Even After All

Part Twenty Four

Chapter Twenty Four

                “Wow.” Brandy stood and refilled their coffee cups, digesting all that Dylan had said.

                “I’ve screwed up Brandy.”

She nodded, “You can say that again. I never liked Louise, you KNOW that, but that’s not what’s swaying me here. Since you’ve been in London I’ve spoken to Mattie several times, she’s SO nice. She sent me some proper tea a couple of weeks ago.”

Dylan closed her eyes, “I get it, she’s a bloody saint and I’ve screwed her over AGAIN.”

Brandy chuckled, “I cannot believe you were married to her. That has stunned me.”

He opened his eyes, “am I THAT unsuitable?”

She shook her head, “not at all, you’re a very eligible bachelor; I just can’t believe that you kept it quiet...or that you have caused so much chaos for the poor thing.”

                “What about me?”

Brandy looked up at him and laughed, “you? You in your gilded cage here? You have the world at your feet, running a multimillion dollar conglomerate of businesses. What about her? She was a manager at a hotel. Hardly the greatest salary, I guess she needs the job, and now you’ve forced her to resign.”

Dylan hung his head, suitably told as Brandy continued, “on the occasions I’ve spoken to her I’ve found her to be very flexible, helpful, but also efficient. I’d have trusted the hotel in her hands.”

                “Well she’s gone. And there’s nothing I can do about that, so we move on.”

Brandy laughed, “there’s ALWAYS something you can do about that, and do NOT expect me to hang around here if you don’t get someone decent to replace her, you are away from this office FAR too much as it is. I don’t get paid enough to ‘be you’.”

He lifted his head and looked at her sceptically out of one eye, “you have always had a penchant for the over dramatic, and you Miss earn MORE than enough. Your last pay rise saw to that, daylight robbery that was!”

She paused, then her voice became serious, “and that was because I am worth it, you trust me to man the fort. THAT is important when you travel like you do. This hotel...it’s kind of like a baby to you, you want to see it do well. For that you need someone you trust in charge. However spectacularly you argued, you TRUST Mattie, and more importantly you NEED her.”

She stared at him for a moment, then pulled herself to her feet, “I’ll forward you the agenda for tomorrow’s meeting.”

He gave a nod, then hung his head, what the hell was he going to do?

                “Your ex husband FIRED you?”

Mattie laughed shaking her head as the three middle aged men that she’d debated the merits, or lack of, of David Cameron with were now all stood staring open mouthed.

                “I’d not put up with that!”                                                                                                 

                “No, he didn’t sack me! I resigned.” She leaned against the bar, then reached to drain her drink, unable to remember a time when she’d last done this, spent the early evening in the pub, gassing and laughing...and drinking.