Page 79 of In This Together

‘’Night, Seth.’

19

HANNAH

‘You’re late. Again,’ Andrea snapped before Hannah even made it to her desk outside Andrea’s office.

She was hot, flustered and irritable from a combination of New York’s smouldering early summer and power-walking from the subway station, thanks to TJ’s reflux causing him to need another day off nursery.

‘I’m sorry but TJ was sick and…’

‘TJ is always sick!’ Andrea retorted, storming into her office and slamming a bunch of papers down on her desk.

Hannah would usually back down because, ultimately, Andrea was her boss. But lately, her boss, her friend, whichever personality was turning up to work, was being a dick. And today… today Hannah was in the mood for a fight.

She marched into Andrea’s office, closing the door behind her. ‘What’s your problem today, Andi? Huh? Seems like there’s always something happening in Andrea’s world lately that means she has to treat everyone else like shit.’

Andrea stood behind her desk and crossed her arms. ‘Excuse me?’

‘You heard me. I’m seven minutes late to the office, after having to get an emergency sitter, waiting for her to arrive, then running for my train and missing it by one minute. Then taking the next train and having to run for the subway, then running from the subway to the office. I’m seven minutes late!’

‘Don’t you have a husband? Isn’t the dad supposed to help? What the hell else are they there for? I bet Rod was on time for his new dream job, huh?’

‘No. You do not get to badmouth my husband and my family. I don’t care how long you’ve known me.’

‘I’m not badmouthing him more than any other man. That’s the truth, isn’t it? Women have kids and that’s the end of their life as they know it, while the man, oh he just keeps going to work, or on tour, and doing the things he loves, not giving a damn about you.’

Of course, she did take more weight than Rod. He did swan off to work and leave her in the shit, too often. And, yeah, she needed help. She really needed support with three kids, a hell of a commute, and a full-time job with a freaking cantankerous ass of a boss of late. But she wasn’t going to cry on Rod’s shoulder and beg for help. This was life. This was her life. This was a working mom’s life. She could do it. Damn it, she could manage.

‘Rod gives a damn about me,’ she said. ‘Don’t you ever say he doesn’t.’

Andrea threw her hands in the air, uncharacteristically dramatic, and walked to the window, where the argument seemed to fade into nothing.

‘I know he does,’ Andrea mumbled. ‘I’m sorry, it’s just, if he did more, then maybe you’d have more time, for…’ Then she sighed, her usual straight back and broad shoulders seeming to deflate and taking with them Hannah’s fight.

‘For what?’ But Hannah didn’t need Andrea to answer that question. She never would and Hannah already knew the answer.Me.‘Are we still talking about me being seven minutes late to work here, or is something else going on?’ Hannah asked.

The question seemed to fall on deaf ears, as Andrea continued to stare out of the office window. As she waited, Hannah’s attention was drawn to the bundle of documents Andrea had thrown down on her desk just moments before and in particular, the name blazoned across the front of them.SANFIA RECORDS.

She picked up the papers, feeling Andrea turn and shift her attention to Hannah as she read the sub-headingAcquisition of Stock.

She turned then to face her boss, who stared at her silently. And she knew, this was Andrea’s way of telling her something,withouttelling her.

‘You’re trying to buy Sanfia Records?’ Hannah asked.

Andrea didn’t move or speak.

‘Silly question, maybe, but does your sister know?’

Andrea drew in a breath but didn’t speak.

‘I’ll take that as a no.’

‘I’m not trying to buy Sanfia Records outright, I’m trying to buy Jay out.’

‘Andi, I know you’ve been looking for something to make your mark at Stellar but?—’

‘It’s not about that,’ Andrea said calmly.

---