Rachel. Maybe she was being a bit harsh blaming it all on Harry. ‘I’m sorry, you’re probably right: it is Rowan’s mess to sort out. He said the same thing. It’s just all a bit too close to home for my liking,’ said Rachel.
‘Did anyone else from work see them?’ Harry asked.
‘No, I don’t think so,’ said Rachel.
‘Well, you see that’s okay then. It can be just you and Shali’s little secret.’
‘And Rowan says he’s not going to see her again. I’ve got to tell her that tomorrow.’
Maybe then it will just blow over, thought Rachel. And maybe with a bit of luck Carl will think Rowan was just a rambling drunk.
‘I guess there’s not much point worrying about it,’ said Rachel.
‘Correct,’ said Harry. ‘Now come here and let me make you feel better.’
Rachel decided she’d better go into the office on Monday morning rather than going straight out to Beau Street. She sent AJ a text saying that she’d see them about lunchtime. That would give her time to talk to Shali and hopefully also check out the lie of the land with Carl. She stood in a long line of people patiently waiting to place over-complex coffee orders with the overworked coffee shop staff. There should be two queues, Rachel thought for the hundredth time: one for those who wanted a tall, decaf latte, extra hot with no foam and hazelnut syrup, and one for those, like her, who just wanted a black coffee.
She got into the lift with Pauline Rowe.
‘How’s the training for the ten-k going?’ Pauline asked, smiling.
‘Yes, not bad thanks. Did a bit of training yesterday. Legs aren’t too bad today, so I guess that’s progress,’ said Rachel.
‘What time are you aiming for?’
Christ! Rachel had no idea. She could vaguely remember marathon times, some people saying they wanted to run in under four hours or something. That was for twenty-six miles. How many kilometres was that? Rachel quickly tried to do the maths in her head.
‘Oh about, er, forty minutes, something like that.’
By the look on Pauline’s face, she’d clearly got the maths wrong.
‘Gosh that’s fast,’ said Pauline. ‘You must be a very good runner.’
‘Well, you know, I try,’ said Rachel.
Thankfully the lift doors opened and Rachel quickly walked away to her desk.
She couldn’t see Shali anywhere; maybe she was working on another floor. She was probably trying to avoid her. Bad luck, thought Rachel, and rang her.
‘We need to talk,’ she said. No point beating around the bush.
‘I’m working in a meeting room today as I need to be near the team up here. It’s just me, so why don’t you pop up,’ said Shali.
Rachel could tell that Shali was nervous as soon as she opened the door.
‘Hi,’ said Shali. ‘Coffee?’
‘No thanks, just had one,’ said Rachel.
They looked at each other for a few moments.
‘Look, I know you aren’t happy about me and Rowan,’ said Shali eventually. ‘But I didn’t exactly force him, you know.’
‘You took advantage of him,’ said Rachel.
‘I did not! He made his own choice. It’s not my fault his marriage isn’t working.’
‘Shali, he was drunk and feeling lonely and you threw yourself at him,’ said Rachel, her voice shaking with anger.
‘How do you know? You weren’t there. It was him that made the first move!’ Shali retorted.
‘You could have said no,’ said Rachel.
‘Why should I? I’m single and he’s gorgeous. Nothing wrong with that.’
‘What about his wife?’ Rachel asked.
‘What about her? Maybe she should have paid him a bit more attention and then this might not have happened.’
‘Shali, that’s a bloody awful thing to say. She’s just had a baby!’ Rachel was conscious that she was shouting now.
‘Shh! There are people in the next room. All I’m saying is that it’s not my fault. If you don’t like your brother’s attitude to marriage, take it up with him, not me,’ said Shali, and she sat down and crossed her arms.
‘I have. I
‘Did anyone else from work see them?’ Harry asked.
‘No, I don’t think so,’ said Rachel.
‘Well, you see that’s okay then. It can be just you and Shali’s little secret.’
‘And Rowan says he’s not going to see her again. I’ve got to tell her that tomorrow.’
Maybe then it will just blow over, thought Rachel. And maybe with a bit of luck Carl will think Rowan was just a rambling drunk.
‘I guess there’s not much point worrying about it,’ said Rachel.
‘Correct,’ said Harry. ‘Now come here and let me make you feel better.’
Rachel decided she’d better go into the office on Monday morning rather than going straight out to Beau Street. She sent AJ a text saying that she’d see them about lunchtime. That would give her time to talk to Shali and hopefully also check out the lie of the land with Carl. She stood in a long line of people patiently waiting to place over-complex coffee orders with the overworked coffee shop staff. There should be two queues, Rachel thought for the hundredth time: one for those who wanted a tall, decaf latte, extra hot with no foam and hazelnut syrup, and one for those, like her, who just wanted a black coffee.
She got into the lift with Pauline Rowe.
‘How’s the training for the ten-k going?’ Pauline asked, smiling.
‘Yes, not bad thanks. Did a bit of training yesterday. Legs aren’t too bad today, so I guess that’s progress,’ said Rachel.
‘What time are you aiming for?’
Christ! Rachel had no idea. She could vaguely remember marathon times, some people saying they wanted to run in under four hours or something. That was for twenty-six miles. How many kilometres was that? Rachel quickly tried to do the maths in her head.
‘Oh about, er, forty minutes, something like that.’
By the look on Pauline’s face, she’d clearly got the maths wrong.
‘Gosh that’s fast,’ said Pauline. ‘You must be a very good runner.’
‘Well, you know, I try,’ said Rachel.
Thankfully the lift doors opened and Rachel quickly walked away to her desk.
She couldn’t see Shali anywhere; maybe she was working on another floor. She was probably trying to avoid her. Bad luck, thought Rachel, and rang her.
‘We need to talk,’ she said. No point beating around the bush.
‘I’m working in a meeting room today as I need to be near the team up here. It’s just me, so why don’t you pop up,’ said Shali.
Rachel could tell that Shali was nervous as soon as she opened the door.
‘Hi,’ said Shali. ‘Coffee?’
‘No thanks, just had one,’ said Rachel.
They looked at each other for a few moments.
‘Look, I know you aren’t happy about me and Rowan,’ said Shali eventually. ‘But I didn’t exactly force him, you know.’
‘You took advantage of him,’ said Rachel.
‘I did not! He made his own choice. It’s not my fault his marriage isn’t working.’
‘Shali, he was drunk and feeling lonely and you threw yourself at him,’ said Rachel, her voice shaking with anger.
‘How do you know? You weren’t there. It was him that made the first move!’ Shali retorted.
‘You could have said no,’ said Rachel.
‘Why should I? I’m single and he’s gorgeous. Nothing wrong with that.’
‘What about his wife?’ Rachel asked.
‘What about her? Maybe she should have paid him a bit more attention and then this might not have happened.’
‘Shali, that’s a bloody awful thing to say. She’s just had a baby!’ Rachel was conscious that she was shouting now.
‘Shh! There are people in the next room. All I’m saying is that it’s not my fault. If you don’t like your brother’s attitude to marriage, take it up with him, not me,’ said Shali, and she sat down and crossed her arms.
‘I have. I
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