saved a stack of money. But you reaped what you sowed and up here, on the top floor, she reaped a lot.
The main meeting room had views over the city and on a clear day , you could see to St Pauls. She sat down in the reclining leather chair she had bought herself and wished today was a clear day. All she could see now was a dirty great cloud chucking water all over her precious office windows.
She had tried to bond with her staff , but the truth was, she wasn’t very good at that kind of stuff. They got on fine and there was no disharmony in the office, but she knew they didn’t like her. Just look how quickly they had bolted today. Given the opportunity to risk it outside or stay in a safe place with her, they had chosen to go. She could have gone too, but...where would she go? Home?
Home was comfortable , but to be honest, she thought, I am home. Christina closed her eyes and snuggled into her black leather chair. The scrunching sound of the leather was soothing. It was another extravagance she didn’t need, but had felt compelled to buy when she’d seen it. She had two houses: one in Surrey, one in France. She had two cars: a Jag’ and a BMW. She had two holidays every year; that was all she permitted herself, even though she knew full well she could take a year off and her bank manager wouldn’t even flinch. She was satisfied with her lot. It had taken years of hard work, but she had made it. The houses, the cars, the incredible amount of zeros on her bank balance. But there was something niggling at the back of her mind.
The sight of her staff running out the door today came back into her mind , unsettling her. Just like her husband, they had run at the first sign of trouble. Her husband had left her years ago, just as her business was taking off. She had told him that she was starting to bring in some real money now, but apparently, that was not enough. He wanted her , he said, not a pot of gold. Idiot. She was better off without him. If he was still around, she’d have had to give him half of everything and sharing was not a natural part of her make up.
Christin a felt awkward. Her favourite chair no longer seemed so comfortable and she stood up. Sitting around waiting to be rescued was boring. She went to touch her wedding ring and realised she hadn’t worn it in years. Come on, Christina, she thought, keep it together. She went back to her desk and pulled out a report she had been meaning to read. The hours dripped by slowly and she was unaware of the time passing. She finished the report and played with some numbers on her computer, making a note to have a word with Janet tomorrow about the Collin’s file, and the lack of increase in funds they were seeing; or not seeing.
It dawned on her then that Janet might not be in tomorrow. And then she realised that actually none of her staff might appear tomorrow: Edward, Kate, Morris, even Phil, the hunky man who cleaned and watered the plants once a week. What if they didn’t come back? What if they couldn’t? What if there was a serious problem out there in the city and she was stuck up here alone? Christina felt very alone and goose bumps tickled themselves down her arms.
Glancing at the clock , she saw it was nearly five p.m. She tried her mobile again, but there was no signal.
“Damn it, what is this, the fucking eighties? What the fuck is going on?” Christina angrily threw her mobile across the room and it shattered as it exploded against the Formica wall. She picked up her stapler and did the same. Her mouse and a cat’s cradle swiftly followed, piling themselves on top of the broken phone.
“What the fuck is going on?” she said again , as she began sobbing into her hands. Her shoulders shook as she slumped over her desk feeling desperately alone and afraid.
* * * *
The remainder of the day was boring for some, and a bit of a blur for others. Parker had reappeared with Benzo and a strange woman, and he told them what he’d seen: the
The main meeting room had views over the city and on a clear day , you could see to St Pauls. She sat down in the reclining leather chair she had bought herself and wished today was a clear day. All she could see now was a dirty great cloud chucking water all over her precious office windows.
She had tried to bond with her staff , but the truth was, she wasn’t very good at that kind of stuff. They got on fine and there was no disharmony in the office, but she knew they didn’t like her. Just look how quickly they had bolted today. Given the opportunity to risk it outside or stay in a safe place with her, they had chosen to go. She could have gone too, but...where would she go? Home?
Home was comfortable , but to be honest, she thought, I am home. Christina closed her eyes and snuggled into her black leather chair. The scrunching sound of the leather was soothing. It was another extravagance she didn’t need, but had felt compelled to buy when she’d seen it. She had two houses: one in Surrey, one in France. She had two cars: a Jag’ and a BMW. She had two holidays every year; that was all she permitted herself, even though she knew full well she could take a year off and her bank manager wouldn’t even flinch. She was satisfied with her lot. It had taken years of hard work, but she had made it. The houses, the cars, the incredible amount of zeros on her bank balance. But there was something niggling at the back of her mind.
The sight of her staff running out the door today came back into her mind , unsettling her. Just like her husband, they had run at the first sign of trouble. Her husband had left her years ago, just as her business was taking off. She had told him that she was starting to bring in some real money now, but apparently, that was not enough. He wanted her , he said, not a pot of gold. Idiot. She was better off without him. If he was still around, she’d have had to give him half of everything and sharing was not a natural part of her make up.
Christin a felt awkward. Her favourite chair no longer seemed so comfortable and she stood up. Sitting around waiting to be rescued was boring. She went to touch her wedding ring and realised she hadn’t worn it in years. Come on, Christina, she thought, keep it together. She went back to her desk and pulled out a report she had been meaning to read. The hours dripped by slowly and she was unaware of the time passing. She finished the report and played with some numbers on her computer, making a note to have a word with Janet tomorrow about the Collin’s file, and the lack of increase in funds they were seeing; or not seeing.
It dawned on her then that Janet might not be in tomorrow. And then she realised that actually none of her staff might appear tomorrow: Edward, Kate, Morris, even Phil, the hunky man who cleaned and watered the plants once a week. What if they didn’t come back? What if they couldn’t? What if there was a serious problem out there in the city and she was stuck up here alone? Christina felt very alone and goose bumps tickled themselves down her arms.
Glancing at the clock , she saw it was nearly five p.m. She tried her mobile again, but there was no signal.
“Damn it, what is this, the fucking eighties? What the fuck is going on?” Christina angrily threw her mobile across the room and it shattered as it exploded against the Formica wall. She picked up her stapler and did the same. Her mouse and a cat’s cradle swiftly followed, piling themselves on top of the broken phone.
“What the fuck is going on?” she said again , as she began sobbing into her hands. Her shoulders shook as she slumped over her desk feeling desperately alone and afraid.
* * * *
The remainder of the day was boring for some, and a bit of a blur for others. Parker had reappeared with Benzo and a strange woman, and he told them what he’d seen: the
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