Part 33 (1/2)
”That's great news, Holly.”
”No it's not, I can't write,” she panicked.
”Oh really? That was one of the main subjects in my school.”
”Oh Daniel, please be serious for a minute...”
”OK, what do you want me to do?”
”I need you to tell me absolutely everything you know about this drink and the launch so I can start writing it now and have a few days to work on it.”
”Yes, just one minute, sir,” he yelled away from the phone. ”Look Holly, I really have to get back to work now.”
”Please,” she whimpered.
”OK listen, what time do you finish work?”
”Six.” She crossed her fingers and prayed for him to help her.
”OK, why don't you come around here at six, and I'll take you somewhere to have a bite?”
”Oh, thank you so much, Daniel.” She jumped around her office with relief. ”You're a star!”
She hung up the phone happily and breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe there was a chance she could get the article done after all and still manage to keep her job. Then she froze as she went back over the conversation in her head.
Had she just agreed to go on a date with Daniel?
THIRTY-NINE.
HOLLY COULDN'T CONCENTRATE DURING THE last hour of work; she kept on watching the clock, willing the time to go more slowly. For once it was the exact opposite. Why didn't it go this fast when she was waiting to open her messages from Gerry? She opened her bag for the millionth time that day to double-check that Gerry's eighth message was still tucked safely in the inside pocket. As it was the last day of the month she had decided to bring the October envelope with her to work. She wasn't sure why, because she knew she had no intentions of working till midnight, she could easily wait until she got home to open it. But her excitement was just so strong that she couldn't face leaving it sitting on the kitchen table as she headed out to work. She was even more intrigued by this one, as the envelope was slightly larger than the others. Plus, she felt Gerry was closer to her this way. His words were in her handbag and that was the closest she would get to him. She was only hours away from being that much closer to him again, and while she willed the clock to move faster so she could read it, she was also dreading her dinner with Daniel.
At six o'clock on the b.u.t.ton she heard Alice switch off her computer and clatter down the wooden stairs to freedom. Holly smiled, remembering that was exactly how she had once felt. But then again, everything was different when you had a beautiful husband to go home to. If she still had Gerry with her she would be racing Alice out the door.
She listened as a few of the others packed up their things and she prayed Chris would dump another load on her desk just so she would have to stay late and cancel dinner with Daniel. She and Daniel had been out together millions of times, so why was she worrying now? But something was niggling her at the back of her mind. There was something in his voice that worried her, and there was something that happened to her stomach when his voice came on the phone that made her feel uneasy about meeting up with him. She felt so guilty and ashamed for going out with him, and she tried to convince herself it was just a business dinner. In fact, the more she thought about it the more she realized that that was exactly what it was. She thought about how she had become one of those people who discussed business over dinner. Usually the only business she discussed over dinner was men and life in general with Sharon and Denise, which was girls' business.
She slowly shut down her computer and packed her briefcase with meticulous care. Everything she did was in slow motion, as though that would prevent her from having to have dinner with Daniel. She hit herself over the head...it was a business dinner.
”Hey, don't beat yourself up about it.” Alice leaned in through Holly's door.
Holly jumped with fright. ”Jesus, Alice, I didn't see you there.”
”Everything OK?”
”Yeah,” she said unconvincingly. ”I just have to do something that I really don't want to do. But I kind of want to do it, which makes me not want to do it even more because it seems so wrong even though it's right. You know?” She looked at Alice, who was staring at her with wide eyes.
”I thought I overa.n.a.lyzed things.”
”Oh, don't mind me.” Holly perked up, ”I'm just going nuts.”
”It happens to the best of us,” Alice smiled.
”What are you doing back here?” Holly said suddenly, realizing she had heard her legging it out the door earlier. ”Does freedom not beckon you?”
”I know,” Alice rolled her eyes, ”but I forgot we had a meeting at six.”
”Oh,” Holly was disappointed. n.o.body had told her about any meeting today, which wasn't unusual because she wasn't required to be at all of them. But it was unusual for Alice to attend one without Holly being asked.
”Is it about anything interesting?” Holly poked around for information, trying to make herself sound uninterested while she busied herself at her desk.
”It's the astrology meeting.”
”Astrology meeting?”
”Yeah, we have it monthly.”
”Oh, am I supposed to be there or am I not invited to it?” She tried not to sound bitter but failed miserably, much to her embarra.s.sment.
Alice laughed. ”Of course you're welcome to come, Holly, I was just about to ask you, which is why I'm standing outside your office.”
Holly put her briefcase down feeling stupid and followed Alice into the boardroom, where everybody was sitting down and waiting.
”Everyone, this is Holly's first astrology meeting, so let's make her feel welcome,” Alice announced.
Holly took her seat while they all jokingly applauded their new member at the table. Chris spoke to Holly: ”Holly, I just want you to know that I have absolutely nothing to do with this nonsense and I want to apologize in advance for you being dragged into it.”
”Oh shut up, Chris.” Tracey waved a hand at her boss as she took her seat at the head of the table with a notepad and pen in her hand.
”OK, who wants to go first this month?”
”Let Holly go first,” Alice said generously.
Holly looked around completely baffled. ”But Holly doesn't have a clue what's going on.”
”Well, what star sign are you?” Tracey asked.
”Taurus.”
Everyone oohed and aahed, and Chris held his head in his hands and tried to look like he wasn't enjoying himself.
”Ooh great,” Tracey said happily. ”We've never had a Taurus before. OK, so are you married or seeing anyone or single or anything?”
Holly blushed as Brian winked over at her and Chris smiled at her encouragingly; he was the only one at the table who knew about Gerry. Holly realized this was the first time she had had to answer this question since Gerry had died, and she was confused as to how to answer. ”Em...no, I'm not really seeing anyone but...”
”OK then,” Tracey said, starting to write, ”this month Taurus shall look out for someone tall, dark and handsome and...” She shrugged and looked up, ”Anybody?”
”Because he will have a big impact on her future,” Alice helped out.