Page 117 of My Year of Saying No
Humphrey wriggled a bit, disinclined to move, but I made to get up and he grumbled once in his chatty way before jumping down on to the floor, resting his paws up against my leg and then following me to the door.
I glanced at my phone on the tiny console table that held my keys and other bits and bobs. It had remained silent all evening. Picking it up, I switched it off and put it back on the table before heading out into the dark with my dog.
* * *
The next morning being a Monday I’d normally have had an email waiting for me with Seb’s agenda and items that needed doing for the charity, together with a time suggestion for a Skype call to go over any points, but which generally just turned into an excuse to have a natter. This morning, however, there was nothing. I checked my spam folder just to see if anything had got diverted accidentally into there, but, other than the usual dodgy rubbish, there was nothing in there. I emptied it, declining the offers of Russian girls, cures for a ‘limp noodle’, which at least brought a smile, and promises to get me laid that day. All good offers, I’m sure, but no thank you. Delete.
I pushed away the thought that yesterday might not only have totalled my friendship with Seb but also have put my income at risk. The charity was a big client – my biggest – and if Seb decided to take his business elsewhere that could put a serious dent in things. Still, I pushed my shoulders back, gave them a couple of rolls for good measure and opened my to-do list. If he chose to do that, he had a contract which detailed that three months’ notice was needed before he could actually leave. That would give me time to source some more clients and hopefully start building them up. I’d managed before and I’d manage again. It was always bad to rely on just one client anyway and although the charity took up a lot of my time, especially at the moment with the gala coming up, it was why I was always keen to keep up with my other clients and make sure everyone was happy. Right now, that was my main concern. I’d made Seb Marshall pretty unhappy yesterday, but I was going to do everything I could to ensure I kept all my other clients onside. On the plus side, I knew I was good at my job. In fact, I was pretty damn great at my job and Seb knew that. If he did decide to take his business elsewhere, good luck with finding someone as awesome as I was.
Having given myself that mental pep talk, I opened the first email I needed to reply to and began typing.
As it turned out, one of my other clients emailed me shortly after, explaining that they’d brokered an agreement at a breakfast meeting first thing, which was turning into kind of a huge deal and involved a lot of extra work. If I put aside the fact that, once I was made Queen of the World, one of the first things I would ban would be breakfast meetings, I was thrilled for them. They were a fairly new start-up and worked hard. This sounded like it could really be their chance to get noticed and get the recognition they deserved, so I was more than happy to dedicate extra time to them and make sure they had everything they needed going forward.
This, together with my regular client work, plus answering emails and messages from Jess as to what I thought about this dress, or that tiara, or these flowers, was keeping me busy. Now she’d blurted it all out about wanting a big wedding, she and Harry had really started planning. Well, Harry was pretty much just saying she could have whatever she wanted, wanting in part to make up for her going along for months with something she hadn’t wanted at all.
‘So, they were pretty horrified when they found out what I’d thought,’ Jess told me after her and Harry’s weekend meeting at his parents’ country pad. She’d suggested that he go on his own initially, but Harry had insisted, telling her he wanted her to hear what they had to say so that she knew. That they were a team and they did things together, now and always. Jess had been a little hesitant. Of course, she wanted to know – but a part of her was concerned about what she might find out.
‘What was the whole small wedding thing about then?’
‘Oh, because when I’d looked at the photos of his sister’s wedding, which was bloody massive, I had kind of gone “Blimey, it looks like everyone and his dog was invited!” and so they thought it might be less overwhelming for me if Harry and I had something more subtle.’
‘Clearly they need to get to know you better if they think you ever do subtle.’
‘I’m going to take that as a compliment.’
‘When it comes to you, it’s meant as one.’
‘Aah, thanks, doll.’
‘Pleasure.’
‘Anyway, so we sat down and Harry just blurts out what I said at dinner the other night. I mean, I love him, but I could have kicked him! It was mortifying!’
‘Sometimes it’s best just to pull the plaster off quickly.’
‘Yeah, I s’pose. So, there’s this long silence, and they’re all looking at me and Harry and each other and then his mum burst into tears!’
‘No!’
‘Yeah! I know! I didn’t know what to do. Harry was just sort of stood there. He looked a bit flabbergasted too.’
‘So, what happened?’
‘Well, then she rushed over to us and just hugged us and said she was so sorry I’d felt like that and how happy they were to be welcoming me into the family.’
‘Aww!’
‘I know. I didn’t know if it was all a bit of fluff to start with. I mean, obviously she doesn’t want to upset Harry, but then she started going on about how she’s never seen her son so happy or having so much fun, and that I’m like a ray of sunshine beaming into their stuffy old house, I think was how she put it.’
‘Oh Jess, that’s lovely! I’m so happy it’s all got sorted out.’
‘Yeah, me too. God, Lots, it was so embarrassing though. When she said that, and she was all teary, I bloody well burst into tears too! I had mascara dripping off my chin! What a flippin’ sight!’
‘Oh no!’
‘I know! Thankfully it just made us all laugh and his mum took me off to the bathroom and helped me clean up and it was really nice. It was kind of this little bonding moment.’
I smiled at the video screen and blew her a kiss. ‘I’m really happy for you both, Jess.’
