"Hi Casey." The voice on the other end of the phone said.
"Hi Marti."
There was a pause.
"So…" she said and stopped.
I grinned to myself. "You've been talking to Edwin." I concluded.
"Derek actually."
She surprised me and I nearly dropped the glass of red wine I had just poured for myself. It was Friday night and I was, yet again, having a night in.
"Oh?" I managed.
"Yeah. He phoned for our usually weekly chat and just dropped casually into conversation that he had been writing his autobiography and it was going to be published."
"Oh?"
Evidently, monosyllabic was all I was capable of.
She shuffled in the background and I imagined her kicking off her shoes and putting her feet up.
"Yeah. Then he tells me that he's using your publishing house and you're editing it."
I sipped my wine, nervously. "He just came out and said it?"
"Well no…not exactly. I asked him who was publishing it, just out of interest and then he mentioned your firm. And knowing that you do the biographies…I asked who his editor was."
"What did he say?"
Marti sighed. "He said, I quote. 'Some uptight spacecase with her head up her own ass.'"
I laughed. "And you recognised the description?"
Marti laughed too. "No. I just know Derek."
I explained. "I tried to get out of it, but he called my professionalism into question. Which is a red rag to a bull."
"I'll bet. What did you say?"
"I told him to go fuck himself."
"To his face?"
"God no. I haven't got a date for our first fight yet. No doubt it will be soon."
Monday mornings…
…everyone loves to hate them, but I actually don't have a problem with them. At least I'm no longer stuck at home reading blogs by people who have a much more exciting life than mine.
Who am I kidding? My life just got way more exciting...unfortunately, not in a way I appreciate.
This particular Monday morning was going to be a pig and I should have realised when I picked up my usual rooibos tea on my way in and sipped it on the subway. Or rather when I took a sip and then some stupid blonde bimbo with no height stepped her stiletto heel onto the top of my foot and I dropped the paper cup. (The only consoling factor from that encounter was that I dropped it over her fake retro Louis Vuitton bag.)
I hobbled off the train at the next stop and winced my way up the steps to street-level. It had started raining since I had gone into the subway and my coat and umbrella were still in my apartment.
So let's just say I didn't look or feel my best when I finally made it into my office.
"Morning Ruthie!" I announced, trying to sound cheerful.
"Morning Miss McDonald." She said, pointedly.
I pulled a face. "Not again?"
She nodded.
"F..udge!" I exclaimed, remembering at the last minute that every curse would cost me a dollar in my swear box from now on.
I would kick the habit.
"Well done!" Ruthie smiled at me. I grinned back and made for my office to sort out my hair and make-up.
"Case!"
"Yeah?" I leaned back out as Ruthie called.
"Senior wants to see you in the board room as soon as you get in."
"Fudge hoola hoops!" I managed.
I carried on into my office, dumped my bag, retrieved my Blackberry and a notepad, and strode across to the lift.
Tidying myself up would have to wait. Messy hair, Senior wouldn't notice. Me being two minutes late he would. It was five minutes to nine.
I took the express elevator and emerged into the small lobby which served the conference rooms, with minutes to spare. I straightened my skirt as I crossed the floor and put my hand to the door knob.
What I hadn't noticed was my heel had caught in the carpet on my last footstep and as I turned the handle to enter the board room, my feet tangled in each other and I tripped and fell head first into the room.
I landed on the carpet in front of a pair of feet.
Archie was there in an instant, holding his hand out to help me up. I stabilised myself and glanced up into a pair of familiar, deep brown eyes. They weren't Archie's.
Oh fuck!
Senior was speaking. "Mr Venturi. Despite her entrance, may I introduce Miss Casey McDonald?"
"It's okay, Roswell. Klutzilla and I already know each other intimately."
Roswell did his stupid laugh thing again. But I didn't join in.
"Oh of course. I forgot she was your sister."
STEP-sister, but neither of us corrected him.
Derek broke the staring match and motioned to the woman standing beside him.
"This is my agent, Cathy." I suspected he was saying it for my benefit, but it didn't seem as though he was talking to me. I smiled and held out my hand for her to shake. She looked nice, older than us and bemused by the obvious tension between me and Derek.
Because there was tension. It was thick and heavy.
"Nice to meet you Casey. I'm afraid I wasn't more forthcoming on the phone the other day. I wasn't totally abreast of the situation."
I nodded. Somehow, I reckoned she still wasn't.
"That's fine. We'll have plenty of time to talk in the coming weeks. I'll give you my cell details so that you can call me to schedule the various meetings I'll need."
The door opened and I recognised Colin the company lawyer and his sidekick. They were obviously bringing the contract to be signed and I wondered why no one had told me this meeting was planned.
"Ah Colin!" Archie greeted the lawyer with uncharacteristic warmth. I suspected my boss was feeling out of his depth.
I avoided looking at Derek…
…It was easier to breathe that way.
The meeting became practical and Archie and I watched as the legal document linking me and Derek for the duration of his book was signed.
As soon as the legal stuff was complete, Roswell beamed and wrung Derek's hand. I allowed myself a slight glance and saw irritation cross my step-brother's face as Archie's father invited his new signing for a drink in his office. Derek shook his head.
"I have another appointment this morning. In fact, I am already late. I will leave Cathy to make any necessary arrangements. If you'll excuse me."
I bit back a laugh. The formal phrases did not sit easily on Derek's lips.
In moments, Derek was gone.
And I breathed again.
Shortly afterwards, the other men left, and Cathy and I slipped easily into conversation about my requirements.
I liked Cathy. She was genuine and it reassured me slightly. I would do as much of the arrangements as possible with her.
I saw her out of the building and went back to my office.
It wasn't until I'd shut the door behind me and turned around that I realised I wasn't alone.
He was sitting in my chair with his feet up on my desk. He hadn't even bothered to move my paperwork or briefcase.
I bit my lip and decided to remain professional.
"Can I help you?" I asked formally.
"Corner office. I suppose I should be impressed." He didn't sound it.
"I'm busy Derek. Is there a point to this?"
"You mean you aren't enjoying my company?" He sneered.
And then I realised that this was going to be absolute torture. We had argued as teenagers and teased as lovers, but he had never sounded as nasty as he did now…not even when he left me.
"Get to the point." I said coldly.
"I just wanted to make it clear that I expect a totally professional service from you." I don't want you to expect that I will overlook any shortcomings in your abilities."
"Duly noted. Anything else?"
Asshole!
"Yeah. Your skirt's on back to front."
He said it whilst smirking. Then he swung his legs off my desk and made his way out of the room.
I glanced down at my skirt.
Fuck!
I stepped closer to my desk and went to put two dollars in my swear box. I paused, opened my wallet and slipped a ten dollar bill into the slot instead.
I rang Edwin.
"Can you talk?" I asked.
"One sec." I heard him speak to someone in a muffled tone, because his hand was probably over the mouth piece.
"Okay. Fire away!"
"I don't deserve you." I said honestly.
Edwin laughed. "No you don't. What's up?"
"Derek came to the office today." I stated.
His brother hummed. "Okay…and how was that?"
"Fucking embarrassing."
"Swear box Casey."
"It's okay, Ed. I put a ten in earlier."
"That bad huh?"
"Worse…but the only other note I had was a fifty."
Edwin chuckled. "Casey, Casey, Casey…what am I going to do with you?"
"You can stop tripling my name. It's unnerving and it reminds me of Derek."
"Sis. Everything reminds you of Derek."
"Ain't that the goddamn truth?" I muttered.
"Casey…" he warned.
"Sorry…just getting my money's worth."
We paused for a moment.
"So…go on. Tell me what was so bad."
"Well first I fell flat on my face in front of him."
"Ouch! Let me guess…"
"Yeah…he called me Klutzilla."
Edwin sniggered. "You realise that is actually rather sweet?"
"I definitely don't deserve you." I moaned.
"Go on."
"He ignored me for the whole meeting and then when he left I discovered he was actually putting his feet up on the "Zac Efron- We're All In This Together" manuscript in my office."
"You're doing Zac Efron's biography!" Edwin got a bit distracted.
"It's one to miss Ed. Let's get back on track."
"So he's in your office, feet up on Zac…" Edwin recapped.
I took a deep breath. "He makes some obnoxious speech about not overlooking any shortcomings in my abilities…"
Edwin was laughing down the phone. So much for brotherly affection…
"…so I say. 'Duly noted. Anything else'"
"What does he say?"
"Your skirt is back to front."
There was a long pause. I heard hiccupping noises from the phone. Then a falsetto Edwin said.
"Helpful."
No Ed, you definitely aren't.
When I hung up I opened the door to my office and hollered to Ruthie.
"Ruth?! You got change for a fifty?"
