Chapter 34
‘Thanks for meeting me.’
‘No problem. It’s good to see you, Ella.’
‘It’s really nice to see you too.’ She meant it. They were a sight for sore eyes. She was once again seated on the other side of the coffee table from Jake and Dylan in their little office area. Outside the door she could hear the low hum of Citizens life going on.
‘So, what can we do for you?’ Jake asked.
This was it. She twisted her sweating hands in her lap and swallowed, her throat dry.
‘I— I was wondering if I could have my old job back. If you’d have me, that is.’
‘Ah!’
‘Told you,’ Dylan said, grinning at Jake. ‘You owe me a tenner.’
‘So the research job didn’t work out?’ Jake asked.
‘No. I mean, it’s fine. I haven’t been fired or anything. I just… made a mistake. I’m sorry I left this place. I know it’s a long shot. I’m sure you’ve replaced me by now. But I just thought I’d ask – in case.’
‘Don’t ask, don’t get,’ Jake said.
‘Yes. Exactly.’
‘Well, we’d love to have you back,’ Jake said, ‘but—’
‘We did take on someone else,’ Dylan finished for him.
‘Right, okay.’ She nodded.
‘She’s no you, but she’s pretty good and we’d have no reason to let her go. So I’m afraid we can’t give you your old job back.’ Jake glanced at Dylan as he said it, and they exchanged a look she couldn’t decipher.
‘No, of course not. I wouldn’t expect that.’
‘Anyway, how’ve you been?’ Dylan asked.
‘I’m okay.’ She gave him a shaky smile. ‘I’ve screwed everything up, but I’ll be fine. How are things going here?’
‘Great!’ Dylan beamed. ‘We’re all systems go, getting the new urban collection together.’
‘It’s been hectic,’ Jake said.
‘Are you still doing karaoke?’ she asked wistfully.
‘Of course. Never too busy for a bit of fun.’
‘And how’s my replacement working out at that?’
‘Fantastic,’ Dylan said. ‘She does a mean Kiki.’
‘Oh.’ It was ridiculous how gutted she felt at that. ‘Well, I’d better let you get on. Thanks for your time. It was nice to see you anyway.’ She got up to go.
‘You too. We told you don’t be a stranger. And you’ve been a stranger.’
‘Sorry.’
‘Yes, don’t let that happen again, young lady,’ Dylan said. ‘You should join us for karaoke on Friday.’
‘And the door’s that way,’ Jake said, pointing to it.
As she turned to go, she heard them laughing and calling to her.
‘Ella, don’t go!’
‘Come back!’
She turned around to find them beckoning her over.
‘We were only kidding.’
‘What? I don’t—’
‘Your replacement is crap at karaoke.’
‘Oh.’
‘Hasn’t got a note in her head.’
‘Sit down,’ Dylan waved to the sofa opposite them and she lowered herself into it uncertainly, not sure what was going on.
‘Sorry, we were just kidding around,’ Jake said. ‘Of course we want you back.’
‘But you said… you can’t just give my replacement the sack. You said she hasn’t done anything wrong.’
‘No, we can’t give you your old job back,’ Dylan said. ‘That part is true.’
‘There’s another position we’d like to offer you.’
She looked at them in bewilderment.
‘It’s something new that’s just opening up,’ Jake told her.
‘Oh?’
‘Like I said, we’re getting ready to launch the urban collection, so we’re going to be expanding, and we’d love for you to be part of that. How would you feel about taking over as Head of Marketing?’
‘Oh!’ she gasped. ‘Seriously?’
‘Would you be up for it?’ Dylan asked eagerly.
‘It would mean a lot more work,’ Jake said.
‘And a salary increase, of course.’
Ella smiled. ‘Well, I still think your interview technique needs a lot of work. But I’d love it.’
‘So that’s a yes?’
‘Yes, please! I accept.’
‘Yes!’ Dylan pumped a fist triumphantly. ‘The gang’s back together.’ He and Jake high-fived each other, grinning, then turned to Ella, palms up.
‘Seriously unprofessional.’ She laughed as she high-fived them both. It felt good to be back.
* * *
If only she could fix her relationship with Roly so easily, she thought as she made her way back to Trinity.
But she didn’t expect him to forgive her.
There was a limit. She’d just have to accept that and move on.
At least she’d be kept busy at Citizens.
She’d have no time to mope about Roly. Now she just had to break it to Hazel.
‘Oh thank goodness!’ Hazel’s reaction to the news that she was leaving wasn’t quite what Ella had been expecting. She was relieved her friend wasn’t upset, but it wasn’t very flattering.
‘Not that there’s any problem with the job you were doing,’ Hazel hastened to add, reaching out across the table and putting a hand over Ella’s.
After work, they’d gone for a drink in a little wine bar off Grafton Street.
‘You’ve been nothing but conscientious, and I can’t think of anyone who’d do a better job. ’
‘Oh. Okay…’ Ella frowned, confused.
‘But your heart isn’t in it. I can see that you’re miserable, and I feel guilty that I pressured you into it and dragged you away from a job you really enjoyed.’
‘Sorry. But you didn’t pressure me into it – not at all. I really thought it was what I wanted. I guess I wasn’t thinking very clearly at the time.’
Hazel nodded. ‘You shouldn’t make big life decisions when you’re heartbroken.’
‘That’s what Dylan said.’ Ella sighed. ‘I guess I needed to feel I was in control of something in my life – that I could go after what I want and get it. So I changed the thing it was in my power to change. But what I really want…’ She shrugged. ‘There’s nothing I can do about that.’
‘Nothing from Roly?’
Ella shook her head. ‘No, not a word. I don’t expect there to be.’ She took a sip of wine and put her glass down. ‘Anyway, I hope I haven’t made things too difficult for you.’
‘Not at all.’ Hazel shook her head emphatically. ‘You know there are lots of people who’d love that job, and I already had someone else lined up if you didn’t take it.’
‘Good. I’m glad at least I’m not fucking up your life as well as my own.’
* * *
The following evening, Ella was in her bedroom, chilling out before dinner when there was a ring at the door. She heard voices and when she went to the top of the stairs, she was astonished to see Loretta standing in the hall.
‘Ella, hi!’ She looked up at her with a soft smile. ‘I just came to drop off your cardigan – you left it at Mum’s.’ She lifted a plastic bag. ‘And I wanted to have a word.’
‘Sure,’ Ella said, descending the stairs towards her with some trepidation. ‘We can go in here.’ She jerked her head towards the living room.
‘Dinner will be about fifteen minutes,’ her mother said, giving her a sympathetic look.
‘Thanks for bringing this,’ Ella said as Loretta handed her the bag. They sat side by side on the couch. ‘There was no need.’
‘I really wanted to see you,’ Loretta said. ‘We’ve missed you at Pilates.’
‘Yeah, sorry about that. I’ve… been busy.’
‘And Mum was expecting you at her knitting club last night.’
‘Oh, was she? I assumed… I mean, now that Roly and I have split up, I didn’t think—’
‘It doesn’t mean we can’t still be friends, does it?’ Loretta frowned enquiringly. Ella realised it wasn’t a rhetorical question. ‘It feels like you’ve been avoiding us. Which is fine,’ she added quickly. ‘But we didn’t want you to feel you have to. We’re very fond of you, Ella.’
Ella sighed. ‘Roly hasn’t told you why we broke up, has he?’
‘No, he hasn’t. But I know he’s miserable about it.’
Ella swallowed hard, tears welling in her eyes. She hated to think of Roly being unhappy, especially knowing she was the cause of it. ‘I know how he feels,’ she whispered, looking down at her hands.
‘Oh, love.’ Loretta put an arm around her. ‘I didn’t mean to upset you. But surely it’s nothing that can’t be fixed. If you’re both so miserable without each other—’
Ella shook her head, swiping at her eyes. ‘It can’t. It was my fault, and I think it does mean we can’t be friends. It’s not that I don’t want to be. But when you know what I did—’
‘There was no cheating, was there? Roly said—’
‘No, nothing like that.’ She took a deep breath, and looked Loretta in the eye. She had to face up to this squarely – no more lying or obfuscating. So she told her the whole story.
‘That photograph…’ Loretta breathed when she’d finished. ‘It was you?’ Her chin wobbled, and then she did the strangest thing. She threw her arms around Ella and hugged her so fiercely it took her breath away.
* * *
‘Dinner’s up,’ Ruth said as they both emerged from the living room. ‘Loretta, have you eaten? Would you like to stay for a bite?’
‘Oh, thanks, but I won’t impose.’
‘You’re not imposing. The more, the merrier. I’d love to have a proper chat.’
Loretta looked at Ella uncertainly as if asking her permission.
‘Stay,’ Ella said. ‘If you’d like to.’
‘In that case, thanks, Ruth. That would be lovely.’
‘Great! Come and meet my sister, Nora.’
Loretta got on famously with her mother and aunt, and dinner was fun.
Nora and Loretta compared horror stories about internet dating and laughed until tears were rolling down their faces, and Loretta loved hearing about Ruth and Nora’s recent trip, listening raptly as they told her about their adventures.
‘I’d love to travel,’ she said wistfully. ‘I mean travel properly like that – not just go on holidays. But I didn’t have the money when I was younger and, anyway, I had Roly.’
Ella tried not to flinch at the mention of him, but she was aware of everyone darting her anxious looks, and an awkward silence fell, as if his name was taboo.
‘Then when I could afford it,’ Loretta continued, ‘all my friends had settled down and I had no one to go with. I didn’t fancy it on my own. It’s hard when you’re single at my age. My friends are great, but at the end of the day, they have their own families.’
‘We’re lucky to have each other,’ Nora said, nodding at Ruth.
‘You are.’ Loretta smiled. ‘Anyway, I’ve met this lovely man – a good one for a change,’ she said in an aside to Nora, ‘and we’re planning a trip to India next year.’
‘Oh, lovely! That’s next on our list,’ Ruth said. ‘Nora’s been, but a long time ago.’
‘I’ve wanted to go back ever since,’ Nora said.
‘So tell us more about this man,’ Ruth said, pouring more wine.
‘His name’s Mike. We met on a dating site, but we moved onto private messaging very quickly.
It’s funny, I feel like I’ve known him my whole life, and we’ve never even met.
We’ve spent hours and hours messaging and talking on the phone, of course.
But he’s moving here next weekend, and that’s the first time I’ll see him. ’
* * *
‘Mike’s finally coming, then?’ Ella asked Loretta later as she saw her to the door.
‘Yes. He still can’t get access to his money, and the bank are no help. So I sent him some cash and paid for his flight, and we’ll sort it out when he gets here.’
Ella felt a creeping dread.
‘Don’t tell Mum, if you see her,’ Loretta added in a rush. ‘It’s just a loan. I know he’ll pay me back straight away once everything’s sorted out. But if Mum found out, she’d think I was being taken for a ride.’
Her cab arrived before Ella could say anything more. She hugged Ella goodbye and made her promise she’d come back to Pilates if she wanted to, and visit Christine.
‘I know Mum will feel the same way I do,’ she said, and then she was gone.
* * *
‘Loretta’s lovely, isn’t she?’ her mother said as Ella helped her clear up. ‘Would it be awkward for you if we inducted her into our gang?’ Her mother and aunt loved finding new people to bring into their circle.
‘No, not awkward for me at all.’ She thought of what Loretta had said about all her friends being coupled up. ‘I think Loretta would really like that. Besides, you’re three grown women. I’m not going to police your friendships.’
It had been good to see the three of them getting on so well tonight and having fun.
But what Loretta had said about Mike niggled at her, and she wished she hadn’t promised not to say anything to Christine about the money she’d given him.
She was more convinced than ever that Loretta’s ‘boyfriend’ was a scammer.
But she couldn’t voice her concerns to Loretta in front of her mum and Nora – it would be too humiliating for her – and then she didn’t get a chance on the doorstep.
Maybe it was just as well. She should have learned her lesson about interfering in other people’s lives.
And it was possible she was wrong and Mike was on the level.
She hoped so. Either way, it was none of her business and she should stay out of it.