Chapter two
Marian tiptoed into her office the next morning. She was half and hour late for work. She saw a strangely familiar head pass her, but whoever it was moved too quickly for her to identify him. Maybe that was intended.
Marian called a team meeting. It was only a small team but they were very close, like a family. They all felt they worked better like that, as a close group.
'Well, I won't keep you long as I know I for one have a stack of articles that won't read themselves!' They let out a small laugh knowing that they were in the same situation.
'So, this issue is coming out a week on Wednesday and there's still loads to do. Allan, I need those match reports ASAP especially the Man U – Chelsea one. Will, how's the article on the new gallery coming along?
'It's good. Got about 300 words left to write so I can have it on your desk by lunch'
'Thanks! Now Eve, I think you're done. Tom wants to take this week's pic for the column. That OK?'
Eve nodded, she was a woman of few words.
Marian smiled and turned to Djaq.
'OK, seen your make up thing and I love it! Tom from photography is sending the pictures up for 'best dressed'
'I guess I'll being doing that all day then!'
'Spare a thought for John, he's on duty all day!' Will stuck up for his mate
'Yeah, being a doorman is a pretty dull job'
'Head of security,' Marian stated automatically, 'he's head of security'
'What about poor little Marian? Not being funny, but I'd rather be a doorman than spend all day writing about politics.
Marian glared at him.
'Hood is such a weird magazine!' cried Djaq; 'We have sport, art, fashion and politics in the same thing'
'So? It was my father's idea when he was editor-in-chief and it sells. So what's the problem?' she batted her eyelids in a mocking way.
'WHO ARE WE?' shouted Allan
'HOOD!' the others shouted back
'AND WHAT ARE WE?'
'THT BEST AND BIGGEST SELLING MAGAZINE IN NOTTINGHAM!' they laughed; Nottingham was tiny. But they were still proud.
'Why did you say yes?' Guy moaned
'We need a new sub editor!'
A smile spread over Guy's face. Being a sub-editor was almost worse than no job at all (I don't know this so if you're a sub editor, sorry)
'Ugh, don't smile Gisborne. You know the rule in my office!'
'Sorry' he mumbled
There was a knock at the door.
'Come in' called Vasey in the same bored voice the waited had used at Starbucks the previous day.
The door opened and Marian walked in juggling a huge pile of papers. Guy rushed over to help her and she flashed him a small smile. This made his day and boy did she know it!
'Here's the stuff for you to proof read' she dumped the stuff on Vasey's desk
'How many times do I have to tell you?' he snarled, 'I'm the editor-in-chief NOT the sub-editor. Put it on Gisborne's desk!'
Marian sighed, 'we really need a sub-editor. It's not fair on Guy. Have you thought about hiring one?'
Vasey hated being talked to in this way but, under the circumstances, he let it slip.
'Yes, I've got one starting tomorrow. 9 o'clock sharp. Unlike you, you were late this morning!'
Shit, she thought, how did he know?
'So tonight you'll work over unpaid to make the time up. That is not a request. That's all, close the door quietly on your way out' he smiled slightly, despite his rule.
Marian scooped up the papers, walked down the hall and dumped them on Guy's desk.
'Did he like my headline?' asked Will nervously, 'I know it's not my job but I just thought of it suddenly so I…' he trailed off as he saw Marian's face
'Dunno, he just sent it off with Guy to sub-edit. That reminds me, tomorrow we're getting a new sub-editor'
'Ooh,' Djaq's head popped over her partitioning wall, 'I seriously hope it's a girl. I know it's a shit job but I can't handle any more testosterone!'
The boys let out a manly roar at this comment
'See?'
Marian smiled.
Marian looked at the clock. The minute she'd made up her time she leapt up from her desk and ran down the stairs 2 at a time. Of all days to be kept back this was the worst. Her father was coming down from Knighton to see her.
She walked up her front path and saw her father sitting on the step.
'Sorry,' she panted, 'I had to stay late but I ran all the way back'
'I can see!' he smiled, he missed his daughter but her job kept her busy most of the time.
'Happy Birthday, by the way. You present is inside' she dodged around her father and opened the door revealing all the decorations. She'd stayed up until 2am putting them up, making sure it was all perfect. She did the same thing ever year, and each year Edward loved it. It was done just the way her mother used to do it before she died.
Edward walked over to his daughter and hugged her.
'It's perfect, just like Kate did it. She'd have loved it'
'Yeah, screw cancer'
It was hard to make jokes about her mother's death except when she was with her father. It was a way of hiding how she really felt, and they both knew it.
Marian pulled away from the hug.
'Itchy beard!'
Edward laughed, same comment every year!
'Gift's in the kitchen. It's not much, I didn't know what to get you'
'It'll be lovely whatever it is!'
Marian walked into the kitchen and came back carrying a huge flat package. It was the size of her table!
'How am I supposed to get that back in the car?'
'Just open it' Marian said holding back tears from knowing what was inside.
Edward undid the bow and pulled back the paper to find his wife staring back at him. As he pulled off the rest of the paper he saw a huge picture collage of pictures of him, Kate and Marian.
'I had it done at snappy snaps, they didn't believe how big I wanted it!'
Edward smiled; he was holding back the tears now.
In the middle of the collage were 3 really special pictures. One of their wedding day, one of them all at the hospital with a bald Kate. But the most special of all was the one right in the middle of the 3 of them smiling at the camera without a care in the world. Marian was just nine.
Edward ran his fingers over Kate's face.
'She was so happy, so beautiful. She didn't deserve that.' His voice was barely above a whisper
'I had a smaller one made for me; it's above my bed so I can say goodnight before I fall asleep. She's the last thing I see at night and the first thing I see in the morning.'
'So,' he said wiping his eyes, Marian did the same, 'where's the cake?'
'I have something for you. Before you protest, I know it's my birthday but I want you to have this.' He handed her a small wooden box.
'It's beautiful!'
'Open it silly!'
'There's more?' she pulled back the lid and felt her breath catch; it was her mother's jewellery box.
'She didn't have much and we buried her with most of it but she always wanted you to have these bits. They were her favourites'
Marian picked up the pasta necklace she'd made when she was 4, she fingered her mother's jewelled hairpin and stroked her emerald necklace. Then her eyes fell on the ring. It was her mother's engagement ring. She gasped as the lifted it out of the box as if it would break at any moment.
'Why wasn't she buried with this?'
'She wanted you to have it besides, she had her wedding ring. That was most important to her.'
Now Marian really couldn't hold the tears back. She looked down at the single diamond and place it on her ring finger.
'I'm married to her' she managed a weak smile
'I think it's time for bed'
'Yeah, you're in your usual room'
'Night night sweetheart' he kissed her forehead lightly before turning to go up the stairs, Marian followed him and walked into her own room.
She lay in bed fingering the ring and looked up at the picture above her bed.
'I love you, still do' she whispered before falling deep asleep.
Next chap soon, I need 3 reviews first (aren't I mean!) Soz, Will/Djaq comming soon