Page 24 of One Month's Notice

“OK, will someone please explain what is going on?” Lexi threw her hands up in the air.

“These fabrics are from a specialist design house in Paris,” Nat explained, unable to tear her gaze away from the materials in her hands. “It has been my dream to be able to use their designs as part of a project. They only make so much of each of these different fabrics. One day, I might even be lucky enough to visit their boutique. It’s just down the street from the Eiffel Tower!”

“Those are the last few pieces I will get for quite a while now, as the next shipment isn’t due for a few months. Put them to good use, please!”

“Oh I will.” Nat grinned. “I am pulling together a special portfolio at the moment and these might give me just the edge I need to win the contract!”

With the car finally loaded, Nat hugged Mrs Thompson goodbye and promised to visit again soon. Spending time immersed in her passion was just the reminder she needed that she wasn’t ready to let go of her dreams. She was pleased the job with Michael was going well, but it was just a temporary measure until she was back on her feet.

Holding on tight to the box of special fabrics, she closed her eyes and imagined how impressive they would look lining the walls of a luxury country hotel. She smiled to herself as Lexi turned the radio up as loud as it would go, allowing the sensation of hope for the future to build inside her.

Chapter twelve

Wednesday 11th May

“Good morning!” Nat grinned at the security guard, Alfred, as he held the door open for her. “Thank you so much.”

“You’re welcome!” Alfred smiled, giving a little bow.

Nat felt her morning instantly brighten. Alfred had been with the company for years and knew everyone by name. She enjoyed chatting with him and he always had warm words of encouragement for her. His pride and joy were his two grandchildren. He would spend hours proudly displaying photos to anyone who expressed even the slightest interest. His other passion was gardening. Nat didn’t have the heart to tell him she didn’t have a garden. So, she nodded along eagerly to every tip and trick he shared on pruning roses and the right type of fertiliser for the camellias.

“I hope one of those is a latte with hazelnut syrup!” Alfred nodded towards the two cups Nat was holding.

Nat pressed her lips together and lifted them up. “Sorry, these are for me and the boss. Definitely next time, though.”

“I’ll hold you to that.” He bowed again and waved as Nat walked towards the lifts.

She stepped inside and punched in the button for the tenth floor. As she waited for it to creak into life, she glanced at her reflection in the mirror. Her dark hair was pinned up into its usual bun a little more haphazardly than she realised. A few wisps had escaped around her face, and she did her best to tuck them back into place. She had paired her usual black trousers with a soft teal cashmere sweater in an attempt at looking smart. But as she looked at the woman staring back, she realised she still had some way to go before she would properly fit in with the London office crowd. Nat couldn’t keep borrowing Lucy’s clothes—despite her insistence—so Lucy had made her promise a shopping trip after payday as a compromise.

The lift doors opened on the top floor of the office block and Nat stepped out. A muted grey carpet led the way down the corridor and soft light spilled from fittings on the wall. Large windows offered glimpses of the city as the hushed tones of conversations and occasional laughter echoed throughout the modern space.

As she reached Michael’s office, Nat looked through the window and noticed that he wasn’t alone. An unfamiliar woman dressed in a perfectly tailored suit sat across from his desk. Every detail of her appearance spoke of sophistication. From the fitted jacket that emphasised her impossibly narrow waist, the subtle pattern of her silk blouse peeking through, to her fiery red hair cut into a sharp bob.

Nat knocked gently on the door before opening it. As she approached, she noticed the woman’s high heels crossed neatly under the chair—sleek, black, and undoubtedly designer with their red soles. She couldn’t shake the feeling of insecurity, acutely aware of the contrast between her inadequate laid-back outfit and the woman’s impeccable sense of style.

The woman turned and looked at Nat with icy blue eyes. She made no attempt to disguise the fact she was openly examining her from head to toe, scrutinising every inch.

“Good morning. I’m sorry, I didn’t see you had a meeting in the diary,” Nat said, holding up the coffee cups. “Otherwise I would have got more drinks.”

“Don’t worry, this wasn’t a planned meeting. Clara likes to stop by unannounced so we have to drop everything for her.” Michael seemed very at ease with this casual teasing of their co-worker. “You haven’t met Clara yet—she’s our chief financial officer and only just back in the country after meeting with the financial director of our potential investor in the US. By the sounds of it, she has certainly been negotiating a great deal.”

“It’s nice to meet you.” Nat placed Michael’s coffee down on the table, then held her hand out to shake Clara’s. “Would you like me to get you something?”

Clara stood up and took Nat’s hand in hers. Nat shivered at the coolness of her fingers. The phrase ‘cold hand, warm heart’ sprung to mind, but Nat didn’t think there was anything warm about Clara based on first impressions. Even her perfectly manicured fingernails looked like they might be tipped with frost.

“No, but maybe later on you could run out and get something for me.” Clara retrieved her hand, then sat down and continued talking to Michael as if they were alone. “It’s great you’ve finally got some admin to do your errands. Let’s hope this one is better than the last few…” She paused for a moment, visibly considering her next word, “candidates.”

Nat’s eyes widened and she looked at Michael for support. He said nothing—not even a second of eye contact for reassurance. Instead, he gave a little chuckle and scolded Clara with a tut.

“I could do with running through a few things with you for the day.” Nat pulled her notebook from her bag and opened the pages. She tried to squash the sensation that she was intruding into something very private. Clara let out a short, sharp cough and raised an eyebrow at Michael.

“Sorry Natalie, we’ll have to do it later. I need to finish up here before my next meeting.” Michael picked up a folder from his desk and turned his attention to continue the conversation with Clara. Nat flinched at his easy dismissal. Their daily check-in before starting the day properly had become a comforting routine that was slowly building her confidence. This sudden change had put her on the back foot and she left the office with a sense of unease for the day ahead.

Nat sat down at a desk, plugged in her laptop, and flipped the screen up. She stared blankly as she waited for the login box to appear.

“Earth to Nat!” Jamie threw his rucksack down onto the desk next to Nat and waved his hand in front of her face.

The office was set up to encourage people to work wherever they wanted in order to build good relationships across teams. Although Jamie worked in the technical team that generally preferred to sit together, he often made the effort to mingle with others and Nat had enjoyed the few times they had sat near each other. He was great fun and never took anything too seriously, unless there was some kind of security breach. Jamie was able to shift to serious professional mode at the flick of a switch. Fortunately those events happened rarely, so the time passed quickly with their gentle back-and-forth banter.

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