The Out of Office Girl Read Free

a lot of juggling. It’s all good experience, though. I hope so, anyway.
    ‘Cup of ambition?’ says Poppy, waving her coffee mug.
    ‘Yes, please.’ Come to think of it, where is Olivia? She’s normally in by now. And what was she calling about last night?I have had my fair share of disasters over the years, but I thought I’d done quite well lately. None of her emails look too serious – there’s an agent complaining about a cover, and an author who’s upset about his Amazon ranking, but nothing catastrophic.
    It must be something to do with Luther’s book. That is a code orange situation: it’s running very late and everyone is getting panicked aboutit. We’ve just had the first draft in, and it’s terrible. It skips over all the interesting parts – such as his relationship with his father; the drugs and rehab; his whirlwind marriage and divorce; the time he disappeared for a year . . . I think Olivia’s been slightly taken aback by how much I know about Luther Carson. It’s not that I have a crush on him exactly. Well, OK, of course I do – whodoesn’t? – but I also think he’s a very intriguing character. In fact, I was the one who suggested him as a subject for an autobiography.
    I decide to try Olivia again. There’s still no answer: that’sstrange. Just after I hang up, my phone rings. I wonder if this is her now, but the display says Daphne Totnall – our managing director’s PA.
    ‘What does she want?’ I ask aloud.
    ‘Who?’ Poppy asks,coming back from the kitchen.
    ‘Hello,’ says Daphne. ‘Can you come up and see Alasdair please?’
    ‘Of course.’ I hang up. What the hell is happening this morning?
    Poppy hands me my coffee. ‘What’s up?’ she asks curiously.
    ‘The MD wants to see me,’ I say. I’m already walking towards the lift. More people have arrived by now, including the horrible Claudine, who is channelling Audrey Hepburn todayin skinny black trousers and pearls. They all hear Poppy call after me, ‘Good luck! Don’t jump!’
    As I ride the lift up to Alasdair’s office, I wipe my clammy palms on my skirt and examine myself in the mirrored wall. What possessed me to wear a black skirt with a white shirt? I look like a waitress. Otherwise, I look the same as ever: straight, long blond hair, embarrassingly pink cheeks, anxiousexpression. Daphne barely looks up from her spreadsheets as she tells me to go straight inside.
    I’ve never actually been in here before. The office is enormous, with floor-to-ceiling windows and a panoramic view over the Thames. There is Alasdair’s spaniel, asleep in a basket beside the window. And there is Alasdair himself getting up from his desk.
    ‘Alice. Thanks very much for coming up,’ hesays smoothly, shaking my hand and motioning me to sit down, just as if I was a powerful old buddy of his. He is about my dad’s age, with badgery grey hair, twinkly dark eyes and a deep tan from his frequent sailing and shooting holidays.
    ‘I’m afraid I have some bad news,’ he says.
    What bad news? Am I being fired? But if I am, there should be someone here from HR, surely. And shouldn’t I havehad a few warnings first? I’ll have to call Erica . . .
    ‘Olivia has to have emergency surgery,’ Alasdair continues, ‘for a double hernia. She’s in hospital and they’ll operate as early as they can tomorrow. She’ll be out of action for at least two weeks, maybe more.’
    I put my hand over my mouth. ‘Oh God,’ I say. ‘That’s awful.’ Poor Olivia. That sounds gruesome. Though I have to say I’m alsorelieved that I’m not going to be fired. How did this happen? She was completely fine yesterday.
    ‘We’ve just spoken on the phone, about her various projects,’ he continues.
    ‘Of course.’ I know Olivia’s schedule by heart, so I can help him with this. It’s going to mean a lot of extra work. I imagine I’ll keep working on the books I have already, and take on most of the others – maybe we can farmsome out . .