Elen

I go home, text Sebastian that I’m going to be an hour late, and take a long, hot bath. I add a few drops of lavender oil to the water, and take a few painkillers, and by the time I get out, the headache that had started to re-emerge has once again faded to a dull ache.

I’ve suffered from migraines all my life. Stress tends to bring them on, so I guess it’s no surprise I had such a bad one yesterday.

Standing in the middle of the room, for a moment I feel like a lost soul. It’s ridiculous--I’m not without purpose. I have a great job. I’m the director of my own company, for God’s sake. I have a thriving social life. I don’t need a man to make me complete.

But I feel as if someone has cut off my right arm. My relationship with Dan has been on-off for a while, but I suppose even when we were apart, I always thought there was a chance of us getting back together again. Once he’d learned his lesson. My lips curve up, not with humor, but with irony at my own stupidity. I thought I could change him. I had the perfect idea of a partner in my head, and I’ve wasted several years trying to make Dan fit it. I suspect he’s done the same with me. He always wanted me to be more pliable, more outgoing, more devoted. If we’d appreciated what we had instead of always trying to change the other, maybe we would have gotten on better.

Tears well in my eyes, but I’m not blind to the fact that my sorrow is due to losing the idea of Dan, rather than Dan himself. What was is it Kane said? I don’t know that we ever really knew each other--we were just fictional characters in each other’s heads. I know what he means, now. I’m ashamed at that, but I am honest with myself. I’m sad and unhappy because I’ve lost a partner, not because I’ve lost Dan.

If I’m really honest with myself, part of me is relieved it’s finally over. No more going around and around on the carousel. No more arguments, no more trying to be someone I’m not just to please him. I will miss him. We had some good times, and he was funny and sexy. But we weren’t right for each other. Life is about finding someone who makes you feel like the best version of you it’s possible to be. Kane said some profound things last night.

Maybe I should have taken his phone number.

Then I think of how I asked him for sex. No, it’s a good job I didn’t. He appeared in my life to help me through a difficult night, and that’s that. Time to move on.

Feeling better, I make some coffee and have a slice of toast, and then spend a while getting dressed. We’re interviewing for a new position at Hearktech today. We normally outsource our copywriting, but the company is expanding, and we’re doing more advertising and marketing than we’ve ever done before. We’ve all agreed it makes sense to hire our own copywriting team.

I settle on a chocolate-brown suit and a cream blouse, paired with black high heels, style my hair into its usual long bob, and apply some makeup. Feeling more normal, I set off for work and arrive at the office by ten a.m., just in time for the first interview.

My brother, Sebastian, and Harry and Caleb, the other directors of Hearktech, are already seated behind the table in the boardroom when I walk in.

“Everything all right?” Seb frowns at me as I take my seat. I’m so rarely late.

“Fine.” I place my folder on the table, then lean back with a sigh. “I broke up with Dan last night.”

“Again?” He rolls his eyes. It’s the third or fourth time I’ve told him this.

“For good this time.”

They all look at me with concern. “Seriously?” Seb asks.

“Yeah. We decided it was time to move on.”

“Fuck,” Harry says.

“Yeah.” I give him a wry smile.

“Are you okay?” Caleb’s handsome face is creased with worry.

I doodle on my notepad. “I drowned my sorrows last night, and ended up with a migraine and a hangover. But I’m fine.” I open the folder. “So, who’s first?”

Recognizing that I don’t want to talk about it, they start talking about the first person up, who has an impressive list of qualifications, and Seb calls his PA outside and asks her to send him in.

For the next hour, we talk to three different candidates, two guys and a girl. They all look great on paper. However, it’s important to the three of us that the person fits in well as we’re going to be working closely with them at times, and none of them hits the mark for all three of us. Seb likes the second guy, Harry likes the girl, and Caleb likes the first guy. I’m not keen on any of them.

“Who’s next?” I ask, standing to pour myself a coffee from the machine in the corner.

“This one’s interesting,” Seb says, scanning his papers.

“His qualifications aren’t as good as the other candidates,” Harry says.

“No, true, but he’s got some intriguing experience. He’s worked for a couple of telecommunications firms, as well as some big gaming companies, including Katoa.”

We all look up then, impressed. Katoa is the producer of Dark Robot, one of the biggest online computer games going.

“He helped write the copy for their new handheld controller for the blind,” Seb says. “I figure he might have some interesting insights for our ALD.” Our Assistive Learning Device for the hard of hearing has just finished its trial, and will be hitting the shelves in a few months’ time.

“Okay,” Caleb says, “send him in.”

Seb presses the intercom. “Ann, can you send Kane Richardson in please?”

I stop in the process of stirring my coffee. Kane?

Oh my God. Surely not.

The door opens, and I turn and stare at the man who walks into the room.

He’s wearing a dark suit, with a white shirt and a silver-and-blue striped tie. But it’s definitely the guy from last night.

Perhaps the most surprising thing of all, though, is that when he sees me, he doesn’t do a double take.

In a flash, I remember my confusion when he said my name, and I was sure I hadn’t told him. Now, I know I was right. I never told him my name. That means he knew who I was when he sat next to me at the bar. He knew, and he didn’t tell me.

My cheeks flame. Did he follow me to the bar? Did he talk to me with the intention of trying to get me to give him the job? Maybe he meant to seduce me, and even blackmail me afterward or something?

But I asked him for sex, and he said no! Now I’m completely puzzled. Puzzled and embarrassed, and more than a little angry at being blindsided like this.

The others are introducing themselves, and Kane shakes their hands. I return to the table and put my cup down with more force than is necessary, spilling my coffee.

“And this is Elen,” Seb states.

Kane finally meets my eyes. I wait to see amusement, or smugness, or a gaze that challenges me to tell my friends the truth.

Instead, I see only kindness.

“Ms. Wright,” he says, and holds out his hand. “I’m very pleased to meet you.”