Page 5 of The Facilitator: Part 2
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Alex had leftfor the day; most of the staff had gone. I was sitting at the desk with report after report to scan through. I heard a slight feminine clearing of a throat and lookedup.
“Lauren, have you got a moment?” Gabriellaasked.
“Of course, can I get you a drink? I thought you’d left withAlex.”
“I’m meeting him in a few minutes. I just need to run something pastyou.”
She took a seat. “I’ve been going through all the staff, where we have any duplicates. I’ve made a list I’d like you to go through. Unfortunately, we are going to have to let go of some. One is Jenny, and I’m not sure where we can place Sallyeither.”
“Okay. It is what it is, Iguess.”
Jenny had been my assistant; and Sally, the elderly and wonderful assistant ofJerry’s.
“I thought you’d prefer that I deal with it,” shesaid.
“Would you give me a day or so? I’m meeting Jerry for dinner, and I know he wants to start another project. I’d like to talk to him about taking themon.”
“Okay, that sounds fair,” shesmiled.
I knew we’d be letting some of my old colleagues go, and it had turned out to be more than we’d anticipated. Trymast had a far more capable team than Jerry did, and integrating the two companies hadn’t proven as easy as originallythought.
“Any decision yet?” I asked. She smiled, knowing what I was referringto.
“I have to go, don’tI?”
“You do. Gabriella, you can’t pass up the opportunity of marrying Alex and starting afresh. He can’t pass up the offer to run all the U.S. operations. I feel a little responsiblethough.”
“How?”
“Mackenzie told me, in not so many words, he wanted to stay in the UK because ofsomething. What he meant was,someone—me. Had that not happened, I doubt there would have been any need for Alex toleave.”
“Aw, honey, you can’t think like that. You’re right, he’s staying put because of you, but isn’t that wonderful? I’m just going to miss you both, that’sall.”
“I’m pretty sure we’ll get to meet up regularly, and we can alwaysSkype.”
“I can’t believe how deep our friendship has become in such a short time. And as for him…” She raised her eyes to the ceiling, to where Mackenzie’s office was, directly aboveus.
“I know. He’ll miss you somuch.”
“It’s time to let go, isn’t it? He doesn’t need me as much as he did, and I’mglad.”
“He’ll always need you, Gabriella. You’re his best friend. I’ll never replace that, nor would I wantto.”
She stood and left the file on the desk. “We need to make sure we spend the next few weeks creating some fabulous memories, for the days when I’ll missyou.”
“We will. Now go before you have me in tears,” I said, with a laugh. “That man of yours iswaiting.”
“And this man is waiting for you,” I heard, as Mackenzie strode into theoffice.
He pulled Gabriella into a hug and I heard a gentlesob.
“Baby, don’t cry, you know I hate that,” hesaid.
It didn’t affect me in the least to hear him use that term, the same word he called me. She was his best friend. She’d loved him, she’d cared for him, and helped him when he’d needed her. I loved that he loved her as a friend. He looked over his head at me and I smiled athim.
“Now look what you’ve done, you look like a hag,” he said, provoking laughter fromher.
