Carrington’s at Christmas: The Complete Collection: Cupcakes at Carrington’s, Me and Mr Carrington, Christmas at Carrington’s, Ice Creams at Carrington’s. Alexandra Brown
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it’s no more than I deserve.
Stealing a look around the screen, I see that James isn’t here and I puff out a little sigh of relief. I turn my phone over inside my pocket and, like I have a million times already, I contemplate calling him. All of a sudden the phone vibrates, signifying the arrival of a text message, and it startles me. My shaking hands lose their grip and the phone tumbles down onto the carpet. I hesitate for a second before reaching down to retrieve it, praying the message is from James. But it’s not, it’s from Eddie.
You ok flower? x
My heart drops with disappointment, but I could do with another perspective so, after squaring it with Annie, I quickly reply.
Chat? x
When I arrive at the door to the staff corridor, Eddie is hovering next to it, his face looking anxious with concern.
‘What’s up, sweet cheeks?’ he whispers, glancing over at the staff lift where a couple of Jo Malone concession girls are within earshot of us.
‘Not here, let’s go for a walk.’ I motion down the corridor and he follows me. I wait until we’re alone.
‘Oh Ed, I’ve ruined everything,’ I sniff, tears threatening again.
‘What do you mean?’ His voice is full of concern.
‘Promise you won’t tell a soul?’
‘You know I won’t, but if it makes you feel any better, then I promise. Cross my heart and hope to die a grisly, gory death,’ he says, before poking his tongue out.
‘I’m serious, not anyone,’ I say, searching his eyes for reassurance.
‘Georgie please, you’re scaring me now. What is it? I give you my word that I won’t breathe a word to another living soul. Not ever! Now please tell me, if you think it will help. But you don’t have to … you know that, don’t you? I’m happy to fuss you and remain oblivious of whatever dastardly deed it is you’ve committed.’
‘I know. And thank you.’ My eyes well up at his kindness.
‘I’ve been seeing someone.’
‘OK,’ he starts, slowly. ‘Do you want to tell me who? Although I’m pretty sure I can guess.’ I blink at him. Silence follows. ‘It’s James, isn’t it?’
I bite my lip and nod.
‘How do you know?’ I ask, suddenly worried that everyone in the store will have noticed what was going on.
‘Honey pie, I know you and, well, I’ve seen the way you two are with each other. Surely it’s a good thing you finally managed to get it together,’ he says, gently.
‘Well yes, it was fun. At least it was until I managed to completely blow it. He thinks I deliberately stole sales commission from Malikov, instead of sharing it like we normally do. You know, as part of this horrendous recession-busting revamp thing.’ Eddie raises an enquiring eyebrow. ‘I meant to tell him, but with Malikov not taking his calls …’ My voice trails off. I know it’s a poor excuse. But I can’t say anything about the necklace and how distracted I was – no matter how strong our friendship is, I just can’t put Eddie in that position, not when he’s The Heff’s BA. He’d be in trouble too … if it ever came out that he knew and didn’t report me. ‘This damn revamp is ruining everything,’ I add, quickly. ‘He was so furious and then I lost it and accused him of bitching to Maxine about me. He knows about Dad too … and well, it’s over.’
‘Well, that explains it, sugar.’ I turn to look at him.
‘What do you mean?’ I could hug him for not judging me.
‘James has pulled out of the team-building weekend. Personal reasons apparently.’ I feel crushed. I’d been clinging on to the thought that I might just be able to salvage something of our relationship over the weekend away, explain properly that I really had meant to share the commission.
‘Oh, sweetheart,’ Eddie puts an arm around my shoulders and I lean into him, grateful for a moment of comfort, ‘I’m sure he’ll come around. He’s a nice guy, probably just overreacting after the way Rebecca did the dirty on him. He’s bound to be a bit sensitive for a while.’
‘I don’t know. Maybe I should try and talk to him. You know, apologise or something.’
‘Could do. But wait until after the weekend and see how you feel then.’
We turn the corner and I open my mouth to reply, but instead we both stop short. Eddie drops his arm from my shoulders. Maxine and Tom are just up ahead of us at the end of the long corridor, and she has her right arm linked through his and her body practically wrapped around his. Her left hand is stroking his chest. The pair of them look very cosy indeed. Rooted to the spot, neither of us moves. Eddie clutches my arm. We wait until they disappear inside one of the stock rooms, the door of which Maxine kicks shut behind them with the spike of her Loub.
‘Did you see that?’ I feel strangely satisfied that I’ve actually witnessed it now with my own eyes, although it doesn’t quite account for the horrible sinking sensation that follows.
‘Yes, very clandestine,’ Eddie sniffs. I feel totally played. I don’t stand a chance of keeping my job when Maxine is in bed with Tom. And most likely James too, for all I know.
*
When I get back to the shop floor, James is back. He looks straight through me as I walk past and I feel like such a fool as the weak smile that I managed to coax onto my face in preparation for seeing him withers away. I make it to my counter and Annie gives me a memo from upstairs, saying Malikov’s associate still hasn’t produced photo ID and address verification so, unless he does, he can’t buy the Bottega bags … the sale is way over the £9,000 limit for one customer transaction. I pick up the phone to call him.
‘Mr Malikov is unavailable,’ a growly voice says. ‘I am his –’ there’s a pause – ‘personal assistant.’
‘OK, this is Georgie Hart calling from Carr—’
‘He is not available,’ the growly voice interrupts.
‘Yes, you said,’ I reply, tightly. I’m not in the mood for this.
‘I will take a message.’
I hesitate, quickly weighing up what to say.
‘Please tell him that it won’t be possible to accommodate the request discussed at our last meeting, and would he kindly let his associate know. It’s just that his associate doesn’t spea—’
‘Yes, he will tell him. Goodbye.’ The line goes dead. I mutter ‘English’ to myself, before hanging up.
After flogging some Cath Kidston gear to a group of Chinese tourists, it’s my lunch break. Deciding on some comfort food to cheer myself up, I make my way to the café. I’m in the queue with a large mug of squirty-cream-topped hot chocolate and two red velvet cupcakes on my tray, when I spot Tom and Maxine further up ahead at the till. Maxine grabs a carton of coconut juice from their shared tray and breezes back past the queue towards the exit. As she passes me she stops short and suddenly turns around to face me. After casting a disparaging glance at my tray, she treats me to her pageant smile and does a big hair shake before breezing off.
Tears threaten again, but I quickly start counting backwards from twenty in my head, an old trick Mum told me about when the school bullies were at their worst. I reach the till and forage in my bag for my purse, wishing again that everything could just go back to how it used to be.
‘I’ve changed my mind on these,’ I mumble to Stacey, pointing to the cakes.
‘Sure.’ She’s just about to take the plate away when Sam appears.
‘It’s OK Stace. You can go on your break now. I’ll take over.’
‘Thanks Sam.’ Stacey disappears and Sam leans around the till with a concerned look on