Page 67 of If I Never Met You

The culture here depended so much on playing the game, they’d all ceased to notice that theywereplaying it.

‘Shall I have a word?’ he added.

‘How? I mean … Why?’

‘In this alt-verse,’ Jamie lowered his voice, ‘you’re my girlfriend, and if a colleague was having a go at my girlfriend, I’d stick up for her. I’m minded to as a mate, anyway.’

‘Thanks, but that would send Michael up like a Roman candle. I think we have to tough it out saying as little as we can.’

Jamie nodded.

‘Also, the idea Michael has a right to an opinion here full stop, makes me fume.’

‘Erm …’ Jamie looked at the ground and scratched his neck.

‘What?’

Seconds later, Dan walked past with another colleague from civil. Catching sight of Laurie and Jamie, Dan boggled, wide-eyed in shock, and looked away.

‘Hi,’ Jamie said, with a small, polite smile. Neither Dan, or the man he was with, spoke. Full blanking. Laurie didn’t acknowledge them, so she wasn’t sure she could legally claim blanking.

‘If looks could kill, I’d be in the ICU at Manchester Royal right now,’ Jamie said.

Laurie gave Jamie a wan smile, heart thumping.

This time, Laurie faced the fact there was no putting the genie back in the lamp. Even if she said SURPRISE, EARLY APRIL FOOL GUYS WE WEREN’T DATING! it wouldn’t help matters now.

She’d had a ‘fling’ with the office scoundrel and that was on her record forever. Dan was perturbed. But not enough to say anything to her. Had she achieved her goal? Was this what she wanted?

‘You’re OK, though?’ Jamie said. ‘You’re not going to let Michael get to you?’

‘Nah,’ Laurie said, with a rueful smile.

‘Right. Here if you need me,’ Jamie said, and squeezed her shoulder. It felt good to have an ally. Then they broke eye contact as it visibly crossed both their minds that this was a moment a real couple might quick-kiss on parting, and Jamie beat a hasty retreat back into the building.

An uncomfortable thought occurred to Laurie, as she returned to her desk – this might benefit Jamie a lot more than her. Jamie’s reputation wasn’t taking any hit for his liaison with Laurie and he might yet get his name above the door. Laurie, meanwhile, hadn’t priced the effect on hers into the policy of upsetting Dan.

What did she have to lose,she’d asked, in devil may care manner. The answer: her good name.

And when she’d said she craved making Dan jealous, she’d omitted a crucial question, one Emily told her she used with her clients: what would success look and feel like to you? (‘Expectation management is crucial or they shoot the messenger, every time,’ she said. ‘That is rule number one. Get them to define it, so the result is provably what they ordered. You’d be amazed how many people aren’t careful what they wish for.’)

What did she need from this revenge campaign? Laurie knew. She absolutely knew, but because it was so silly, so ugly – given a blameless baby was involved – so desperate and beneath her, she had pushed the thought away. And yet. There it was.

She had to face it directly.

She wanted Dan to want her back.

23

It was half an hour until home time, and Laurie longed for 5.30 p.m. like a long lost lover. She used to routinely work late, but she’d started to honour her official clocking off, to the minute. Who or what was going to stop her?

‘She had afuneral,for hercat?’ Bharat said.

‘Noodle was twenty!’ Di said. Laurie was Team Bharat on matters involving Di’s sister Kim, who did appear to be somewhat semi detached from reality, as a healing crystal proponent and anti vaxxer.

‘It doesn’t get less ridiculous with each passing year.’

‘Noodle was known in the area, she wanted to give people a chance to pay their respects.’

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