Page 37 of The Last Kiss

I fall into my chair.

“How bad?” Flynn flicks a rubber band at me.

“Just two thousand short thereabouts.”

He winces.

“Question is, will any of our readers in America even notice if their copies don’t turn up?”

“Probably not,” Flynn snorts. “Bigger problem is will our advertisers?”

I rub at my forehead. At least I hadn’t thought of dying for two hours. Plus points and all that.

A cold cup of coffee is sat in front of my computer. “Thanks for the coffee.”

Desk partners sat opposite one another, we’ve created our own little hot drink gang. Doing a drink run for the whole team took far too long, so about three years ago when he started we set ourselves apart on an island of Nescafe.

“You’re welcome two hours ago.”

“I’m away this Friday too. How the hell do I get her not to press anything while I’m not in the office?”

“Another Friday? I’m beginning to think you are going away for dirty weekends.” He wiggles his fair eyebrows at me. “Are you? Should I be jealous of someone who isn’t your cat?”

I stick my tongue out. “Leave Barney out of this.”

“What? I’m being serious here. I should know if I’ve got to share you with anyone else other than your feline housemate.”

“You,” I wag my finger at him. “Aren’t sharing me with anyone.”

The loud but undeniable sound of someone breaking wind across the office halts our conversation.

“I hate this place,” I mutter under my breath.

Flynn grins and it’s so damn smug. “You don’t. You love us all, otherwise you would have left years ago when Glamour magazine tried to headhunt you.”

“Believe me, I’m still ruing the day.”

“Remind me again why you didn’t take it?”

I lob a ball of Blu Tac at him. It will be back on my side of the desk later in a never-ending game of catch we’ve been playing. He doesn’t know why I didn’t take the job. No one does apart from Rebecca.

She did me a solid back then and I will be loyal to her until my dying day.

So not long then.

Unless we fold before then.

Right as I think it, I have the blinding idea. I’m going to make it my dying wish to get this damn place online. Leave them with a legacy that will live on.

Ignoring Flynn and his achingly punchable face, I boot my laptop and pull it closer.

Right. How am I going to do this?

First things first though, I’d better do something about this American disaster.

“Juliette? Anyone know a Juliette?” Ray is shouting through the office. It’s dark outside, half-five and I really want to go home.

Rebecca lied when she said everyone would leave on time.