Take a Chance (38 page)

“What?” Cherie asked as she moved back to sitting on her knees.

“Maybe this is just the wrong time for me to do this. I’m not that old. Surely there will be other opportunities for me to work overseas,” Jem said as she wadded her tissues into a ball.

Jem reached a decision and threw the tissue ball into the bin under her desk.

“I’m going to Mar
k right now and after I lay into him for being such a… a… you know… for trying to stir up trouble I’m going to tell him that he can have the promotion seeing as he wants it so much,” she added bitterly.

Cherie sat back on her heels.

“Oh, no you’re not,” she exclaimed. “Everyone in the company has booked out tomorrow morning so we can see him off on the plane.”

Cherie grabbed the computer mouse and clicked on the task bar to bring up Jem’s day planner.

“You weren’t here when we decided this so I took the liberty of blocking out the time on your planner too,” she said. “See?”

Jem took a moment to glance at the shaded block on her planner covered with balloons, party hats and streamers. She had been wondering what that was all about.

“I didn’t realise after everything he’s done he would be that popular,” she said.

“He’s not,” Cherie confirmed. “We all just want to make sure he goes.”

She stood up.

“And after that plane takes off,
then
we’ll have his farewell party,” she said with enthusiasm.

“I can’t miss that,” Jem said,
feeling a little better.

What had she been thinking to even momentarily consider handing him her promotion? Seeing her nemesis off after all the trouble he had caused would be a pleasure.

“You won’t miss a thing. You’re coming with me,” Cherie responded. “You can be the designated driver.”

Jem’s smile widened. Despite Cherie’s appearance as a good-time-girl she had never known her to have more than one alcoholic drink during an evening out.

“Now whatever you do, don’t give up your promotion. Everything will sort itself out, you’ll see,” Cherie promised as she stood up and made to leave the room.

Jem got out of her seat to follow Cherie to the door.

“Where are you going?” Cherie asked.

“We talked for so long that I need to reheat this,” Jem said as she picked up her hot chocolate. “I’m going to warm it up in the microwave.”

Cherie fell in beside her as they headed off to the staff room as it was on the way to Mark’s office. She’d get back to work. Eventually.

As they approached the staff room an older couple and a younger woman left it. Jem recognised them as the people waiting by the elevator the day before just after Mark learned he had headlice.

“Who are they?” she asked as soon as they were out of earshot.

“Oh, that’s
Duh
-boss’s sister, brother-in-law and niece. They’re up from Christchurch and have been meeting up with
Duh
-boss for lunch.”

Jem considered their interaction the day before as she stuck her drink in the microwave and set the timer. She burst out laughing.

“What’s so funny?” Cherie asked.

Jem explained what Mark had been doing in the elevator and what she had said to Celeste’s parents and sister.

Cherie laughed so much she had to sit down.

“That’s
just so perfect!” Cherie said when she got her breath back. She looked up at Jem.

“Did you know that Celeste
doesn’t get on with them at all because they’re on team Mandy and that Martha expects her and Nate to last a maximum of six weeks down there?” Cherie asked, smothering another laugh. “I doubt Mark will be promoted to the guest house when they go after that performance!”

That brought on another bout of laughter from both of them. When they finally settled down Jem retrieved her mug from the microwave just as Cherie looked at her watch and got up.

“I’ve got to go. Now look after little Cherie and don’t work too hard,” Cherie said and gently patted Jem’s stomach before leaving.

Jem
took a seat at the formica table in the staff room and blew on her hot chocolate. Without any sense of urgency she sipped her drink between pleasant recollections of Mark’s reaction to having head lice in front of his future landlords.

Unfortunately those thoughts soon changed to the topic of the inevitable confrontation she needed to have with him. Her hand tensed on the mug handle
while it rested on the table. While she wouldn’t back away from a confrontation it was out of character for her to instigate one and she wasn’t in any hurry to do so. She paused for longer between sips while her mind raced through the things she wanted to say to him.

Too soon
she reached the dregs and she stared into the near empty mug she held onto. The remains of a marshmallow lay stuck to the bottom as a persistent pink froth despite which way she tipped the mug.

It tasted good
but wasn’t terribly good at fortifying me to what needs to be done
, she thought ruefully. Jem scraped the mug across the table’s surface just to hear the annoying sound. She’d heard of people getting drunk on soft drink simply because they thought it was alcohol. Perhaps she’d be better at getting this over with if she pretended Cherie had spiked her hot chocolate.

Jem considered poking her finger into the bottom of the mug and scraping out the marshmallow. With disgust at herself, she pushed the mug away.

That’s me, delaying confrontation. Anything for a distraction.

She heard someone enter the room behind her. Good. Perhaps she could use the upcoming conversation to psych herself up to take on Mark.

Jem turned her head and watched Mark stroll to the bench and flick the kettle on.

The time has come the Walrus said…

She sucked in a deep breath, got up, closed the door and wedged a chair under the handle.

Neither of them would be
leaving the room anytime soon.

Cherie was waiting when a frazzled looking Eben stepped out of Nate’s office. She grabbed him by the tie and pulled on it.

“What’s up?” Eben asked, looking mildly amused.

She just glared at him and dragged him by the tie into the first empty office she found. Mark’s one.

That figures
, she thought.

After closing the door she hit him on the arm.

“Ow! What’s that for?” Eben asked, looking annoyed.

“You forgot to tell her that you love her when you proposed, you big lug!”

“I’m sure I said I did,” Eben said slowly. “Hmm. Maybe not. Do you think that would have made the difference?”

Cherie threw her hands in the air.

“Cinderella’s fairy godmother only had to interfere once!” she muttered.

“Of course it does,” she said louder, in disgust. “And you let her think you proposed because of the baby because you had earlier told her you didn’t want to be a father.”

“I only said that because I thought she couldn’t have a baby and if I had to choose between her or being a father without her, I choose her,” Eben said defensively.

“Oh,” said Cherie warmly, taken by his words. Then she hardened. “Did you explain that to her?”

“Uh, no.”

She hit him on the arm again.

“Then how is she supposed to know you weren’t lying?” she asked then hit him again.

“Will you stop hitting me?” Eben demanded and grabbed her hand before she could land another blow.

“And you never told her about what you discussed with Martha!” Cherie growled while trying to free her hand. “She doesn’t know you’re going to do your computer stuff remotely and support the new technical staff around looking after little Cherie while she works.”

“We never got that far. My proposal had been refused before I had a chance,” he told her as he dropped her hand and stepped out of range.

“It wasn’t easy putting myself out there and getting refused, you know,” he added. “This is the only time I have ever proposed and it’s not like I wrote down everything I wanted to say.”

“Maybe you should have then you’d be happily engaged today,” Cherie retorted.

“Okay, write notes for my next proposal,” said Eben only half sarcastically, pretending to write on the back of his hand.

“If I ever summon up the courage again,” he added under his breath.

Cherie elbowed him.

“Would you cut out the violence?” Eben said in exasperation. “I’m already wounded enough on the inside.”

Cherie considered him. Without intending to, Jem had worked him over. It was there in the defeated slump of his shoulders and she could tell he hadn’t slept well. As her future best-friend-by-marriage she decided to throw him a bone.

She walked to the door and looked over her shoulder.

“You’re doing something right,” she said. “Jem’s still wearing your ring.”

The smile he gave her as she went out the door was worth it.

If the warm fuzzies fairy godmothers got by helping out were money, I’d be pretty rich by now
, she thought as she wandered back to her desk.

Mark was watching
Jem uncertainly when she moved in front of the chair blocking the door then crossed her arms.

“What’s that about?” Mark asked, indicating the chair by pointing the teaspoon in his hand at it.

“As the potential father of my child I thought you’d know me well enough to know,” Jem said sarcastically.

“Oh, that,” Mark replied weakly. “It was just a misunderstanding.”

Jem raised one eyebrow as she looked at him. “Was it?”

Mark didn’t respond so she continued to stare at him. He looked uncomfortable and she knew he
would crack.

Cherie, I continue to learn from you every day
, she thought with satisfaction as Mark opened his mouth.

“No. You’re right. I purposely misled
Eben and I really am sorry. I need that promotion but I went the wrong way about it and I feel terrible,” Mark told her contritely.

“
Then why do it Mark?” demanded Jem. “I always thought we got along. Why do that to
me
?”

“It’s not personal,” Mark rushed to assure her. “I
t’s just that I love my job and I’m good at it but to keep it I have to be as far away as possible” he added cryptically.

“I don’t understand,” Jem said
with annoyance, confused by his explanation. “Your actions seem pretty personal to me. What difference would distance make to you keeping your job?”

Mark glanced at Jem then clenched his jaw while he studied his hands for a few moments.

“What the hell,” he said in defeat as he took the closest chair, rested his elbows on the table and sank his face into his hands. “It’s all going to come out now anyway. After all I have put you through you deserve to hear it first,” he said, his voice muffled by his fingers.

Alarmed by his actions, so completely at odds with his usual go-getting
behaviour, Jem sank onto the chair beside him.

“I’m listening,” she said cautiously, unsure of what to expect
to hear.

Mark
reluctantly sat up in his chair. What he had to say made his conduct appear even worse and he found that not looking directly at Jem made starting his confession easier.

“About six weeks
ago, shortly after Celeste moved in with Nate,” Mark began “I received a message to go to his penthouse to pick him up for a game of golf. When I got there Nate was out so Celeste offered me a scotch while I waited. One turned into more and next thing I knew I was waking up naked in Nate’s bed with Celeste naked beside me.”

Jem sucked in a
shocked breath.

“I know, I know. I couldn’t believe I could do that to Nate. I was horrified,” Mark continued. “
Celeste was apologetic and said she didn’t know how it happened and we promised each other not to tell Nate. I practically jumped into my clothes and raced to the door.”

“Then what’s the problem?” Jem asked,
then suddenly recalled Mark’s purchase. “Oh. Did Celeste tell you she was pregnant?”

Mark looked at her miserably and nodded. “I know that Nate can’t be the father because he confided to me years ago that he had a vasectomy after Mandy had a difficult pregnancy with their youngest. He didn’t want her to have to go through that again.”

Jem thought that Mark probably wouldn’t want to hear that she’d be surprised if Nate had even managed to consummate his relationship with Celeste. Cherie had overheard Mandy and Martha talking about Nate having a problem that could be fixed with a little blue pill but his doctor refused to put him on it because of his heart problems.

“I guess that doesn’t sound
too good for you,” Jem said into the awkward silence. “But that doesn’t explain why you were the one buying the pregnancy test and not her.”

“
I don’t trust her,” Mark said, slapping his hand on the table for emphasis.

“Why not?”
Jem asked. “Has she told Nate?”

“No, nothing like that.
The day after we went live with the new software Celeste came and asked me to update details in the database for her. Seeing as she doesn’t work here anymore, what she was asking didn’t sound above board so I refused. I mean if it was legitimate she could have Cherie or someone in accounts take care of it, right?”

Jem nodded even though the question had been rhetorical.

“After I said no she got angry and threatened to tell Nate about us so I told her it would be her word against mine. I figured there was a reasonable chance he’d believe me over her without proof.”

Mark didn’t give
Jem a chance to comment in his agitated state.

“N
ext thing I know she comes to me and says she’s pregnant. I thought she had to be lying and was just making the pregnancy up to use as leverage to get me to do what she wanted since she threatened to tell Nate I took advantage of her.”

Mark ran a hand through his hair in disbelief.

“What exactly did she want you to do?” Jem asked curiously.

“She didn’t go into too much detail once she realised I wouldn’t cooperate
without confirming the pregnancy but it had something to do with a couple of companies in our database I hadn’t heard of. It turns out that when the computer software was changed she lost access to whatever she was doing and Nate can’t remember his own password for her to use his.”

Mark continued,
almost to himself, bringing the story back to his betrayal.

“You know, I’ve had sex before after drinking but
never before have I not been able to recall a single detail afterwards. Nate and I are friends outside of work and I just can’t believe I’d do that to him. I left that apartment with a pounding headache and sick to my stomach knowing what I had done.”

It was clear that Mark was distressed by his actions.
Without thinking about it Jem patted his knee sympathetically. Then she caught what she was doing and removed her hand.

“So what does this have to do with my promotion?” she asked.

“Don’t you see?” Mark asked. “If I was in Hong Kong I’d be in exile and enough resources would have been pushed my way that even if Celeste tells Nate the worst scenario she can come up with it’d be a very poor business decision to replace me at such a critical time.”

“Then what’s wrong with Christchurch?” Jem responded
curtly. “You’d still be exiled.”

“I’d hardly be exiled if Nate’s coming down too and bringing Celeste with him. If I’m fired the jobs available
there are more to do with reconstruction of the city. It’d cost most of my savings to relocate again and I’d have a big black mark against me when it came a reference from Sachs Wall.”

Jem bit her tongue to prevent her from saying that perhaps he’d earned the black mark against his name. Instead she ran through everything he’d told her
and asked the question she should have asked earlier.

“So is Celeste pregnant?”