Page 56 of Take a Moment

With a flick of her hair, she struts off with her companion, the two of them whispering and giggling as they go. That’s all I need.

By three o’clock, I’m beyond exhausted and feeling somewhere around one-prod-and-I-may-actually-hit-the-deck.

‘Ready to go?’ Emmanuel pops her head over the divider between our desks.

I grit my teeth. ‘Yes, definitely.’

Locking my computer, I grab my notepad and purse and wait at the end of the bank of desks. As I’m standing there, Felix returns to his desk with a freshly made coffee and gives me a friendly smile.

‘That was a good meeting earlier, Alex. You understand change very well. I am surprised. Most project managers, especially IT project managers, see only the technical side.’

I return his smile, the positive and unexpected feedback giving me a boost I very much needed. ‘Thanks Felix. We’re definitely on the same page.’

‘You’re full of surprises, Alex.’ Dhruv leans back in his desk chair and folds his arms. ‘I reckon you’re actually a spy – James Bond-style. Admit it, this job is just a cover.’

‘You got me.’ I hold up my hands in mock surrender. ‘Seriously though? If all it took to be James Bond was projectandchange management skills, those films would be pretty dull.’

‘That’s true.’ Dhruv puts on a movie trailer voice. ‘Project management super-spy saves the world, one change impact analysis at a time.’

We laugh in response.

‘There’s no hidden superpowers.’ I smile at him. ‘I’m just a regular IT project manager.’

‘That’s what Clark Kent said.’ He eyes me suspiciously and I shake my head despairingly at him.

‘Right, sorry, Alex.’ Emmanuel finally joins me at the end of the desks. ‘What a day it’s been. If every Monday was like this, I’d burn out in no time.’

I offer her a sympathetic look.

We make our way out of the building and across the plaza to the same Italian cafe-restaurant she took me to on my first day. Once we’re seated she orders cappuccinos and toasted panettone, this time not allowing me the opportunity to decline. I wonder if this is to soften the blow of whatever message or feedback she’s about to deliver.

‘How’s your day been?’ she asks. ‘Less hectic than mine, I hope.’

‘I’d say so. I even managed a walk along the canal at lunch.’

‘That’s good. You need to make sure you take breaks.’ She reaches up and fiddles with the huge bun her braids have been pulled up into. ‘I’ve noticed you working through your lunch most days.’

Emmanuel purses her lips, like she’s preparing to say something.

Here it comes. What bomb has Danielle dropped in an attempt to unseat me from my position?

Before Emmanuel can share her thinking, the waiter arrives at our table with our food and drinks. We thank him, then busy ourselves for a moment stirring our coffees and savouring our first bites of panettone.

‘So, what did you want to catch up about?’ I ask to move things along.

‘Right, yes.’ Emmanuel sips at her cappuccino. ‘Now I know you haven’t been here long, Alex. But the feedback I’ve received strongly suggests a need for some kind of intervention.’

‘Feedback?’

This does not sound good.

‘Yes, I’ve been gathering feedback from a range of sources, and I’m confident this is the right time for this conversation, even at this early stage.’

Arangeof sources? I thought Danielle was the only one.

‘This conversation being…?’

‘Oh, sorry, Alex. I’m talking in riddles. Didn’t manage to get lunch. Think my blood sugar is low.’

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