But no tears, New York. It’s not you; it’s me. I’ll pretend we were the best of friends, if anyone ever asks.
And they will.
CHAPTER 10
Living the Dream (Take Two)
Maddie brushed the sand off her knees, adjusted her beach towel, and leaned back on one arm. The stop-start, low rumble of traffic on Campbell Parade at Bondi faded away behind her, as she took in the curling sweep of blue water and about a hundred tanning sunbathers. Seagulls swooped overhead and skidded along the sand, eager for discarded bread crusts or chips.
“They only had Coke Zero,” Simon said, appearing behind her and plopping the soda can into her lap. “I couldn’t be buggered going next door, so you’ll have to live.”
“Thanks.” She cracked the tab, enjoying the satisfying hiss, and scrunched its bottom firmly in the soft white sand.
Simon placed a fat parcel between them and dropped beside her. His long legs stretched out in front of him, toes sticking out from the brown leather of what Maddie liked to call his “Dad” sandals. He unwrapped the paper to expose a glorious tangle of fish and chips.
Maddie swooned at the fish smell mingled with sea salt. “Oh yum! God, I’ve missed this. All of it.” She waved at the scene in front of her. “You know, I had no idea I was such a beach bunny until I was deprived of it.”
“Really?” Simon plucked out a fat chip. “So is Bondi how you remember it? Or Sydney?” He squirted some tomato sauce onto the edge of the paper in a loud blurp.
“Yep.” She dunked her chip in the sauce puddle. “I feel at peace here. Which is dumb when you think about how loud and busy Sydney is. I mean, temperature aside, it’s not that different from New York. But it feels like home.”
“Mm.” Simon chewed slowly. “I loved New York. Something’s always happening. But you’re not a something-always-happening kinda girl, so I get it.”
“Nope. But that’s not why. It’s just that it was like everything in New York was about ten degrees off kilter to what I’m used to. It felt just enough like here to fool me. I mean a city’s a city, right? But I was tense the whole time. I think my subconscious knew I was out of place, and it never let me forget it.”
“I figured you were in a funk. You slept too much. No one can like being unconscious that much.”
“Oh.” Maddie reached for another chip. “Well, I sleep fine now. So do you miss it?”
“Of course I miss it. But I’ve got a new reason to stay here now.”
“Ah yes, the infamous Caroline. A workplace romance.” Maddie elbowed him in the ribs. “You move fast. Is it serious?”
“Not a clue. Playing it by ear. Although, I can’t wait for Mondays now. Seeing her again. It’s like reverse Mondayitis.” He broke off a chunk of fish and tossed it in his mouth. He chewed for a moment, then regarded her. “What about you? You going to get back with Rachel? She’s been sniffing around, you know, trying to find out when you’re going to be hanging with our old group again.”
Maddie sighed. “Rachel and I had nothing in common but being gay and our journalism course. She also plans to be in the closet until the day every last member of her family is dead. And her family is huge. I’m not sure why we stuck it out as long as we did. She didn’t even write me over there.”
“Huh.” Simon shrugged. “Okay, scratch the Rach. But we need to hook you up. You’ve been in the dumps for too long. Who do you like? What about your boss?”
“My…what? Elena?”
“Yeah, speaking of hot office romances, you and the tiger shark. Why not?”
“She is a married woman! And straight!”
“I notice you didn’t deny liking her. So, what’s the deal? Have I hit a nerve? You’re drooling over her now?”
Maddie dug her next chip viciously into the sauce. “I do not drool over her.” She glared. “She fired my sorry ass, remember? There is no drooling.”
He laughed. “You have the hottest boss in the history of bosses, but there is no drooling. Got it. Oh hey, let’s do the patented Simon Itani test.” He waggled a chip at her. “So, when you think about going into work next week and starting your new job, what’s it feel like not having seen her since New York? First reaction—go!”
Maddie studied the crispy crumbs of the fish and prodded them with her finger. How does it feel? Like a soft fire. Like churning. Nerves and excitement. Like missing out on something close enough to taste. Honey and spices and temptation and… She frowned.
“I feel pissed off,” Maddie lied. She didn’t meet his gaze. Simon was far too good at reading her. “It’s a reminder of how overqualified I am. Like my uni degree is withering away, turning to dust, while I’ll be fetching coffees and page proofs. I’m looking for another job, of course, but journo jobs are hard to come by. Fairfax and News Corp are both having another round of redundancies.”
“Yeah?” He squinted at her. “Well, that sucks. Sorry, Mads. Geez, this topic’s a downer. Hey, wanna hear about my footy training? We’ve got a new player with the Penrith Roos. He’s a total joker. He took a bottle of Gatorade, a box of rubber bands, a pair of stockings, and…”
Maddie let his voice fade out. Her mind drifted back to his question. Excitement rose up again. It was like a sick, thrilling tension. She’d always assumed it was nerves. New workplace and all. At the thought of Elena, her stomach clenched again, as if a nest of butterflies were partying in it. How long until they were in the same room again?
She glanced at her watch and caught herself. Oh God. I really am counting down the hours until I see her again.
* * *
Day one of her new job as personal assistant, and Maddie was a mess. She’d tried on half a dozen outfits, not entirely sure what was required of her or how much she should change her look to accommodate the role. She was half tempted to rock up in her graveyard-shift outfit of jeans and a grunge T-shirt, but she was fairly sure Elena’s scathing rebuke wouldn’t be worth it.
It was a little unsettling to realise how much Elena’s opinion mattered.
She finally settled on wearing the uptight emo-librarian look Felicity favoured. That seemed like a safe bet.
Induction from HR had been painless, and before long she’d settled into a desk side-on to and outside a glass office that bore Elena’s name.
After getting her bearings, introducing herself to people, and trying not to wonder where Elena was, she’d made a mental list. Three simple, achievable goals.
First, she would become the perfect, professional assistant, one for whom New York had never happened and who did not engage in banter or share personal stories with a woman who had no heart. A woman whose opinion, Maddie decided, she should not care about one way or another.
Second, she would prove to Elena that she was a journalist.
And third, she would convince herself that seeing hints of Elena with her guard down no longer excited her. Because it would be Maddie’s undoing, seeing these glimpses. Signs Elena might be human after all.
No, she absolutely wasn’t going to think about their almost friendship ever again. Because, as per point one, perfect, professional PAs did not do that.
How hard could it really be to stick to that? Her destiny was in her own hands, after all. She could do this.
Her best-laid plans were sorely tested the moment she glanced over at Elena’s open office door. She could smell her. Her perfume, mixed with the sharp scent of ink from proofs and a hint of chai tea. Elena wasn’t even in her office, but it felt as if she was just there. Watching her. Like always.
Maddie frowned and distracted herself by sorting out her own desk, sliding pens into drawers, rattling a tray of paperclips.
“What is this?”
Maddie looked up to be met by Elena’s long, hard stare.
“Who are you supposed to be?” Elena came around Maddie’s desk for a better look before pointing at the mid-thigh, grey skirt.
“Your personal assistant.” Maddie hated the words the moment she said them. “It’s what Felicity wears.”
“I see.” Elena’s lips pursed. “Well, if you must be a clone, try to at least emulate a professional whose look you actually like.”
She stalked off. That became the sum total of all she’d said to Maddie all day. Any assignments for her arrived via email. The pings of the incoming messages were constant.
