“What?” Ailec spoke sharply into the phone, having been startled out of a brooding stupor by its ringtone.
“Uh... sorry boss. I was just calling to see how you were.”
“Jess?”
“Yes...”
She looked down at her phone, checking the number, “What’re you still doing at work? It’s 6pm on a Friday evening...”
“I was going to ask you that...”
“Jess, I left hours ago...”
“No, I was going to ask you why I’m still here at 6pm on a Friday.”
“Huh, I’m not following you...”
“Well, she’s still here... and I can’t exactly lock up now, can I?”
Ailec took the phone away from her ear again and stared at it for a moment, wondering if she’d completely lost the plot, what with her explosion earlier in her office, and now this.
“Ailec?” Jess’s voice sounded tinny and far away through the phone’s speaker.
“Sorry,” Ailec said, returning the phone to her ear, “I just thought you implied Carmen was still there...” she managed a rueful laugh.
“That’s because she is... now, can you come down here and sort it out so I can go?”
“Uh...”
“Great... see you in a bit.”
#
Ailec slipped back into her office, leaving the door ajar and leaning against the wall next to the opening. She looked at the woman still sitting behind her desk and shook her head, “What are you still doing here?”
“I wanted a chance to explain myself,” Carmen said, shifting in her chair to sit up a little straighter, “and I couldn’t work out how to clean Bertha.”
“So you sat here all afternoon?”
“Yes. I didn’t want to miss your later.”
“My later was going to be much later... before Jess called,” Ailec shook her head again, “I just don’t get you.”
“Look, I can work from here with this,” she held up her phone, “and I didn’t have your personal number. I thought tracking you down at your home may have been crossing some sort of line,” her lips quirked as she shrugged, “so with limited options, here I am.”
Ailec stared at the woman across from her for a few seconds, before poking her head out of the door, “Jess, don’t wait for me. I’ll lock up.”
“Okay,” came Jess’s voice through the opening, “See you Monday.”
Ailec tilted her head slightly at the words and shrugged almost imperceptibly, but didn’t deem to respond. She turned back to Carmen, crossing over to the visitor’s chair and sitting down, “I’m listening.”
“Thank you,” Carmen said, and at Ailec’s nod, continued, “I realise I was relatively tactless in the way I broke the news to you before. I’m sorry for that.”
“Not all your fault, I didn’t give you much of a chance to improve your delivery. I just... care a great deal about... this,” Ailec said, indicating the room around her.
“I’ve... quickly come to realise that,” Carmen smiled, “But I don’t plan to interfere in any way. You would keep full editorial rights, you’d have the final say on all publications. I just... well, I believe in what you’re doing. I think I can help.”
YOU ARE READING
Fancy Love
RomansAilec Stone has a lot on her mind. Her online newspaper is barely turning a profit; she's trapped in a complex relationship with her ex and her investigation of political kickbacks and abuse has her headed for trouble. Complication is following her...
