Chapter 17
A round midday, I found Adam having lunch with Selena and Katie at the same table in the kitchen. Joel was there too, making a drink and discussing some sports news with Ricardo and Dean.
The two women were chatting, but Adam was looking down and swirling up the last bits of his pasta on a fork.
I cleared my throat, and he lifted his head. Then I beckoned to him to follow me to the meeting room.
‘What have I done now?’ he asked, leaning against the wall and crossing his arms.
After I closed the door, I threw an angry look at him. ‘Have you been telling people that we slept together?’
‘No, why?’
‘Because, apparently, people are saying we’re involved.’
‘What people?’
‘People in the office,’ I said, pausing to let it sink in. ‘If you didn’t tell anyone about us, how do they know? What could make them think we’re together?’
Adam gave me a condescending smile. ‘Just think what you’re doing right now. You dragged me into the meeting room for a little chat in front of half the office staff. And this isn’t the first time you’ve done that.’
Without meaning to, I let out an ‘oh’.
‘I can see the penny has finally dropped…’ he continued. ‘Even if nothing had happened between us, people know we haven’t got much to do with each other workwise.’
‘You’ve made your point. You can go back to the others now. ’
But instead of leaving, Adam took a seat and started browsing a company brochure, which had been left out on the table for visitors.
‘What are you doing?’
‘If they’re already talking about us, it doesn’t matter if I go back now or in five minutes,’ he said. ‘I need a break from them anyway. Selena’s been talking non-stop about her sick dog and it’s doing my head in. Someone needs to shoot her.’
‘Selena?’
‘No, the dog. She’s too old and can’t even move anymore, but Selena and her husband haven’t got any kids, and that dog is like her baby – well, she keeps calling it her baby. She does have two other dogs and five cats. They keep them all inside their two-bed house. Don’t get me wrong; I do like animals, but it must be like living in a rescue centre. Just imagine the smell…’ His face reflected pure disgust. ‘Also, I hear she likes to hoard old Reader’s Digest magazines and rusty old wheelbarrows. Tell me this: is hiring weirdos and halfwits now part of the inclusion and diversity initiative?’
I gave him a tired look, and, shaking my head, left the meeting room.
*
‘Well, I’m off. Have a nice evening, fellas… and ladies,’ Dean said, getting up from his desk and packing away his laptop. But a second later, his cheerful expression turned bitter. ‘Oh shit,’ he said as he pulled his laptop out of its case. It was covered in something shiny and colourful, just like his hand.
‘Ardas really took things to a whole new level,’ Adam whispered to me. ‘It’s like that glitter explosion episode of Peppa Pig .’ I wasn’t sure whether it was shock or admiration in his voice.
When I’d moved out of my small office, the only empty seats were the two either side of him at the round table. For once, I hadn’t thought through what I was doing: basically, I’d left one dragon’s den for another. However, abandoning the move halfway through would have looked silly, so I was stuck with Adam now instead of David.
I raised an eyebrow. ‘You watch Peppa Pig ?’
‘Told you, four nieces and two nephews.’
‘I thought they’d finished with the practical jokes.’ I glanced back at Dean, who was swearing loudly. Jenny, Selena, and Ritha had rushed to his rescue with wet wipes, but the others were still quietly chuckling.
‘Nah, Ardas is just a bit slow. It takes him a while to come up with something. But you missed out on some of the action while you were living in your cave – the Easter egg stunt was hilarious.’
‘Please don’t tell me what that was about,’ I begged, packing up my laptop.
‘Dean decorated some water balloons then filled them with water and… Wait a second – are you leaving already?’
‘It’s five o’clock.’ Technically it was one minute to five.
‘Did I hear that right?’
‘Yes,’ I said, ‘I’m going home – you should go too.’
Lately, I’d been leaving at half past five, but David’s little speech earlier had made me so angry that I thought I’d leave on time for once just to annoy him more. Even if it meant I’d get stuck in the worst rush-hour traffic…
Adam shut his laptop and rose with me. ‘Are you ill?’ he asked.
‘Never been better,’ I replied then shouted across the room, ‘Hey, guys! Ritha, Ricardo, Jordan, Jake, switch off those laptops and get yourselves home. It’s five o’clock.’
‘You do know their names,’ he said quietly as if in shock.
‘Of course,’ I whispered back.
‘So have you any plans for the evening?’
‘Nope.’
‘I bet you’re planning to carry on working at home.’
I shook my head. ‘Not today – I might watch a film.’
‘So you are ill…’
‘Bye, Adam,’ I said, and for once, I was the first one to leave the office.