Wags To Riches (22 page)

“Yes - let me just make a drink and then I will be right with you,” he says.  “Anything wrong?” he asks.

“No no
t at all” I say and smile.

After I have spoken to my supervisor who was very nice about it and said that he would be sorry to see me go, I go and see Personnel.  I’ve never really got on with Michelle, the Personnel Officer.  She isn’t the sort of person to invite confidences and she has this annoying singsong voice, which she obviously thinks makes her sound quite friendly and helpful but is quite irritating really.  I still walk down the corridor to her office with a broad smile on my face though.  I can’t quite believe I am doing this.  I am actually going to leave Delightful. 

I knock on the door of Michelle’s office.  “Come in!” she calls.  I go in and Michelle looks up from her desk.  “Hello Gail, take a seat.  So you are leaving us are you?”

“I am” I say and give her my letter of resignation.

“Right – well there are just a few questions I need to ask you – as part of your exit interview,” Michelle says.

“Fire away” I say cheerfully.

“So where are you going to?” she asks.  “Have you got another job or are you going to study…?” she trails off and looks at me expectantly.

“Neither” I say, “I’m going to be a lady of leisure”.

Michelle raises her eyebrows.  “A lady of leisure?” she repeats, puzzled.  “But how will you manage?”  Then her face clears.  “Oh yes.  The footballer” she says slowly - like Adam is some kind of
hideous disease - and takes a sheet of paper out of a file.  “But Gail, what will you do all day?” she asks.

“I daresay I’ll find something,” I say brightly.

“Oh I think I’d be quite bored, just sat about all day.  I like to work” Michelle murmurs and smiles at me, but the smile doesn’t quite reach her eyes.

“Well – it’s lucky that I’m the one that’s leaving then and not you” I reply softly, smiling more widely.

Michelle doesn’t answer, but makes some calculations on a piece of paper.  After a moment she looks up.  “It looks from your leave sheet” Michelle says, “that you have taken one day’s leave more than you are entitled to as it is accrued throughout the year so that will be deducted from your final pay.  Not that a slight pay deduction matters to you of course!” she adds with a stiff little laugh.

You cow I think furiously to myself.  I won’t let her annoy me.  “Well – absolutely” I say smoothly, “I mean Adam earns so much money, I will be struggling to spend it all each week really”.  Michelle looks at me and doesn’t reply.

“Is that everything?” I ask.

“Yes I think so,” Michelle says and I go to the door.  “Gail?” she calls and I turn round to face her.  “I do hope it works out for you,” she says in a tone of utmost insincerity.  “When – sorry I mean –
if
it ends, you can always come back”.

“Thank you!” I say and look at her sat behind her desk in a cheap blue polyester suit.  “You know what Michelle?” I say, “Blue isn’t really your colour.  I’d say it was more green” and go out the door.  Damn – that felt good I think to myself and grin as I go back downstairs.

It is surprising how fast the last few weeks at work go.  One minute I’d got three weeks left at work, and then suddenly it’s my last day.  I
don’t do any real work – just bequeath my spider plant off my desk to Alex, give my pencil pot to Jill, empty my desk drawers of rubbish and that’s about it.  I go out to the shops about eleven o’clock and buy a cake for everyone, which is warmly received and sort out what time to meet everyone for a drink later.  I’m going to get ready at Alex’s so I’m going straight to hers from work.

“We’ll have a quick bite to eat before getting ready to hit the town” Alex says.

“Great” I reply, as I read a text message from Adam.  “Adam has sent me a text to say he’ll pick me up later.  Will you need a lift home?” I ask Alex.

“No – I’ll get a taxi back with Dave thanks” Alex says.  “Can’t believe this is your last day Gail!”

“I know” I reply smiling.  “I can’t believe it either!”

At five o’clock, everyone starts putting coats on, shutting windows, clicking on voicemails and switching off computers and I switched mine off for the last time.  “That’s it then- my work here is done!” I announce to the office at large as I stand up and push my chair under the desk.

“See you later!” Jill calls as she goes out.

“Yeah – see you later!” I say.

“Come on Gail!” Alex calls from the door.

“Alright I’m coming!” I reply and look round the office once more before following Alex out of the door.  I go to reception and hand in my keys and security pass before walking across the car park to where Dave is waiting for us both in the car.

“Well that’s it then Gail!” Alex says, grinning at Gail.  “As of now you are officially a lady of leisure!  You don’t work at Delightful anymore!  How does it feel?”

“It feels great,” I say grinning back.  “I can’t quite believe it”.  No more invoices to add up!  No more orders to sort out!
  Yessss!

“Are you looking forward to your leaving do tonight?” Dave asks as we get into the car.

“Oh yes!” I reply as he drives us home, “Adam’s bought me a new dress to wear as well”.

Alex turns in the front seat so she can see me in the back.  “I thought we would have fish and chips for tea if that’s okay” she says, “I know it’s not the Ivy restaurant or wherever you and Adam eat, but it’s the best I can do I’m afraid”.

“That’s fine Alex honestly,” I say laughing, “I have never eaten at the Ivy restaurant – what are you on about?”

“Is Adam going to pick you up later Gail?” Dave asks as we turn into the street where he and Alex live.

“Yes – I’ll just ring him when I’m ready to go home”.

“What sort of car does he drive?” Dave asks.

“It’s a Bentley Continental GT,” I say almost apologetically and Dave lets out a long whistle.

“Should have guessed really shouldn’t I?” he says and laughs.

****

“You look really nice Gail,” Alex says smiling as I sit on the edge of her bed, fastening my gold strappy shoes that I wore to Gina and Tim’s wedding and which I think go really well with my new dress. 
It is strapless and kind of a rusty colour with little specks of gold in the fabric that shimmer in the light.

“Thanks” I reply,
“I know this colour is a bit of a departure for me, but I just really liked it when I saw it the other day”.  And how great is it to just walk into a clothes shop and buy something without having to worry about the cost!  “Pass me my drink would you?” I ask Alex and she hands me a large glass of white wine.

“Where are we meeting everyone again?” I ask.

“That new bar in town, Nougat, about 7.30” Alex replies, quickly applying some mascara before taking a big gulp of wine.

“This is nice isn’t it?” I say happily, after drinking most of my wine, “It’s just like old times – getting ready to go out on a Friday night!”

“Yeah it is, it’s nice” Alex replies.

“And we will - as always - be the two best dressed people in there!” I add.

“Oh of course!” Alex asserts and has a final look at her reflection in the mirror.  “Do you think these boots look alright with these jeans?” she asks.  Alex is all in black - as she usually is when we go out - black skinny jeans, black high heeled boots and fitted black T-shirt.

“You look great” I say reassuringly.

“I know, but you’ve got your designer frock on!” Alex says, looking troubled as I roll my eyes.

“Alex – you look great honestly!” I say firmly.  “Now get that wine down your neck before the taxi gets here!”

“Speaking of which” Alex says, going to the bedroom window, “I think it’s here.  I just heard a car pull up”.

Sure enough, a few seconds later Dave called up the stairs “Alex sweetheart!  Taxi’s here!”

“Coming!” Alex shouts back and hastily gulps down the rest of her wine before we head down the stairs to where Dave is waiting at the front door and go out to the taxi.

We arrive at Nougat and push open the door.  The bar’s packed and one of my favourite dance tracks is playing at an extremely loud volume.  “I can see Mark, Simon and Brenda – they’re at the bar,” I shout over the song to Alex and Dave.

“Right – lets get some drinks in” Alex says and we make our way through t
he crowd to the bar.  When I get near to where Mark, Simon and Brenda are, I can also see Jill talking to a few people I’d asked along from marketing - Sophie, Rachel and Rob.

“Hey Gail – do you want a drink?” Jill asks.

“I’m okay thanks – Alex is getting this one,” I explain.

“So how does it feel then Gail - being a lady of leisure?” Jill shouts.

“Oh great thanks.  Yes – it’s fantastic,” I say, whilst taking my glass of wine off Alex.  “Thanks Alex” I say.  “No more Delightful – I mean, how delightful is that?” I joke and Jill laughs.

“You are so lucky Gail – I’m soooo jealous!” Sophie says.

“I know – I mean fancy meeting someone like that in a supermarket?” Rachel says, as she makes her way through the crowd at the bar to join us.  “What are the odds on that?”

“I know!” Sophie says in disbelief.  “I mean he’s not just gorgeous…”  At this I blush.

“And he’s absolutely loaded…” Rachel chips in.

“But most importantly he’s a thoroughly nice guy!” Alex says firmly.  “No point being gorgeous and wealthy, but an absolute arsehole is there?”

“Well – no” Rachel says laughing.

“Have you met him then Alex?” Sophie asks wide-eyed.

“Yes and he seemed really nice and unassuming – I did wonder when Gail first told me she was seeing him” Alex says before taking a gulp of wine, “if he was going to be an arrogant dickhead!” and everyone laughs as I gape at her in disbelief.

“Well I did!” Alex says smiling at me apologetically, “You know what some footballers are like Gail – you’ve read the stories!  But he was really nice and really easy to talk to”.

“Oh I’m glad you approve!” I reply dryly. 

“So has he just bought a house then Gail?” Jill asks.  “I thought you said he had been busy doing it up?”

“Oh yes!” I say and tell them all about Adam’s new house with frequent interjections of ‘Wow!’ and ‘Gosh!’ from Sophie and Rachel.  Brenda is stood listening to it all.  She smiles, but didn’t say anything.

“That house sounds fantastic!” Sophie says.  “Do you want another glass of wine Gail?” she asks.

“I’ll get these,” I say, taking my purse out.  It’s so stuffed full of money that Adam had given me this morning, I’ve had problems trying to close it.  “In fact – who’s for champagne?” I ask and they all cheer.  “Well – it’s not every day you leave your job and start a new life is it?” I say and hand a fifty pound note to the barman.

* * * *

“Now you will ring me won’t you?” Alex says as I say goodbye to everyone and hug them all.

“Oh absolutely!  You aren’t getting rid of me that easily!” I reply.

“See you Gail!  All the best!” Jill says.

“Thanks Jill!” I say and glance at my watch.  “I must go.  Adam will be waiting”.  I feel a bit drunk actually.  I’ve no idea how many glasses of wine and champagne I’ve had, but my purse feels a lot lighter.

“Oh my God!  Is that him?” Sophie squeals.  I look to where she is pointing and sure enough, there is Adam leaning against the car.  He looks up and smiles at me and my heart leaps. 

“He’s gorgeous!” Sophie squeals again.  “Look at that car!  Oh hurry up and go Gail before I try and pull him myself!”

“Yes he is lovely isn’t he?”
I say grinning, “And I don’t intend to keep him waiting any longer. Bye everyone!” I call and walk as quickly as I can to where Adam is stood waiting.

“So how was the leaving do?” Adam asks as I go up to him and throw my arms around his neck.

“Oh it was great thanks!” I say, trying not to slur my words, “everybody was really nice and everyone bought me drinks”.

“And you obviously drank them!” Adam says laughing.  “Come on, let’s take you home” he says and opens the car door for me.  “What’s that you’ve got there?” he asks, gesturing towards the paper gift bag I’m clutching in my hand as I clamber in.

“It’s a picture frame and a jewellery box they bought me – look,” I say, nearly dropping them as I clumsily pass them to Adam.  “They are lovely – both glass look - with an etched leaf pattern round the edges”.

“Steady!” Adam says and quickly grabs them both.  “These are nice!” he says as he looks at the frame and the box.

“They are aren’t they?” I say happily.  “I thought I might put them on the table in your bedroom” I continue after Adam has put the frame and jewellery box carefully back in the bag and got into the car.

“
Our
bedroom Gail” Adam corrects me smiling as he puts the bag on the back seat.

“Well – there would be good as well” I say firmly and Adam smiles.  I lean forward to unfasten my shoes.  “I must just take my shoes off” I tell Adam.  “Have you been all right?” I ask him.  “What have you been up to tonight?”