Page 40 of A Wish for Jinnie
Jinnie knocked once, heard Mark’s familiar deep voice say ‘Enter’, and strode in. He had his back to her, and was rifling through a stack of lever-arch files. ‘Just give me a second, Ms Witherspoon, and I’ll be right —’
Mark swivelled round in his chair, and his jaw dropped in a manner befitting a cartoon character.
Jinnie sat down opposite and waited for him to regain his composure, which took some moments. ‘What are you doing here?’ he said, staring at her. ‘And why did you pretend to be someone else?’
Seeing Mark flustered and wrong-footed gave Jinnie a buzz of delight. He’d always been so in control (and controlling, if she was totally honest). ‘Nice to see you too, Mark,’ she said, her voice oozing sarcasm. ‘I thought it was time I returned something that really doesn’t belong to me.’ Jinnie opened her bag and produced the ring, its perfect diamond glinting in the overhead lights. ‘Sorry about the subterfuge, but I wasn’t sure you’d want to see someone sounattractive.’She tugged off the cap and sunglasses, delighted to feel her hair fall perfectly into position.
Mark flinched at her words, tugging at his mauve and pink silk tie. A present from Jinnie, if she wasn’t mistaken. ‘Yes, with hindsight, I know I didn’t handle our break-up very well and … well, I’m sorry.’ He regarded her with those hazel puppy-dog eyes which had once reduced her to jelly. Now, she felt absolutely nothing. He wasn’t eventhatgood-looking compared to someone like Sam —
‘Listen, Jinnie, keep the ring. I don’t want it back. Maybe you can get the stone made into a necklace or something.’ Mark got up and walked around the desk. ‘Think of it as a gift: an apology. And can I just add that you look pretty spectacular.’ He moved closer, Jinnie catching a whiff of garlic from his breath. ‘Did you find a new hairdresser? And that dress really suits you…’
Jinnie wriggled off the chair, still clutching the ring. What an oily, arrogant piece of work. She reached out to toss the ring on the table —
‘Oops! Didn’t know you were with a client, darling. Should have knocked.’ There stood Kimberley, holding a takeaway cup and wearing a bodycon dress so tight that Jinnie wondered if they had the same number of internal organs. Sod it! She stopped sucking in her tummy and let it all hang out. Not that there was muchtohang out, but compared to the stick insect Jinnie felt distinctly blobby.But happy and blobby.She grinned.
‘We were just finishing up,’ replied Mark smoothly. ‘Sadly we don’t have anything to offer Ms Witherspoon at present, but I sincerely hope she’ll be back in touch soon.’ He gave Jinnie one of his finestI am a love god, worship at my feetsmiles. Jinnie’s organs shrivelled on the spot.
‘That would be wonderful!’ cooed Kimberley, insincerity seeping from every honed and toned pore. Then she did a double-take. ‘Wait a minute, aren’t you —?’ She placed her cup on Mark’s desk, revealing a ring on her engagement finger — an itsy bitsy diamond that could have been the runt of the litter spawned by Jinnie’s ostentatious offering. Bitchy, but Jinnie couldn’t care less. She watched as Kimberley removed the lid and perched on the end of the desk. ‘It’s Jinnie, right? Why are you pretending to be someone else?’
Jinnie ignored the question. ‘Do you still take two sugars?’ she asked Mark. He shook his head and opened his mouth to speak —
‘There you go!’ She lobbed the ring into the coffee, suppressing a laugh as it splashed hot liquid directly into Mark’s lap. ‘Hope that sweetens things nicely. Cheerio!’
Outside, Jinnie gave a little fist pump, Mark’s roar of pain and outrage still ringing in her ears. She’d love to be a fly on the wall when his new fiancée clocked the size disparity between the two gems.
* * *
‘All done!’Jinnie found Dhassim sitting in a corner, still wearing her sunglasses and drinking a Coke. ‘Think I need a drink myself to celebrate.’ She caught the attention of a waitress and ordered an Aperol Spritz and two bags of peanuts.
Dhassim eyed the lurid orange drink when it arrived, and Jinnie allowed him a sip. ‘Euch! That is disgusting,’ he declared, washing away the taste with a mouthful of Coke. ‘Like the urine of a camel, although I have fortunately only sampled it once.’
Jinnie had no desire to know more of Dhassim’s experiences with camel pee. Now that the euphoria of putting Mark in his place had worn off, she wanted to get home and put her feet up.
‘Why do we have to leave so soon?’ whined Dhassim as they did battle against the tide of shoppers and tourists en route to the station.
Jinnie was about to reply, when a familiar figure came into view. Walking towards them, head down and puffing a cigarette, was Angela.Shit!
‘Get in there now!’ Jinnie manhandled Dhassim into a shop doorway, ripped the hat from his head and tossed it at his feet. ‘Sit down, look sad and stay put till I sort this.’ Damn it, Angela had spotted her.
‘Angela!’ Jinnie threw her arms out wide, nearly knocking down an old lady with a walking frame. ‘Gosh, sorry, are you OK?’ The genteel-looking pensioner muttered an expletive and shuffled on by.
‘Hey, Jinnie. How are things?’ They moved to the side of the road, Angela stubbing out her cigarette on a bin by the bus stop. Her eyes were puffy, her hair flat and greasy.
‘Good, thanks,’ Jinnie replied. She shot a glance at the doorway, but Dhassim was hidden by a mass of bodies. ‘And you?’
Angela shrugged listlessly. ‘Life’s just dumping on me from high, as usual. There’s no way I can afford my landlord’s rent hike, and I’ve a pile of bills that need paying.’
Praying that Dhassim wouldn’t wander off and get into trouble, Jinnie took Angela’s arm and guided her towards a street vendor selling hot drinks and snacks. ‘What do you fancy?’ she asked, the delicious smell of sizzling bacon and sausages filling in the air.
Two sausage butties ordered, they took a seat in Princes Street Gardens. Angela guzzled hers ravenously, Jinnie nibbling the edges, impatient to get back to Dhassim.
‘Aren’t you working at Jo’s now?’ Jinnie said, cursing as a dollop of brown sauce plopped on to her dress. She dabbed at it with a napkin, hoping the stain wouldn’t mean an expensive dry-cleaning bill.
‘Yeah, Jo’s been really kind and wants to offer me more stuff, but it’s bolting the stable door after the horse has gone.’ Angela kicked at a loose stone with her scuffed shoe. ‘I’m looking at renting a cheap bedsit in Edinburgh, maybe finding some work doing alterations or whatever. I’m not lazy, Jinnie, I’m just desperate.’
Jinnie wondered how Jamie would feel if his mum moved out of Cranley. More to the point, where wouldhelive?
‘Anyway, you don’t want to hear me droning on about my sad little life.’ Angela crumpled the buttie wrapper and got up. ‘Thanks for this. See you around.’
