Dee smiled and clasped her hands together. ‘Excellent! And what kind of date? Was it a date that was perhaps extraordinary?’ Dee had been strange today and far too knowing. It occurred to me that she already knew about my date. I would have blamed Simon, but I was pretty sure she’d known before he did.
‘Dee, did you already know about my date?’ I asked warily. I was unaccustomed to being so direct.
She threw her head back and laughed, a cold cackle erupting from her, jerking her shoulders. ‘Joseph Hartley?’ she said, between fits of laughter.
‘Am I missing something?’
‘Last time we met, your findings were a little dull. Let’s just say I arranged a little spice. I was wondering when you would figure it out.’ She winked at me as if to say ‘you’re welcome’. My cheeks flushed. I felt utterly humiliated, not just at the thought of the date being a set-up, but at the thought of Dee, of all people, knowing all about it.
That’s why she’d called me in last week – she was desperate to hear about my ‘chance’ coffee-shop meeting. The bitch! I sat for a moment, silent, my body numb. When I did speak all I could manage was a stupid question, and even then I couldn’t meet her gaze.
‘You sent Joseph to ask me out on a date?’ Obviously she had, but I was so shocked I had to check, even though it wouldn’t do anything to improve the dumb-little-office-girl image I suspected Dee had of me.
‘I did, but don’t pretend you didn’t have a great evening. I’ve known Joseph since university, and I know that he pulls out all the stops on a date. You should be thanking me!’ She sounded defensive. My throat was dry. ‘I can’t believe the imbecile almost blew it by giving you his business card with just an email address on it!’ she scoffed, as I was embraced by a wave of nausea. The thought of the two of them plotting this was too much. ‘Thank goodness you were as desperate as I thought you were. I must admit, I wasn’t sure you’d have the guts to seek him out.’ She laughed triumphantly. It felt like she was expecting me to laugh along, but I didn’t; I couldn’t even fake it. My cheeks burned as I held back tears.
My muscles began to quiver as anger set in. I forced slow and steady breaths before I spoke. ‘I’m humiliated, Dee, that’s what I am. I feel like a prize idiot!’ I glared at her. ‘I want to leave the office right this minute and clear my head. You’ve gone too far this time.’ My hands started to shake, so I crossed my arms and balled up my fists to ensure Dee didn’t get the satisfaction of noticing.
‘Oh come on. He’s a Hollywood-movie-grade bachelor and gorgeous to boot!’ She laughed carelessly, not at all shaken by my reaction. ‘Will you write it up?’ She raised an immaculately micro-bladed eyebrow, ignoring my humiliation and anger.
‘What?’
‘The meeting, the date. I expect it to be in your article, Melissa. Your month is almost halfway through, and you have very little to write about. This is your job!’ The threat in her tone was clear. Could she really sack me if I didn’t write about this?
‘Fine, I’ll write it up in my article,’ I said, my shoulders sagging in defeat. I didn’t know what else to do.
‘Good, then you may work from home for the rest of the day. Calm yourself down or whatever it is you have to do. I’ll see you tomorrow.’
‘Thank you.’ I huffed. I couldn’t believe I was actually being polite to this vile woman. I left her office and went straight to my desk to get my bag and jacket. I stormed back to my desk to pick up my bag and jacket.
‘What’s up with you?’ Simon appeared from nowhere, concern written across his face.
‘I don’t want to talk about it, Si. I’m taking off for the rest of today though. And if a bus hits Dee as she leaves the office, come and tell me straight away. It’s the only thing I can think of that will cheer me up.’ I snatched my bag from the office chair.
‘Ah, that says it all. I knew she must be involved. Are you really not going to tell me what she did?’ he persisted, leaning against the desk and folding his arms to suggest he wasn’t budging until he got some answers.
‘She’s really crossed a line this time. I feel like quitting. I’d rather flip burgers on a Saturday night and move back in with my parents than work for that woman,’ I spat, thrusting my arms into my jacket sleeves.
‘Mel, tell me what she did. You’re worrying me now.’
I took a breath to calm myself down before turning to face Simon. ‘She set up my date with Joseph, orchestrated the meeting, the details, all of it. His turning up in the coffee shop had been arranged – that’s why his Sunday morning coffee was on the other side of the city to his duplex. It turns out he’s an old uni friend of Dee’s, and she asked a favour of him because she thought I was struggling to come up with any interesting material for my follow-up article. That’s why the whole thing was romantic and magical – because it was fake, and shit like that doesn’t happen to ordinary girls like me. I feel like an utter berk!’
I slumped down into my chair, flopping my arms over the side in a sea of hopelessness.Tears welled in my eyes.
Simon stared at me for a moment in stunned silence. ‘I guess that explains why he didn’t have a condom. At least he didn’t take advantage,’ he offered hopefully.
‘I guess so. If there’s one saving grace, it’s that the embarrassment I feel now dwarfs the embarrassment I felt when he didn’t want me in his bed.’ Simon gives me a consoling half-smile.
‘It’s low that, Mel, even for Dee. What are you going to do?’
‘I just need to go home and think about it. The annoying thing is that I hadn’t come up with much to write about, and this was going to be perfect, but now it’s tainted and it’s fake. But if I want to be a successful journalist, maybe putting my feelings aside and writing it up is my best bet. Doing the right thing, filing a complaint – that probably isn’t going to help me. I don’t know. But for now, I’m off.’ I stood up. ‘I’ll see you tomorrow. I may even wear Crocs just to watch Dee squirm as her insides shrivel up in horror.’
Simon rubbed my arm and gave me a small sympathetic smile. ‘Chin up, kid.’
Chapter Fourteen
I arrived home and instinctively checked my mailbox. I could previously have left it for days on end, amassing a collection of cheaply printed promotional leaflets, but now it had become habit, like checking Facebook every two minutes had.
Inside lay a single rose placed neatly on top of a small cream envelope. The envelope simply read ‘Melissa’, beautifully handwritten in black ink. There was no stamp or address, so it must have been hand-delivered. Carefully I ran a fingernail down the crease, tearing it open, and slid out the folded notepaper inside. In the same handwriting it said:
Melissa,
I had a wonderful evening last night, and I hope you did too. If you would allow me, I’d like to take you out again sometime soon? I understand your current predicament regarding technology, so please write to me, or ring my office landline.
Joseph
There was a single ‘x’ underneath his name, followed by his address and telephone number. The cretin obviously hadn’t spoken to Dee when he delivered this – or had someone else deliver it, which was probably more likely. I’d give him credit; he was really playing up to this perfect bachelor role. I tore the note in half and shoved it, along with the accompanying rose, in the bin by the door before stomping up to my apartment. I was done with Joseph and Dee.
I paced the apartment, wondering how much, if anything, of what Joseph had said to me the night before was true. I wondered how long he’d have carried on the charade had Dee not said anything. I wondered how far I would have gone, seduced by his charms, not knowing the lie I was entwined in.
And then I cried. Not tears of loss or rejection, but tears of humiliation. I knew there were people who saw me as a bit of a desperate case, being thirty-five and single, and falling for this ridiculous affair had just proved them right. I was a reject, a cast-off, someone people felt it was okay to poke fun at b
ecause I’d become so pathetic. I wasn’t a strong single woman like Amanda, who saw men as annoying inconveniences if they wanted anything more than a quick fling. I wanted someone to share my life with. I needed someone.
I stomped into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of red wine before dragging myself and it to my bed. I didn’t bother with a glass; the inconvenience of repetitive pouring was avoidable. After a few swigs I started to calm down. I’d come so close to quitting my job earlier and that really could have screwed everything up. Since my freelance work alone didn’t pay enough to live off, I would lose my apartment and have to move back in with my mum and dad if I did, and that would be my rock bottom. I hated Dee, and she deserved to pay for what she’d done, but quitting wasn’t an option – not right now.
There was a knock on the door. Dan. I contemplated not bothering to answer, but he knocked again. Wondering what the hell he wanted this time, I swung open the door. His eyes were red; he was obviously stoned out of his mind. ‘Hi, Mel.’ He stared at me, grinning wildly.
‘I’m pretty low on supplies if you’ve got the munchies, Dan. I can just about offer you a swig of red wine, but I’d rather not.’ His eyes fell to the bottle in my hand.
‘A swig? I had you down as a posh bird. Is everything alright?’ He wore a puzzled expression, maybe realising it was only three-thirty in the afternoon.
‘Everything is fine. What do you want?’ I snapped.
‘I’m sorry, I just fancied a jam sarnie, but I don’t have any jam, or bread. It doesn’t matter.’ His eyes dropped to the floor as he started to turn away.
I sighed, feeling guilty. ‘There’s a Twix in the fridge.’
‘Awesome, Mel, you’re a star!’ A grin spread across his face as he walked in and headed for the kitchen. Dan didn’t seem at all concerned about what I, or anyone else for that matter, thought of him, and I kind of admired that. He had no shame in asking for what he wanted, didn’t feel the need to please people through either his behaviour or appearance, and yet there was something strangely likeable about him. He was a free spirit. I followed him to the kitchen and handed him the Twix.
‘This is great, Mel. You’re the best!’ He’d already opened the wrapper by the time he was back at the front door. ‘And listen—’ He paused and looked at me intently. ‘People can only hurt you if you let them. Keep your head high.’
And with that, he left. Of course he was right. I’d done nothing wrong. I shouldn’t have to suffer that consuming feeling of embarrassment. They should be embarrassed at their underhand behaviour. Once again, Stoner Dan and his eternal wisdom had helped me out – well, Stoner Dan and half a bottle of red.
Chapter Fifteen
I couldn’t believe how nervous I felt. It had been years since I’d felt butterflies like this. I stood in the cold, murky car park outside the ski centre, wondering if Scott would turn up. I kept questioning myself, doubting the arrangements – did he mean this week? Did he actually invite me? Was he just being polite? Did he get my note? The place was much bigger than I’d realised, and if he’d already gone inside I’d have no chance of finding him.
I looked at my watch; it was only six-twenty. I tried to calm myself down. I was still ten minutes early. There was plenty of time for him to arrive. It was times like this I really missed my phone. If I could have just sent him a message to confirm, I wouldn’t have felt so much of an idiot standing there waiting.
Still, it wasn’t for much longer. Just a few more weeks, and then I could finish my article and start applying for jobs whilst I had a bit of a buzz around my name. I had it all figured out. I would storm into Dee’s office and slam my resignation letter on her desk, giving her a full account of why I would never work for her again. I’d leave on a high, and she would regret losing such an excellent member of the team. The thought had been getting me through the week. Until then, I’d keep my head down and avoid her.
‘Melissa? You made it!’ I turned around, startled to see a grinning Scott coming out of the building.
‘Of course I did. How else will I get myself into the 2022 Winter Olympics?’ I quipped, masking my relief.
‘Well, I’m glad you have ambition.’ He smiled. ‘I got your note. It came via first-class mother-mail. Much quicker than regular mail, I find, and interestingly, they deliver at all kinds of times.’ I could only hope my mother hadn’t gone hammering on his door at midnight last weekend.
‘Ahh, yes, more reliable than a Japanese commuter train.’ I replied, returning his humour.
‘It’s been a long time since I’ve received a note from a girl.’ He assumed a wistful look. ‘The last was from one Suzanne Salter in Year Nine, if I remember rightly. Though your spelling is much better than hers was.’ He smirked, jabbing me playfully with his elbow. ‘Anyway, I hope you’re ready for some fun on the piste. I know I am.’
‘I’ve been looking forward to it all week. I did tell you that I can’t ski though, didn’t I? Not “been-once-or-twice” can’t ski; I mean, “never-before-put-a-ski-on-my-foot” can’t ski.’
‘You did, and luckily for you, I’m a BASI-qualified ski instructor, so you’re in good hands.’ He smiled smugly. A man of many talents and surprises. When we headed inside the building, I felt like I’d been transported into the Alps. We were surrounded by wooden-fronted ski shops with fake snow and icicle fringes, and restaurants kitted out in Alpine-themed décor. It all felt quite magical.
As we headed over to pick up our gear, I gazed out of the large glass viewing window. The main slope was huge. The skiers on it looked like professionals, whizzing down the slope, making zigzag patterns in the snow. My awe obviously translated to fear when it appeared on my face. ‘Don’t worry, we won’t be on there today. That’s where we’ll be.’ He pointed out the much smaller beginner slope on the left, and I relaxed a little. ‘We’d better get you kitted up. My gear is already in the changing village.’ Scott wandered over to reception and chatted to some of the staff members. I couldn’t hear the conversation, but he seemed familiar with them, and after a short time a young man came over to assist me with my gear.
‘Brr, it’s freezing,’ I said, jumping up and down at the bottom of the beginners slope.
‘That is one of the main problems with snow, freezing.’ Scott jibed.
‘I know, I know, smart-arse. C’mon then, let’s get this show on the road.’ I was glad to see that there were a few other grown-up novices on the slope with their instructors. Though in my case, ‘novice’ was definitely over-egging my abilities. Uncoordinated, inept idiot was likely to fit me better.
Scott spent a while demonstrating how to stand, how to get a feel for the skis, how to sidestep, slide and turn my feet in and so on. At that point I felt like I was doing pretty well, so I allowed myself to stop listening and drift off for a moment, focusing on how good-looking he actually was.
Perhaps I had noticed at my parents’ house, but it had been overshadowed by our discussion of the embarrassing list and, of course, his impending divorce. In addition to all of that, I’d been so preoccupied thinking about arranging my date with Joseph, being, at that point, still in the dark about what a dick he was. Perhaps Scott had now become a rebound crush, if that was a thing. Either way, he was helping to take my mind off the whole horrifying incident.
‘Are you even listening?’ Scott chided.
‘Yes, yes, of course, sir.’ I smiled flirtatiously. I knew I shouldn’t, given his situation and all, but I couldn’t help myself; he was very easy to flirt with.
‘So come on then.’ He grinned and began sidestepping up the gentle slope. When we got to the top and I peered down, I instantly regretted lying about listening. The slope suddenly looked a lot higher than it had from the bottom. ‘Time to go – put your feet parallel, head up, and push off gently with your poles.’ I did exactly as he said and, to my surprise, started to glide slowly down the slope.
‘Wow, I’m skiing!’ I shouted excitedly, wobbling slightly as Scott
whizzed past me.
‘You’re doing great. Now remember what we said about stopping.’ Stopping? I think I missed that part. ‘Snow plough!’ he yelled.
‘What’s a snow plough?’ I shouted back, confused, but it was too late; I was heading right towards him. He held out his arms to catch me as I bulldozed straight into him, knocking him over and landing right on top of him.
‘I’m so sorry!’ I clasped my hand over my mouth. After a moment, when we realised neither of us were hurt, I saw amusement in his eyes and allowed a giggle to escape.
‘Good Lord, you’re a liability!’ He raised his eyebrow. ‘So, it turns out you weren’t really listening, were you?’ he mock-scolded, his eyes intent on mine.
‘I guess not. I’m very sorry, sir. It won’t happen again.’ I mimicked his pseudo-serious tone and matched his gaze.
‘Guys, do you need some help over there?’ a steward called. We both giggled, untangling ourselves.
‘We’re okay thanks, mate,’ Scott shouted back before lowering his voice to a whisper. ‘Just a subordinate to deal with over here.’ He winked, sending a shiver down my spine – the first shiver not brought on by the snow. Scott jumped up and detached my skis from my feet. He held out a hand for me to grab. ‘I think we’ve covered enough for lesson one, don’t you? It’s time to have a bit of fun.’ He flashed a devilish grin and led me off the slope. ‘Wait here.’ He disappeared back towards reception. I stared after him, puzzled.
He returned shortly afterwards with some boots and helmets. ‘Now we’re going to have some fun.’ Scott took my hand and led me up a narrow rubber pathway by the beginner slope. When we got to the top, I saw what he had in mind.
‘Tubing?’ I said in disbelief.
‘Yes.’ He nodded, pulling a very serious face.
The Secret to Falling in Love Page 13