Page 3 of (Not So) Mad About You

The Underling’s face turned red and he was opening his mouth but it was too late. Alli was picking up her papers and sweeping out of the room.

Talk about people who weren’t worth her time.

She needed an antacid for her stomach and an aspirin for her head and some kind of vaccination against idiots. Failing all that, she could use a very large drink.

Her phone rang before she’d even got back to her office.

Chapter Two

Bea stepped out of the bedroom and promptly tripped over a box.

“Oh gosh, I’m so sorry,” Marilyn said. “Are you alright?”

“Yes, yes, of course,” said Bea, sitting on the floor and rubbing her stinging shin. “I should look where I’m going.”

“I’m really sorry,” said Marilyn. “I didn’t think you’d be up yet and, well, Rob’s gone to buy milk and I thought I could get some of this stuff moved around and out of the way.”

Bea surveyed her once minimalist living room. There were boxes piled up in all the corners, garment bags slung over the couch, a collapsible treadmill by the coffee table, and a stack of IKEA plastic containers leaning precariously on the armchair. “Out of the way,” she repeated softly.

Marilyn pulled a face. “I know, I know. I’m so, so sorry. It’s all just temporary, just until we find a place. It’s such an imposition.”

“It’s fine,” Bea said, standing up. “Totally fine. I agreed to all of this.”

“I suppose you did, didn’t you?” laughed Marilyn. “Little saint that you are. I’m not sure I’d have done the same in your shoes.”

Bea wasn’t at all sure that she should have done it either, but then, she hadn’t really known what else to do when Robbie came pleading. In the end, it had all been easier just to give in and let him stay than it had to demand anything.

“What about some tea?” Bea said, anything to get the conversation away from boxes and moving.

“Sounds lovely,” beamed Marilyn.

She wasn’t a bad person, Bea reminded herself. A person was not, after all, a simple sum of their actions. And even if she were, she was vaguely sure that Marilyn had done many things in her life, of which stealing Bea’s boyfriend was only one.

“Oh, except Rob’s gone out for milk,” Marilyn reminded her.

Bea gritted her teeth and then forced herself to smile. Paint the smile on and the attitude will follow, she told herself. She also inhaled deeply and thoroughly through her nose, counting in her head before breathing out. Cleansing breaths.

“I’ll get us some herbal tea then, shall I?” she said cheerfully as she dodged boxes in the hallway to get to the kitchen.

“I’ll be off to work in an hour or so,” Marilyn said, following her. “Out of your way, I mean.”

“Oh, okay then.” Bea pushed aside a box of pans to open a cupboard.

“I just mean, um, you know, if you wanted privacy or something.”

Privacy in her very own flat. How lovely. Nope, that was uncharitable and unkind. She was doing a good thing. Robbie and Marilyn could hardly live on the streets, could they? If she practiced kindness, then the world would give kindness back to her.

“I’m actually going out tonight,” she said, filling the kettle. “Speaking of privacy and all. You and Robbie will have the place to yourselves. I’ll be back around ten, I suppose.”

It would probably be better if she had a job to go to. A place to spend all the hours of the day, and then she wouldn’t have to look at Marilyn’s boxes. Or think about what went on in the spare room. It would definitely help on the financial front.

“Oh, that’s lovely,” smiled Marilyn. “Someone nice? I do hope that…” She trailed off a bit.

“Just Liz,” Bea said, saving Marilyn her embarrassment. “Don’t think I’m quite ready to start dating again, to be honest.” Nopoint in saving her that much embarrassment.

“Yes, yes.” Marilyn cleared her throat. “Um, Rob’s told me about Liz. She sounds nice.”

Liz was nice. Liz was a fellow yoga teacher and a good, kind human being. She also had a string of jobs lined up and a lovely husband and a dog and a flat and a life that was even and calm and so lovely that Bea couldn’t help but be a bit jealous of it.

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