eyes lock with mine over the top of his computer. I quickly avert my gaze.
‘Cheers, Russ, see you later.’ I break off to go to my desk.
Russ is right of course: Bridget is not about to turn down a chance to be sociable.
Next week’s issue of
Hebe
has been put to bed by five p.m. so I join the crowd pulling on their coats and mingling by the door. Alex’s seat is empty – he’s over by
Simon’s desk, signing off the last of the page proofs. Helen and Nicky walk by together, completely ignoring the rest of us as they talk.
‘Have a nice weekend!’ Russ calls after them jovially and they both start with surprise.
‘You too,’ Nicky calls back uncomfortably.
Helen gives Nicky a look as she pushes the button for the lift. They both stand there in silence until the lift arrives.
I catch Russ’s eye. ‘Miserable cows,’ he says under his breath, flashing me a grin. I try to keep a straight face. ‘Bridget meeting us there?’ he checks with
me.
‘Yeah, they’re still going to press.’
Bridget is freelancing at monthly travel magazine
Let’s Go!
this week.
‘Bridget Reed?’ Lisa, the news editor, asks, having overheard.
‘The very same,’ I reply with a smile. Does
everyone
know Bridget?
‘There go my plans to have an easy one,’ she mutters.
‘I’m definitely having an easy one,’ I say firmly.
‘Good luck with that,’ Russ says wryly. ‘Tim, are you coming or what?’ he snaps suddenly.
Tim, the art editor, is hovering over his computer.
‘Yep,’ he replies shortly, glancing up at Russ. He’s rocking the geek chic look, with black-rimmed glasses and shaggy dark hair. ‘Done,’ he murmurs, grabbing the
coat hanging over the back of his chair. I glance at Alex in time to see him turn away from Simon, rustling A3-sized pages in his hands.
‘You coming for a drink?’ Tim calls to him.
‘Erm...’ he checks his watch. ‘Where are you going?’ His eyes flit towards mine.
‘Just to the pub across the road,’ Tim says.
‘I might meet you over there.’ My heart jumps and then plummets. I try to convince myself that I don’t care either way.
I fail spectacularly in my efforts, spending the next twenty minutes at the pub glancing at the door in case Alex walks in. I’m curious to see him in a social situation again – this
week at work has been strange.
‘Hey, guys!’ Bridget calls cheerfully as she arrives. ‘Who’s up for a drinking game?’
Everyone groans theatrically.
‘Bronte?’ she asks teasingly. ‘You want a shot?’
‘Don’t even think about it,’ I warn. ‘I’m fine with beer. I have to get up early tomorrow.’
‘What are you doing?’ Lisa, who’s a petite redhead, asks with interest, as Bridget gathers orders from the rest of the table and heads off to the bar.
‘I’m going to a wedding.’
‘Nice!’ she says.
‘Whose?’ Esther, the features editor, asks, overhearing. She’s striking and extremely tall at almost six foot, with shoulder-length dark brown hair.
‘I have no idea.’ I smile at the look on her and Lisa’s faces before explaining. ‘I’m assisting the wedding photographer.’
‘Wow. Have you done a lot of weddings?’ Lisa asks.
‘No, this is my first.’
‘How exciting!’ Esther nudges Pete. ‘You should get Bronte to do your wedding in July.’
‘Steady on.’ I hold my palms up. ‘I might not be any good at it. I’m absolutely shitting myself at the moment,’ I admit, making everyone laugh. Bridget comes back
over with our drinks, plonking a beer in front of me.
I’m sure she’ll be trying to get me to do shots before the night is out. I
will
resist!
‘Hey, here’s Alex,’ Tim says. I stopped watching the door once Bridget arrived.
‘Hi,’ he says, dropping his bag loudly beside the table. He freezes and I glance up at him to see that he’s noticed Bridget.
‘Howdy. I’m Bridget,’ she says smoothly, holding her hand out to him. ‘Who are you?’
‘Alex,’ he replies with a
‘Cheers, Russ, see you later.’ I break off to go to my desk.
Russ is right of course: Bridget is not about to turn down a chance to be sociable.
Next week’s issue of
Hebe
has been put to bed by five p.m. so I join the crowd pulling on their coats and mingling by the door. Alex’s seat is empty – he’s over by
Simon’s desk, signing off the last of the page proofs. Helen and Nicky walk by together, completely ignoring the rest of us as they talk.
‘Have a nice weekend!’ Russ calls after them jovially and they both start with surprise.
‘You too,’ Nicky calls back uncomfortably.
Helen gives Nicky a look as she pushes the button for the lift. They both stand there in silence until the lift arrives.
I catch Russ’s eye. ‘Miserable cows,’ he says under his breath, flashing me a grin. I try to keep a straight face. ‘Bridget meeting us there?’ he checks with
me.
‘Yeah, they’re still going to press.’
Bridget is freelancing at monthly travel magazine
Let’s Go!
this week.
‘Bridget Reed?’ Lisa, the news editor, asks, having overheard.
‘The very same,’ I reply with a smile. Does
everyone
know Bridget?
‘There go my plans to have an easy one,’ she mutters.
‘I’m definitely having an easy one,’ I say firmly.
‘Good luck with that,’ Russ says wryly. ‘Tim, are you coming or what?’ he snaps suddenly.
Tim, the art editor, is hovering over his computer.
‘Yep,’ he replies shortly, glancing up at Russ. He’s rocking the geek chic look, with black-rimmed glasses and shaggy dark hair. ‘Done,’ he murmurs, grabbing the
coat hanging over the back of his chair. I glance at Alex in time to see him turn away from Simon, rustling A3-sized pages in his hands.
‘You coming for a drink?’ Tim calls to him.
‘Erm...’ he checks his watch. ‘Where are you going?’ His eyes flit towards mine.
‘Just to the pub across the road,’ Tim says.
‘I might meet you over there.’ My heart jumps and then plummets. I try to convince myself that I don’t care either way.
I fail spectacularly in my efforts, spending the next twenty minutes at the pub glancing at the door in case Alex walks in. I’m curious to see him in a social situation again – this
week at work has been strange.
‘Hey, guys!’ Bridget calls cheerfully as she arrives. ‘Who’s up for a drinking game?’
Everyone groans theatrically.
‘Bronte?’ she asks teasingly. ‘You want a shot?’
‘Don’t even think about it,’ I warn. ‘I’m fine with beer. I have to get up early tomorrow.’
‘What are you doing?’ Lisa, who’s a petite redhead, asks with interest, as Bridget gathers orders from the rest of the table and heads off to the bar.
‘I’m going to a wedding.’
‘Nice!’ she says.
‘Whose?’ Esther, the features editor, asks, overhearing. She’s striking and extremely tall at almost six foot, with shoulder-length dark brown hair.
‘I have no idea.’ I smile at the look on her and Lisa’s faces before explaining. ‘I’m assisting the wedding photographer.’
‘Wow. Have you done a lot of weddings?’ Lisa asks.
‘No, this is my first.’
‘How exciting!’ Esther nudges Pete. ‘You should get Bronte to do your wedding in July.’
‘Steady on.’ I hold my palms up. ‘I might not be any good at it. I’m absolutely shitting myself at the moment,’ I admit, making everyone laugh. Bridget comes back
over with our drinks, plonking a beer in front of me.
I’m sure she’ll be trying to get me to do shots before the night is out. I
will
resist!
‘Hey, here’s Alex,’ Tim says. I stopped watching the door once Bridget arrived.
‘Hi,’ he says, dropping his bag loudly beside the table. He freezes and I glance up at him to see that he’s noticed Bridget.
‘Howdy. I’m Bridget,’ she says smoothly, holding her hand out to him. ‘Who are you?’
‘Alex,’ he replies with a
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