“ComCo is based in Manchester, and the procurement team is heading up there at the end of next week.”
“Perfect.”
Cassie scribbled a note on her pad, and then nodded. “Anything else?”
I thought for a moment. “Can you track Marcus down, please? Ask him to give me a call. Tell him I want to play squash next time he’s here.”
A half-smile hovered on her lips, as she took another note. “I didn’t realize I was your social secretary as well.”
Her dry sense of humor amused me. Cassie wasn’t afraid to say what she thought. I liked that. “Do you mind, Cass?”
She looked up, surprise written on her face. “No. I just like teasing you.”
“Okay, then. Now, what’s this about an assistant?”
I listened, as she outlined her workload and suggested the additional responsibilities she wanted to take on, but it was a struggle to concentrate, when thoughts of meeting Kate again danced at the front of my mind.
4.5 Jenny
I tried to be discreet, but since Rob called my desk phone, I couldn’t walk away to speak to him. I had to be quiet. We’d been invited to a get together at his boss’s place on Saturday night, so I had to tell him I was already going out for Kate’s birthday. So much for my plans of slipping in the news when he was in a good mood.
In the space of two minutes since my phone jangled, he went from pleased and upbeat to cold and angry. “I don’t see the need to hang around with my ex-colleagues all the time. Why do you? What’s so special about you? You don’t work with them now; you certainly don’t need to socialize with them anymore.”
Far be it for me to point out that, unlike Rob, I had a group of friends from work I liked to spend time with. This was an old argument, and one we’d sparred over many times. I tried to placate him. “It’s Kate’s birthday, and since she’s just split up with Tony, she needs her friends right now.”
“You’re too soft,” he said, as though I was a sagging mattress. “You need to tell her to get her act together. She’ll never keep a guy with her attitude.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Well. She’s the kind of chick who always has to be right. She walks all over you, dumpling.”
I grimaced at his nickname for me. Why couldn’t he just use my name? “Regardless of what you think about my friends, I promised to go out with Kate on Saturday, so I’m really sorry, but I can’t go with you. Can you go alone?”
“Suppose I’ll have to. I’m not happy about it, though. What time will you be finished?”
“On Saturday? I don’t know. Might be late.” There was an ominous silence, and as usual, I leapt to fill the void. “I won’t be out all night.”
“I hope not. Who else is going?”
Did he need to know? Isobel organized it, and I was sketchy on the details. When I saw my team leader walking toward my desk it was enough of an excuse to leave the call.
“Sorry, Rob, I have to go. Marella needs me.”
“We haven’t finished yet.”
I ignored the warning note in his voice and spoke over him. “I have to go. I’ll see you tonight.”
“Trouble?” Marella raised one delicately sculpted eyebrow.
“Oh, nothing really. Just a bit of confusion over the arrangements for this weekend. Rob forgot I’m going out with my friends.” The moment I said his name, my phone rang. The display showed Rob’s number, and my heart sank. “Can I take this call?” I grabbed the receiver, conscious of her gaze following me. “Hi, Jenny speaking.”
“I told you, we hadn’t finished.” Rob’s voice was icily controlled.
Dear God, this would piss him off no end. “I’m sorry. I’m in the middle of something right now. I’ll call you back in five minutes. Thanks.” I hung up before I could over-think the conversation.
My chest was tight, and I knew my cheeks were going pink, but I managed a pleasant smile for Marella. “Sorry about that. What can I do for you?”
Her lips tugged up at the corners.
“Perfect.”
Cassie scribbled a note on her pad, and then nodded. “Anything else?”
I thought for a moment. “Can you track Marcus down, please? Ask him to give me a call. Tell him I want to play squash next time he’s here.”
A half-smile hovered on her lips, as she took another note. “I didn’t realize I was your social secretary as well.”
Her dry sense of humor amused me. Cassie wasn’t afraid to say what she thought. I liked that. “Do you mind, Cass?”
She looked up, surprise written on her face. “No. I just like teasing you.”
“Okay, then. Now, what’s this about an assistant?”
I listened, as she outlined her workload and suggested the additional responsibilities she wanted to take on, but it was a struggle to concentrate, when thoughts of meeting Kate again danced at the front of my mind.
4.5 Jenny
I tried to be discreet, but since Rob called my desk phone, I couldn’t walk away to speak to him. I had to be quiet. We’d been invited to a get together at his boss’s place on Saturday night, so I had to tell him I was already going out for Kate’s birthday. So much for my plans of slipping in the news when he was in a good mood.
In the space of two minutes since my phone jangled, he went from pleased and upbeat to cold and angry. “I don’t see the need to hang around with my ex-colleagues all the time. Why do you? What’s so special about you? You don’t work with them now; you certainly don’t need to socialize with them anymore.”
Far be it for me to point out that, unlike Rob, I had a group of friends from work I liked to spend time with. This was an old argument, and one we’d sparred over many times. I tried to placate him. “It’s Kate’s birthday, and since she’s just split up with Tony, she needs her friends right now.”
“You’re too soft,” he said, as though I was a sagging mattress. “You need to tell her to get her act together. She’ll never keep a guy with her attitude.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Well. She’s the kind of chick who always has to be right. She walks all over you, dumpling.”
I grimaced at his nickname for me. Why couldn’t he just use my name? “Regardless of what you think about my friends, I promised to go out with Kate on Saturday, so I’m really sorry, but I can’t go with you. Can you go alone?”
“Suppose I’ll have to. I’m not happy about it, though. What time will you be finished?”
“On Saturday? I don’t know. Might be late.” There was an ominous silence, and as usual, I leapt to fill the void. “I won’t be out all night.”
“I hope not. Who else is going?”
Did he need to know? Isobel organized it, and I was sketchy on the details. When I saw my team leader walking toward my desk it was enough of an excuse to leave the call.
“Sorry, Rob, I have to go. Marella needs me.”
“We haven’t finished yet.”
I ignored the warning note in his voice and spoke over him. “I have to go. I’ll see you tonight.”
“Trouble?” Marella raised one delicately sculpted eyebrow.
“Oh, nothing really. Just a bit of confusion over the arrangements for this weekend. Rob forgot I’m going out with my friends.” The moment I said his name, my phone rang. The display showed Rob’s number, and my heart sank. “Can I take this call?” I grabbed the receiver, conscious of her gaze following me. “Hi, Jenny speaking.”
“I told you, we hadn’t finished.” Rob’s voice was icily controlled.
Dear God, this would piss him off no end. “I’m sorry. I’m in the middle of something right now. I’ll call you back in five minutes. Thanks.” I hung up before I could over-think the conversation.
My chest was tight, and I knew my cheeks were going pink, but I managed a pleasant smile for Marella. “Sorry about that. What can I do for you?”
Her lips tugged up at the corners.
Similar Books
