Total pages in book: 194
Estimated words: 183150 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 916(@200wpm)___ 733(@250wpm)___ 611(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 183150 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 916(@200wpm)___ 733(@250wpm)___ 611(@300wpm)
We find ourselves back in the main foyer. ‘Thank you for the tour, Ingrid.’ I remove my fetching hat and vest.
‘You’re welcome, Ava. Do you have everything you need?’
‘Yes, I’ll wait to hear from Mikael.’
‘He said he would call you on Monday.’ she says as she shakes my hand.
We say our goodbyes, and I leave Ingrid and The Life Building, heading back to the office. I call my doctors surgery on my way; I need to replace my pills. Where they have gone is a bloody mystery. I get an appointment for four o’clock today, which is a relief. Not that I plan on having much sex anytime soon. I’ve had enough lately to see me through for a while.
‘Afternoon,’ I sing to Tom and Victoria as I walk into the office.
Tom frowns and glances at the clock. ‘Oppsie! I’m late for Mrs Baines. She’ll be having kittens!’ He jumps up from his desk, straightens his yellow and blue, stripy tie – which wouldn’t be so bad if he wasn’t sporting an orange shirt – and tweaks his blonde quiff. ‘I’ll be back after I’ve pacified the loopy old bird.’ he chants, collecting his man-bag and dancing out of the office.
‘Bye.’ I call, landing at my desk. ‘You okay, Victoria?’ I ask. She’s daydreaming. ‘Hello?’ I call.
‘Huh? Oh, sorry. I was miles away. What did you say?’
‘Are you okay?’ I prompt.
She smiles brightly, flicking her long blonde locks over her shoulder. ‘I couldn’t be better.’
Of course. I wonder if her good mood has something to do with a certain standoffish, smart suited man called Drew. I haven’t seen her since Saturday night, but from what I recall – before drunkenness rendered me stupid – she and Drew were looking rather friendly. Is everyone getting it on at the moment?
‘And why is that?’ I ask on a raised brow.
She giggles like a little girl. ‘I have a date with Drew on Friday night.’
I knew it, although I still can’t wrap my brain around ditsy Victoria and serious Drew. ‘Anywhere nice?’ I ask.
She shrugs. ‘He didn’t say. He just asked if he could take me out.’ Her mobile rings and she excuses herself by waving it at me.
I turn my attention to my computer, silencing my phone when it starts blurting Black and Gold. It’s becoming automatic to just reach over and press the button on the side without even looking. After it’s shouted at me three times on the bounce, I turn the sound off altogether. The man is a persistent pain in the arse.
‘I’m off,’ Victoria calls, getting up from her desk. ‘I’ll be back about four.’
‘I won’t see you. I’ve a doctor’s appointment at four.’
‘Oh?’ She glances over on her way out.
‘I lost my pills.’ I offer. She pulls a face that tells me she’s been there and done that. It makes me feel slightly better for being so careless.
I start filtering through my emails and take some copies of drawings to send to my contractors.
When it hits three o’clock, I go to make the coffee. Sally always does it, but I’m relieved to ease my eyes from my bright computer screen.
‘Ava?’ I hear Sally call me. I poke my head around the kitchen door, seeing her waving the office phone. ‘A man on the phone for you, he won’t say who he is.’
My heart jumps into my throat. I know damn well who it is. ‘Is he on hold?’
‘Yes, shall I put him through?’
‘No!’ I yell, and poor nervous Sally flinches. ‘I’m sorry. Tell him I’m out of the office.’
‘Oh, okay.’ She looks all wide eyed and confused as she pushes a button on the phone that will connect her back to Jesse. ‘I’m sorry, Sir. Ava is out of the offi…’ She jumps a metre into the air, dropping the phone onto her desk with a loud clatter. She scrambles to pick it up again. ‘I…I…I’m…I’m…sor…sorry, Sir…’ She’s stuttering and stammering all over the place, a good indication that Jesse is yelling down the phone at her. I feel riddled with guilt for putting her through this. ‘Sir, please…I…I assure you…she’s…she’s not here.’
I watch as she freaks out at her desk, looking at me wide eyed and stunned as she’s verbally assaulted by Mr Neurotic. I smile apologetically. I’ll buy her some flowers.
She drops the phone back into the cradle, looking at me in shock. ‘Who was that?’ she asks. She’s going to cry.
‘Sally, I’m so sorry.’ I quickly grab the coffees from the kitchen – the only peace offering I can lay my hands on at the moment – and drop Patrick’s on his desk, exiting sharply before he can strike up a conversation. I take Sally’s coffee to her desk and place it on her coaster. ‘I’m so sorry.’ I hope I sound as guilty as I feel.