Emily’s Diary – Entry 34

Money, bubbly and a proposal

On Monday I went into the office. Well, six months of working from home had clearly had an effect. I felt like a total outsider. Of course, the moment I spotted our little Barbie doll, Brigitte, at reception, my face lit up. I swear her hair was even blonder, her lips even fuller, and her boobs had gone up a couple of cup sizes. And those patent leather boots! I’d completely forgotten about them. This time she was wearing some white, below-the-knee wonder with a flower-shaped cutout at the top. Unbelievable. In September. A pink minidress, okay, I’ll give her that, the weather’s still nice. But with boots? Ugh. I wouldn’t want to be in the room when she takes them off.

I noticed the others had got used to me not being around, too. Sure, everyone was fucking thrilled to see me—for about three and a half minutes—and then they vanished at lightning speed. We started sipping our morning coffee together, but by the fourth sip I was on my own.

Thessa floated in around noon in stilettos and an iridescent satin dress, fitted on top and loose and floaty below. I’d bet anything she’d come straight from the hairdresser and the nail salon. Actually, I recognised the handiwork of Lara, my manicurist, on her nails. Well, at least her grand entrance got me to book appointments with Lara and my hairdresser right away. Seeing all these immaculately groomed colleagues reminded me that I have hair and nails too. Probably in a pretty sorry state by now.

Which instantly made me think of Ben’s gorgeous sister. I’ll have to pull myself together before we meet. And a little wardrobe refresh wouldn’t hurt either, what with his annoyingly flawless little sister being a model and all.

For a while I stared at Thessa from across the room in her glass cage and pretended to work. Which is a joke, because for that someone would have had to give me something to do. But Brigitte had got out of the habit of passing any new assignments my way. And the other three were loving the fact that they had something important to do and I didn’t. Ooh, they really knew how to hurt me. Honestly. Thessa doesn’t like bothering with that kind of small stuff anyway. I doubt it even crosses her mind that she should give me something to do.

I scrolled through emails a bit longer, then wandered over to Brigitte’s counter. I ran my hand along the beautiful, glossy white marble. Lovely bit of furniture. For a second I forgot what I’d come for.

“Can I help you?” Brigitte asked.

With my hand resting on the counter, I realised how homesick I was. How much better it had been when I could work from home. Suddenly I felt so down that I’d have happily packed up and left right then.

“You know you can give me work now too, right?” I asked, but even I could hear how half-hearted it sounded.

Like I was trying to talk her out of it.

“Yep, I know,” she trilled.

She shook her doll-like blonde curls, revealing an earring made of pink strands. Like a tiny toy leaf rake. The thin plastic ribbons caught in her curly hair and fanned out across it.

Then I went in to see Thessa.

“Good timing, I’m just working out what you’re owed.” She turned her laptop towards me. “This is what you’ve still got coming,” she announced, then raised a challenging eyebrow.

I couldn’t believe my eyes. I swear, just the sight of that number turned me on. I tried to keep a poker face, but my toes curled inside my shoes. I suspect I licked my lips, too. If Thessa noticed, she probably thinks I’m pathetic, but right then all I could see was my new bathroom.

I went ahead and booked the renovation that very afternoon, by the way. I don’t care about any of it. Not Ben’s fucking perfect sister, not my savings, not even the mess the work’s going to make. I want to step into that shower after some seriously good sex, and I want to spit my toothpaste into that sink.

Adele passed the bar on Thursday. No more money frustrations for her, and I officially take over her spot as the lowest earner in our group. One less good reason for her to lose it every now and then and be a complete cow to us. Though from now on she’ll be at the beck and call of Dave’s dodgy politician and businessman mates, who look every bit as shady as their reputations. Unless she dumps that prick.

They celebrated with family that day, which makes sense. The rest of us had to wait another day. I bought a gorgeous new burgundy satin sheet and draped it over the bar counter and its stools.

We managed to pull together Adele’s celebration for six o’clock on Friday. Sofia—no idea where or how—showed up with a “Welcome to the Bar!” banner. I was in charge of the rosé champagne and the ice bucket, and Mark ordered a fancy sandwich platter. We threw together a proper little luxury party. I felt so damn cool, and that delicious tingle was running through my whole body again.

At this rate, money’s going to become my only real aphrodisiac. Then again, Ben and I only slept together twice this week, so maybe that’s the problem…

Adele loved the bar. She’d said plenty of times herself how great one would look in the apartment. But her eyes seemed to be searching for some take-home present behind the champagne and the sandwiches. I find that a little weird. What was she expecting? An engraved pen? What do you even get someone for something like this?

I didn’t say anything to the others. Mark’s social awareness hovers somewhere around zero, and Sofia had really gone all out—I couldn’t hurt her feelings with some stupid assumption.

Adele had a surprise of her own.

With solemn faces, we clinked our elegant, slender, silver-stemmed crystal flutes. I was just about to say something when Adele cleared her throat meaningfully and held out her right hand to us, palm down.

“Yesterday I didn’t just become a lawyer—I became a fiancée too!” she burst out proudly.

I tried to be happy for her, I swear. But I hate Dave! He’s a total dickhead who couldn’t even let a family celebration in Adele’s honour be about his girlfriend and her success. He just had to go and propose right in the middle of it so everyone would focus on him. Because waiting until the next day would have been too fucking much to ask…

Sofia went pale and bowed her head for a moment. She tried to hide how hard the news hit her, but I caught it. She and Mark have been together longer, and I’m guessing the subject has never even come up. Mark certainly won’t have brought it up. If you ask me, Sofia could find someone who’d really appreciate her—she’s pretty, and on top of that she’s a smart, successful vet.

It’s pretty awful that in a moment of joy and celebration, nothing but negative thoughts were racing through my head. Okay, fine, at one point I pictured the tiles I’d ordered for the new bathroom, and I felt myself blush. I’d love to have 3D floor tiles laid; I just can’t decide whether they’re cool or an expensive way to make the place look seriously tacky.

Ugh, damn it. My friend just became a lawyer and got engaged. I should probably give that a few lines too.

Next week we’ll carve out a day for just the two of us and catch up on everything. Have a good gossip about everything and everyone. By then I’ll be used to the idea that this good-for-nothing Dave is marrying her—and, I’m guessing, will keep cheating on her with all sorts of women while piling work on her nonstop. He’ll saddle her with every arsehole he knows, and Adele will get to clean up their mess. Of course, I can’t bring any of that up—right now she’s the happiest woman in the world. I have no right to take that away from her.