Can You Keep a Secret?
Page 47
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'But you and Connor weren't just people! You were the couple. I mean, if you can't make it, why should any of the rest of us bother even trying?'
'Katie, we weren't the couple!' I say, trying to keep my temper. 'We were a couple. And it went wrong, and … and these things happen.'
'But—'
'And to be honest, I'd rather not talk about it.'
'Oh,' she says, and stares at me over the bag. 'Oh God, of course. Sorry, Emma. I didn't … I just … you know, it was such a shock!'
'Come on, you haven't told me how your date with Phillip went yet,' I say firmly. 'Cheer me up with some good news.'
Katie's breathing has gradually calmed, and she removes the bag from her face.
'Actually, it went really well,' she says. 'We're going to see each other again!'
'Well there you go,' I say encouragingly.
'He's so charming. And gentle. And we have the same sense of humour, and we like the same things.' A bashful smile spreads across Katie's face. 'In fact, he's lovely!'
'He sounds wonderful! You see?' I squeeze her arm. 'You and Phillip will probably be a far better couple than Connor and I ever were. Do you want a coffee?'
'No thanks, I've got to go. We've got a meeting with Jack Harper about personnel. See you.'
'OK, see you,' I say absently.
About five seconds later, my brain clicks into gear.
'Wait a second.' I hurry down the corridor and grab her shoulder. 'Did you just say Jack Harper?'
'Yes.'
'But … but he's gone. He left on Friday.'
'No he didn't. He changed his mind.'
I stare at her in disbelief.
'He changed his mind?'
'Yes.'
'So …' I swallow. 'So he's here?'
'Of course he's here!' says Katie with a laugh. 'He's upstairs.'
Suddenly my legs won't work properly.
'Why …' I clear my throat, which has gone a little husky. 'Why did he change his mind?'
'Who knows?' Katie shrugs. 'He's the boss. He can do what he likes, can't he? Mind you, he seems very down to earth.' She reaches into her pocket for a packet of gum, and offers it to me. 'He was really nice to Connor after he gave his little speech …'
I feel a fresh jolt.
'Jack Harper heard Connor's speech? About us breaking up?'
'Yes! He was standing right next to him.' Katie unwraps her gum. 'And afterwards he said something really nice like he could just imagine how Connor was feeling. Wasn't that sweet?'
I need to sit down. I need to think. I need to …
'Emma, are you OK?' says Katie in dismay. 'God, I'm so insensitive—'
'No. It's fine,' I say dazedly. 'I'm fine. I'll see you later.'
My mind is whirling as I walk into the marketing department.
This is not the way it was supposed to happen. Jack Harper was supposed to be back in America. He was supposed to have no idea that I went straight home from our conversation and chucked Connor.
I feel a smart of humiliation. He'll think I chucked Connor because of what he said to me in the lift, won't he? He'll think it was all because of him. Which it wasn't. It so wasn't.
At least, not completely …
Maybe that's why …
No. It's ridiculous to think that his staying has anything to do with me. Ridiculous. I don't know why I'm so jumpy.
As I near my desk, Artemis looks up from a copy of Marketing Week.
'Oh Emma. I was sorry to hear about you and Connor.'
'Thanks,' I say. 'But I don't really want to talk about it if that's OK.'
'Fine,' says Artemis. 'Whatever. I was just being polite.' She looks at a Post-It on her desk. 'There's a message for you from Jack Harper, by the way.'
'What?' I start.
Shit. I didn't mean to sound so rattled. 'I mean, what is it?' I add more calmly.
'Could you please take the —' She squints at the paper. '— the Leopold file to his office. He said you'd know what it was. But if you can't find it, it doesn't matter.'
I stare at her, my heart hammering in my chest.
The Leopold file.
It was just an excuse to get away from our desks …
It's a secret code. He wants to see me.
Oh my God. Oh my God.
I have never been more excited and thrilled and petrified. All at once.
I sit down and stare at my blank screen for a minute. Then with trembling fingers I take out a blank file. I wait until Artemis has turned away, then write 'Leopold' on the side of it, trying to disguise my handwriting.
Now what do I do?
Well, it's obvious. I take it upstairs to his office.
Unless … Oh fuck. Am I being really, really stupid here? Is there a real Leopold file?
Hastily I go into the company database and do a quick search for 'Leopold'. But nothing comes up.
OK. I was right first time.
I'm about to push my chair back when I suddenly have a paranoid thought. What if someone stops me and asks what the Leopold file is? Or what if I drop it on the floor and everyone sees it's empty?
'Katie, we weren't the couple!' I say, trying to keep my temper. 'We were a couple. And it went wrong, and … and these things happen.'
'But—'
'And to be honest, I'd rather not talk about it.'
'Oh,' she says, and stares at me over the bag. 'Oh God, of course. Sorry, Emma. I didn't … I just … you know, it was such a shock!'
'Come on, you haven't told me how your date with Phillip went yet,' I say firmly. 'Cheer me up with some good news.'
Katie's breathing has gradually calmed, and she removes the bag from her face.
'Actually, it went really well,' she says. 'We're going to see each other again!'
'Well there you go,' I say encouragingly.
'He's so charming. And gentle. And we have the same sense of humour, and we like the same things.' A bashful smile spreads across Katie's face. 'In fact, he's lovely!'
'He sounds wonderful! You see?' I squeeze her arm. 'You and Phillip will probably be a far better couple than Connor and I ever were. Do you want a coffee?'
'No thanks, I've got to go. We've got a meeting with Jack Harper about personnel. See you.'
'OK, see you,' I say absently.
About five seconds later, my brain clicks into gear.
'Wait a second.' I hurry down the corridor and grab her shoulder. 'Did you just say Jack Harper?'
'Yes.'
'But … but he's gone. He left on Friday.'
'No he didn't. He changed his mind.'
I stare at her in disbelief.
'He changed his mind?'
'Yes.'
'So …' I swallow. 'So he's here?'
'Of course he's here!' says Katie with a laugh. 'He's upstairs.'
Suddenly my legs won't work properly.
'Why …' I clear my throat, which has gone a little husky. 'Why did he change his mind?'
'Who knows?' Katie shrugs. 'He's the boss. He can do what he likes, can't he? Mind you, he seems very down to earth.' She reaches into her pocket for a packet of gum, and offers it to me. 'He was really nice to Connor after he gave his little speech …'
I feel a fresh jolt.
'Jack Harper heard Connor's speech? About us breaking up?'
'Yes! He was standing right next to him.' Katie unwraps her gum. 'And afterwards he said something really nice like he could just imagine how Connor was feeling. Wasn't that sweet?'
I need to sit down. I need to think. I need to …
'Emma, are you OK?' says Katie in dismay. 'God, I'm so insensitive—'
'No. It's fine,' I say dazedly. 'I'm fine. I'll see you later.'
My mind is whirling as I walk into the marketing department.
This is not the way it was supposed to happen. Jack Harper was supposed to be back in America. He was supposed to have no idea that I went straight home from our conversation and chucked Connor.
I feel a smart of humiliation. He'll think I chucked Connor because of what he said to me in the lift, won't he? He'll think it was all because of him. Which it wasn't. It so wasn't.
At least, not completely …
Maybe that's why …
No. It's ridiculous to think that his staying has anything to do with me. Ridiculous. I don't know why I'm so jumpy.
As I near my desk, Artemis looks up from a copy of Marketing Week.
'Oh Emma. I was sorry to hear about you and Connor.'
'Thanks,' I say. 'But I don't really want to talk about it if that's OK.'
'Fine,' says Artemis. 'Whatever. I was just being polite.' She looks at a Post-It on her desk. 'There's a message for you from Jack Harper, by the way.'
'What?' I start.
Shit. I didn't mean to sound so rattled. 'I mean, what is it?' I add more calmly.
'Could you please take the —' She squints at the paper. '— the Leopold file to his office. He said you'd know what it was. But if you can't find it, it doesn't matter.'
I stare at her, my heart hammering in my chest.
The Leopold file.
It was just an excuse to get away from our desks …
It's a secret code. He wants to see me.
Oh my God. Oh my God.
I have never been more excited and thrilled and petrified. All at once.
I sit down and stare at my blank screen for a minute. Then with trembling fingers I take out a blank file. I wait until Artemis has turned away, then write 'Leopold' on the side of it, trying to disguise my handwriting.
Now what do I do?
Well, it's obvious. I take it upstairs to his office.
Unless … Oh fuck. Am I being really, really stupid here? Is there a real Leopold file?
Hastily I go into the company database and do a quick search for 'Leopold'. But nothing comes up.
OK. I was right first time.
I'm about to push my chair back when I suddenly have a paranoid thought. What if someone stops me and asks what the Leopold file is? Or what if I drop it on the floor and everyone sees it's empty?
