I shook myself free of him, “No Adam. There’s nothing you can do, it’s over and I’ll never go back there. I’ll never come back to you. Just…. leave me alone.”
I walked off hoping and praying that would be last time I ever saw him. He only served to fuel my insecurities and drag me down to the gutter. I had to stay focused on the stars, the light, on me.
When I returned home later that evening I walked in to find a huge cardboard box sitting on our coffee table in the middle of the living room addressed to me.
“What’s this?” I asked Robyn.
“I don’t have my x-ray specs with me at the moment Chick so I suggest you open it and find out.”
I tore off the strip of parcel tape along
the top and opened it to find a white box with black lettering, ‘Balmain, Paris’. Oh no, what had he done?
“Holy shit! Who’s sending you Balmain?” Robyn said with a glint in her eye.
“Someone I don’t want to see right now.” I sighed.
I pulled the white box out of the cardboard and opened it. On top of the tissue paper was an envelope and under all the packaging lay the dress I’d been admiring on Saturday in Harvey Nichols, sparkling and glistening as if it was begging to be taken out and worn. I couldn’t accept this, it was way too much and I certainly didn’t want him to have anything to hold over me. It felt like some sort of bribe.
I plonked myself down on the sofa and tore the envelope open.
Blue eyes,
This dress was made for you. I hope you’ll wear it when I take you out this weekend.
After all you were made for me beautiful girl.
Joe x
I didn’t have the energy to respond but there was zero way I was going anywhere with him this weekend, the next or any time this century. He was trouble with a capital T. Heart break wrapped in a killer body and a designer suit and I had dealt with my fair share of heartache lately.
Tuesday didn’t get any better. I swear the week for me was cursed. I got called into Frank’s office around midday and as I sat down in front of his large mahogany desk I knew it wasn’t going to be good news. He couldn’t look me in the eye and he was visibly nervous and fiddling around with papers on his desk.
“Ella, I know how hard you’ve been working lately...” He stuttered and looked out of his window with a big sigh, “I’m worried you’re going to burn yourself out petal, if you do that it won’t help any of us.”
“I’ll be ok Frank, I’m just not sleeping well.” I said as an excuse but I had a feeling there was more to this than me working longer hours.
“I got a call from Quenchers this morning, did you realise you emailed them the wrong copy for their ad?”
I covered my face with my hands in despair. Oh my God I was gutted. I never made mistakes like this I always prided myself on doing a good job. I knew the guys over at Quenchers and I knew they were good people and wouldn’t hold it against me, but that wasn’t an excuse. If it had been another pickier client I could have lost us an account and caused some real headaches for Frank and Eric. I had to get my shit together. Yesterday I had been so distracted after Adam showed up I hadn’t been concentrating and I had screwed up.
“I’m so sorry Frank, I don’t know what to say. It’ll never happen again I can assure you.”
Frank smiled, looking every inch the kindly uncle, and told me to forget it, he didn’t hold it against me and that we all make mistakes. He told me I probably needed to take some time to myself to unwind and encouraged me to take a half day off and head home. He’d look forward to seeing me on Wednesday morning, bright, early and raring to go. I sloped off with my tail between my legs successfully avoiding the questioning stares of my colleagues and headed home to crawl under my duvet and escape the world for a few hours.
An hour later, when I opened the front door and walked straight into our little living room I squealed and dropped my keys. Sitting on our sofa with one leg casually slung over the other, leaning back like he owned the place sat Joe. He wore jeans and a white t shirt and his hair looked ruffled and sexy. His eyes sparkling seductively towards me.
“What the hell are you doing here? How did you get in?” I knelt down to pick up my keys but kept the door open in case I needed to make a speedy retreat.
“Your housemate let me in, Robyn is it? She seems nice, told me lots about you Ella.” He lowered his head and glared at me through hooded eyes.
“You need to leave, I don’t want you here.” I tried to sound forceful, confident but it came across weak and unsure.
“Did you like the dress? I couldn’t help myself. I had to buy it for you.” He leaned forward now, his elbows resting on his knees and his hands steepled together in between.
“You shouldn’t have done that. Yes I love the dress but I won’t be keeping it and I won’t be going anywhere with you.”
The box containing the dress was still sitting on the coffee table so I picked it up and pushed it onto his lap before going back to the front door and opening it further to give him the hint that I wanted him to leave.