from their faces that they still hadn’t
reached a settlement.
“Same time tomorrow,” Corella
snapped to Gerry and the three of us stalked out of the building to
her car.
“No luck?” I asked
sympathetically, doing up my seatbelt, checking twice to make sure
it was secure.
“They’re playing hardball. But
that’s totally expected. We’re just going to have to play harder
than them. Warburton doesn’t have the patience to continue much
longer,” said Corella confidently.
Patricia sat quietly in front,
staring straight ahead, not contributing to the conversation. I was
starting to worry about her mental state. The whole divorce
settlement was proving a terrible strain on her – one with which
she didn’t seem to have the ability to cope.
I walked her to her room and saw
her safely deposited. She didn’t want me to stay at all. I
questioned the merits of that, concerned for her, but she insisted
and she was the client, after all. I complied with her directive
and left her to her own devices for the evening. I rang Heller and
he came to pick me up.
We stopped at a juice bar on the
way home for a fruit smoothie. I needed a sugar hit, and it was the
closest thing to a chocolate binge that Heller would let me have.
We sat in a booth close together, slurping our smoothies. I told
him about the charming Select man I’d spent the day with and his
scintillating conversation, especially his comments about Heller
hiring a woman.
“I’m ruining your reputation in
the sector as a hardarse with tough balls,” I said
remorsefully.
He laughed and slid his arm
around my shoulders, pulling me close to kiss me on the forehead.
“At the rate you beat up men, I would think that you’re enhancing
my reputation, my sweet.”
I laughed up at him and it was
then that I noticed Will standing at our booth, looking at us. Shit! Will had this uncanny ability to spring Heller and me
in an affectionate moment every time he saw us together in public.
He didn’t look very pleased.
“Hello Tilly. Heller,” he said,
grim-faced as he took in Heller’s arm still around my
shoulders.
“Hi Will,” I replied lightly.
Heller nodded at Will, but didn’t release his arm. In fact he
tightened it around my shoulders. I wasn’t going to start a blather
of explanations that would just make everything look worse than the
innocent scene it really was. “Want to join us?”
“I’m on my way home. Just
grabbing some milk. You free tonight?”
I nodded. “Sure, I’m not doing
anything.”
Heller shook his head. “Sorry
Matilda, but I need to go over some things with you tonight.”
“Really, Heller? It can’t
wait?”
“No.”
I didn’t bother to hide my
disappointment. “What about this weekend, Will? I’ll be free
then.”
It was his turn to look
disappointed. “I can’t, Tilly. The science head has asked me to
fill in for her at a teaching conference this weekend. Her
husband’s sick and she can’t go and there’s no refund, so she’s
asked me to go instead. It’s all weekend. Sorry, babe.”
“Me too,” I pouted. “One day
next week then?”
“Definitely.” And he ignored
Heller and leaned in to kiss me on the mouth. I kissed him back
eagerly, wishing that I could be with him tonight. We really didn’t
get to spend enough time together.
“I’m looking forward to it
already.”
“Me too. See you then,
gorgeous.” He walked off and I turned to Heller.
“What’s so important that I
can’t see Will tonight?”
“Nothing,” he said, without any
hint of guilt. “I just don’t want you out at night when you have to
work the next day.”
“ Heller! You’re such a bastard sometimes!”
I shook off his arm angrily and
stood up, throwing my empty cup in the bin with passion. Then I
stalked out of the juice bar back to his vehicle, not waiting for
him. He caught up to me in no time. I refused to look at him.
“Don’t be angry with me,
Matilda. It’s for your own good. You need to be alert on
reached a settlement.
“Same time tomorrow,” Corella
snapped to Gerry and the three of us stalked out of the building to
her car.
“No luck?” I asked
sympathetically, doing up my seatbelt, checking twice to make sure
it was secure.
“They’re playing hardball. But
that’s totally expected. We’re just going to have to play harder
than them. Warburton doesn’t have the patience to continue much
longer,” said Corella confidently.
Patricia sat quietly in front,
staring straight ahead, not contributing to the conversation. I was
starting to worry about her mental state. The whole divorce
settlement was proving a terrible strain on her – one with which
she didn’t seem to have the ability to cope.
I walked her to her room and saw
her safely deposited. She didn’t want me to stay at all. I
questioned the merits of that, concerned for her, but she insisted
and she was the client, after all. I complied with her directive
and left her to her own devices for the evening. I rang Heller and
he came to pick me up.
We stopped at a juice bar on the
way home for a fruit smoothie. I needed a sugar hit, and it was the
closest thing to a chocolate binge that Heller would let me have.
We sat in a booth close together, slurping our smoothies. I told
him about the charming Select man I’d spent the day with and his
scintillating conversation, especially his comments about Heller
hiring a woman.
“I’m ruining your reputation in
the sector as a hardarse with tough balls,” I said
remorsefully.
He laughed and slid his arm
around my shoulders, pulling me close to kiss me on the forehead.
“At the rate you beat up men, I would think that you’re enhancing
my reputation, my sweet.”
I laughed up at him and it was
then that I noticed Will standing at our booth, looking at us. Shit! Will had this uncanny ability to spring Heller and me
in an affectionate moment every time he saw us together in public.
He didn’t look very pleased.
“Hello Tilly. Heller,” he said,
grim-faced as he took in Heller’s arm still around my
shoulders.
“Hi Will,” I replied lightly.
Heller nodded at Will, but didn’t release his arm. In fact he
tightened it around my shoulders. I wasn’t going to start a blather
of explanations that would just make everything look worse than the
innocent scene it really was. “Want to join us?”
“I’m on my way home. Just
grabbing some milk. You free tonight?”
I nodded. “Sure, I’m not doing
anything.”
Heller shook his head. “Sorry
Matilda, but I need to go over some things with you tonight.”
“Really, Heller? It can’t
wait?”
“No.”
I didn’t bother to hide my
disappointment. “What about this weekend, Will? I’ll be free
then.”
It was his turn to look
disappointed. “I can’t, Tilly. The science head has asked me to
fill in for her at a teaching conference this weekend. Her
husband’s sick and she can’t go and there’s no refund, so she’s
asked me to go instead. It’s all weekend. Sorry, babe.”
“Me too,” I pouted. “One day
next week then?”
“Definitely.” And he ignored
Heller and leaned in to kiss me on the mouth. I kissed him back
eagerly, wishing that I could be with him tonight. We really didn’t
get to spend enough time together.
“I’m looking forward to it
already.”
“Me too. See you then,
gorgeous.” He walked off and I turned to Heller.
“What’s so important that I
can’t see Will tonight?”
“Nothing,” he said, without any
hint of guilt. “I just don’t want you out at night when you have to
work the next day.”
“ Heller! You’re such a bastard sometimes!”
I shook off his arm angrily and
stood up, throwing my empty cup in the bin with passion. Then I
stalked out of the juice bar back to his vehicle, not waiting for
him. He caught up to me in no time. I refused to look at him.
“Don’t be angry with me,
Matilda. It’s for your own good. You need to be alert on
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