Just A Kiss Goodnight

Chapter Four

When my alarm woke me on Monday morning I was eager to rise and go about my usual routine. The last two weeks I had been busy recovering from my trip, helping with wedding preparations and generally settling back into my life. I had gone into the office a few times to see everyone and get an overall feel of how things had run in my absence, but this week would be my first opportunity to really get into it again and look at which projects needed my attention.

I got into my running gear, grabbed my iPod and earphones and set off on my morning run, turning onto Hampstead Lane and cutting into the north eastern corner of Hampstead Heath. The paths were fairly busy with other morning joggers but I tuned them out, matching my strides to the beat of the music playing in my ears. The cool air was a welcome contrast to my runs in Taiohae, where the heat and humidity were horrendous even early in the morning, but I had gotten used to groups of young Polynesian children running alongside me, chattering away to each other excitedly. Mostly I ran along the crescent shaped bay or up into the foothills of Mt Muake, but either way I often had company. I missed them, I realised, as I passed the last of the Highgate Ponds and exited the Heath, heading along the streets and back to my flat. In spite of the horrors wrought by the earthquake a year ago and the hardships they had endured since, their bubbling enthusiasm and inquisitive natures never failed to inspire me and bring a smile to my face.

As I showered and dressed again, thoughts of my trip inevitably lead to Tom and what had happened on our arrival. I was still confused and hurt by his sudden change from friendship and something that had hinted at possibly wanted to explore that further, to polite stranger. Spotting the time as I put on my watch, I told myself to stop thinking about the guy and concentrate on more immediate priorities. I grabbed a warm jacket, my handbag and phone and set off for the Tube station to head to work.

My resolution to forget all about Tom was predominantly successful. At work I met with the two vice-presidents who had run the company while I was in the South Pacific. They caught me up on what projects each division of the company – computer games/smartphone apps, business management systems and educational software – were currently working on and we looked at our upcoming production schedule and fiscal reports. KJ Systems was in an excellent position and I thanked Sam and Owen sincerely for their efficient management in my absence, even making a joke about being able to retire at 32 because I was obviously not needed here! They laughed it off, of course, but it did give me pause for thought about whether running the company was as much of a thrill and challenge as it had been when I started it. 

That thought was determinedly shoved to the back of my consciousness while I saw the men out and then wandered around the two floors of our offices, chatting briefly with every employee individually. I considered these people to be a part of my extended family and I wanted to know that they were happy in the work they were doing and felt like they could come to me if they were not. Throughout the week I sat in on departmental meetings, had lunch in the staff cafeteria and generally immersed myself in all things KJS again.  

Friday afternoon saw me leaving the office at three to prepare for the weekend ahead and the visitors I was expecting.

My brother Michael had met his wife Abigail when they were twelve and I was ten. We were all close friends throughout the remainder of our school years and the two of them began dating when they were twenty, married at twenty-five and promptly turned out two adorable children for whom I was both aunt and Godmother. Molly, aged seven and Matthew, almost five, regularly stayed with me for a weekend and as this was our first visit in nearly four months, I was really looking forward to it. I bought huge bags of groceries from the store, balancing healthy foods with a smattering of junk. The queen sized bed in the spare room, which they would share, was made up with a 'Frozen' bed set (Molly's current favourite fad) and I'd hired a bunch of movies for us to watch in case the weather wasn't at its best. I had a special treat lined up too that was remaining a secret for now.