Page 39 of The Grand Duel
“Mr Aldridge isn’t feeling one hundred percent and has taken Daisy and Luna home for the day.”
“Of course.”
“He’s not always so…”
“Rude,” I finish for her, giving her aIt’s okay, I get itsmile. “It’s fine. He won’t be the first difficult man I’ve had to work with.”
She smiles sadly. “Do you have time for a coffee? We can figure out a starting date and a schedule that will suit you.”
“Sure.”
She walks ahead and towards the door, and I quickly place the photo frame back down on the desk. As I do, I eye a mobile phone on the desk and a briefcase open on the floor.
I catch up with Edna out in the corridor. “Did you say Mr Aldridge had left for the day?”
She sighs. “Yes. He’s coming down with something.”
Please. “He still doesn’t want an assistant, does he?”
“No. But he told me to find one, and I did. A good one, I think.” She smiles across at me. “Give him an hour, and he’ll be knocking on my door apologising to the both of us. He’s not the boss or man you’ve just seen, I can promise you that. You’ll like it here, Lissie.”
I sure hope so.
NINE
Charlie
My new assistant is the woman I fucked at the club on Friday night.
What kind of messed up karma is that?
I was knee deep in a case when Edna showed her in here just yesterday. I’m pretty sure my stomach fell out through my ass when my brain eventually caught up with what I was seeing.
She had crossed my mind already that morning. Thoughts of her on her hands and knees crawling over my lap, blindfold hiding her face. I’d been distracted all weekend because of her and threw myself into the messiest case I could find, and it worked.
Right up until she strolled through my fucking office door.
I lean against my door, listening through the wood to their conversation.
“But if you have any problems at all, or you’re unsure, you can just call me. Or ask Mr Aldridge. He’ll answer any questions you might have.”
I won’t. It’s bad enough I even uttered a word in front of her yesterday. Thankfully she didn’t seem to recognise my voice.
“It’ll be fine. Just give me a couple days to find my feet, and I’ll be on the ball with things. I’ll grab those files and wait in the car.”
Oh god, she’s not coming with me to this morning’s meeting. I wait in the hope that she’s cleared off and then reach for the door handle, but just as I do, there’s a knock against the wood.
Like a panicked child, I make a dash for my desk chair and plant myself down in it. “What?” I snap, sweating.
“It’s me,” Ed sings as she strolls in, leaving the door open behind her. “You have an eleven o’clock at HQ. You didn’t forget?”
“No, I’ll be leaving in a moment.” I swallow and look up at her. “Have…the girl leave the files at reception, please.”
She blisters at that, her eyes widening. “I beg your pardon,” she whispers. “The girl.” She steps back and knocks the door closed with her foot. “What has gotten into you?”
“I told you I didn’t want an assistant, Ed.”
“No. You told me you didn’t want an assistant on the day I had four interviews lined up. I cancelled all but that poor girl and then dealt with it when she showed up here. I let it go. And then you told me to find an assistant.”