A few weeks after splitting up from Matthew, Hayley had breakfast with Ellen at the local greasy spoon café that served the best fried egg sandwiches north of the Thames. They sat tucked away at the back, right next to the kitchen doors that swung open at regular intervals, allowing them to hear and smell the sizzling sausages and bacon on the grill.
‘So what did your mum and dad say when you told them about you and Matthew?’
Hayley shrugged. ‘They were disappointed. They liked him, you know?’
Ellen nodded.
‘But Jackie came to my rescue. She said she’ll do the married woman and baby stuff and I can be the career girl. That way Mum and Dad have one of each.’ Hayley sipped her tea. ‘Alan sent me a card. Said he was sad to hear the news and hoped we’d stay in touch.’
‘Will you?’
‘It’s a bit awkward,’ Hayley said and scrunched up her nose.
‘So how did it go yesterday?’ Ellen said. ‘Was it okay?’
‘It was fine,’ Hayley said as she remembered the compulsory, post-break up ‘here’s-the-stuff-you-left-at-my-place-that-I-think-you-should-have-back’ ritual, ‘not that I expected anything different. But you know what?’
‘What?’
‘We were together for over a year, right?’
‘Yeah.’
‘Well, now he’s taken that box of stuff, my place no longer has any trace of him. Zap.’ She snapped her fingers. ‘All gone. It’s as if we never happened. And it was easy to do. Does that make me a bad person?’
‘Not bad.’ Ellen patted Hayley’s hand. ‘Efficient.’ She pushed her chair back. ‘Back in a sec, I need the loo.’
Hayley looked up when the door chime rang, and she watched a couple walk into the café. They were arm in arm, smiling at one another, and had obviously been huddled under a tiny red umbrella. Hayley thought they were probably unaware of the intimacy they exuded in such a seemingly banal moment. She sighed loudly.
Stop being such a drama queen, you big Wendy. You’ll be fine.
She meant it; she was young – a kid really – only twenty-seven. Her career was on an upwards trajectory and she had her own flat. The sky wasn’t the limit – the stratosphere was. This wasn’t a time for thinking about potential missed opportunities. It was a time to start creating new ones instead. As Ellen walked back to the table, Hayley smiled at her.
‘You look happier,’ Ellen said.
‘I am,’ Hayley said. ‘And it can only get better from here, right?’
*
The following Thursday Ronald called Hayley into his office.
‘Have a seat,’ he said, gesturing to the chair opposite his desk. ‘We need to talk.’
Hayley’s hand shook slightly as she smoothed her skirt and racked her brain. Surely she hadn’t missed a deadline? Ronald was looking quite serious, which wasn’t unusual, but generally she was able to read him. Today, however, his body language wasn’t giving out any hints.
‘I hear you’re no longer engaged,’ he said. ‘I’m sorry it didn’t work out.’
Hayley exhaled. ‘No need,’ she answered. ‘It’s for the best. It just didn’t feel right in the end.’
‘I admire you. It took courage to break it off,’ Ronald said as he sat back in his chair and interlaced his fingers over his increasingly wide stomach. ‘Lord knows we’ve seen how it can end otherwise.’
She smiled. Even after working with Ronald for almost five years, his praise still meant a lot to her.
‘I’ve been considering something for a while,’ he said, drumming his fingers on his desk. ‘And now’s the right time to clue you in.’
‘Okay.’ Hayley instinctively leaned forward. ‘I’m all ears.’
‘What do you know about Chicago?’
Hayley thought for a second then started counting on her fingers. ‘They call it the Windy City. It’s cold. It’s on a big lake.’ She shrugged. ‘That’s about it really. I’ve heard it’s interesting to visit.’
Ronald nodded. ‘How would you feel about something more permanent?’
She rubbed her chin. ‘What, for a couple of months or something?’
He shook his head. ‘At least a year, maybe two.’
‘Come again?’
‘We want to start up an office there. Further expand our U.S. presence.’ He smiled. ‘And that’s where your expertise comes in.’
‘Hold on,’ she said breathlessly. ‘You want me to go to Chicago? To work? And live?’
Ronald laughed. ‘Yes, Hayley, we do. During our last board meeting we debated who we could send to help set up the branch. And your name came up.’
‘Mine? Really?’
‘Really. But you’d just announced your engagement so we felt the timing was wrong.’ He paused for a moment. ‘But things have changed.’
Hayley stared at Ronald and blinked in rapid succession. A few days ago she’d wondered if she’d made the right decision to leave Matthew.
Of course I did!
She clapped her hands together. ‘Yes! Absolutely, yes,’ she said and grinned. ‘Tell me more, Ronald, tell me everything.’
‘Excellent,’ Ronald beamed. ‘I had a feeling you’d say that.’
At the end of the meeting Hayley rushed around the desk and gave Ronald a hug and a big fat kiss on the cheek, almost knocking his seat over with him in it.
Tony appeared next to her as she walked back to her office in a daze. ‘Congratulations,’ he whispered.
‘You knew?’ she said and whacked him affectionately on the arm with her notepad. ‘Why didn’t you tell me?’
‘What?’ He winked. ‘And ruin the surprise?’
She laughed. ‘How did you find out?’
‘Ronald asked me what I thought and I told him I’d quit if he didn’t offer you the job.’
Hayley closed her office door behind them. ‘A juicy bribe to get rid of me would have done you know.’
‘A bribe? Fat chance. We only found out about the baby last week and I’m broke.’ He smiled. ‘We’ve still got months to go and I swear I’ll be destitute by then. That kid has already got more clothes than Angela and me put together.’
‘Lucky thing,’ Hayley said. ‘So you didn’t consider putting your name forward for the job? You would have got it, no question.’
‘No, we want to be close to our families,’ Tony said, shaking his head. ‘And you’re a much better pick. You go get ‘em. You’ll be fantastic. You’ll love it. It’s a great city but by Christ it’s cold in winter, so pack your woollies.’
Hayley laughed. ‘I will.’
He lowered his voice. ‘And stay out of Charles’ way until you leave.’
‘Why?’ She raised her eyebrows. ‘Have I done something wrong?’
Tony shook his head. ‘Only if you consider existing a felony. Rumour has it he wanted to go to Chicago and Ronald refused. Said you were far more experienced. Now it seems you’re on Charles’ hit-list, so watch your back.’