Chapter 41 What Real Friendship Looks Like
There’s excitement in the conference room as Noah tells the team that he will be informing Mrs Clancy about our new designs today and that if everything goes to plan, both products should be in production by the end of the week.
I can’t believe how quickly we’ve gotten to this point. It’s super exciting to think I’ve been involved – sort of – in the process. I provided coffee and snacks; I feel like that’s a valid contribution.
He tells everyone to double check everything. There’s no margin for error after everything that’s happened over the last few weeks.
Noah is clearly worried that Lewis Artie will try something but he doesn’t say it in the meeting. Instead he keeps everything upbeat, thanking the team for their hard work.
Everyone is so excited and happy that I’m a little scared we’ll jinx it. I’m not usually superstitious but the last few weeks has me touching wood. He doesn’t say it but I’m pretty sure Noah feels the same way.
When the meeting is over, I follow him out of the conference room.
“Can you compile a complete material list for both products before my meeting at two?” he asks as we walk across the department in the direction of his office. “Double check the pricing. We need the highest quality material at the lowest possible price.”
“Yes sir.”
“And ring both factories to confirm they’ve got capacity to meet the production demand.”
“Yes sir.”
“Quit call me sir, would you Eden?” he practically growls, the first hint of his usual Monday morning moodiness.
“Yes si–” I pause. “Mr Grisham.”
“Try again,” he says, turning to face me, his eyes sparkling.
“Noah.”
Even though I’ve called him by his first name plenty of times, it feels different this time. Probably because he’s asking me to.
“Is there anything else you need?” I ask, trying to ignore the butterflies in my chest.
“Perhaps a coffee,” he tells me before leaving me standing there as he enters his office.
Making my way into the kitchen, I refuse to even entertain where my thoughts are threatening to go. After our lunch on Saturday, I’ve struggled to keep Noah out of my head. It doesn’t help that I practically fell into his arms thanks to ‘phone gate’ as I’ve taken to calling that entire shambles in my mind.
Turning on the kettle, I wait for it to boil. While I’m waiting, Stacey and two others wander in.
“It was the worse date of my life,” Stacey is telling Lucy and Meg eagerly.
“You telling them about the Great Dane?” I ask, giggling.
“Oh my gosh! YES!” Stacey says. “Never again.”
“Hang on! Hang on,” Meg starts. “Are you giving up on online dating or men in general.”
“Online dating, of course!” Stacey retorts loudly. “Like I could give up men.”
We’re all laughing as she continues, “that’s like asking me to give up chocolate.”
“So Eden, you must have had a bad date or two…” Lucy says.
I wonder if I should be offended although she doesn’t look like she means it maliciously.
“Yeah, seriously who hasn’t?” Meg agrees.
All three of them are staring at me, waiting for me to tell them but all my bad dates relate to money and Eden Winters doesn’t have that problem.
“Er… yeah, I guess so,” I reply, trying to think of a single bad date I’ve had that didn’t involve paying for everything.
When I don’t tell them my own horror story quick enough, Meg decides to take pity on me.
“This one guy I dated,” she says, leaning against the counter, “forgot my name. I wouldn’t mind but it wasn’t even our first date.”
“I once went on a date with this one guy,” Lucy tells us between fits of giggles. “He asked me if I do a background check on prospective boyfriends. Let’s just say I ran for the hills.”
I can hardly breathe, I’m laughing so hard.
“Erm… I don’t really have any funny sh*tty date stories,” I admit.
“You must have at least one,” Stacey presses.
“I’ve had plenty of bad dates, but I don’t think they were particularly funny.”
“Tell us,” Lucy and Meg almost beg.
“Okay… My last date was with my long term ex-boyfriend,” I tell them.
I might as well try and trust them if I’m going to make friends with them. That’s why I’m here, right? To make real friends…
“He decided we should break up,” I say as casually as I can, “so he took me to the most expensive restaurant ever, ordered all the expensive sh*t; food, wine, desert… and then left me with the bill.”
“Oh my god!” Meg exclaims.
“What an utter b*stard!” Stacey is saying. She sounds so fiery, I could easily imagine her coming to my defense. I sort of wish I’d known Stacey before I broke up with Mason.
I’m going to keep her around, I think.
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