Catch (18 page)

Skipping down the hallway, thoughts of the blissful night she'd had with Matt coursing through her head, Tamsen almost collided with the walking train wreck that was Gina stumbling toward the kitchen.

"God, do you have to be so happy in the mornings?"
 
Gina sounded as derelict as she looked.

"You could be too if you'd stop abusing your body the way you do."

"What, and risk living the dull and boring life you do? Never."

Gina's comment stung.
 
Tamsen didn't think her life was dull and boring.
 
In fact, it was anything but.
 
How getting trashed night after night to the point of not being able to turn up for work, being carried out of parties and – Tamsen’s stomach turned at the thought - stealing other people's partners could be considered a better way of living was beyond her.

"Really, Gina.
 
I think after last night's little performance you should be taking a good look at yourself."

Gina was rummaging around in the pantry.
 
"Fuck, where's the coffee? All I can find is that dandelion crap you drink.
 
I need caffeine."

"We must have run out."
 

"Why the hell didn't you buy any?"
 
Gina's tone was derogatory and offensive.

"Because it wasn't on the list."

"Jesus.
 
You'd be fucking useless, wouldn't you?"

Tamsen's blood pressure rose.
 
"It wasn't even my turn to do the shopping.
 
You haven't done it for months.
 
So don't complain about things not being in the cupboard if you didn't even bother to put them on the list."

"If you drank coffee like a normal person you'd notice that we'd run out."

"And if you shopped like a normal person you might buy your own." Tamsen was over the abuse Gina threw around when she woke up with one of her stinking hangovers.
 
Though now she stopped to think about it, the hangovers were becoming a daily occurrence. There was only so many times you could blame getting stinking drunk on having a dysfunctional childhood.
 

"Shit, look at the time.
 
I'm late for work again."

"Wonder how that could have happened?"
 
Tamsen couldn't help sounding snide; she was way past being the dog that Gina kicked.

"Don't be like that, Tams, your precious boyfriend's going to have it in for me."

"And you deserve it, especially after the way you behaved last night."

Gina went pale.
 
"What are you talking about?"

"Don't give me the 'I don't remember routine'.
 
You know exactly what you did – it’s what you always do."

"Fuck." Gina swore under her breath. "I didn't try and shag the boss, did I?" Her pallor took on an almost green shade.
 
Puking in the kitchen sink was a very real possibility.

Tamsen felt almost sorry for her.
 
"One of these days you're going to get yourself smacked over.
 
For a moment last night I even thought Matt might punch you."

"Oh, God.
 
How...well, you know... How was he about it?"

"Livid."

"Fuck."

"I'd say you're not his favorite person right now.
 
In fact, Gina..." Tamsen sighed. It really had to be said. "You're not my favorite person at the moment either.
 
You need to look at yourself.
 
You crossed the line last night.
 
I'm tempted to wash my hands of you."

"Just like my family did." Gina spat the words at her. "I don't need them and I don't need you either."

Punishing blow leveled and one received in return, Tamsen headed for the door thinking it would be wise to get herself out of the flat.
 
She didn't need the crap Gina was bringing into her life anymore.

"Don't you fucking walk away from me after a sanctimonious speech like that, little Miss Perfect."

"I'm not going to argue with you, Gina.
 
I won't argue with you when you're drunk and I'm not arguing with you when you look like death warmed up either.
 
Get yourself some breakfast and go to work and maybe we'll talk about it later.
 
I've got a business to run."

Grabbing her bag and keys off her unmade bed, Tamsen legged it for the front door, Gina's ranting following her thick and strong from the kitchen.
 
Tamsen usually spent hours trying to calm Gina down after spells like this.
 
Today she just wanted to run – though going back into the kitchen and slapping her also appealed.
 
What had changed?

She was confused and nearly in tears by the time she reached her van.

"Danni!"
 
Matt's bellow brought his assistant bounding into his office.

"Yes, Matt?"

"Has Gina arrived?"
 
The sooner he got this out of the way the better.

"She staggered in about ten minutes ago."

Staggered, no doubt, being the appropriate term, he thought.
 
"Would you send her in, please, and cover for her on reception until I'm done."

"Aw, but..."

"Don't pull that face. I'll take you out for a sticky bun for afternoon tea to make it up to you - how does that sound?"

"You know I'm a pushover for sticky date buns." Danni left him alone with his anxiety.

Matt waited for Gina, feeling sick to the stomach.
 
He hadn’t wanted to be lumped with the role of partner overseeing clerical staff in the first place and he hated dealing with difficult staff.
 

His thoughts were interrupted by a tentative knock on his door.

"Come in, Gina, and close the door please."
 

She looked like death, pale and drawn.
 
If he didn't know any better, he'd have sworn she hadn't had a single minute's sleep.
 
She wasn’t front desk material, not in this state.

"Take a seat, please."
 
He gestured to the chair in front of his desk.
 

She sat down gingerly. Her eyes hadn't met his since she'd walked into the room and she didn't say a word.
 
A far cry from the aggressive huntress who’d had him holed in up in the kitchen last night.
 
He had a stab of sympathy for her; she was a completely different person when she was drinking.

"Now, Gina-"

"If it's about last night, I'm sorry.
 
So very, very sorry."
 
She looked at him pleadingly and his sympathy ratcheted up a notch.
 
"It won't happen again."

Too right it wouldn't happen again - he was planning never to be anywhere near her if she was drinking. "It's not about last night, Gina. Well, not directly anyway."

"I was hoping we could keep our personal lives out of the office."
 
She looked more uncomfortable than he felt.
 
"I know that's difficult with you and Tamsen being..."

A knock on the door broke the uneasy silence hanging between them.

"Come in, Catherine."
 
Matt was relieved to see his efficient office manager.
 
The less time he had to spend alone with Gina the better.

All beige business suit, the towering form of Catherine Brooks dominated the room.
 
Her no-nonsense approach was one of her most endearing qualities though even Matt often found himself squirming under her steely gaze.
 
He couldn't begin to imagine how Gina must be feeling.

It had been tough approaching Catherine to discuss the glaring anomalies in Gina's behavior.
 
Which, upon inspection seemed to have become almost predictable.
 
Four days on work with one day off sick – but never the same day off, which Catherine had suggested was the main reason she'd not noticed the pattern.
 
She was distressed to hear Matt's rather toned down version of events at Tamsen's last night, but wasn't surprised given that a couple of calls to prior employers confirmed the same pattern.
 

"Take a seat, Catherine."
 
Matt cleared his throat and looked directly at Gina.
 
"Now, Gina.
 
Catherine and I have been going over your absences since you joined the firm six months ago and we've found a disturbing trend.
 
You seem only to be able to work a four-day week, or even three in some cases."
 

Wanting to avoid her ravaged face, he leafed through a couple of pages from her personnel file.
 
How was it going to impact on Tamsen?
 
None of his business, of course. The potential for conflict with her over the pathetic image of the woman sitting in front of him sparked a surge of anger and resentment.
 
Though how Gina could possibly be such a threat to a barely-off-the-ground relationship, he didn't understand.
 
Even more terrifying was the intensity of his evolving feelings for Tamsen.
 
The inner turmoil made his head spin.

"What, if anything, do you have to say for yourself?"
 
His question sounded pompous and conciliatory and he could have kicked himself.
 
Nervousness doing nothing more than making an unbearable situation more hideous.

"There's nothing much to say really, is there? By the sounds of things - " she threw a look of contempt at Catherine " - you've both made up your minds already and nothing I can say is going to change that." She shrugged. "Happens to me all the time - convicted without trial."

Matt shifted uncomfortably in his chair; the sooner he got this over with the better.
 
He handed Gina the written warning he'd prepared earlier and waited.

"What's this?"

"I suggest you read it, Gina."
 
And quickly, he hoped.

She read the letter, put the paper down and looked at him with such despair Matt's insides seemed to shrivel in response.
 
He hadn't seen so much pain emanating from a person since he'd thrown his kid sister's Barbie doll on the open fire and laughed as it melted in front of her mortified eyes.

"You bastard."
 
The despair was quickly replaced by anger.
 
"A written warning.
 
This is not about work - this is about last night."

"It's not about last night, Gina. I told you that and I'm a man of my word."
 
He was having a hard time keeping his voice composed.

"This is
not
about work. This is about you shagging my Tamsen and wanting to get me out of the way."

Matt glanced at Catherine, whose face held its mask of composure.
 
He was grateful he'd come clean with her about Gina's atrocious behavior, albeit leaving out a few of the gaudy details.

Catherine cut in, completely unruffled by Gina's outburst.
 
"Gina, Mr Solomon came to me and discussed his relationship with your room mate.
 
I don't believe that has anything at all to do with the situation we find ourselves in this morning."
 

She adjusted her horn-rimmed spectacles; Matt realized in that split second the woman was beautiful.
 
"You will be well aware of the number of occasions I have had to check your behavior and the number of times I have warned you about your tardiness in getting to work.
 
Mr Solomon's explanation as to the delicate situation he found himself in yesterday really just completes the picture."
 

Gina shuffled in her seat.
 
Matt felt a similar urge and he wasn't on the receiving end.
 

Catherine continued. "I spoke to a number of your former employers this morning, and they all confirm that you were dismissed from their employ for exactly the same reasons."

Gina shot another look at Matt but Catherine intercepted it.
 
"You should be grateful to Mr Solomon. If it been left to me, in view of your lateness and the states you have arrived at work in recently I would have dismissed you on the spot." She held up a hand as Gina opened her mouth.
 
"And don't even try to protest - it's clear you're drunk on the job now.
 
Sleep does not a sober person make.
 
However, Mr Solomon has insisted we give you another chance - against my advice, I might add."

"Well, he doesn't need to bother."
 
With contempt pasted on her face, Gina stood up.
 
"I quit."
 

She headed for the door, nearly ripping it off its hinges as she tore it open.
 
"I wouldn't waste my time working for you, you manipulative bastard.
 
I don't need your sympathy, or your condescending attitude, so you can just go to hell.
 
Find yourself some other unlucky bitch to feel all magnanimous over."
 
With that, she stormed out of his office.

Matt's stomach tied itself in an even tighter knot and he suppressed the urge to vomit.

He tried hard to compose himself. "Well, that went swimmingly, don't you think?"

Catherine gave him a wry smile.
 
"Don't beat yourself up Matt.
 
I was expecting it.
 
Everyone I spoke to this morning said she'd react like that.
 
If she's got a drinking problem, as you suspect, it's textbook really.
 
She's just looking for someone to blame.
 
Unfortunately, for you, you're it."
 

She stood up and collected the personnel file off his desk.
 
"We're better off without her.
 
For every bad receptionist out there, there are hundreds of good ones to take her place.
 
I'll have the spot filled in a jiffy, don't you worry."