Humbug Read Free Page B

satisfaction and opened my mouth to say more, but before I could get a word out he added, “I finished that one earlier. Let me just print it for you.”
    I watched mutely as he tapped at his keyboard, then smoothly rose from his seat to cross the room to the printer bay.
    By the time he was back, I’d opened my inbox and was running through my emails. He leaned over the partition between our desks to hand me the document, which looked to be a couple of hundred pages long. I honestly hadn’t expected it to be ready even by the end of today, and I wondered how long he’d been working on it. I knew for a fact he couldn’t have started it till yesterday.
    “Thanks.” I leafed through a few immaculate pages, then tossed it down on the desk and levered myself out of my chair, yawning again. “I’m definitely going to need my coffee before I start going through it though.”
    I turned to walk off to reception to collect my coffee, but he stopped me.
    “Quin, wait—”
    I glanced back. Rob wore a grim expression on his face and his jaw was tight with tension. It was an odd look for him—he was usually such a sunny, smiley guy.
    “Yes?”
    “I need to ask you something.”
    I eyed him for a moment, curious. Whatever it was, he clearly didn’t like asking me. There was a wary expression on his handsome face and his dark gaze was guarded.
    “Sure,” I said. “Fire away.”
    He ran his fingers through his thick hair in an uncomfortable gesture. I couldn’t help noticing how it fell back over his forehead, chestnut lights glinting. Would it feel as silky as it looked?
    “…early today?”
    I suddenly realised he’d been talking and blinked, embarrassed. “Sorry, what was that?”
    “I said, I know we’re a bit low on staff this week, but would you mind if I left early today? I’ve already made up the time—I worked on that billing spreadsheet late last night at home and I came in early to finish it.”
    I opened my mouth to agree then shut it again, thinking. Marley had always taught me that when someone asked you for something, you should never give it to them too easily.
    Make them earn it. Better for them, better for you.
    And there was that timekeeping thing I’d been meaning to raise with him…
    I sighed. “Listen, Rob. You’ve had some attendance issues recently that I think we need to address before we talk about you taking time off. I’ve noticed…”
    I trailed off, registering his suddenly incredulous expression. He looked so affronted I half expected him to start shouting at me, but then he seemed to get control of himself, taking a deep breath and schooling his expression back to neutrality.
    “Fine,” he gritted out. “I’ll find a space in our diaries to sit down and talk about any concerns you have after the Christmas holidays, but today, I need to leave at lunchtime. You needn’t worry—I won’t be completely offline. I’ll still be contactable by phone if something important comes up. You can just call or text me and I’ll—”
    “Hang on,” I interrupted, glaring at him. That take-charge tone he was using riled me with its assumption of authority. “You’re getting ahead of yourself. Let me be clear: the answer to your request is no. I expect you here till five thirty as usual—beyond that, if required. You know how it works here, Rob. We’re a client-focused firm, a service provider. We need to be available.”
    Rob glared at me. “I’ve more than made the time up, and Emily’s always going on about our flexible working policy—”
    Emily, our HR Manager in Manchester, was a fucking liability in my opinion.
    “It’s flexible working by arrangement ,” I snapped. “Not just whenever you like because you happen to feel like doing a bit of late Christmas shopping.”
    His face grew red. “Christ, you really are a monumental dick, Quin!”
    That was so unexpected that I just stood there and gaped. Rob was the most easy-going guy I’d ever met. I’d never heard him