'I'm sure you're right,' I manage. 'He'll never guess in a million years.'
'Are you OK, Emma?' Katie looks at me curiously.
'I'm fine!' I say with a kind of shrill hilarity. 'I'm absolutely fine! So … why the emergency summit?'
'I had to tell you. Two cappuccinos, please.' Katie beams at me excitedly. 'You won't believe it!'
'What is it?'
'I've got a date. I met a new guy!'
'No!' I say, staring at her. 'Really? That was quick.'
'Yes, it happened yesterday, just like you said! I deliberately walked further than usual in my lunch hour, and I found this really nice place where they were serving lunch. And there was this nice man in the line next to me — and he struck up a conversation with me. Then we shared a table and chatted some more … and I was just leaving, when he said did I fancy having a drink some time?' She takes the cappuccinos with a beam. 'So we're going out this evening.'
'That's fantastic!' I say in delight. 'So come on, what's he like?'
'He's lovely. He's called Phillip! He's got these lovely twinkly eyes, and he's really charming and polite, and he's got a great sense of humour …'
'He sounds amazing!'
'I know. I have a really good feeling about him.' Katie's face glows as we sit down. 'I really do. He just seems different. And I know this sounds really stupid, Emma …' she hesitates. 'But I feel you somehow brought him to me.'
'Me?' I gape at her.
'You gave me the confidence to speak to him.'
'But all I said was—'
'You said you knew I'd meet someone. You had faith in me. And I did!' Her eyes begin to shine. 'I'm sorry,' she whispers, and dabs her eyes with a napkin. 'I'm just a bit overcome.'
'Oh Katie.'
'I just really think my life is going to turn around. I think everything's going to get better. And it's all down to you, Emma!'
'Really, Katie,' I say awkwardly. 'It was nothing.'
'It wasn't nothing!' she gulps. 'And I wanted to do something for you in return.' She rummages in her bag and pulls out a large piece of orange crochet. 'So I made you this last night.' She looks at me expectantly. 'It's a headscarf.'
For a few moments, I can't move. A crochet headscarf.
'Katie,' I manage at last, turning it over in my fingers. 'Really, you … you shouldn't have!'
'I wanted to! To say thank you.' She looks at me earnestly. 'Especially after you lost that crochet belt I made for you for Christmas.'
'Oh!' I say, feeling a pang of guilt. 'Er, yes. That was … such a shame.' I swallow. 'It was a lovely belt. I was really upset to lose it.'
'Oh what the hell!' Her eyes well up again. 'I'll make you a new belt, too.'
'No!' I say in alarm. 'No, Katie, don't do that.'
'But I want to!' She leans forward and gives me a hug. 'That's what friends are for!'
It's another twenty minutes before we finish our second cappuccinos and head back for the office. As we approach the Panther building I glance at my watch and see with a lurch that we've been gone thirty-five minutes in all.
'Isn't it amazing we're getting new coffee machines?' says Katie as we hurry up the steps.
'Oh … yes. It's great.'
My stomach has started to churn at the thought of facing Jack Harper again. I haven't felt so nervous since I took my grade one clarinet exam and when the examiner asked me what my name was I burst into tears.
'Well, see you later,' says Katie as we reach the first floor. 'And thanks, Emma.'
'No problem,' I say. 'See you later.'
As I start to walk along the corridor towards the marketing department, I'm aware that my legs aren't moving quite as quickly as usual. In fact, as the door is nearing, they're getting slower, and slower … and slower …
One of the secretaries from Accounts overtakes me, with a brisk high-heeled pace, and gives me an odd look.
Oh God. I can't go in there.
Yes I can. It'll be fine. I'll just sit down very quietly and get on with my work. Maybe he won't even notice me.
Come on. The longer I leave it, the worse it'll be. I take a deep breath, close my eyes, take a few steps into the marketing department, and open them.
There's a hubbub around Artemis's desk, and no sign of Jack Harper.
'I mean, maybe he's going to rethink the whole company,' someone's saying.
'I've heard this rumour he's got a secret project …'
'He can't completely centralize the marketing function,' Artemis is saying, trying to raise her voice above everyone else's.
'Where's Jack Harper?' I say, trying to sound casual.
'He's gone,' says Nick, and I feel a whoosh of relief. Gone! He's gone!
'Is he coming back?'
'Don't think so. Emma, have you done those letters for me yet? Because I gave them to you three days ago—'
'I'll do them now,' I say, and beam at Nick. As I sit down at my desk, I feel as light as a helium balloon. Cheerfully I kick off my shoes, reach for my Evian bottle — and stop.
There's a folded piece of paper resting on my keyboard, with 'Emma' written on it in a handwriting I don't recognize.
Puzzled, I look around the office. No-one's looking at me, waiting for me to find it. In fact no-one seems to have noticed. They're all too busy talking about Jack Harper.
Slowly I unfold it and stare at the message inside.
Hope your meeting was productive. I always find numbers give me a real buzz.
Jack Harper
It could have been worse. It could have read 'Clear your desk'.
Even so, for the rest of the day, I'm completely on edge. Every time anyone walks into the department I feel a little spasm of panic. And when someone starts talking loudly outside our door about how 'Jack says he may pop back into Marketing', I seriously consider hiding in the loos until he's gone.
On the dot of 5.30 I stop typing mid-sentence, close my computer down and grab my coat. I'm not waiting around for him to reappear. I all but run down the stairs, and only begin to relax when I'm safely on the other side of the big glass doors.