Chapter 18
Chapter Eighteen
Five o’clock on the dot and Nigel packed up and left. Ange followed soon after, but Evie waited to talk to Leo. It had been a long, frustrating day, with no meaningful interaction between them bar a short discussion about the social media plan for that week.
‘Is it worth doing anything ?’ Evie had asked, dejected.
‘You’re still getting paid, aren’t you?’ was Leo’s unsympathetic reply.
It had stung more than it should have, and despite knowing she was overreacting, Evie had withdrawn in a huff and stayed huffy until it became obvious Leo was putting all his focus on his own work, and she might as well be invisible. It was turning out to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day, and Evie was seriously considering booking tickets to Australia because at least they had koalas and wombats there as well as man-eating crocodiles.
Once Nigel and Ange had both gone, Evie was sure Leo would drop his guard and they could finally be themselves. But he kept on tapping away like a woodpecker. It was driving her insane.
‘Leo,’ she said. And again, louder. ‘Leo!’
He held up one finger in the officious ‘wait’ gesture. Evie was tempted to lunge forward and bite it off.
A whooshing sound signalled that an email was on its way to its very important destination. Leo looked up to find Evie scorching him with her angry eyes.
‘I’m not apologising,’ he said. ‘We agreed we’d keep work and us separate.’
‘I didn’t think that meant not exchanging one civil word!’ Evie protested. ‘You acted like I wasn’t even here!’
‘I had a lot to deal with today,’ he said, curtly. ‘Just because you’ve checked out doesn’t mean I have to.’
‘That’s low,’ said Evie. ‘As well as untrue. I had a moment of despair, I admit, but I rallied and produced some absolutely cracking content. So there!’
Leo sighed and closed his laptop. Stood up and slung his messenger bag across his chest.
‘See you tomorrow,’ he said.
Evie felt like her world had suddenly upended. Who was this person? And what had he done with her beautiful Leo?
‘What’s wrong?’ she demanded. ‘Why are you being like this?’
His shoulders slumped, as if she was trying the very limits of his patience.
‘I’m tired, Evie,’ he said. ‘I’m tired and I need some time on my own.’
‘That’s totally understandable.’ Evie’s lower lip was threatening to tremble. ‘But you could say it in a nicer way.’
A flicker of shame crossed his face. But all he said was, ‘See you in the morning.’
Then he was gone, leaving Evie fighting tears of outrage and panic.
Evie’s first impulse was to call Nicky. Her best friend had always been there for her. But Evie recalled Nicky’s warning from last night, about her tendency to rush headlong into unsuitable romances. How sympathetic would Nicky be if Evie were to tell her she’d done it again? That once more, she’d fallen for a man who had feet of clay. Who wasn’t emotionally, or in any way, reliable.
What had changed, though? Between Sunday evening, when they’d taken ages to say goodbye, and Monday morning? Had he stayed awake all night regretting everything he’d done and said while he was with her?
It seemed he had. Evie could think of no other explanation. Overnight, Leo had decided Evie wasn’t what he wanted, and now he was walking away. Just like Shaun had, and Tony and Jason. She’d been convinced it was different with Leo, but it wasn’t. Evie had bad instincts; it was as simple as that. When it came to men, she couldn’t trust herself.
Oh, but it hurt ! So much more than it had with the others. With Shaun-Tony-Jason, she’d suffered mainly injured pride, and annoyance that she’d never acted fast enough to be the dumper, not the dumpee. True, there was also the fear of being alone all her life, but Evie’s natural optimism soon put paid to that. She’d meet the right man. She knew it.
She’d thought the right man was Leo. Now, she’d have to pull herself up and start all over again.
Leaving the empty office would be a good first move, Evie decided. It was eerily quiet and dark. Everyone at Double K had switched off their lights and gone home.
Everyone except the person Evie walked into as she rounded the corner by the lifts.
‘Shit!’ she exclaimed, breathlessly. ‘Sorry!’
‘No damage done,’ said a soft voice.
Bloody hell. It was Kev. This day was officially the terriblest, horriblest ever.
‘What are you doing here at this hour, Evie?’ he said.
It sounded vaguely threatening, but then so did everything Kev said, even when he was answering a question like, ‘Two sugars or one?’
Evie realised she’d given up caring.
‘Honestly?’ she said. ‘Licking my wounds. Wondering whether an evil fairy cursed me at birth. Considering joining a silent order of nuns. Stuff along those lines.’
To her astonishment, Kev laughed. It wasn’t a hearty guffaw, more of a dry wheeze, but still. Halley’s Comet came around more often than Kev cracked a smile.
‘They say you should roll with life’s punches,’ he said. ‘Right now, I’d like to hold life down and kick it in the head.’
Evie blurted it out before thinking. ‘You don’t want to sell, do you?’
Kev went very still. There was a deeply uncomfortable pause.
‘No,’ he said.
‘Is there anything we can do to help?’ Evie said. ‘There’s a lot of us who love working here. We don’t want you to sell, either.’
There was another pause. Less uncomfortable. Slightly.
‘Unless you can think of a way to compete with Plumbing Ultra, then no, you can’t help.’ Kev began to move away. ‘But the offer is appreciated, Evie. Thank you.’
‘You’re welcome,’ said Evie to his retreating back.
Halfway home, she was struck with inspiration. It was a long shot, ridiculously long. But nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Trouble is, to get it off the ground, she’d need Leo. Who apparently didn’t want to talk to her ever again.
As she dithered on the footpath, a black cab pulled up beside her. The driver lowered the passenger window and called out, ‘Are you wanting a ride, my duck?’
The novel experience of being called a duck made Evie curious. She peered in. The driver was a woman in her fifties, wearing a pink crocheted bucket hat. She smiled a friendly smile, and several of her teeth were missing. Her skin was dark. Her eyes were greeny-gold.
‘You’re not to heading to Chelsea, are you?’ said Evie. Somehow, she already knew what the answer would be.
‘On my way home,’ said the woman. ‘Hop in, my duck, and I’ll have you there in no time.’