can’t leave the week before Christmas,’ Magenta’s right arm, Tess, stated flatly.
‘I’ll be in touch with you the whole time.’
‘It’s not the same,’ Tess argued. ‘What about the Christmas party?’
‘There are more important things than that—like keeping our jobs?’ Magenta suggested when Tess protested. ‘And why can’t you organise it? ‘ Magenta prodded gently.
‘Because you have the magic,’ Tess argued.
‘I’ll be in touch every day, I just won’t be physically sitting at my desk—where, apparently,’ Magenta added mischievously, ‘I might present a threat to Quinn. Yes, I know I’m scary,’ she said when the team began to laugh.
While she had them in a good mood she turned the conversation to business. ‘You’re a fantastic team, and it’s crucial that Quinn sees the best of you guys, so I want you to forget about me and concentrate on making a good first impression.’
‘Forget about you? ‘ Tess scoffed. ‘How are we going to do that when you haven’t even given us a theme for the party yet?’
‘Glad to hear I’ve got some uses,’ Magenta said dryly, glancing at her wristwatch. She was starting to feel edgy. She had made a promise to her father to keep out of the way, so there wasn’t much time for dreaming up ideas for the party. ‘Keep it simple,’ she instructed herself out loud. ‘What about a sixties theme?’
‘Brilliant,’ Tess agreed. ‘We’ve got half the props already, and you’d look great in a paper dress.’
‘Ah…I won’t be at the party this year.’
‘Well, that’s nonsense. What will it be like without you?’
‘Much more fun, I should think.’ Magenta was remembering how she’d pulled the plug the previous year when she had thought the men in the office were getting a little out of hand. ‘I’m only on the end of the phone.’
‘I give you twenty-four hours and you’ll be back here,’ Tess predicted. ‘There’s too much going on for you to stay away. And there’s another thing,’ she murmured, drawing Magenta aside. ‘I’ve noticed something different about you this morning. Can’t put my finger on it yet, but I will.’
‘I don’t know what you mean.’
‘Ha!’ Tess exclaimed. ‘You’re on the defensive already. You look wary. No,’ she argued with herself, ‘not wary. You look alert—excited, alive. Yes, that’s it. Have you met someone, Magenta?’
‘Don’t be ridiculous! I’m only worried about the future here.’
‘No…’ Tess gave a confident shake of her head. ‘There’s something else—something you’re not telling me.’
Maybe her red cheeks had given her away, Magenta thought wryly as the biker flashed into her mind.
‘It’s nothing to be ashamed of if you’ve met someone you like,’ Tess insisted.
‘But I haven’t,’ Magenta argued—too heatedly, she realised now.
CHAPTER TWO
TESS hurried to reassure her. ‘I know you’re worried about the company, and what’s going to happen under the new owner, but you’re entitled to a private life, Magenta. In fact, as your friend I’m going to be blunt about this—you need a private life.’
Magenta paused before continuing. ‘All right. This is going to sound ridiculous…’
‘Try me.’
Tess was waiting but, though she worked with words for a living, Magenta was suddenly struck dumb. How could she explain the trembling inside her, or the excitement, the awareness, even the outlandish suspicion that she had met her soul mate this morning? The biker had caught her at the worst possible moment and yet with his arrival it was as if everything had brightened. As if the world had suddenly come into sharp focus—and in a freezing-cold car park, of all places. How romantic!
The fact remained, it was as if the sun had shone down just on her, as if her life had opened up to a multi-coloured carousel of opportunity.
If she’d had the courage to seize it, which she clearly she hadn’t. ‘There was a guy this morning in the car park.’
‘I knew it.’
‘Shh.’ Magenta glanced round, but no one was listening; they were too busy fighting over the choice of music for the party. ‘It was nothing—just a good-looking guy. Not my type at all, and he wasn’t remotely interested. So now you know.’
‘But he excited you? ‘
‘He certainly did something.’
‘He made you tingle. He made you feel alive.’
‘You’re a romantic, Tess. He made me angry.’
‘You shouted at him?’ Tess frowned.
‘I gave him a piece of my mind, yes.’
‘And how did he react?’
‘He laughed at me.’
‘But that’s wonderful!’ Tess exclaimed. ‘What a start.’
‘There is no start, it was just an episode.’
‘And episodes have sequels.’
‘Not this one, Tess.’
‘You never know, he may come back. He’s seen you now—how could he resist? And when a man laughs with you, well, that’s the start of intimacy, in my book.’
‘It is?’
‘Don’t you know anything? ‘
‘Not much,’ Magenta confessed. ‘After the rush of gold-diggers when I was in my first flush of youth, all the likely contenders lost interest.’
‘Only because you frightened them away, dragon lady.’
‘They weren’t worth keeping.’
‘And this guy’s a keeper? ‘
‘For someone, definitely, but not me.’
‘Why not? What’s wrong with you?’
‘It’s not even worth discussing,’ Magenta said wryly. ‘He’s not going to ask me out on a date. I don’t expect I’ll ever see him again. It was just a chance encounter that made some sort of ridiculous impression on me because I was feeling tired and vulnerable, and—’
‘Lacking in confidence where the mating game is concerned,’ Tess supplied. ‘Just promise me one thing, Magenta— if you do see him again, don’t shout at him. Try a smile next time.’
They both laughed as Tess demonstrated how to do it.
‘Come on,’ Magenta said, turning back to the room. ‘I need to call this meeting to order or the Mighty Quinn will be here and my father will never speak to me again. So, are we good?’ she asked her team. ‘Does everyone like the theme for the party?’
‘Can we share out the sixties samples for costumes and accessories?’ one of the girls asked her.
‘Of course. Just help yourselves.’
Magenta was relieved her idea had gone down so well. Everyone needed a boost. They were all on edge wondering what changes the new owner would bring, and the sixties theme allowed them to indulge their fantasies and forget about work for a while. Her team had really been infected by the sixties bug, with quite a few of them trialling the fashions of the time. The sixties styling really suited Tess, Magenta noticed now, with her smoky eyes, long, curving fringe and high ponytail, Tess looked fabulous.
‘I still can’t believe you’re