Fates Tied (3 page)

Regards,

Edward.’

Suzanne breathed a sigh of relief and couldn’t help but laugh to herself. It seemed that he had been just as nervous as she was and he had thought about her as much as she had thought about him. The idea that he’d tried to message as many S. Jones as he could find until he reached her was touching, in a way. He’d clearly gone to a lot of trouble to find her and her heart was racing with excitement. Then her eyes caught sight of the time stamp on the email again and she froze, horrified.

The email had been sent several hours ago and she hadn’t replied until now. He probably thought that she thought he was a stalker, or that she was too busy messaging other men to reply to him. Or that she was simply ignoring him. The possibilities ran through her head and she started to panic. Her breath came faster and faster. The first man that she had felt attracted to since well before her divorce and she’d already screwed it up.

“Hey boss lady,” Tiffany said from the doorway, “why the long face? Who died?”

Suzanne looked at her colleague, her face still wide and terrified. She was probably stark white and Tiffany quickly looked terrified too.

“Oh god, who died?” She squeaked, “Was it Brad Pitt?! Please don’t tell me it was Brad Pitt. Or Johnny Depp. Or George Clooney. Oh god don’t let it be Henry Cavill.”

“No. No, no one’s died,” Suzanne said quickly, shaking her head. “It’s just that Edward emailed me back hours ago and I’ve only just spotted it. He probably thinks I’m ignoring him.”

“Oh thank god,” Tiffany said, panting, holding a hand to her chest and collapsing into one of Suzanne’s many chairs in her office. “You had me scared there.”

“Clooney?” Suzanne said, “Isn’t he a bit old for you?”

“He’s hot and you know it,” Tiffany said. “So, what did lover boy say?”

Suzanne shared the message with Tiffany, leaving out nothing. Then she started to panic as she shared her thoughts about what Edward might be thinking of her. She was working herself up into a state of terror when Tiffany interrupted her.

“You realise he probably thinks you’re just a very busy woman who’s hard at work right?” Tiffany said. “I always use that to explain why I haven’t text Eddie back or answered his calls. It shuts him right up.”

“Oh… oh yeah of course,” Suzanne said, calming down immediately.

“Wow,” Tiffany said in surprise, “You actually really like this guy.”

“Yeah… yeah I do,” Suzanne admitted, smiling a little.

“Well good for you girl!” Tiffany said, grinning widely, “It’s about time you got over what’s-his-face and started looking for someone hotter and nicer.”

“Thanks Tiff,” Suzanne said dryly. She glanced at the clock. “Look its gone 4, why don’t you go home early and have a nice night in?”

“Or I could go home early and have a nice night out on the town,” Tiffany said excitedly. “You’re the best boss ever!”

Tiffany rushed from the room and Suzanne could hear her clattering around at her desk. She looked back at her computer and the email. Tiffany was right, all she had to do was tell the truth and if he didn’t accept it then he wasn’t the right person for her.

‘Hi Edward,

So sorry that I’m only just replying now, I ended up getting wrapped up with work and didn’t even hear the alert for emails.

What on earth were those other emails saying that got people making you offers? I’m intrigued now.

I do have more stories about my clients, and my colleagues actually. Tiffany, the blond bouncy one has so many misadventures at work that I could write a book about them. But I don’t know if I want to share them just to amuse you. Don’t you have any amusing work stories that you could share in return?

Suzanne’

Suzanne hit send and turned back to her work. There was only a little left to do for the day and then she could go.

“Oh Suzie!” Tiffany cried just before she left, poking her head back around the door frame, “If he messages back find out if he’s got any hot single rich friends? I think I might need to replace Eddie at some point soon.”

“Sure Tiff.” Suzanne said, laughing. “Have a nice night and don’t come in too hung-over tomorrow morning, we’ve got the Henderson brief remember.”

Tiffany grinned and disappeared. Suzanne laughed as she heard the other woman leaving the building. Her attention wandered back to her work and she ploughed through the rest in record time, surprising herself when she looked up and realised it was all done, even the stuff that she had planned to complete the next day. Then she looked at the clock and saw that it was almost 6pm. Suzanne glanced over her shoulder and saw that the sun had begun to set and the streetlights were coming on, bathing everything in their florescent orange glow. She turned back to her computer and noticed another email had appeared in her inbox. She could feel the smile spreading across her face and after glancing around the other offices she decided that she wouldn’t fight it, there was no one around to see it. She opened it.

‘Hi Suzanne,

I figured as much. Don’t worry, I understand how it can be to get completely wrapped up in your work and forget about everything. I wouldn’t be doing so well in business if I couldn’t do the same. Just last week I sat down to work at 8 in the morning and next thing I knew it was 8 in the morning on the following day. Can you believe it?! I worked for 24 hours straight and didn’t even stop for food.

Suzanne laughed out loud at that bit, suddenly pleased that she wasn’t the only one that did that. Finally she calmed though and read the rest of the message.

I have to say your blond bouncy friend sounds amusing, I’d love to hear some of those stories some time. How did that event go by the way? I know you were working on something for the cruise line and I saw something in the paper but I’d like to hear it straight from the horse’s mouth, so to speak.

Yours,

Edward’

Suzanne smiled, her heart racing with excitement.

She looked at the time and realised that she had to start heading home soon if she wanted any chance of eating before she went to bed. More importantly she had recorded television programmes to watch and she wanted to get through at least a couple before turning in. She typed off a quick reply, including her personal email, before turning the computer off and heading home.

Her phone beeped on the bus, indicating that she had another email from Edward, on her personal email this time. She pulled out her phone and quickly read through it, not even realising that there was a smile spreading across her face. She wiggled in her seat a little as she typed a reply and when she looked up she caught the eye of the elderly woman beside her.

“Oh I recognise that smile,” the woman said kindly, “I used to get it on my face when my dear Albert, god rest his soul, used to write me letters.”

Suzanne didn’t say anything, she just smiled politely and went back to looking out of the window. When her phone beeped again, showing another reply she scrambled to grab it and the woman chuckled at her.

“It does the heart good to see young love again,” the woman said. “If he makes you smile like that he’s a keeper, let me tell you.”

Suzanne couldn’t help but giggle. The woman had no idea what she was talking about but the affection in her voice was unmistakable. She read Edward’s email and frowned at it in confusion.

‘Suzie,

I can’t believe your friend actually did that, all over an ambassador as well. She needs to be careful, some of these foreign diplomats have immunity and can forget about being a good person. She needs to start watching herself around your clients, it doesn’t bode will in terms of professionalism if she can’t control herself. Then again I probably don’t need to tell you this, you have years of experience at the event planning game I bet.

I’m finally leaving work too, your last message reminded me that there’s more to life than working, even if I do love it. I think I’m going to sit on the sofa with a glass of wine and watch some Jeremy Kyle. What are your plans for the evening? Off to go dancing with your hot friends and find some sexy young man friend to play with?

Your

Edward,’

“Sexy young man friend?” Suzanne whispered. “Who does he think I am?”

“Sounds to me like he’s just feeling you out love,” the old woman remarked. “Trying to find out whether you have lots of men on the go without digging too much or sounding desperate. My Albert was the same, once upon a time.”

“You think so?” Suzanne said, “It’s a very strange way of trying to find out. Why didn’t he just ask me straight out?”

“He’s a man dear,” the woman said, patting Suzanne’s arm. “They speak a language all their own and don’t speak ours. Men are from Mars, women are from Venus as they said back in the 90s.”

Suzanne smiled at the old woman, deciding that she wasn’t that bad any more. She certainly knew a bit about men, more than Suzanne did at least. She said as much.

“Oh I was married to Albert for 50 years dear,” she said laughing. “He wasn’t the most talkative of men either. I had to learn what he was thinking because he wouldn’t say it. You pick it up dear, don’t you worry. If he’s worth it you’ll come to understand him. I’d suggest just telling him what you’re doing tonight, whether or not there are sexy young boy toys in your life. Although with looks like yours I certainly hope that there are.”

“I haven’t had a sexy young man friend ever in my life,” Suzanne said kindly. “Even when I was young enough to have one.”

“We all need a sexy young man friend at some point!” The old woman cried, “You should get out there and find one.

At least then you can make this man jealous. Make him work for it, my mother always said, if it’s too easy they’re not going to want it.”

Suzanne threw her head back and laughed, this woman was hilarious. She decided to take her advice just as the lady’s stop came up. The old woman patted her hand again.

“Take it from me love,” she said, “sometimes the easiest way to get a man talking is with food or asking them about themselves. They like to pretend otherwise but they love to talk about themselves.”

With those words of advice the woman disappeared off the bus and Suzanne turned to her phone once more, crafting a reply that was both casual but gave Edward the information that he wanted. She admitted her love for Jeremy Kyle and a lively discussion began for the rest of the evening. They both watched the same episode, having recorded it, and spent the entire time discussing it and other things over email and eventually text.

Their conversations continued for the rest of the week and well into the next. Suzanne couldn’t help but smile every time her phone dinged with an email or text.

She went so far as to set Edward up with his own ringtone and email alert sound so that she would always know when he was in touch. She was at lunch with Claire one day when her phone went off with an email from Edward.

“What’s that smile for?” Claire asked as Suzanne glanced at her phone. “Who’s messaging you to get a grin like that?”

Her friend was smiling but it fell away as she caught sight of the name on the message alert.

“Edward…” she said slowly, “I thought I told you that you should stay away from him.”

“I was going to…” Suzanne said slowly, “but I just… I love talking to him.”

“Suzanne….” Claire said warningly, “you’re going to end up hurt. I bet you still don’t know anything about him.”

“We only talk about work,” Suzanne said, “and TV and some of our hopes and dreams and things. Just silly stuff that’ll never happen.”

Claire entered into a rant after hearing that, putting into words all the things that Suzanne herself had been thinking but hadn’t dared to focus on too much.

What her best friend was saying was the truth. She still knew nothing about Edward apart from the superficial stuff, the sort of things you didn’t mind sharing with all and sundry. She knew nothing about his life as a child, as a teenager, or even his family. He was nothing more than an attractive acquaintance in terms of how close they were. And there was Claire, spelling all of that out for her.

“Claire,” Suzanne suddenly cried. “I know this already, please just drop it.”

Claire opened and closed her mouth a few times before it settled into a firm line of disapproval.

“Fine,” she eventually said, “but don’t blame me when he runs out on you.”

They continued to text and email each other, despite Suzanne’s misgivings and Claire’s warnings. There was just something so exciting about talking to someone who would always listen to you, who was always there with a comforting ear. Their conversations were their little secret, something that took them away from the ordinary world and shoved excitement into their lives.

Their talks, the hours that they spent on the phone with each other was like their own little place, just between the two of them.

Eventually their messages turned more risqué and Suzanne found herself in the middle of a sexting marathon. It was something that she had never thought that she would do and it was thrilling. Edward’s messages made her heart race and her stomach flutter and she could imagine him doing all the