Drinks 'n Dares

No Work and All Play

Chapter Twenty-five - No Work and All Play

Jon's POV

Monday morning dawned and Claire wasn't the only one insanely nervous. She, however, had a fair reason. It was her first day working for the Nelson Press as a journalist and her nerves seemed as high as her workplace on the sixth floor. Despite the fact that I had assured her that Maureen, the head of the journalism department, was a very friendly, though rather distractable woman, and would take great care of her, she remained unconvinced. I, on the other hand was only insanely nervous, or perhaps just insane, because my traitorous ex had just called and my current fiance was the one who had answered. After seven months of radio silence following her grand exit and betrayal she had chosen now to call me? Now? And when Claire was the one who had picked up the fucking phone?! I was insane to have thought I could keep the truth from Claire. I needed to tell her and desperately. Everything we had, that I hadn't wanted but had come to treasure, could have all blown up in my face yesterday. It could have ended with Claire storming out of my life forever and it would have been acceptable for her to do so. I couldn't exactly just walk up to her and spit it out. That would be disastrous. Oh Claire, by the way I lied to you when I told you there were no important exes in my past. Actually I was engaged for quite some time to that woman who rang you yesterday. Oh yes, she cheated on me and then pretended to be pregnant - no I couldn't say that, it would be ridiculous. I shook my head and picked up two bags of mini bagels from the breakfast bar before getting in the elevator. No. I couldn't do it. I didn't think she'd be insensitive to my story. But she would be out of my life like that.

The elevator doors opened to the design department and Marcus entered as I exited. He held the doors for a moment.

"Morning Jon. Checked up on your girl yet?" he asked.

I shook my head. "No but I'm off to see her after I check in with Harvey."

He nodded to the bags of bagels. "I figured. Ah and I've gotten the financial budget back from Denise for the design and production for February and March. Mind if I have a few words with you about it later?"

"Course not." I said. "Are they overspending again?'

Marcus rolled his eyes. "Artists. Are they ever not?" He went to remove his hand from the elevator but then paused. "Say, how's Stephanie?"

"She's good." I smiled. "Working on a big deal with Japan; busy schmoozing with the best of them. But why don't you give her a call and ask her yourself?"

He smiled and looked down at his feet. "I might do that." looking back at me he said, "Talk to you later. And good luck for Claire." before removing his hand from the elevator.

I nodded to him and once the door had shut I headed for Harvey's area. But a quick glance of the room showed him to be absent. He wasn't at his desk or anywhere else in the room. I sighed. I'd just have to talk to him later. Dropping one bag of bagels on his desk I headed back to the elevator and down to the sixth floor where Claire was having her first day. Unlike the design department that was full of circular tables, drawing boards and computer cubicles the journalism department was neater and rather more flash. All the walls were made of glass, the centre floor boasted a lounge suite and a coffee machine. Sleek desks filled the rest of the room. I had expected to see Claire's blonde head bent over her new desk, hard at work on her first assignment. Imagine my surprise when I instead I found my wayward friend sitting on my fiancee's desk and telling the giggling blonde all manner of embarrassing stories about me. It figured.

"...So that's why he doesn't like cats." Claire chuckled as I approached. She was curled up in her spinney chair. An empty box sat beside her and I could just imagine her setting and then resetting out her belongings over her working space.