page7 (1/1)
Rachel’s shoulders stiffened It would take two years for it to grow out Did he honestly think she had such little personal pride that she’d walk around with half-red, half-brown hair for two years?
Clearly, he did
‘It looks dreadful and you know it,’ she said sharply, and whirled away froret
Rachel could feel hi after her as sherong with her She’d never spoken to him in that tone before But when she turned to close the door behind her he wasn’t staring after her at all Or even thinking about her He was back, peering at the ht outburst—clearly forgotten
Rachel didn’t realise the extent of her anger till she tried to get back to work Why she was so angry with Justin, she couldn’t understand His indifferent reaction to her hair should haveBut there’d been a moment in there—a vivid, violent moment—when she’d wanted to snatch the coffee out of his hands and throw it in his face
It was perhaps just as well that her boss didn’t e, or call her for more coffee to be delivered Clearly, he was steeped in so brainwave or financial crisis which required his undivided attention
In the month she’d been his PA, Rachel had discovered that Justin was a coenius as well as a financial one, and had created several progra stock- other econoeneral secretarial duties, Rachel spent a couple of hours each day entering and downloading data into the extensive files these progra to work properly
She was cohtly tedious area of her job shortly before noon, when the main door from the corridor opened and Justin’s mother walked in
Alice McCarthy was in her early sixties, a ith two sons She’d been one of Rachel’s best custo her sewing skills at home A tall, broad-shouldered woly slender hips, Alice had difficulty finding clothing to fit off the peg But she loved shopping for clothes, rather than having thee her passion Mr McCarthy had been a very successful stockbroker in his day, and, according to Alice, a bit of a scrooge, whereas Alice veered towards the other extreme Consequently, she was in constant need of a competent seamstress who could cleverly alter the dozens of outfits she bought each season
Till recently that person had been Rachel, whom Alice had discovered when Rachel had distributed brochures advertising her sewing skills through all her local letterboxes Alice lived only a couple of streets away from Lettie’s house
Despite the thirty-year age gap, the to well froht sohtness into Rachel’s dreary life When her foster-ht Rachel needed a job working outside of the hoh to steer her into her present position, despite knowing this meant she had to find another person to alter her clothes Fortunately, a salesgirl in one of the many boutiques Alice frequented had recommended an excellent alteration service in the city, run by two lovely Vietnamese ladies ere extremely efficient as well as inexpensive
After Rachel had gone to work for her son Alice had rung her at the office a couple of ti, but this was the first time she’d made a personal appearance
‘Alice!’ Rachel greeted happily ‘What a lovely surprise You’re looking extreood on you’
Alice, as as susceptible to a compliment as the next woood on this unfortunate figure ofa lot better these days? You’ve put on soed your hair colour’
Rachel’s hand went up to pat the offending hair ‘Not for long It goes back to brown tonight I had it dyed for Isabel’s wedding on Saturday You remember Isabel, don’t you? You met her at Lettie’s funeral’
‘Yes, of course I remember her Very blonde Very beautiful’
‘That’s the one She wanted my hair red for the day Of course, it wasn’t done like this It was down and curled I also had more make-up on than a supermodel on a photo shoot’