Doing the Right Thing (23 page)

Me too,
Addie thought.

When she reached her desk, it was piled with files and correspondence. Plenty to keep her busy.

“Morning, Addie,” Joe called across the partition.

“Morning, Joe. Anything exciting happen in my absence? Pay rise of astronomic proportions, world hunger solved, Genghis left us to strike terror into the heart of the government?”

He laughed. “The big guns have already introduced changes. The sales team are off on a corporate kissing session next week. I expect that includes you.”

Since Addie wasn’t going to be working for Magelan’s after Christmas, she doubted it.

Will and Ed had been busy. The corporate hospitality side of Booth’s was being given to London. The accompanied coach journeys were to end because it wasn’t cost-effective to have essential staff members away from the office eating fish and chips and flying kites. Well, it hadn’t quite said that. The invoicing to London. The foreign paperwork to London. Addie wondered what would be left.

She was on the list to attend the course in Shropshire, along with Genghis, Graham, Charlotte and Beth. A coach would collect them from the office on Sunday afternoon.

They’d stay at the Richmond Manor Hotel with its award-winning wellness spa, championship golf course and indoor and outdoor heated pools. Back to Leeds on Wednesday morning. They were promised a life-changing experience to transform them into highly energized sales facilitators who wouldn’t take no for an answer. Well, Addie was saying no. She wasn’t going.

Fifteen new messages in her inbox, several from Will that Addie had clicked on with a nervous finger. None were personal.

“No more wagging off out of the office for you, then?” Graham called.

“Does that mean you’ll actually be here every day until 5:30, Graham?”

He glared at her. If Addie had been intending to stay on, losing the coach trips would have been disappointing, but she only had the Lincoln visit booked before Christmas.

Charlotte perched her pert bottom on the edge of Addie’s desk. “I need your money for the Christmas party.”

“Not sure I can go anymore.”

“You still have to pay. We got the special deal because of the numbers that said they’d go, so it’s not fair if you drop out.”

Addie thought how nice if Charlotte had said, “You must come, Addie, it wouldn’t be the same without you.” Although thinking about it, if she had, Addie would have dropped dead from shock. She wrote out a check.

“I managed to get Will and Ed to come,” Charlotte said, whisking the slip away.

That settled it, Addie wouldn’t be going.

As soon as Addie saw Will, she felt as though he’d thrown out a line and she’d swallowed the hook. She turned away, but her eyes always wandered back in his direction. She watched him walking, talking, working. But whenever he came to her end of the office, Addie fled to the Ladies’.

“Again?” Graham asked.

“Bladder infection,” Addie whispered.

When the coast was clear, she slunk back to her desk and the phone rang. Some sixth sense told her it was Will.

“When everyone goes to lunch, come to my office, please. We need to talk.”

Addie put down the receiver without speaking. Everyone knew what “We need to talk” meant. It was never “we need to talk about where we’re going on holiday” or “we need to talk about moving in together”. He wanted to tell her it was over. Of course it was. What was there to talk about? Addie wished she had enough money to book a cheap flight, walk out and not look back. She wished she was brave and adventurous, but she was a coward.

When she stepped into Will’s office, all she saw in his face was guilt. There was no kindness, no desire, just regret.

“Close the door, Addie.”

Even his voice sounded sad. She pushed the door shut and turned round.

“I owe you an apology,” Will said. He came from behind the desk and stepped toward her.

“No, it’s fine.”
Yes, you bloody well do,
Addie’s heart screamed.

“I signed the divorce papers months ago. I thought that was the end of it.”

Addie stood motionless. Did he think that made a difference? He ran when Vee whistled.

“It appears…technically…we’re still married. I’ve told her it’s over, but she’s having difficulty letting go. Vee relies on me too much. She doesn’t get on with her parents and I don’t want—”

“It’s all right.” Addie couldn’t listen to this. Nothing about her, all him and Vee. She was expecting him to go on to say he hoped Addie would one day find the right guy, get married and have beautiful babies, two dogs and a goldfish. “We both got carried away. Forget it.” She forced herself to smile.

“Really?” Will asked.

She saw the confusion on his face and was glad.

“Yes,” Addie lied.
The bastard, how can he believe me
? “I know it’s awkward. I’ll do my best to keep out of your way before…” Her voice began to crack and she launched into a coughing fit to disguise the sound. “Before I start my new job.”

“You’ve got another job?”

“Yes. I’m going to New Zealand to crew on a yacht. I’d planned to go in February, but I thought I’d have a look round Australia first. Graham’s made it sound so appealing.”
Not
. Flies, flies and more flies from what she could make out, not to mention the snakes and the spiders. “Is there anything else because I’m busy?”

She scuttled out of his office before he could answer and collided with Ed.

“Sorry,” she muttered and kept her head down so he couldn’t see the tears in her eyes. Another trip to the Ladies’.

Ed watched Addie’s back and wondered what Will had done now. Nothing good.

Ed had spent the weekend in London because the idea of spending time in Vee’s company appealed about as much as chewing maggots. He’d hoped by the time he arrived back, Vee would have gone, but instead he’d found her curled on the couch with her feet on
his
coffee table, eating
his
salt and vinegar crisps, glued to some god-awful reality TV program with z-list celebrities. Will had been mating with his laptop in the dining room. Ed went straight to bed. All was not rosy in the Garden of Leeds, but he wondered if it was worth introducing a snake of his own.

He popped his head into Will’s office. “Want to come to the pub?”

“No. How did you get on this morning at Enerchex?”

Ed went in and closed the door.

“Fine. It’s all straightforward, unlike your personal life. Vee doesn’t appear to have evaporated over the weekend. Is it too much to hope she’ll have gone by the time I get back tonight?”

Will sighed and looked up from his computer. “I was going to get rid of her. I intended to get rid of her, but on Saturday night, while I was with Addie, Vee took a load of pills.”

Ed sat down. “Christ, not again.”

“She threw them up.”

Ed saw the dark circles under Will’s eyes.

“Fuck it, Will, lose her. She’s destroying you.”

“How can I now? You know what she’s like.”

“Yeah, I do. That’s why you need to send her back to London.”

Will pushed his fingers through his hair. “She won’t give up this temporary job.

The best I’m going to manage is finding her somewhere else to live.”

“Then do that. How are you going to see Addie if Vee’s hanging around?”

“I won’t…be seeing Addie.” Will’s voice was flat.

“Why?”

“Ed, leave it. I fucked up. It’s over. It hardly started.”

Ed didn’t agree with him. Addie was exactly what Will needed, only there was something that didn’t sit right about that.

“I like Addie,” Ed said. “She’s funny. She’s a great cook.”

“Shut up, Ed.”

“Don’t you think her eyes are incredible?”

Ed saw his brother’s nostrils flare.

“If you’re not interested, I am. I take it you’ve no problem with that?”

Will slammed his drawer shut with such force his phone bounced off the desk. Ed smiled as he walked out. He went straight to Addie and pulled over a chair. Everyone had gone for lunch.

“How are you?” he asked.

“Busy.”

She attacked her keyboard like a rabid chicken. Ed had a feeling she was hitting random keys.

“Busy tonight?”

“Yes. Lap dancing.”

“Can I come?”

“No.”

“How about tomorrow night?”

“Pole dancing.”

“Wednesday?” Ed tried.

“Finn dancing.”

“You know I could get the wrong idea here. I like you. Don’t you like me?”

Addie typed faster. “Did you like Daisy? And Charlotte? What about Beth? Have you asked her out yet? Are you working your way through the whole office? Am I last on the list? Do you think I’ll be hurt if you don’t include me?”

To Ed’s horror, he saw tears falling down Addie’s cheeks. She brushed them away with the back of her hand.

“Sorry,” she muttered, “but you look like a velociraptor, rather like your brother.”

She fled to the Ladies’.

Ed sighed. This was going to take some thought.

When Addie got to work the next morning, she found Ed at her desk.

“Good morning. Say hello to your shadow,” he said and rolled a chair in her direction.

Addie sat down, but as she reached for her phone, he hooked her chair with his foot and pulled her round to face him. “Hey, be nice, we’re going to be spending time together.”

“I’m leaving at Christmas,” Addie said.

“I’m not sitting with you that long.”

She refused to smile.

“Not that I wouldn’t want to,” he added. “Anyway, didn’t Will rip up your resignation?”

Addie tensed her shoulders. “He’d better not have.”

Ed softened his voice. “You don’t need to leave. We’ll be gone in a couple of weeks.

You’ll never see us again.”

“Why should I quit because of you? I’m going to New Zealand to crew on a yacht.”

Ed’s eyes opened wide. Addie was beginning to believe it herself now. If Ed hadn’t been there, she’d Google to see what she could find, ignoring the fact that she couldn’t afford the airfare to New Zealand, had never been on a yacht and would probably be as much use as a flat battery.

Before Ed could say anything else to piss her off, Addie reached for her phone and the Lincoln file.

“Hello, Mr. Prentiss?…Good morning. This is Addie Winter from Magelan’s…Yes, formerly Booth’s…yes.” She glanced at Ed. “It is a shame the way smaller independent companies are consumed by the large ones. Now, I’m ringing in connection with your trip to Lincoln tomorrow…No, no. It’s fine…No, Mr. Prentiss, it’s not being cancelled…

Yes, I know you’re looking forward to it. The coach will be there at eight. It’s just that I won’t be accompanying you.”

Addie paused while he raged. She held the phone a little way away from her ear.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Prentiss. I know the price included a guide, but it’s no longer company policy for our tours to take a member of staff in addition to the driver…yes, of course you can speak to a manager. I’ll hand you to Mr. Mansell.” She gave the phone to Ed.

Several minutes later, he put it down again.

“You’ll be going to Lincoln tomorrow,” he said.

“It’s no longer part of my job.” Addie handed him Will’s memo.

“Change of plan.” Ed ripped the sheet of paper in half.

“Addie, I need a hand,” came a plaintive voice.

Addie looked up to see Charlotte the Harlot waving her arms by the photocopier.

Addie got up and Ed followed. She stared at him. “I’ll only be a minute.”

He smiled. “We’ll get a cup of coffee on the way back.”

Charlotte draped herself over the machine as Ed and Addie approached.

“The copier resisting your charms again?” Addie asked.

Charlotte nodded and fluttered her eyelashes at Ed.

Addie banged the metal casing hard on the left side, kneed a point on the lower right and pressed the copier on the upper left at the same time. The machine purred and disgorged a copy.

“Wow, impressive.” Ed raised his eyebrows. “A woman with the magic touch.”

“Would you like a coffee, Ed?” Charlotte asked.

“You’re an angel. Get Addie one too, would you?”

As the Harlot walked past with a fixed smile on her face, Addie sighed. “I’m not going to be able to drink it. She has a store of cyanide for rivals.”

“Are you a rival?”

Addie blushed. “You made her think I was.” She hurried back to her desk, grabbed the phone again and pressed in a number she knew by heart.

“Mrs. Wilberforce? It’s Addie Winter from Magelan’s. Sorry I didn’t get back to you yesterday. I rang several times, but didn’t manage to catch you in… Oh, were you? I’m sorry to hear that.” Addie winced. She didn’t need those sort of medical details. “Yes, that’s why I’m ringing.” Addie glanced at Ed, who stared at her intently. “I’m sorry you feel we spoilt your trip… I can assure you we were discussing important company business.”

She tried hard not to blush again, but could feel the heat creeping onto her face.

“No, I’m sorry, Mrs. Wilberforce, I don’t feel a refund is in order. We can’t leave coaches unlocked in case people wish to return early. You’d have been very upset if your belongings had been stolen.” Her shoulders slumped. “Yes, of course you can speak to someone more senior than me.” Addie saw Ed glaring. “Offer her a half-price seat on the trip to Lincoln tomorrow,” she whispered.

When Ed banged the phone down, he kept his hand on the receiver. “No more of those, please.”

Charlotte put two coffees on the desk.

“You’re a lifesaver.” Ed smiled at her.

As Charlotte walked away, she wiggled her bottom. Addie couldn’t believe it, but when she looked at Ed, he was looking at her and not Charlotte. He rolled his chair a little nearer.

“So, what’s your favorite food?” Ed asked.

“And this is relevant, how?”

“Humor me.”

“Bread.”

“I was thinking in terms of Chinese, Thai, Italian…”

“Patagonian.”

He laughed. “Most annoying habit?”

“Saying sorry.”
Damn, that slipped out.

“Maybe it’s better than not saying sorry at all.” He paused. “What were you and Will doing on the coach?”

Addie’s stomach flipped. “Talking.”