Chapter Thirty Seven

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To: [email protected]

From: [email protected]

Subject: Re: News

G’day mate!

Good on ya with the new job! Are you battling through it? Is it weird being back in London again? How’s your mum?

The last day on the hill was awesome, but it would have been better with you there. Nothing’s changed much since you left. Rick and me are still going strong, which is a bit of a change from my usual shack-ups. I’ve never really had a boyfriend before, but I’m getting used to the idea. So is he, when he’s not threatening to beat up anyone that looks at us funny if we hold hands on Main Street – fucking funny, though! He’s heading over to Vancouver Island for the summer and I’ll probably go with. Sorry to hear about you and Azzo. No wonder he’s been walking around like a grizzly that got woken up too early.

A lot of people are leaving Fraser with the mountain closed. Stevie left us last week - heading back Down Under to work construction for his dad but he said he might come back next winter. With any luck, so will I. The RFM dudes offered me a job for next season if I want it and if things are still going good with Rick, I reckon I’ll come back. The tips were sweet! Did you get some of the money I owe you? You sure it’s cool that I pay my hospital bill back every month? My mum said she could wire you the money if you need it?

Tazzie and Travis were talking about going to Alaska for the summer, which’ll be bonzer. I’m sure she’ll send you an email soon to tell you all about it. I saw her in the DayLodge this arvo and she said she was going to write soon. Tim says hi too. He’s proper happy cos the foreman at White Lake offered him a permanent job last week, so he’ll deffo be staying put for a while. He might even keep the house if he can get some bodies to fill it when we go.

Anyways, I gotta get a shift on. Hope you’re good. Miss ya, mate x

PS – can’t believe I forgot to tell you the best part. Emily broke her leg on the last day the hill was open. Talk about karma!

‘How’s that proof coming along, Lex?’

I quickly click on the cross icon at the top left of my screen and try not to look too guilty when I see Harley standing behind me. She doesn’t look that impressed, her arms crossed in front of her chest.

‘It’s ready.’ I say, swallowing quickly. ‘I’ll print it out now for you.’

‘Good. Do that.’ she sighs, before walking over to the printer.

Whoops. Carl shoots me a sympathetic look across the desk.

‘Busted?’ he asks. I nod.

‘She’s just stressed about the pitch. Don’t worry.’ he says.

‘I know. But I probably shouldn’t be checking my email in work time.’ I sigh, frustrated with myself.

He shrugs. ‘You’re on your lunch break, and it’s not against company policy last time I checked.’

‘I suppose.’ I say, still feeling uneasy. I’ve been checking my inbox religiously for the last two weeks, hoping against hope that a message from ‘[email protected]’ is going to pop up. No such luck. ‘I hope she likes the new designs.’ I add.

Carl raises an eyebrow. ‘That’s Harley. One minute she thinks you’re the best thing since sliced bread. The next minute you’re the dog shit on her new Nikes. You get used to it.’

‘Really?’ I ask, thinking that things might have gotten easier by now. If anything they’re getting harder and I’m putting in some really long hours. Harley had been so impressed with my first few ideas for the SnowDiva pitch but now she seems to want to go in a different direction, which I’m not that convinced about. I spot her walking back to my desk, a steely look in her eyes.

‘It’s still not girlie enough, Lex.’ She states, looking down at the prints with a frown. ‘We’ve been through this. I want more pink. More pastel colours. More flowers and butterflies and all that shit… Don’t you agree?

My face must have given me away. Butterflies? Seriously?

‘What? If you’ve got a problem, spit it out?’ she snaps.

I gulp, wondering how brave I can be without getting torn off a strip. ‘I thought we were moving away from that. The client brief was really clear – they want to attract the more technical customer. Girls that check how many thousand millimetres of waterproofing tech they’re getting for the money don’t want a pink butterfly on everything.’

‘Just get it changed, Lex. And you’re staying late again tonight – I need help with the presentation boards.’ she sighs, tossing the proofs into the bin next to me and stalking off, leaving me in no doubt that I’ve just been downgraded to dog poop level.

****

‘Lex, it’s half eleven at night. What the fuck are you still doing at work?’ Evie asks, sounding exasperated.

‘I’m sorry, hon. I know I keep bailing on you.’

‘I’m not bothered that you couldn’t come to the gig. I’m just worried about the hours you’re putting in. They’re working you like a slave.’

‘Its just until we finish this pitch. Then things’ll get back to normal. You know what it’s like.’

‘Actually, I don’t but I’ll take your word for it. Honestly, Lex. Surely it can wait until morning?’

‘I’ll be home soon. Don’t wait up, okay?’

‘Okay. But remember to ask your boss to let you leave on time on Friday night. You can’t miss Joe’s birthday.’

‘I know, I know.’ I sigh, suddenly feeling overwhelmed when I think about all the work I have to do by Friday and it’s only Monday. Oh well… this is what life is really like. I just need to get used to it again.

I run into the pub, just as Joe is blowing out the candles on his birthday cake.

‘Jesus, hon. I thought you were never going to make it.’ Evie says, giving me a hug. ‘No offence, but you look terrible. What are you drinking?’

‘Double vodka.’

‘And?’

‘Ice.’ I quip, eager to anaesthetize myself after another hellish day of work. At least the pitch is on Monday and I only have one more day of misery, having promised Harley I’d work on Saturday.

‘Hey stranger!’ Joe grins, coming up behind me and tapping me on the shoulder.

‘Happy birthday, Joe!’ I smile, giving him a hug. Guess he must’ve had a few already because he holds me for longer than usual. ‘I’m so sorry I’m late.’ I add, when he finally lets go.

‘Never mind. You’re here now. Sam mentioned you were putting the hours in with the new job. Sounds like you’ve landed on your feet there?’

‘Kind of.’ I grin. ‘It’s a great agency in terms of reputation, but bloody hell they work you hard! I’m used to a slower pace of life. So, how was Utah?’

‘Amazing. Come and sit down and we can bore everyone with season talk.’

The evening is great, reminding me that life can revolve around something other than work for a change. It’s nice to catch up with some familiar faces and shoot the shit with Joe. He isn’t as drunk as I thought, happily chatting away with everyone at the table.

‘So…’ he grins, taking my hand and giving it a squeeze. ‘Apart from working too hard and living on Evie’s sofa, is life okay? Are you settling back into London?’

‘Yeah.’ I smile. ‘It’s getting a bit easier, but I still think about Fraser every day. It’s almost like I’m weaning myself off booze or drugs.’ I chuckle.

‘That’s exactly what it’s like.’ Joe laughs. ‘I’m really glad you enjoyed it so much.’

‘I enjoyed it too much. I didn’t really want to leave.’

He looks surprised. ‘Then why did you?’

I shrug. ‘Granny died and then I got the job offer. I thought it was time I got back on the grown-up bus, as it were.’

He takes a sip of his pint. ‘Well, if you’re happy to get back on the bus, then that’s cool.’

‘Not really.’ I say, looking down at the vodka in front of me. I must be drunker than I thought because I didn’t plan on saying that. It just came out.

‘You’re not happy to be back at all, are you?’ he asks, his voice soft as he looks into my eyes.

I panic, feeling the tears coming as I start to well up, wiping my eyes. Where did that come from? I’ve definitely hit the tired, emotional and drunk stage. ‘Sorry… I’m just being really stupid. Ignore me.’

‘Let’s get some fresh air.’ He says, standing up and pulling me with him, motioning to Sam that he’s going for a cigarette. We walk out into the mild London evening and find a quiet corner outside the pub. ‘I’m sorry, Joe. I think I’m just a bit over-tired’ He lights up a fag and offers it to me. ‘No thanks.’

He shrugs and takes a long drag, looking down at his trainers. ‘Stop apologising. It’s fine. Evie mentioned you met someone in Fraser? Is that what’s been upsetting you?’

I hurriedly wipe my eyes with my sleeve. ‘Yeah. It didn’t work out.’

‘How come?’

‘We came to a mutual agreement that long-distance relationships never work.’

‘Sure it was mutual?’ he grins sympathetically and takes another puff of his fag.

I return his grin. ‘Yes. You would’ve liked him, you know.’

‘He sounds like a wazzock.’

I snort, a giggle escaping from my mouth.

‘Seriously, Lex… I would never have let you go.’ He adds, looking over at me with an intensity in his eyes that warns me I need to play this very carefully.

‘You’re very sweet, Joe.’

‘But…’

‘But I’m not much fun right now.’ I say, trying to let him down gently.

‘It’s my birthday.’ He grins cheekily. ‘Don’t I even get a kiss?’

I swat his arm and swiftly give him a peck on the cheek. ‘That’s the only kissing your going to get from me. Birthday or not.’

He throws his cigarette down and stubs it out. ‘I can take that. It was a pretty low move trying to get a snog when you were feeling so crap anyway. Shall we go back in?’

‘Yeah, lets. And I’m sorry again Joe. I wish I felt differently because you really are fantastic.’

‘Yeah, but I’m not a ski patroller that answers to the name of Aaron, am I?

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