shrugging ‘A year at most.’
I could hardly believe it. It looked like my plan was back on track. Now all I had to do was get Doris’s job and start saving in earnest. Things were going to be better between me and Connor, I was sure of it. Despite my doubts that things were suddenly moving too fast. This is what I’d wanted for such a long time and now it was within my reach. Plus, I had my weekend off to look forward to. Everything was fitting together again perfectly and despite my doubts about the place Connor had chosen for us to live, I did feel that I was seizing my destiny – or perhaps it was more that I felt comfortable knowing what my destiny actually was.
When I considered it, I couldn’t see what could possibly go wrong. That was until the day after when all the things that could possibly go wrong, did so and did so massively.
Chapter Six
At exactly 9.02 a.m. the next day I sat down at my desk. I had sneaked in successfully without Juliet noticing. I was bursting to tell Ayesha about the Millennium Apartments, so I asked her to come to the ladies with me while I showed her the pictures of what would be our new place. ‘Oh my god. That’s beautiful.’ she said.
Ayesha turned to the mirror and preened her hair. ‘You have landed on your feet there.’
‘Come on,’ she said and put her arm round me and shoved me out the door of the ladies. ‘This calls for a celebratory cuppa.’
There was still no sign of Juliet, so I spent a good part of the morning when I wasn’t answering calls emailing Steph and Sinead and telling them about the new apartment and excitedly chatting about the weekend.
I had considered not going glamping, as I needed to save now more than ever after all, but this one last splurge wouldn’t hurt. I’d asked Ayesha if she wanted to come shopping with me and the girls at lunchtime, but she said she wasn’t going to go out today because she was going to add all the sales team to her public list of arch nemeses on twitter.
Shopping with Steph was almost a military operation. She spent the evening before picking out outfits for us online and then made a little map of Selfridges with different coloured stickers on for each of us. Sinead sometimes tried to resist some of the things Steph picked out for her, saying they were unethical or unsustainable, but everything that Steph picked usually did suit us. So Steph pulled us around, picked out the outfits, held them up against us and sent us to the changing rooms. They made ‘oooh’ noises and got excited with me when I told them about the apartments but then Sinead asked a question.
‘Are you sure you definitely want to do this, Fiona? Because you weren’t very happy with him last week. Don’t let him turn your head with an apartment that isn’t even yours.’
‘It will be fine,’ I said, although I was still having huge doubts about everything, including my relationship with Connor.
‘If you’re sure. He does seem to be making more of an effort’ said Steph. She and Sinead glanced at each other and I detected a hint of concern.
‘And…’ I paused and proudly announced as I shoved my hands in the pockets of the Stella McCartney shorts in front of the changing room mirror, ‘… he’s going to the festival!’
‘Seriously?’
‘That’s good,’ said Steph ‘You’ll be able to keep an eye on him.’
I winced a little that Steph thought I needed to keep an eye on him. The thought had crossed my mind too.
Steph led us round and round, pinning more clothes up against us. I made a little dent into my pay day money and it felt nice to have a little splurge. We even had time for a very quick glass of champagne and we chatted excitedly about our holidays. I hadn’t been on holiday for so long and could hardly believe we were going the next day.
Back at work, I roped Ayesha into helping me look for my mug and we were both on our knees sorting through the bottom cupboard in the kitchen when Ayesha pulled out
I could hardly believe it. It looked like my plan was back on track. Now all I had to do was get Doris’s job and start saving in earnest. Things were going to be better between me and Connor, I was sure of it. Despite my doubts that things were suddenly moving too fast. This is what I’d wanted for such a long time and now it was within my reach. Plus, I had my weekend off to look forward to. Everything was fitting together again perfectly and despite my doubts about the place Connor had chosen for us to live, I did feel that I was seizing my destiny – or perhaps it was more that I felt comfortable knowing what my destiny actually was.
When I considered it, I couldn’t see what could possibly go wrong. That was until the day after when all the things that could possibly go wrong, did so and did so massively.
Chapter Six
At exactly 9.02 a.m. the next day I sat down at my desk. I had sneaked in successfully without Juliet noticing. I was bursting to tell Ayesha about the Millennium Apartments, so I asked her to come to the ladies with me while I showed her the pictures of what would be our new place. ‘Oh my god. That’s beautiful.’ she said.
Ayesha turned to the mirror and preened her hair. ‘You have landed on your feet there.’
‘Come on,’ she said and put her arm round me and shoved me out the door of the ladies. ‘This calls for a celebratory cuppa.’
There was still no sign of Juliet, so I spent a good part of the morning when I wasn’t answering calls emailing Steph and Sinead and telling them about the new apartment and excitedly chatting about the weekend.
I had considered not going glamping, as I needed to save now more than ever after all, but this one last splurge wouldn’t hurt. I’d asked Ayesha if she wanted to come shopping with me and the girls at lunchtime, but she said she wasn’t going to go out today because she was going to add all the sales team to her public list of arch nemeses on twitter.
Shopping with Steph was almost a military operation. She spent the evening before picking out outfits for us online and then made a little map of Selfridges with different coloured stickers on for each of us. Sinead sometimes tried to resist some of the things Steph picked out for her, saying they were unethical or unsustainable, but everything that Steph picked usually did suit us. So Steph pulled us around, picked out the outfits, held them up against us and sent us to the changing rooms. They made ‘oooh’ noises and got excited with me when I told them about the apartments but then Sinead asked a question.
‘Are you sure you definitely want to do this, Fiona? Because you weren’t very happy with him last week. Don’t let him turn your head with an apartment that isn’t even yours.’
‘It will be fine,’ I said, although I was still having huge doubts about everything, including my relationship with Connor.
‘If you’re sure. He does seem to be making more of an effort’ said Steph. She and Sinead glanced at each other and I detected a hint of concern.
‘And…’ I paused and proudly announced as I shoved my hands in the pockets of the Stella McCartney shorts in front of the changing room mirror, ‘… he’s going to the festival!’
‘Seriously?’
‘That’s good,’ said Steph ‘You’ll be able to keep an eye on him.’
I winced a little that Steph thought I needed to keep an eye on him. The thought had crossed my mind too.
Steph led us round and round, pinning more clothes up against us. I made a little dent into my pay day money and it felt nice to have a little splurge. We even had time for a very quick glass of champagne and we chatted excitedly about our holidays. I hadn’t been on holiday for so long and could hardly believe we were going the next day.
Back at work, I roped Ayesha into helping me look for my mug and we were both on our knees sorting through the bottom cupboard in the kitchen when Ayesha pulled out
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