Part 11 (1/2)

And then I stop abruptly as I meet Jack Harper's gaze.

f.u.c.k.

Inside my head, my own voice from the plane is babbling away innocently.

'... just skimmed the back cover and pretended I'd read it ...'

'Great Expectations,' says Jack Harper thoughtfully. 'What did you think of it, Emma?'

I don't believe he asked me that.

For a few moments I can't speak.

'Well!' I clear my throat at last. 'I thought it ... it was really ... extremely ...'

'It's a wonderful book,' says Artemis earnestly. 'Once you fully understand the symbolism.'

Shut up, you stupid show-off. Oh G.o.d. What am I going to say?

'I thought it really ... resonated,' I say at last.

'What resonated?' says Nick.

'The ... um ...' I clear my throat. 'The resonances.'

There's a puzzled silence.

'The resonances ... resonated?' says Artemis.

'Yes,' I say defiantly. 'They did. Anyway, I've got to get on with my work.' I turn away with a roll of my eyes and start typing feverishly.

OK. So the book discussion didn't go that well. But that was just sheer bad luck. Think positive. I can still do this. I can still impress him- 'I just don't know what's wrong with it!' Artemis is saying in a girly voice. 'I water it every day.'

She pokes her spider plant and gazes at Jack Harper winsomely. 'Do you know anything about plants, Jack?'

'I don't, I'm afraid,' says Jack, and looks over at me, his face deadpan. 'What do you think could be wrong with it, Emma?'

'... sometimes, when I'm p.i.s.sed off with Artemis ...'

'I ... I have no idea,' I say at last, and carry on typing, my face flaming.

OK. Never mind. It doesn't matter. So I watered one little plant with orange juice. So what?

'Has anyone seen my World Cup mug?' says Paul, walking into the office with a frown. 'I can't seem to find it anywhere.'

'... I broke my boss's mug last week and hid the pieces in my handbag ...'

s.h.i.+t.

OK. Never mind. So I broke one tiny mug, too. It doesn't matter. Just keep typing.

'Hey Jack,' says Nick, in a matey, lads-together voice. 'Just in case you don't think we have any fun, look up there!' He nods towards the picture of a photocopied, G-stringed bottom which has been up on the noticeboard since Christmas. 'We still don't know who it is ...'

'... I had a few too many drinks at the last Christmas party ...'

OK, now I want to die. Someone please kill me.

'Hi, Emma!' comes Katie's voice, and I look up to see her hurrying into the office, her face pink with excitement. When she sees Jack Harper, she stops dead. 'Oh!'

'It's all right. I'm simply a fly on the wall.' He waves a friendly hand at her. 'Go ahead. Say whatever you were going to say.'

'Hi Katie!' I manage. 'What is it?'

As soon as I say her name, Jack Harper looks up again, a riveted expression on his face.

I do not like the look of that riveted expression.

What did I tell him about Katie? What? My mind spools furiously back. What did I say? What did I- I feel an internal lurch. Oh G.o.d.

'... we have this secret code where she comes in and says, ”Can I go through some numbers with you, Emma?” and it really means ”Shall we nip out to Starbucks ...”'

I told him our skiving code.

I stare desperately at Katie's eager face, trying somehow to convey the message to her.

Do not say it. Do not say you want to go over some numbers with me.

But she's completely oblivious.

'I just ... erm ...' She clears her throat in a businesslike way and glances self-consciously at Jack Harper. 'Could I possibly go over some numbers with you, Emma?'

f.u.c.k.

My face floods with colour. My whole body is p.r.i.c.kling.

'You know,' I say, in a bright, artificial voice, 'I'm not sure that'll be possible today.'

Katie stares at me in surprise.

'But I have to ... I really need you to go over some numbers with me.' She nods in excitement.

'I'm quite tied up here with my work, Katie!' I force a smile, simultaneously trying to telegraph 'Shut up!'

'It won't take long! Just quickly.'

'I really don't think so.'