My Siobhan

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Shivey felt a great deal more relaxed about going to work next day. She liked Owen, he felt like an uncle or something similar, so lunch would be nice. When she arrived home it was to find Coral waiting for her, a mug of coffee in her hand and one on the coffee table in front of her.

Shivey looked from Coral to the coffee and back again. Coral rolled her eyes. “What? I knew when to pour; I could hear your monster of a truck coming from a mile away.”

Shivey took a seat and picked up her coffee, enjoying the aroma before taking a sip. “I knew I hired you for a reason.” She smiled, sitting back on the couch fully intending to enjoy the coffee and hoping Coral wasn’t up to something. She was never one to sit and idly chat, especially at the end of the day.

Shivey sighed and opened her eyes, “Okay, what’s up?”

Coral blinked at her friend, doing her best to keep a straight face. “What makes you think something’s up?”

Shivey gave her ‘the look’. The look that said ‘I know you’re either up to something or have something to say, so spit it out!’ Coral remained silent, her eyes on her own coffee until she couldn’t stand the knowledge that her friend and boss, was still giving her the look.

She sighed, “You got a call from your mother today.” She took a sip. “You also got a call from a Mr Wentworth.” Coral lifted her mug and watched the expression on Shivey’s face over its rim. She put her mug down and smiled sweetly, “What message would you like to hear first?”

Shivey almost choked on a mouthful of coffee. How the hell Coral managed to look so sweet and innocent when she wasn’t was beyond her. She glared at the woman, “Give me the good news first.”

“Umm, it’s all good or bad depending on how you look at it.” She smiled sweetly and Shivey wanted to throw something at her.

She didn’t. She finished off her coffee, placing the mug on the table before responding with, “The bane of my existence!”

Coral smiled and sat forward, “Your mother called to let you know your brother is due home in a couple of days. She’s planning a family dinner to welcome him home, so you have to go.”

“Rhys is coming home?” Coral nodded excitedly in reply.

“That’s great news! I guess I can deal with my mother for one night.” Shivey couldn’t help the smile on her face. Her brother had been away for some time, working and studying. They’d kept in touch, but it wasn’t the same. She missed hanging out with him. He loved her for who she was and never tried to make her be something she wasn’t.

“Okay, what did Mr Wentworth want?”

“Lunch!”

“Huh?”

Coral laughed, “He wants you to meet him for lunch. He said he had something he wishes to discuss with you.”

Shivey was surprised, “When?”

“When what? Oh, lunch. He was hoping for tomorrow I think.”

“I’m busy tomorrow,” she smiled in relief. “I have a kind of lunch date and don‘t ask who with, because I’m not saying.”

Coral’s eyes glittered wickedly. “That can only mean one of two things. You’re having lunch with some hunk of a man and you don’t want to jinx it, or he’s age ugly and you’re too embarrassed to tell me who it is?”

Shivey burst out laughing. “You’ve got one hell of an imagination Coral. You ever considered writing mystery novels, or better yet romance?”

Coral tossed a couch cushion at Shivey. “I have a hot date, so I need to go. You on the other hand need to contact both your mother and Mr Wentworth.” That said Coral got to her feet, grabbed her jacket and bag off the end of the couch she’d been sitting on and headed for the front door.