Mandy said good night to the guys, much to the chagrin of Marcus Fielding, who protested and promised her a good time. She knew what his definition of a good time was, and would gladly pass. Amelia walked her to the door and gave her a hug, before she caught a cab to her apartment. She didn't realise they'd reached their destination, till the questionably scented taxi driver poked her. Having fallen asleep on the less than ten minute ride back to her place, she knew she couldn't ignore the signals her body was sending her. As she opened her apartment door, she barely made it to the sofa, before collapsing and instantly falling asleep.
..................................................................................................................................................................................
The next few days of work were an uphill climb. She and Affie talked about Marcus and a new dentist in a nearby practice called Kian. Affie had her eye on him, and Mandy knew this was a little more serious. She was giggly and giddy, and when she saw his photograph on the practice website, Mandy knew why. He was tall, she could tell from his photo. The terms tall, dark and handsome were invented for this man, he wore a light stubble and had dazzling bright blue eyes. As she read down his 'About Me' page, she noticed that he was Persian. This would thrill her mother, Azar, and reading about him that wasn't the only thing they had in common. His main interest was defined as 'Socialising with friends', and Affie approved of this characteristic whole heartedly. As they finished their lunch, on a Thursday it was always Chinese, Allegra Cascarino walked in, a stern look on her face. Scouring her desk, Mandy selected the flash drive that contained her newest article and some ideas for the feature from the fashion show.
'Do you need this now, Allegra?' she quizzed her, holding out the stick.
'Could you come to my office Miss Romer?' Allegra responded, her voice cold and flat.
Affie raised her eyebrow. 'Okay, I'll see you tonight chica.'
The two friends hugged briefly, before Affie left, and Mandy followed her boss to her office.
As soon as they stepped inside, Allegra kicked the door closed and motioned for her employee to take a seat on one of her informal suede chairs. These chairs were normally used during laid back meetings, where they would discuss where to place certain features. Sure this wouldn't take long, and that it was related to the fashion show, Mandy sat down comfortably.
Allegra stayed standing, leaning against her antique Mahogany desk. Just a few weeks ago, Mandy had sourced this very item from a prestigious furniture auction, Allegra had been thrilled and purchased the item immediately.
'Mandy'. She addressed, clasping her hands together. 'Did you not think I would find out? That I had taken on a new employee at great expense to the company, based on her references and her qualifications, and then have to hear about matters on the grapevine?'
She swallowed, suddenly very self conscious. Here she was lounging back on the expensive suite, being faced with the knowledge that her boss perhaps knew what she wasn't ready to tell. Beads of sweat broke out along her temple, and the dreaded nausea bubbled.
'I...I....' the words wouldn't come out, her throat was once more choked with the impending feeling of needing to vomit.
'Mandy I feel like a bit of a fool. Investing so much in you. Believing in you. Now I am not saying you cannot have a family, but this is very soon! You've just started here!'
She stood up. Facing Allegra.
'I know! I know.' She covered her face with her hands. Composing herself, she looked her boss in the eye, hoping she still saw a level of professionalism in her, still saw the spark that made her choose her over all the other candidates.
'Allegra I intend to carry on working, to the same standard, if not higher. I....'
Allegra walked to her desk, and sat down in her expensive leather Italian recliner.
'I think you need some time to think things through Mandy. This isn't the place for a young mother, not really. So much travelling is involved. I will leave things in your hands however. '
She began studying a spreadsheet on her screen, and Mandy realised it was her cue to leave. Feeling dejected, and suddenly betrayed she opened the glass door and stepped into the office space. From here, she could see Amelia chatting with Helena, another intern. They threw their heads back, laughing, and with tears pricking her eyes, Mandy sped towards them, hands clenched by her sides.
She didn't notice David Millicent, who owned both the magazine and various other publications stepping out of the elevator, ready to meet with Allegra Cascarino. As she felt her cheeks grow brighter, she confronted Amelia.
'Hey sweetie!' she said with a saccharine sweet smile.
'How could you!' blurted Mandy, the hot tears suddenly pouring, in spite of her attempts to hold them back. 'How dare you tell Allegra what I told you in confidence!' she spat.
She was aware of the other workers crowding around them, everyone eager to catch a piece of the action.
Amelia feigned surprise, taking a step back from her colleague. Helena grabbed her arm, supportively.
'I thought that she should know. You know, so she could be a bit easier on you, in your condition.'
What Mandy saw in her eyes was the same look she would have taken as concern a few days ago, but right now she understood entirely why Amelia had told their boss. She was more ambitious than Mandy had given her credit for. She wanted her job. She had so often admired the prime spot of her office, and coveted the life she had. Amelia was a malicious self satisfying backstabbing excuse for a friend. The twinkle in her eyes confirmed Mandy's suspicions.
Losing all her control, she leapt forward. At the last moment, her fist close to striking Amelia, she was restrained. The red faced vision of David Millicent brought her back to reality and suddenly embarrassment took over. Here she was, the much talked about addition to the team, so close to hitting a fellow employee. Pregnancy hormones had a lot to answer for. This whole situation had a lot to answer for. The unknown man in the club had so much to answer for.
'We do not tolerate violence or bullying in this workplace!' David Millicent had called security. She felt a man take her elbow, leading her to the elevator. She watched the open mouthed faces of so many colleagues, stunned at what had happened. It had felt like an out of body experience to Mandy, but she still seethed. She hadn't had time to properly think about any of this, weigh up her options, or plan when she would tell Allegra. The decision had been ripped from her hands.
As she stepped into the elevator, she shook off the grip of the moustached security guard. David Millicent faced her his eyes clouded with disappointment.
'Go home Miss Romer. Miss Cascarino will call you once you've had a chance to calm down. In the mean time, don't attempt to set foot back in the building. As for Amelia Henstridge. I suggest you avoid her. She could press charges if she wanted to.'
Feeling like she had been slapped across the face, reeling from the betrayal, Mandy bowed her head. The elevator doors closed behind her, the security guard standing a little close for comfort. She didn't realise right then, but this would be the last time she would stand in this building, the last time she would be employed in her dream work place.