The Cinderella Reflex (33 page)

“Thanks. I’ll certainly think about it.” Tess was thrilled with the tip-off.

Later on, Verity explained that she’d recommended her to Sally earlier in the week. “I bigged up all your freelance work, and your journalism degree, and told her you were a producer on a top national radio station in Ireland.”

“
Seriously?
”

“Well, it’s all true, isn’t it?” Verity frowned.

“Er ...
no
. Atlantic 1 FM was a small local station when I was there.”

“But it’s a national station now,” Verity pointed out. “Anyway, it’s only to cover someone’s maternity leave. Of course, you’ll have to go through an interview and impress the hell out of her bosses, but Sally seems to think you’ll walk it. What do you think?”

Tess thought it sounded like an opportunity offered to her on a silver platter. It would be a chance to reinvent herself at a stroke, an opportunity to redeem herself – in her own eyes at least. But then she remembered the last time she thought she was getting a dream job – it had been at Atlantic, and look where that had got her.

“I don’t want you to go for the interview unless you’re serious about the job. It will reflect badly on Sally if you do,” Verity warned, noticing Tess’s hesitation.

“I understand. When does she need to know?”

“Her boss is out of the country at the moment apparently, so the interview won’t be for another couple of weeks at least.”

It was the breathing space Tess needed. She could think about whether this was the right move for her and while she was weighing that up, she could go back to Killty. She needed to tie up loose ends. After her showdown with Chris, she had simply emailed Helene to let her know she was resigning her position and that she would take her remaining holiday entitlement in lieu of notice.

But she needed to go back and give up the apartment, pack her stuff, say her goodbyes. She had been in London almost a month now and the time and distance had allowed her to put her troubles at Killty into perspective. Except for the feud with Andrea. That was her biggest regret. The most important thing she needed to do was to try to fix things between them. Before she left Killty for good.

As it turned out, Andrea couldn’t have been more delighted to hear from her. “I thought I was never going to see you again,” she said softly. They were sitting in the Travel Cafe. Tess was dressed in her oldest faded jeans while Andrea was dressed for success – navy business suit, white shirt, dotted scarf and a big briefcase by her feet. “I did try to contact you the day after those pictures were in the
Killty Times
, but your phone was switched off.
What
happened that night? Did Ollie offer to fight you on the floor for It’s My Show?”

“That was Gai Gordan Ryder’s line,” Tess laughed. “He actually said something like that in his report, if I remember correctly.”

Andrea sighed. “Jack and Paulina set us all up to compete with each other and we went for it like obedient nodding dogs, didn’t we?”

“I suppose we did.”

“I convinced myself that winning the contest was the most important thing in my life. I focussed on it so hard I couldn’t see anything, or anyone, else. When I heard you were getting coaching from the hotshot Chris Conroy
and
going to dinner with the boss? Hands up – I was jealous.”

Tess gave a rueful smile. “And you had so little to be jealous of as it turned out. By the way – did you ever find out who Terry was?”

Andrea’s face closed over. “Joe still insists she was just a work colleague. But to be honest, I don’t know if I believe him. I mean, why did he let me think
she
was a he if it was all so innocent?”

Tess stayed silent, thinking of the intimate connection she had witnessed between Joe and the woman that night in the restaurant.

“For a while there I thought we were over – I was even looking up new day care for the children. But,” Andrea shrugged awkwardly, “it’s a marriage, you know what I mean? And we’ve two small children to consider. So we’re trying to work it out.”

“I’m sorry we fell out over it,” Tess said quietly.

“And are you sorry for going to dinner with Jack without telling me first?” Andrea attempted to lighten the mood.

“Of course. And are you sorry for getting secret sessions with a stylist?” Tess countered.

“Desperately!”

Tess laughed. “So how have things been apart from all of that?”

“Good! There have been lots of changes ...” Andrea broke off as the waitress arrived to take their order, “and ... er ... here’s one of them.”

“I’ll just have coffee,” Tess looked up and did a double take. “
Helene?
”

“Don’t look so surprised!” Helene smiled. “Or judgemental.”

“I’m not. I mean, of course I’m
surprised
.” Tess stared at her former boss. Helene was wearing a loose-cut, floral dress with flat, open sandals and her dark glossy hair was pushed back into a ponytail.

“Well, you shouldn’t be. Being a waitress means you get to meet all sorts of interesting people.” Helene’s mouth curved in a secret smile.

Tess shook her head, trying to make the connection between this barefaced, smiling,
hippie
and the sharp-suited woman who had made her life a misery for months.

“Of course, I only actually waitress the odd time,” Helene continued. “When it’s very busy or staff haven’t turned in. I do it as a favour to Matt but I get ideas from the customers for my real job here – to put the Travel Cafe on the map. I’m doing the PR for him.”

“Er ... sounds great.”

“So – what have you been doing with yourself?”

“I’ve been in London for the last few weeks.” Tess was about to explain about her potential new job on the magazine. But the germ of an idea which had been bubbling just under her consciousness for ages, rose spontaneously to the surface.
If Helene Harper can work as a
waitress, why can’t I go to art college?
Tess blinked. Where the hell had that come from? It was a ridiculous idea anyway – she couldn’t start all over again. She wanted to move forward in her life, not go backwards.

“London must have been interesting,” Helene said. “I’m actually thinking of moving away myself. To New Zealand – after the baby is born.” She looked down at her as yet non-existent bump proudly.

“Congratulations!” Tess smiled.

“My foot she’s moving to New Zealand,” Andrea snorted as soon as Helene wafted out of earshot. “She
so
into the owner of this place – remember that guy who rescued her fortieth birthday party and stopped it from turning into a complete disaster?”

“Yeah, his name was Matt,” Tess said absent-mindedly. She was still looking after Helene with a bemused expression. She pulled her attention back to Andrea. “So, how have things been at work for you?”

“Really good, actually. As soon as I realised Chris had won the contest, I knew I had to change tack immediately. And guess what – I pitched for Helene’s job and got it!” Andrea clapped her hands in anticipation of Tess’s reaction.

Tess’s eyes widened. “Wow! Congratulations! Is it ... er ... as stressful as Helene seemed to find it?”

“Not at all. You were right from the beginning. Helene and Ollie did make out that their jobs were a lot more difficult than they actually were.”

“Ollie’s was a lot harder as I remember,” Tess shuddered at the memory of her Agony Aunt of the Airways experience.

“I suppose it depends on whether the position suits you,” Andrea conceded. “But I love my new role, and so does Chris Conroy – for now at least. And Sara is having no trouble at all keeping him under control – she keeps telling him he’s cute, apparently!”

Tess grinned. “He’d like that. So what happened to Ollie?”

“Ollie,” Andrea smothered a laugh, “has gone to New Zealand! Helene has no idea about it yet, but when she finds out, I bet she’ll use it as an excuse to stay put.”

“Tea, wasn’t it?” Helene arrived back at their table and plonked Tess’s mug down so hard that the hot liquid slopped all over the table.

“It was coffee, actually,” Tess said apologetically.

“Damn!” Helene looked irritable and Tess took up a napkin and started mopping up the mess. No matter how lyrical Helene was waxing now about working as a waitress, Tess somehow didn’t see this phase of her life lasting too long. Helene Harper would be bossing someone around somewhere, before too much longer. Probably Matt, if Andrea was right.

“Thanks. I’ll get you coffee so,” Helene said half-heartedly. “Unless you don’t mind drinking tea?”

“Tea is fine.” Tess hid a smile.

Helene gave her a speculative look. “Hey, have you heard about Jack and Paulina yet?”

“No? Tess stiffened.

“They’re getting engaged! Paulina told me. She’s over the moon.”

“Oh?” Tess composed her features into a neutral expression. “You must congratulate her for me.” She’d had an instinct about Jack and Paulina from the beginning, so she couldn’t understand why she felt so shaken after Helene’s bald announcement.

“Apparently Richard and Louisa have finally split up,” Andrea whispered when Helene moved away. “The story is that as soon as she heard Helene was pregnant, that was it – it was curtains for Richard. And then Helene gave him some guff about finding herself so it’s over between them too.”

Tess was only half listening. She was already mentally making arrangements for her return to London. The very last thing she wanted was to be in Killty while Jack and Paulina were planning their nuptials.

Andrea reached for her briefcase. “Listen, I need to go over some urgent work stuff with Jack because he’s got a plane to catch first thing in the morning. But we can meet again tomorrow and have a proper catch-up if you’re free?”

The door to the cafe swung open and Andrea stood up. “Here he is now, actually. Jack? Jack, we’re over here.”

Tess followed her gaze and found herself looking up into the solemn brown eyes of Jack McCabe.

She couldn’t stop staring. Seeing Jack so unexpectedly like this had thrown her completely. He was wearing a light summer suit and plain white shirt and he looked indecently sexy.

Tess’s eyes darted suspiciously to Andrea – was it really a coincidence that Jack should pitch up at the Travel Cafe just when she was here? But Andrea was studiously leafing through a sheaf of documents.

“Tess.” He seemed to be as surprised as she was that they should meet like this. “You’re back.”

“I was just going, actually. I’ll let you get on with your meeting.” She stood up abruptly.

Jack put his hand on her shoulder. “Please. We need to talk – or at least I do. I don’t want us to part on bad terms.”

“We’re not on bad terms.” She forced a smile. “But I really do have to be going. I’ll call you tomorrow, Andrea.” She made a beeline for the door and stepped gratefully out into the cool air of the early evening. She couldn’t understand how flustered she got every time she met him.

“What’s the hurry?” Jack called after her.

She looked back to see he had followed her out. “Honestly, I do have a lot on – I’m moving to London.”

“Oh! When?” He looked disappointed.

“Soon. And Andrea says you need to go over some urgent work stuff with her.”

“She does?” He looked towards the cafe where Andrea was now in a window seat, peering out at them. He smiled. “I wondered why she was so insistent about meeting here. Obviously she’s figured out how much I wanted to see you again.”

The sun slipped out from behind a cloud and Jack squinted in the unexpected light. “Look,” he pressed on, “I’m flying to New York tomorrow for a business trip. But I’m staying at a hotel just outside here tonight. Would you come and have a drink with me? I’d really like to clear the air.”

Tess hesitated. He looked so wonderful, but he was engaged to Paulina. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t have a drink with him, did it? Just to get closure. She winced at the
closure
word. That was what she had told herself when she was going to meet up with Chris again. And look how that had turned out. But she was going to London now. And after tonight, she’d never meet Jack McCabe again.

“Just the one then.”

“Brilliant,” Jack beamed.

He ushered her towards his car and Tess slipped into the passenger seat. Jack switched on a classical station and Tess sank into the soft, leather upholstery and allowed the music to waft away any misgivings she might be having. As the car rounded a bend, she took a surreptitious look at him from beneath her lashes. He was staring straight ahead, his brow furrowed as if he was trying to work out a puzzle. She was conscious of how close they were – that if she reached out her hand she’d be touching him and how the thought of that was making all her senses sing in a way they never had before. Not with Chris, not even the first time around. Not with anyone.

How was that for lousy timing? Finding out how much Jack meant to her just when she was about to say goodbye to him for good? By the time they pulled into the hotel’s grand, cobblestoned driveway, all of Tess’s doubts had resurfaced and she had convinced herself she’d made a monumental mistake in coming.

As they entered the reception, Tess gravitated towards the fire burning in an ornate fireplace while Jack checked himself in. What good was having one drink with him going to do, she thought as she stared into the flames. It was like torturing herself.

“I have a suite because I need to get some work done.” Jack returned with his key card. “So I’ve ordered drinks for the room – if that’s okay?”

“Sure.” Tess couldn’t help wondering how Paulina would react if she knew Jack was inviting her up to his hotel suite. It was clear now why she had been so hostile towards her. Paulina’s intuition had told her there was
something
between her and Jack – the same something Tess herself had felt that night when they had gone for dinner.

The only one who hadn’t felt it, unfortunately, was Jack. He was marching across towards the lift now, oblivious of any tension between them at all. As they travelled up to the penthouse, Tess wondered if he was remembering the last time they’d been in a lift together and her ridiculous elevator speech.