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The large luxurious town car drew to a smooth halt and jolted her back into the present day, away froerous memories ‘We’re here, Miss Rafferty Are you sure you don’t want me to take you home first?’
Polly looked up froolden stone building stretching all the way down the block She was horandfather She hadn’t expected to ever see it again, let alone to walk in as mistress of all that she surveyed
She stared at the huge picture s flanking the iconicwith a potent mixture of love and pride Eachtold a tale and sold a drea, make you anyone—if you had the money to pay for it
‘This will be fine, Petyr, thank you But please arrange for e service to collect and launder them’
She didn’t want to set foot in Rafferty’s carrying her rucksack stuffed as it ith sarongs, bikinis and walking boots, no ious the brand naht at a hotel in Mia herself back into Miss Polly Rafferty from Miss Carefree Backpacker—all it had taken was a little shopping, a manicure and a wash and blow-dry
She was back and she was ready
Petyr opened the car door for her and Polly slid out onto the pave in deeply as she did so Car fuht of summer How she’d led her toes experimentally The heels felt a little constrictive after threeboots but her feet would adjust back She would adjust back After all, this was her real drea the way
Polly lifted her neorkbag onto her shoulder and headed straight for thein
‘Hello, Rachel’
Oh, it had felt good walking through the hallowed halls, greeting the staff she knew by na the new ones ju eye over the apart and how everyone suddenly seemed to find work to do
Good that nobody dared to catch her eye There must have been talk after her abrupt disappearance but it didn’t see She allowed herself a sh of relief
But it was also good to go in through the Staff Only door, to be buzzed in by old Alf and see the welcome on his face Alf had worked for Rafferty’s since before Polly’s father was born and had always had a bar of chocolate and a kind word for the s, needing, to be included
And it was good to be here, back in the light-filled foyer where her assistant had her desk Not that Rachel see by her open-ers shook as she gathered together a sheaf of papers
‘Miss Rafferty? We weren’t expecting you back just yet’
‘I did let you know ht details,’ Polly said coolly It wasn’t like Rachel to be so disorganised And at the very least a friendly ‘welcome back’ would have been polite
Rachel threw an anxious glance towards the door to Polly’s office ‘Well yes’ She got up out of her chair and walked around her desk to stand in front of the door, blocking Polly’s path ‘But I thought you would go home first I didn’t expect to see you today’
‘I hope my early appearance isn’t too ? Perhaps Raff had decorated her office in high gloss and black leather during his brief sojourn as CEO ‘As you can see I decided to colance, waiting for her to move aside
‘You’ve coht from the airport?’ Rachel wouldn’t—or couldn’t—round ‘You o to the staff canteen and I’ll arrange for the to eat?’
‘Coffee does sound lovely,’ Polly agreed ‘But I’d rather have it in e it Thank you, Rachel’
Rachel stood there for a long second, indecision clear on her face before she moved slowly to one side ‘Yes, Miss Rafferty’