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‘So has the kettle boiled?’ Alex asked, interrupting Harriet’s none-too-happy thoughts

‘Should have,’ she said

Dropping the cat gently on the tiled floor, she set about getting two s down from the overhead cupboard ‘It’s not like you to be late,’ she added, doing her best to ignore the instant churning in her stomach Maybe she wouldn’t tell him today after all

‘I slept in,’ he replied ‘Then traffic was bad I’el with my coffee’

‘Fine Oh, and, Alex’ she said before he had the opportunity to walk away and before she could procrastinate further ‘When you have a ’

He sighed a rather weary-sounding sigh ‘Look, Harry, if you’re going to complain about the way I spoke to you yesterday, then don’t bother I’ht? I was in a bad iveable, but I’m only human If you must know, I broke up with Lisa at the weekend’

‘Oh,’ she said, not really surprised Of the three girls Alex had dated during the ti with that silly laugh of hers, not to mention the way she would drop into the office unannounced Alex hadn’t liked that, and neither had Harriet ‘I’m sorry,’ she added a little belatedly

‘I’to quit, are you?’

Her shocked expression must have soothed him, for his eyes immediately softened But it underlined to Harriet that Alex was not acrossed or thwarted She’d always known he was a tough businessry It wasn’t in his nature to be mean, but she suspected he had a temper, like most men

‘No, nothing like that,’ she said quickly

‘Then out with it, Harriet I don’t like to wait for bad news’

‘It’s not bad news,’ she said, startled by his calling her Harriet like that She’d always liked the way he called her Harry There was a subtle intimacy about it which made her feel like his friend as well as his assistant Obviously, she’d been deluding herself in that regard

‘Well, not bad news for you,’ she went on sharply, doing her best to control a whole range of e her The sudden lump in her throat alarmed her

‘The thing is, Alex, II’ve broken off ement to Dwayne’