Chapter 22
Chapter twenty-two
Sloan arrived at the office on time, still drinking the coffee Matty had brought; a small thing, but it had set her day on the right track. She was enjoying the treat more than she cared to admit.
Dawn was already at her desk, typing away. She glanced up and smiled. “Good morning, Ms Slater.”
“Good morning, Dawn.”
Sloan swept past, ready to enter her office and close the door, then paused. “Who’s in charge of contracts?”
“That’ll be legal, I think,” Dawn said.
“I know that,” Sloan answered. “I need a name.”
“On it,” Dawn said, pressing buttons on her keyboard, eyes flicking across the screen as she scanned the details. “Lakshmi Chatterjee.”
“Good. Have her come to my office as soon as it’s convenient.” She turned to go, then stopped once more. “And make it clear that this is a private matter—so book it for lunch.”
“Of course. I’ll do that right now.” Dawn watched as Sloan nodded and then entered her office.
Behind her desk, Sloan stood and looked out over the high street, then the square. The memory of watching her mother fly through the square, Matty behind her, brought a smile to her lips. Who would have thought anyone could get Gloria Slater to squeal?
Her gaze shifted towards where Compton’s would be if she could see that far. She’d experienced a similar strange twist of fate once before, years ago, with Maggie.
They’d crunched bumpers in the Waitrose car park, swapped details, and then ended up at the same garage days later. Maggie had gone pink under Sloan’s stare, all fluster and politeness, and Sloan had enjoyed it enough to suggest coffee.
It had been that simple.
The memory of Maggie's restless energy echoed in the way Matty sometimes looked at her—bold, challenging, impossible to ignore.
Dawn’s voice came through the intercom, “Lakshmi is on her way up. She said she has five minutes before she’s in a meeting.”
Sloan took her seat and pressed the button to reply. “Send her straight in.”
Moments later, there was a short, sharp knock on the door, and then it opened.
“Hi, Lakshmi. Please come in. I’ll get straight to the point. I need something drawn up for a private matter—nothing to do with work.” Sloan kept her voice low. “I know you’re the company solicitor, but I don’t have time to instruct someone else.”
Lakshmi’s expression didn’t change, but her eyes sharpened. She took a seat. “Tell me what you need.”
“It’s kind of an HR issue,” Sloan said, palms flat on her desk. “My mother needs a carer while I’m at work.”
“Sorry to hear that.”
Sloan acknowledged it with a stiff smile. “She’s much better, but I need to employ somebody, and I’ve found the perfect person—my mother actually likes her. The thing is, she’s not technically a healthcare worker, so I don’t know what I need in place.
“I want to employ her full-time, and I need a contract that covers everything properly—employment terms, confidentiality, liability, and the basics such as right to work, DBS, insurance.”
Lakshmi glanced at her watch and stood. “I have to go, but yes, I can do that for you. I’ll email you later for the details, and I’ll get something together in a few days.”
She reached out a hand. Sloan stood and took it.
“That would be great. Thank you, and send me the bill.”
When Lakshmi left, Sloan let out a slow breath. If Matty took the job, maybe she’d have a life again.
***
The afternoon film was one of those old black-and-white mysteries Matty remembered watching with her gran. From her seat, she could see Gloria watching just as intently, but she was doing something else too—her chair exercises.
Her right leg lifted more than the left, but she was doing it.
Matty continued to watch the film.
Gloria let her legs rest, exhaling softly. Matty took that as her cue. “Fancy a cuppa, Mrs S?”
“I wouldn’t mind one,” Gloria answered.
“Do you want to make it, or shall I?”
Gloria looked at her. “Me?”
Matty stood up and grinned. “Yeah, you... I mean, you might need a hand, but I reckon you can manage, can’t you?”
Gloria considered it before shaking her head. “No, I don’t think so.”
“Alright.” Matty shrugged, pretending Gloria’s refusal didn’t bother her. “I’ll be back in a minute with a brew.”
By the time she had the kettle filled and boiling, Matty heard the familiar shuffling sound and turned to find Gloria in the doorway.
“Thought I’d come and make sure you were doing it properly.”
Matty chuckled. “You’ve not once complained about my tea-making skills.”
“That’s ’cos I was being polite,” Gloria said, huffing at the exertion.
Matty grabbed one of the chairs from the small table by the door and put it in front of the counter. “If you want to sit.”
“I’m alright,” Gloria insisted. Once she’d got herself steady, she reached out with a shaky hand for a mug from the mug tree. It clanked as she set it down and she repeated the movement for another one.
Matty pulled the tea caddy down, wrenched the lid free, and slid it across the counter.
Without a word, Gloria reached for it and looked in. “Teabags?” She grimaced. “Is this why the tea is so bad?”
Matty giggled. “Maybe. Have you got a teapot?”
Gloria pointed to a cupboard. “Up there.”
The cupboard was too far across the room for Gloria to reach, even if she could, so Matty opened the door. On the middle shelf was a blue and white teapot and she grabbed for it.
“Here you go.”
“Thank you,” Gloria said, taking it from her. “The tea is in the other caddy.”
Matty found it and repeated the motion, lifting the lid to reveal proper tea leaves.
“No sugar for me,” Matty said with a wink. She reached up again, found the milk jug, and brought it down before closing the cupboard door. “I’ll get the milk from the fridge.”
As she closed the fridge door, Matty heard the kettle click off. She turned and watched as Gloria shuffled one step closer and reached for the kettle.
Gloria twisted awkwardly, stretching as far as she could, her right hand trembling with the effort. She wobbled a little as her weight tipped more onto her left side.
As Matty came up beside her and put the milk jug down, she said, “It’s not a failure to ask for help, Mrs S.”
Gloria eased back and righted herself properly. “You’re right. Will you pour?”
“Absolutely.” Matty grinned and took hold of the kettle. “I noticed in the breadbin, there are some biscuits.”
Gloria’s eyes lit up. “Sloan’s favourites?”
Matty shrugged and ignored the fact Gloria had used Sloan, not Joan. “I don’t know… Chocolate chip, I think?”
With her good hand, Gloria flicked the bread bin open and grabbed the packet. “These will do.” She slid them into the pocket of her cardigan and grabbed her cane. Turning slowly, she began to shuffle away again. “You can carry the tray.”
“I’m right behind you,” Matty said, already holding it.
When they were both settled, Matty said, “So, what do you fancy doing this week?”
Gloria nibbled on a biscuit, crumbs dropping with each bite. “We could hike a mountain.”
“We could...but I’d have to buy new boots,” Matty joked. “We could go into town again, if you fancy it?”
Gloria huffed.
“You don’t like that idea?”
“It’s not that. I don’t like the wheelchair,” she admitted. “Although Sloan’s face when she saw us... That was funny.”
“You know she hates it when you call her Joan?”
Gloria shrugged.
“When she starts listening to me, I’ll listen to her.” She picked up another biscuit and took a bite.
Matty watched Gloria, something finally clicking into place.
“What about a mobility scooter?”
Gloria’s eyes lit up. Properly.