Time After Time: A heart-warming novel about love, loss and second chances. Hannah McKinnon Mary
chuckled, holding her office door open for her. ‘Amen to that.’
‘And he absolutely hates me’ She pulled out her chair and flopped. ‘Always has.’
‘You can blame Ronald for that. May the good man rest in peace.’ Tony smiled. ‘No one likes a teachers pet.’
‘You like me.’ She crossed her arms and frowned at him.
‘I do now, but it took years.’ Tony grinned and put his hands in his pockets. ‘Don’t ever ask Angela what I said about you the first day we met.’
‘What do you mean? What did you say?’
‘That a right stuck up wannabe solicitor had joined the firm and I never wanted to work with her.’
‘Hey!’ She threw a handful of paperclips at him. ‘Your wife adores me.’
He laughed. ‘She does. I won’t deny it. Look, Charles always hated that you got along with Ronald better than he did. So ignore him.’ He shrugged. ‘Works for me.’
She smiled. ‘Thanks Tony, I’ll try.’
But ignoring their boss had become impossible, so after Tony left Hayley sat at her immaculate desk and fantasised about pushing Charles in front of a dozen runaway photocopiers, squashing him as flat as her enthusiasm. That wasn’t the only thing she daydreamed about these days. Not by a long shot. What if …? It was a game she caught herself playing more often than she’d ever admit. She shook her head.
Stop fantasising and take action, Hayley!
She pulled out her mobile phone and punched in Isamu Lewis’ number.
‘Isamu Lewis.’
Hayley smiled. The pint-sized head-hunter from Ashford DeVille had the voice of an angel and the killer instinct of a Siberian Tiger. If there was a law job up for grabs in London, Isamu knew about it. She’d sent along a number opportunities over the past few months, none that Hayley had seriously wanted to consider. Not until now. But the excuse of better the devil you know was wearing as thin as Miley Cyrus’ underwear. Particularly as the devil was Charles bloody Simpson.
‘Isamu, hi,’ Hayley said, getting up to close the door to her office.
‘Hayley, how are you?’
‘I’ve been getting more excited about the job with Williamson, and I think I –’
‘Yeah, look –’
‘Have you heard back from them yet? I know I said the commute’s longer but I’ll just have to cope. I’ll dance on the bloody desks at lunchtime for all I care. Just tell me there’s a –’
‘Hayley,’ Isamu said sweetly. ‘Will you shut up for a second?’
‘Sorry.’
‘It fell through.’
‘What?’ Hayley’s voice went up a few notches.
Isamu sighed. ‘Just found out the buggers filled the position internally. I was about to call you.’
Hayley drew a sharp breath. ‘Shit! But they … they said …’
Don’t whine. Don’t you dare.
She cleared her throat, let out a small laugh. ‘So, you’re saying I have to continue dancing on the desks here?’
‘Sorry, hon,’ Isamu said. ‘I’ve tried everything but we have to let this one go.’
Hayley swallowed. ‘Got anything else up your sleeve?’
‘Klingel’s are looking.’
‘Forget it,’ Hayley said quickly. ‘They overcharge and under deliver. I’d rather be broke than –’
‘I was joking.’
Hayley puffed out her cheeks. ‘Oh. Phew. Seriously then, what else do you have?’
‘Nothing at the moment,’ Isamu said. ‘But I’ll call you when I do. Let me see what I can find next month, but then everything will slow down over Christmas, probably until at least mid-January. Okay?’
‘Understood. Let me know if anything comes up. Okay? Anything.’
‘Absolutely. We’ll get you sorted. Got to go. Sit tight for a few months. Bye.’ Isamu hung up.
Sit tight? Here?
‘Oh come on!’ She smacked her palm on the table. ‘I’ve lost the job and another client. Fucking hell!’
She sank into her chair and picked up a photograph of Rick, Millie and Danny. She’d taken it more than two years ago. They’d spent a week at the beach in Cornwall, flying kites and eating wickedly delicious mint-choc-chip ice-cream, running barefoot in the warm sand before flopping down and watching the sunlight dance on the waves. They hadn’t had a family holiday since.
Hayley looked at the photo in its porcelain frame and gently touched the green and red splodges of colour Millie’s little fingers had applied to the Mother’s Day present. She’d been so happy during that week in Cornwall. In love with her husband, with her children, with her life.
Since then I’ve become a permanent customer of Shitty Days R Us.
She sighed again, shook her head and picked up a file, ready to get to work for a client. Before she started reading her notes, she doodled Charles’ face on a yellow Post-it note and wrote ARSE underneath with thick red pen.
*
The moon was high in the sky before Hayley decided she’d better pack up her things – including work she had to do over the weekend – and head home. The air outside was cool, yet she sucked in a big lungful, hoping the damp fog would somehow have a calming effect on her. It didn’t, so she hurried down the street on the way to the tube station, her mind racing and her hands clammy. She’d hoped she’d be rushing back to share good news with Rick, that she’d brought on a new client, finally had some success at work again. They could have done with something positive, maybe they’d even have celebrated a little. Instead she’d be spending the weekend looking for a new job.
Her mobile phone rang and she fished it out of her coat pocket, her steps barely slowing.
‘Hi, Mum,’ Hayley said. At times she even surprised herself at how upbeat she could force herself to sound.
‘Hello, love. How are you? I just wanted to check in. See how you’re doing. I called home but Rick said you weren’t back yet. You’re working late again. Are you okay?’
Hayley plastered a smile on her face and crossed her fingers. ‘Just on my way home. I’m fine.’
‘Really?’
‘Really. How’s Dad?’
‘We’ve had a good day today.’ Tenderness filled her mother’s voice. ‘He’s asleep now.’
‘That’s good. Mum. What about the new medicine? Any difference?’
‘No love. Even if it does help, it won’t be that quick.’
‘Not even a tiny bit?’
‘No. But it’s still early. The doctor said it takes time.’
Hayley cleared her throat as she walked down the steps to the station. ‘And you, Mum? Are you okay?’
‘Yes, I’m fine.’
‘You’re sure?’
‘As good as I can be.’ Her mother sighed. ‘But I was calling to check up on you. Will we see you all this weekend?’
Hayley closed her eyes. ‘I’m not sure yet. I’ll try.’
‘We’d love to see you, if you can.’
‘So