Ravi quickly finished off the brownie and wiped his fingers on a napkin. “Maybe speak to Nico. She seems to have developed a sort of friendship with Scarlett.”
Heather looked surprised. “Nico? Friends with Scarlett?”
Ravi chuckled. “Well, friends might be pushing it a little. But they talk, which is more than Scarlett seems to do with other people.”
Heather looked thoughtful. “That makes sense, Nico does chat with everyone.”
“May I ask why it’s important to you?” Ravi asked.
Heather hesitated a moment, and Ravi wondered if Heather even knew herself. He knew Heather had a big heart. He also knew that Heather was lonely and couldn’t resist a mystery.
“I think Scarlett is struggling,” Heather explained. “And I’d like to help her if I can.”
Ravi wanted to push the point and ask exactly what had given her the idea that Scarlett was struggling. He couldn’t imagine that the cool, collected security officer had gone to Heather seeking assistance.
No, this seemed to be Heather wanting to pull Scarlett into the family environment she had built up amongst Silver Arches staff.
“Are you sure she’s struggling?” Ravi asked. “I’ve tried to get her to socialise with people and she’s declined. Claimed she’s happier to not socialise. I don’t understand it, but I respect it.”
Heather looked thoughtfully at the lid of her coffee. “I don’t honestly know if she’s struggling or not, but I feel that she might be. I’ll feel better once I know either way. I just have a sixth sense that there’s more I can do to help her.”
“And you think knowing more about autism, if she does indeed have it, will help that?” Ravi fished.
Heather shrugged. “She… socialises differently to so many others. Interacts differently. It’s causing a wedge between her and nearly everyone else. If I knew the reason why, then maybe I could figure out a way to help her.”
“Maybe she doesn’t want any help.” Ravi continued to play devil’s advocate.
Heather looked like she wanted to burst out laughing at that. “You think she’s happy with almost everyone disliking her?”
“I don’t know,” Ravi admitted, “but I’m not forcing my own perception of things on her. Especially not if she is autistic. I don’t know much about autism, but I do know that some people view things differently. Some people see an evening at home as lonely; some see it as bliss.”
Heather placed her cup on the table and tapped the plastic top, still deep in thought. “Maybe you’re right,” she allowed. “Maybe I’m projecting my own feelings onto her. That’s not fair; I’ll have to keep an eye on that.”
Ravi sipped his coffee. He’d given Heather something to think about, but he knew that wouldn’t slow her down. Whenever Heather made a decision to do something, she did it. How that would play out with Scarlett, he had no idea.
27
Friday
Heather doodled on her notepad as Simon from marketing finished talking about the upcoming online campaign his team was running.
It wasn’t that she wasn’t interested in what he was saying, more that she didn’t understand impressions and cost-per-clicks. Simon was a numbers man, enjoying going into every small detail of every campaign he ran. Heather was a results person, finding happiness in seeing more footfall.
It didn’t help that it was Friday morning and she was eagerly anticipating leaving work early that day to spend the weekend with her parents.
“Sounds great. Thanks so much for that update, Simon,” Ravi interrupted as Simon attempted to dive into the analytics of his social media strategy.
Everyone around the table knew that if Simon had his way, he’d talk for the entire hour allocated for the weekly head-of-department meeting.
“Is there anything else pressing?” Heather asked before Simon had a chance to suggest he wasn’t finished speaking.
Heads shook and Heather flipped her notebook shut to indicate the end of the meeting.
“Just a quick reminder that I’m out of the office this afternoon, so if you need anything please direct it to Ravi,” Heather added as everyone filed out of the room.
Ravi remained seated, and Heather looked curiously at him.
“I have news,” he confessed.
“Good news or bad news?” Heather asked.
He looked to the door to check everyone had left before turning back to Heather and lowering his voice. “Aurelie is coming back here.”
Heather’s breath caught. “Here here?”
“Yes. I didn’t know how you’d feel about it, but I wanted you to hear it from me first,” Ravi added.
“Thank you,” Heather breathed.
“Have you spoken to her… since the break-up?” Ravi asked.
Heather shook her head. After their break-up, Aurelie had applied for an immediate transfer to the head office and had remained there ever since. They worked in the same company but never heard from each other, which suited Heather just fine. She suspected it suited Aurelie too.
“Why now?” Heather asked.
“I’m not sure. She’s been at head office for three years, maybe she wants a change? Or maybe it’s a promotion? I didn’t find out many details, just that she’s coming back here. Are you okay with that?”
“I’ll have to be,” Heather said. “When?”
“Monday,” Ravi said apologetically.
Heather slumped in her chair. “That soon?”
“It’s been in the works for a while. I only heard about it last night at the pub. Still, at least you have this afternoon and the weekend off.” Ravi grabbed his belongings. “I have to go; I have a meeting with Christine about cleaning products.”
“Have fun,” Heather joked.
“Come say goodbye before you swan off down to Hastings,” he told her before leaving the meeting room.
Heather let out a deep sigh and leaned her head back into the leather headrest of the conference room chair.
As if Intrex and Leo weren’t enough to deal with at work. Now her ex was coming back to Silver Arches.
* * *
“Ah, there you are!”
Heather stopped walking and turned to see Nico waving her down. She smiled and walked over to the small pop-up shop of Gay Days Books.
“How are you, Nico?” Heather asked.
“I’m great. Business is good,” Nico said. “I have a book to lend you.”
“Lend me?” Heather asked. “Aren’t you meant to be selling books?”
“This is how I get you hooked,” Nico explained. “It’s like a free sample of chocolate. Trust me, this works. I’ve gotten some of my best customers this way.”
Heather laughed. “How about I buy one, but you recommend which one I buy?”
Heather liked Nico and wanted to support her. She didn’t get to her shop as often as she would like, but she knew LGBTQ spaces were important.
In her youth she had attended LGBTQ bars and small theatre productions, but as she got older she had stopped going. Then the venues started to close, and Heather felt guilty for not supporting them.
When new bars popped up, she considered going but quickly quashed the idea. It just wasn’t her scene anymore. But if someone opened a lesbian coffee shop, she’d be there in a flash. She’d probably be their number-one customer.
“I’m happy to lend you one,” Nico replied.
“And I’m happy to buy one,” Heather countered. “So, what do you recommend? What’s hot at the moment?”
Nico scrunched up her face and started looking at the selection of books on the counter and on the wall racks.
“Hmm,” Nico said, deep in thought.
“Aren’t you going to ask me what types of books I like?” Heather asked.
“Nah.” Nico waved that away quickly. “I have a feel for these things. It’s an ability; all good bookshop owners have it.”
Heather laughed and waited for Nico to magically divine which book would suit her. A moment later Nico nod
ded to herself and picked up a paperback and handed it to Heather.
Heather turned it over and read the back, quickly deciphering it was a contemporary lesbian romance. Not something she would often pick up, but she assumed it would be a nice and easy read.
“Scarlett’s reading it at the moment,” Nico said. “I’m not sure what her verdict is yet.”
Heather looked up at Nico. “Scarlett? Flynn?”
Nico nodded.
“She’s reading a… romance?”
“With a little arm-twisting,” Nico admitted. “She didn’t like the first one I suggested, but I have a very good feeling about this one.”
Heather didn’t know if she was more surprised to hear that Scarlett was reading a romance or that it was a lesbian romance. She wondered if she was queer or just open-minded.
It wasn’t really her place to ask Nico, but the question still nagged her.
“Sounds good. I’ll take it,” Heather said.
Nico bagged up the book and rang up the sale on her iPad while Heather paid by card. Nico added a rainbow badge and a bookmark to the bag and handed it over to Heather.
Nico looked at her watch. “Actually, it’s Scarlett’s lunchtime, so she’ll probably be in the food court reading it right now. If you want a reading buddy.”
Heather looked at her watch and realised that it was later than she had thought. She was technically off work.
“I don’t think Scarlett would want a reading buddy,” Heather admitted.
“Maybe. Maybe not. Everyone needs someone to talk to now and then, even if they seem like they don’t want to.”
“I hear that some people like their privacy and solitude,” Heather replied, a grin on her face.
“Sounds awful,” Nico joked. “But, seriously, Scarlett is good to chat to if you take the lead.”
Heather didn’t know if that was true or not, but it was all the encouragement she needed to go and say hello to Scarlett anyway.
“Thank you for the book,” Heather said and headed towards the food court.
In the food court she quickly located Scarlett at her usual table. She picked up a pre-packaged sandwich and a drink and made her way over to see Scarlett.
“May I join you?”
Scarlett looked up from her lunch and slowly nodded. As Heather sat down, she noticed it was exactly the same lunch, laid out in exactly the same way, as the last time she’d seen her in the food court.
A small voice reminded her that some of her research had indicated a desire in autistic people to follow similar patterns.
She shook the thought from her mind. She didn’t know if Scarlett was autistic, and it wasn’t her place to analyse her.
“Are you well?” Heather asked casually.
“Yes.”
Heather smiled to herself at the lack of a detailed answer or a question as to her own health. She pointed to the book Scarlett had placed on the table.
“Nico just sold me that very book.”
“We have a… lending arrangement,” Scarlett explained. “Which is in line with centre guidelines on gifts and bribes.”
“I’m sure it is,” Heather agreed. “What do you think of the book so far?”
Scarlett’s cheeks reddened a little, and Heather was surprised and intrigued. She wondered if the content was a little more risqué than the cover indicated.
“It wasn’t my… thing,” Scarlett said.
Heather wanted to ask more, but there was something about Scarlett’s tone and behaviour that told her now wasn’t the time to push. Heather knew all too well that conversations could easily come to a stop with Scarlett if one wasn’t careful.
But she couldn’t help but wonder why Scarlett hadn’t enjoyed the book. Was it too graphic? Was Scarlett straight?
“You’re off work this weekend, aren’t you?” Heather asked, briefly wondering when she had become aware of Scarlett’s schedule.
“I am.”
“Any exciting plans?” Heather asked.
“No.”
Heather laughed. “Okay. Do you have any unexciting plans?”
Scarlett seemed confused by Heather’s laugh and frowned. “No, I have no exciting or unexciting plans.”
“You must have some plans,” Heather pushed.
Scarlett looked like she wanted to sigh at Heather’s continued attempts at conversation, but she didn’t, which Heather thought was progress.
“I may clean my kitchen,” Scarlett allowed.
“All weekend?” Heather drawled.
“Maybe. It will depend on how dirty it is.”
“Do you leave it to get dirty?” Heather asked.
“No. I cleaned it last week.”
“So it’s likely to not be very dirty at all?” Heather pressed.
“I will see this weekend,” Scarlett replied.
Heather chuckled. “Sounds like a very uninteresting weekend to me. Are you looking forward to it?”
Scarlett seemed to consider the question for a moment before she softly shook her head. “No, not really.”
“Why don’t you do something fun? You have your employee discount for here. You can watch a movie at the cinema? Or do some shopping?”
“I don’t find those activities much fun.”
Before Heather had a chance to think what she was asking she spoke. “Do you like dogs?”
“Yes, very much.” Scarlett’s eyes twinkled with interest. It was the first real excitement Heather had ever seen the woman demonstrate.
Heather paused for a second. The invitation was on the tip of her tongue. An internal battle warred for a few moments before her heart won out.
“I’m going to Hastings this weekend to see my parents. They run a dog rescue charity. Why don’t you come down? You could spend the day with us on Saturday. There are frequent trains from London to Hastings, only an hour or two’s journey. You can help me walk some dogs along the cliffs, get some fresh air. What do you think? That’s more fun than cleaning your already clean kitchen, isn’t it?”
For a moment Scarlett looked at Heather as if she had lost her mind, and Heather wondered if she had. Her parents wouldn’t mind her inviting a member of staff to join them for the day; she’d invited people before, but they were staff members who had become friends, people like Ravi. Not people she hardly knew like Scarlett.
It wasn’t an invitation she extended to many people. She could count on one hand the number of people who even knew her parents ran the charity, and now she was inviting the most aloof person she’d ever met.
She wondered if she should retract the invitation before the situation became more uncomfortable.
“Yes,” Scarlett said unexpectedly. “I would like that.”
Heather did her best to cover up her shock. She hadn’t expected Scarlett to agree; in fact, she’d expected Scarlett to cite some buried line from the centre rules handbook that said the centre director absolutely mustn’t ever invite someone she hardly knew to her parents for the weekend.
But Scarlett had said yes. And she’d said she’d like it. Heather didn’t have to search her memory to know that Scarlett had never said she would like something before.
Any hesitation drifted away as she got her phone out of her pocket.
“What’s your number? I’ll text you to arrange the details.”
Scarlett quickly reeled off the digits and Heather saved them.
“I’ll drop you a note later on tonight,” Heather said.
Her eyes caught the clock in the corner of the phone, and she realised she’d better hurry if she was going to miss the Friday afternoon traffic.
“I have to go; I’m running late as usual.” Heather picked up her lunch and stood up. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Scarlett said goodbye and then returned to something she was reading on her phone.
As Heather walked through the food court, she wondered what exactly she’d tell her parents.
It was going to be an interesting weekend.
28<
br />
Welcome to Ore
Scarlett attempted to ignore the two women in the train carriage who were having a very loud conversation about their teenage boys’ inability to clean.
It was difficult to tune them out, even though she had her headphones in and soft jazz music played in her ears. Scarlett wasn’t necessarily a fan of jazz music but found that the many different beats of the songs aided in covering up the incessant, repetitive rattle of the train.
Unfortunately, it did little to cover the sound of middle-aged women who would clearly have been happier if they had never got married and had children.
She shifted in her seat and focused her attention on the countryside whizzing by outside the window. It hadn’t taken long for the busy streets of London to melt away and the countryside of Sussex to take its place.
A brief text conversation the evening before had led to her boarding the nine o’clock train and planning to meet Heather at a train station called Ore an hour and a half later.
Scarlett was baffled as to why Heather had invited her and even more confused about why she had agreed. She had initially wondered if the invitation was an order from her boss, but upon reflection she doubted that was the case.
It had occurred to her that, while not an order, the invitation could still be work-related.
It seemed very unlikely, though not impossible, that Heather would involve her parents in any business discussions with members of staff. There was also the fact that if Heather had wanted to have a conversation away from the office, there were easier locations.
Scarlett couldn’t fathom why Heather would want to have a conversation with her. Tara, as her line manager, would surely be the individual who would speak with her if anything needed to be said.
She had very nearly cancelled, but curiosity had gotten the better of her. And the awareness that, if the invitation was to talk about work, the work talk would no doubt happen at some point anyway.
She turned up the music, from eight to twelve. It was a little too loud, but she couldn’t stand the idea of the volume being set to eleven. She closed her eyes and leaned her head against the window, waiting for Ore.
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