even if it kills me.
Chapter Five
Four weeks, three days since Joseph and I broke up . Three months and counting to get Joseph back before he replaces me.
I can’t help but be the tiniest bit offended by how much everyone loves my new hair. Yes, it’s great that people think that I look like I’ve just stepped off the pages of a photo shoot, I’m sure it’s also a huge compliment that I now look a bit like Alexa Chungand Caroline Flack, but every coo and compliment makes me wonder just how bad everyone thought I looked before.
It’s day three of the new haircut at work and instead of people accepting it and moving on, my colleagues keep saying that they can’t believe it’s me.
I’m walking over to the communal office printer, and if I get one more hair comment then I’m going to hide it under my woolly beaniefor the rest of the week.
I’m only a few steps away from the printer when I see Lindsey, sorry, ‘Linz’ with a Z as I keep overhearing her telling people on the phone, get there first. I’m about to try and pretend that I’m on my way to the kitchenette, when I see she’s holding my printout and looking bemused.
‘That’s mine,’ I say, resisting the urge to snatch it away from her. I don’t know whatit is about her that’s got my back up, but I guess I’m suspicious of naturally bubbly people.
She looks up at me and flashes her perfect pearly-white teeth. With her blond hair tied up high in a ponytail and sun-kissed skin, she looks like she’d be more at home in California than Portsmouth.
‘Hi, Abi,’ she says, still grinning and not handing over the paper.
‘Linz,’ I reply, putting my handout.
Instead of giving it to me she looks down at it once more.
‘The Eiffel Tower?’ she says.
Ten out of ten for identifying one of the most easily recognisable buildings on the planet.
‘That’s right, it’s for a mood board,’ I say.
Which is true. It just happens to be for the mood board I’m creating at home of all the challenges on Joseph’s bucket list. We’ve got a super-dooper colour printerat work and I’ve been sneakily, or at least up until now, printing off pictures for it.
‘Oh, right, what account’s it for?’
Why won’t she give me my bloody bit of paper!
I stare, mentally willing her to hand it over to me.
She can only be in her early twenties, not long out of university. She’s got that fresh-faced, eager-beaver look that I used to have when I started my career. The sort ofenthusiasm that comes from the naivety of not calculating how many days of your life you’ve got to work before you draw your pension.
‘For the Spinnaker account. I thought it might be helpful to remind myself of other iconic towers.’
Sometimes I scare myself with how quickly I can come up with lies.
‘That’s such a good idea. And I love the idea of making actual physical mood boards. That’sso old school.’
As if I needed another reason not to like this girl.
‘I’m just a bit confused, though. I got the impression from Rick that I was going to do the design for it.’
I turn back to face her and she gives me that sweet and innocent smile that she seems to have down to a tee.
‘Um, when we first got word of the tendering process last month, before you started, Rick assigned it to me,so I’m not sure what gave you that idea . . .’
She shakes her head.
‘Of course,’ she says handing me my Eiffel Tower picture. ‘That was only when we were in the pub after work on Friday. Rick had mentioned that it might be a good project to build up my portfolio, but I’m sure he was only being nice. He’s obviously invited me to the meeting this morning just to show me how things are done here.’
She bats her eyelashes at me like Road Runner used to do to a stunned Coyote, then turns and walks off with her printouts leaving me standing alone.
After-work drinks on Friday with Rick sounds a little bit cosy for my liking.
I’m reminded of what Giles said to me
Chapter Five
Four weeks, three days since Joseph and I broke up . Three months and counting to get Joseph back before he replaces me.
I can’t help but be the tiniest bit offended by how much everyone loves my new hair. Yes, it’s great that people think that I look like I’ve just stepped off the pages of a photo shoot, I’m sure it’s also a huge compliment that I now look a bit like Alexa Chungand Caroline Flack, but every coo and compliment makes me wonder just how bad everyone thought I looked before.
It’s day three of the new haircut at work and instead of people accepting it and moving on, my colleagues keep saying that they can’t believe it’s me.
I’m walking over to the communal office printer, and if I get one more hair comment then I’m going to hide it under my woolly beaniefor the rest of the week.
I’m only a few steps away from the printer when I see Lindsey, sorry, ‘Linz’ with a Z as I keep overhearing her telling people on the phone, get there first. I’m about to try and pretend that I’m on my way to the kitchenette, when I see she’s holding my printout and looking bemused.
‘That’s mine,’ I say, resisting the urge to snatch it away from her. I don’t know whatit is about her that’s got my back up, but I guess I’m suspicious of naturally bubbly people.
She looks up at me and flashes her perfect pearly-white teeth. With her blond hair tied up high in a ponytail and sun-kissed skin, she looks like she’d be more at home in California than Portsmouth.
‘Hi, Abi,’ she says, still grinning and not handing over the paper.
‘Linz,’ I reply, putting my handout.
Instead of giving it to me she looks down at it once more.
‘The Eiffel Tower?’ she says.
Ten out of ten for identifying one of the most easily recognisable buildings on the planet.
‘That’s right, it’s for a mood board,’ I say.
Which is true. It just happens to be for the mood board I’m creating at home of all the challenges on Joseph’s bucket list. We’ve got a super-dooper colour printerat work and I’ve been sneakily, or at least up until now, printing off pictures for it.
‘Oh, right, what account’s it for?’
Why won’t she give me my bloody bit of paper!
I stare, mentally willing her to hand it over to me.
She can only be in her early twenties, not long out of university. She’s got that fresh-faced, eager-beaver look that I used to have when I started my career. The sort ofenthusiasm that comes from the naivety of not calculating how many days of your life you’ve got to work before you draw your pension.
‘For the Spinnaker account. I thought it might be helpful to remind myself of other iconic towers.’
Sometimes I scare myself with how quickly I can come up with lies.
‘That’s such a good idea. And I love the idea of making actual physical mood boards. That’sso old school.’
As if I needed another reason not to like this girl.
‘I’m just a bit confused, though. I got the impression from Rick that I was going to do the design for it.’
I turn back to face her and she gives me that sweet and innocent smile that she seems to have down to a tee.
‘Um, when we first got word of the tendering process last month, before you started, Rick assigned it to me,so I’m not sure what gave you that idea . . .’
She shakes her head.
‘Of course,’ she says handing me my Eiffel Tower picture. ‘That was only when we were in the pub after work on Friday. Rick had mentioned that it might be a good project to build up my portfolio, but I’m sure he was only being nice. He’s obviously invited me to the meeting this morning just to show me how things are done here.’
She bats her eyelashes at me like Road Runner used to do to a stunned Coyote, then turns and walks off with her printouts leaving me standing alone.
After-work drinks on Friday with Rick sounds a little bit cosy for my liking.
I’m reminded of what Giles said to me
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