...’ He opened the bottom drawer of his desk, producing a large cardboard box full of keys of all shapes and sizes.
‘So you’ll come and have a look with me?’
If Alex was going to tell her that she was quite capable of doing this alone, then she was going to have to argue with him. She was capable, but that wasn’t the point.
‘I have a few things to do...’
‘This is much more important, Alex. As your co-director, I’m telling you that you need to come.’
He grinned suddenly and stood up.
Step one accomplished. Step two might be a bit trickier...
* * *
Marie never had been much good at hiding the motives behind her actions. It was something Alex wished he hadn’t had to learn how to do. She’d decided to get him out of his office and there was no point in arguing that he had work to do when Marie was determined. And when Alex thought about it, he didn’t really want to argue.
He’d missed this. Marie had brought colour to a life that had become suffused by restful cream walls and spaces that were fit for purpose. He followed her along the corridor that ran parallel to one of the light wells, holding the box of keys.
She took her key card from her pocket, swiping it to disengage the main lock, and then started to fish around in the box for keys that looked as if they might fit the older one. It took a few tries to find one that fitted, but finally Alex heard a click as the key turned in the lock.
She rattled the handle of the door. ‘It’s still stuck...’
Alex tried the door. ‘Looks as if it’s been painted shut—no one ever goes out there. You want me to open it?’
She gave him a beatific smile. ‘Yes, please.’
He put his shoulder to the door, and there was a cracking sound as it opened. Marie picked up a plastic bag, which had been sitting on one of the windowsills, and stepped out into the courtyard.
‘Right. We need to check the height of the pavers...’ She produced a brick from the bag, wedging it under the bottom of the doorframe. ‘That looks okay to me. And Jim says there’s drainage, so we’ll be fine there...’
She pulled a folded A2 sheet from the bag, spreading it out on the stained concrete. Marie was nothing if not prepared, and Alex was getting the feeling that he’d been set up. But Marie did it so delightfully.
‘I reckon seats there...and planters in groups here and here... Perhaps a small water feature in the centre? What do you think?’
