Patently in Love (6 page)

* * * *

Marshall jumped when Jane knocked on his office door. He turned around "Hi."

"Is this a good time?" she said. "You were going to show me the search
databases."

"Right. Yes, just a second." He rummaged in a desk drawer and pulled out a
notebook.

"Passwords," he explained. "Shall we go to your desk? That way you can get to work
straight away."

Jane led the way back to her office.

"May I?" Marshall leaned on the desk and took her mouse. "This is the website." He
had to lean across her to type in the URL. He smelled faintly of soap and aftershave. "I'll just
bookmark it for you."

Jane was suddenly very aware of how broad his shoulders were. She tried to
concentrate as he pointed to the screen and explained what various parts of the website did.
His fingernails were short and clean. He had long fingers. She liked men with long fingers.
Ashby had had long fingers...

"Does that all make sense?"

Jane looked up to find Marsh regarding her quizzically, his face quite close to hers.
Close enough to touch. Or kiss. He blinked and straightened up.

Jane felt herself blush. Were her thoughts that transparent? "Yes. I think I've got
that."

She ran through it again, just to make sure. He moved back a step so he was at a less
intimate distance.

"If you have any problems, just come find me." He gave her smile, without making
eye contact, and left.

Jane stared after him, her face still hot with embarrassment. What was wrong with
her? Marsh was attractive, sure, but she should be able to talk to him without turning into a
quivering wreck. She was acting like a lovestruck teenager. She doubted she'd been that
nervous around men even as a teenager. Nor even with Ashby.

Ruth's voice cut into Jane's thoughts. "I shouldn't bother, if I were you."

She had been so distracted by Marsh that she had completely failed to notice Ruth,
sitting quietly at her desk. "Pardon?"

"Marsh," said Ruth. "I saw the way you were looking at him. I shouldn't bother. I
mean, he's a total sweetie and everything, but he doesn't date people in the office."

Jane stared at her. "I don't..."

Ruth grinned. "Don't worry. It happens all the time when new girls start. Most of the
secretaries fancy him. He's a lovely guy, but he doesn't really date much. And even then, not
people from the office."

Before Jane could say anything, Ruth continued. "He did date one of the trainee
patent agents once--a girl called Dominique, the one that was in
Spotted!,
but it all
went a bit wrong and they split up. Things were quite awkward for a while. Then she
left."

Jane didn't want to be having this conversation, but she couldn't help herself. "What
happened?"

Ruth glanced at the door and leaned forward. "She and Marsh were an item, for a
while," she whispered. "Then, this 'friend' of hers turned up to visit her from America. No one
thought anything of it, but apparently, he was more than just a friend, if you know what I
mean. Anyway, Marsh found out and dumped her."

Having been through something similar herself, Jane felt a pang of sympathy for
Marshall, especially as the details of his humiliation seemed to be common knowledge. "How
come you know about it?"

"Dominique wasn't really the discrete type... she was pretty upset when Marsh split
up with her and kept going into his office and making a scene and saying it didn't mean
anything. Everyone heard..." Ruth pulled a face. "In the end the partners had a word with her
and she left."

Jane stared. "They sacked her?"

"Not sacked, exactly. Just encouraged her to leave."

Jane was about to ask more questions, when Ruth's phone rang. She gave an
apologetic glance and answered it, leaving Jane to stare at her screen, digesting what she had
just heard.

* * * *

From: Stevie
Winfield
To: Marshall
Winfield
Erm, Marsh,
can you send me the MOT money, please? It's getting quite
urgent...
Love
Stevie

##

From: Marshall Winfield

To: Stevie
Winfield
Shouldn't you ask
Buzz to pay it? After all, he owes you a lot more than that.

##

From: Stevie
Winfield
To: Marshall
Winfield
Geez. It's only
a hundred quid. You'd think it was YOUR money!

##

From: Marshall Winfield

To: Stevie
Winfield
It IS my money. I'm
not letting you use your trust fund to subsidise your boyfriend. What are you
going to do if he leaves you, having borrowed most of your
cash?
Honestly, Stevie. I know you think he's perfect right now, but can
you really be sure? I mean, he's borrowed money from you three times in the
past 2 months and hasn't paid you back. Doesn't that suggest he doesn't ever
intend to?
M

##

From: Stevie
Winfield
To: Marshall
Winfield
You know,
your problem is that you don't trust people. Just because Dominique hurt you,
doesn't mean everyone is out to get you.
Look, I need to get the car
MOT'd. I can't afford to pay it any other way. So, will you give me the money
or not?
S

##

From: Marshall Winfield

To: Stevie
Winfield
Fine. I'll LEND you
the money. I would like you to pay me back within two
months.
Marsh
PS: This has nothing to do with Dominique.

##

From: Stevie
Winfield
To: Marshall
Winfield
Stop acting like
you're Dad. You're not.

From: Mike Taylor

To: Ashby
, Pete
, Lee,
Josh
Guys. We're all set for launching
the new album in three weeks' time. The publicity campaign is ready to go too.
We're going to try and market Ashby, rather than just the band. If I can get one
of the gossip mags to pick it up, we could go viral, which would be
fantastic.
Mike

##

From: Jeremy and Marjorie Porter

To: Jane Porter

Dear Jane
Ashby called for
you. I told him you didn't want to speak to him, like you asked me to. He
sounded ever so apologetic and said he was missing you. I think, perhaps you
should talk to him. Do you want me to give him Polly's number if he calls
again?
Love Mum
PS: Dad sends his love

##

From: Jane Porter
To: Jeremy
and Marjorie Porter
NO! DO NOT
give him Polly's phone number.
Mum, he was having sex with another
woman in our bed. There is no way on earth that we're going to get back
together. And I do not want to speak to him ever
again.
Jane

* * * *

He's a star. He's young, he's handsome, he could have any
girl he wants. But Ashby Thornton--inset--looks miserable. He was snapped
leaving his local pub alone and looking unhappy. Since splitting up with his
girlfriend of 4 years, Jane Porter, he has dated a string of nubile young
beauties, but clearly none of them had made him happy. Has Ashby realised
that there's more to life than glitter?

* * * *

From: Eric Korsky

To: Keith Durridge

I see Marshall's got the
new girl working with him. Bad luck buddy. Looks like dinner is on
you!
Eric

##

From: Eric Korsky
To:
Indra Somasundara

Indra, please book
my usual table at the club for me and Keith D. Sometime next month. Please
coordinate with my diary, as always.
Eric

##

From: Keith Durridge

To: Eric Korsky

I still have until the end of
the month. It ain't over till the fat lady sings. Or, in this case, the thin
lady.
Keith

##

From: Polly
To: Jane Porter

Hi
Andy's coming over
this evening and we're getting pizza. Want to join us?
Pol

##

From: Jane Porter
To:
Polly
Nah. You and Andy need to
have some quality time together. I'm thinking of doing a bit of extra work
before I come home tonight. I've still got to finish going through the latest
search to get a list of documents that I need to read. I should be home around
9. Do you want me to text when I get to the tube station? ;-)
Jane

##

From: Polly
To: Jane Porter

Stop it, you're making me
blush.
No warning necessary. I'm sure we can be respectably eating pizza
by 9pm.
Pol

* * * *

Jane pushed the pile of paper away and ran a hand over her eyes. She had been
reading the lists of patents for several hours, pausing to print the interesting looking ones off
the web. Ruth had gone home an hour or so before. There were only two days left before they
had to meet Susan and she had failed to find anything of use. With the deadline looming, she
and Marsh had split the remaining patents between them and were both reading as fast as they
could.

There was a knock on the office door. Jane swung her chair round and saw Keith
leaning with one arm against the doorframe.

"Hi," he said. "Working late, I see."

"Yes." She stretched her arms out in front of her to get rid of the stiffness. "Although
I don't think I can read another word."

"I know what you mean. Do you fancy a post work drink?"

She was too tired to do any more work. It would be an hour before she could go
home. She really didn't want to walk round the shops now. A quick drink would fill in the
time nicely, even if it was with Keith. "Sure. Why not."

"Great. I'll meet you at the lifts in ten?"

When Keith had left, Jane wondered if she'd made a mistake. She would much rather
have gone for a drink with Marsh. She looked thoughtfully at the wall between their offices.
He might want to join them. She wouldn't be alone with Keith, and she could get to know
Marsh a bit better outside of work.

She could no longer pretend that she didn't fancy him. Every time he walked into the
room she had to fight hard to concentrate on what she was doing and not stare at him. She did
her best not to be alone with him, which was difficult, considering they were working
together and she had to have daily update meetings with him.

Trying to ignore her attraction to Marsh hadn't worked. Maybe she should at least
find out if he was single. At any rate, it was good to get to know one's work colleagues.

Besides, she wouldn't be alone with him. Keith would be there. She hurried 'round to
his office, before she talked herself out of it.

Marsh was reading at his desk, his fingers massaging his temples. He looked up with
a tired smile when she knocked. "Find anything?"

"No, sorry. We're going out for a drink before heading home. Do you want to join
us?"

He glanced back to the pile of paper on his desk. "I've still got to finish this lot..." As
he spoke, he stifled a yawn. "Oh what the hell," he said. "I'll take it home and read it there.
Just give me a minute to tidy up."

* * * *

From: Keith Durridge

To: Eric Korsky

Am just heading out for a
drink with the lovely Jane. Prepare to pay up Korsky. The bet is as good as
won.

* * * *

Jane returned to Marsh's office, bundled up against the cold. He was pulling on his
own coat. He'd left his bag on his desk and she pointed it out.

"I'm running home," he said. "I'll come back and get changed before I head off."

"Running? In this weather?" she said as she followed him out. "Won't you
freeze?"

"Not if I'm running." He held a door open for her. "You said 'we', I should have asked
who else was going for this drink?" As he said it, they walked out into the lobby. "Oh, hello
Keith."

"Winfield." Keith's face darkened.

"I thought I'd invite Marsh along..." said Jane. It suddenly occurred to her that Keith
and Marsh might not have wanted to spend time in the pub together. She chided herself for
being so stupid.

The look of annoyance on Keith's face was swiftly replaced by a more neutral
expression. "Excellent. The more the merrier. After all, we're all part of the same team,
right?"

The lift arrived, saving anyone from having to answer.

* * * *

The bar was crowded and noisy, so loud, that they had to shout to be heard. Jane was
wedged between Keith and Marsh. Once they'd hollered a few banalities about the weather
and a few comments about work, the conversation dried up and they stood in a group, sipping
their drinks.

After about half an hour of trying, and failing, to have a conversation, Marsh looked
from Jane to Keith and back again, as though dealing with some sort of internal conflict. He
seemed to come to a decision and sighed. "I'll see you tomorrow," he shouted, leaning in close
so she could hear him. She could feel the warmth of his breath.

She lowered her head, to hide the blush she knew was colouring her cheeks.

As Marsh shouldered his way out, Keith moved fractionally closer, his arm pressing
against hers. "So, tell me about yourself, Jane. What did you do before you came to
London?"