Page 46 of Knotting Hill
I nod.
“Okay, see you inside.” He slides the window back up and drives off, turning down a side road which leads to the parking at the back of the practice.
Inhaling deeply, on the look out for prowling packs, I put my head down and motor forward, stamping up the steps and shoving the door open.
My heart is hammering in my chest.
It leaps into my throat when I see Angela hovering.
“Oh, Storm,” she says. “Might I have a word?”
I nod and gulp, knowing this is it. Sadie is already here, gloating like a fuckhead. I give her a filthy look just to make myself feel better. She sneers and ducks her head as Angela passes by with me trailing after her. She pushes open the side door, and I follow her down the corridor to her office.
“Close the door, please,” Angela says, sitting on the edge of her desk.
I do as she asks and then sit in the chair she indicates with her glasses which she has removed, to peer at me closely.
“About yesterday,” I start, gathering my courage.
“Never mind that,” she says, waving her hand. “It was a bit unprofessional with a client waiting, but you made her day.” She smiles tightly.
“Oh, still. I’m sorry,” I mumble. “So, I’m not fired?”
“Fired?” she asks in surprise. “Why no, of course not.”
“Oh, thanks.” I am shocked and relieved. That doesn’t last long, though, when she leans forward.
“I wonder if I might bother you for anothererrand.” She doesn’t even bother to phrase it as a question.
My heart sinks. Here it is. “Hm?”
“I wonder if you might grab a screenshot of your parents' new patients over the last month.”
I blink.
She doesn’t move a muscle.
I swallow, but my mouth has gone dry, so I cough and splutter, waving my hand around as I panic when I can’t breathe.
“Here,” she says, handing me a bottle of unopened water.
I take it from her and break the seal, ripping the cap off and taking a big gulp. “Sorry,” I gasp. “Sorry.”
She shrugs and smiles. “I believe I’ve been quite accommodating about your outburst to poor Sadie yesterday. Perhaps we could call thisquid pro quo, hm?”
Suddenly, my anger flares up, and I know exactly what I have to do. Without even thinking about it, I stand up and shove the water in my bag, which I sling over my shoulder with more violence than I anticipated. It swings dangerously close to Angela’s face. She rears back and stands up.
“No!” I say loudly, so there is absolutely no doubt. “No, I will not spy on my parents for you. I shouldn’t have done it last time, and Iwill notdo it now. Threaten me with a firing all you like; it doesn’t matter. I quit.”
I don’t even wait for her to say anything. I spin on my heel and march out of the office, hastily walking down the corridor to the back office, trying not to cry. My whole life has just crashed down around me. Without a job, I have no money, and with no money, I can’t keep my flat.
Fuck. Fuck. Keep moving, girl.
I roll into the back office like a cloud of thunder and stride over to my desk. I snatch up the cheque that JP sent to me, knowing I’m going to need every penny. I smile sadly at a shocked Cheryl, who probably assumes I’ve been sacked, and with my middle finger stuck up at Sadie, I storm out of the office and, with trembling hands, shove open the door to the practice, stumbling down the steps as tears fill my eyes.
I sniff and then slam into someone who is built like a brick wall.
“Fuck,” I mutter, sniffing again.
