Page 76 of The Do-Over

‘Thought so. And he’s been jittery for the last two weeks, so it was clear something was up. Frankly, it wasn’t difficult to work out that the something was you.’

‘Does anything ever get past you?’ I ask her in amazement.

‘I try very hard not to let it,’ she tells me with a smile. ‘I wouldn’t be very good at my job if I did. Now, what’s the plan?’

‘I don’t really have one. I was going to wait here for him to come down and intercept him.’

She laughs. ‘That’s a terrible plan! You really want to have a heart to heart with half of London eavesdropping? Come with me.’ She marches over to reception and, before I know it, I’m sporting a visitor pass and riding up to the sixth floor in the lift with her.

‘What if one of the senior partners sees me?’ I ask nervously.

‘Unlikely. Now, Alasdair’s in with Helen Armitage until twelve, but I’ll secrete you in his office. I’ll have to stay with you until he arrives, of course. Can’t have you rifling through his drawers.’

‘Haven’t you got other things to do besides babysit me? I don’t want to hold you up.’

‘I’ve always got plenty of things to do, but I can do some of them while I’m looking after you, and the others can wait. Have you thought about your wedding dress?’

‘I think that’s a bit premature, Janice!’

‘OK, well, speak to me before you do, that’s all. I’ve given commissions to a number of prominent designers over the years, so they owe me favours. Ah, here we are.’

The sixth floor hasn’t changed a bit since I was last here, but I’m surprised to note that Alasdair has taken over my old office.

‘He asked for it specifically,’ Janice confides. ‘Told the seniors some ridiculous story about feng shui and the trajectory of the sun. I don’t think they believed him for a minute, but they gave it to him anyway. Coffee?’

‘Yes, please.’

It’s over an hour later that Alasdair finally arrives. He doesn’t spot me straight away, so I have a few moments to watch him as he chats to Janice and, more importantly, observe my reaction to seeing him again. I’ve thought about little else other than him over the last two weeks and I was worried that reality might prove something of a let-down, but I can’t help smiling stupidly. He’s dishevelled after an overnight flight, his eyes are bleary and he’s got a dark growth of stubble, but none of that detracts from the joy of seeing him in the flesh.

‘Thea!’ he exclaims as he walks into his office and sees me. ‘What are you doing here?’

‘I needed to see you,’ I tell him as I notice Janice discreetly shutting the door to give us privacy.

‘Are you OK?’

‘I don’t know yet.’

‘What’s up?’

‘You, Alasdair,’ I tell him, alarmed by the sudden wobble in my voice. ‘You’re up. I need to talk to you about the things you said before you went to New York.’

‘Oh.’ There are two chairs in front of the desk in his office. I’m sitting in one and he settles himself in the other. Our eyes meet, but neither of us speaks for a while.

‘I need you to say it,’ I tell him.

‘Say what?’

‘How you feel.’

‘Why?’

‘I don’t know. I’m scared, and maybe it will help.’

‘OK. I love you, Thea. I always have and I think I always will. Your turn.’

‘What?’

‘I told you how I feel. Now it’s your turn. That’s how this works.’

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