Her Impossible Boss by Cathy Williams Read Free Book Online

directed—because, he had told her, he would be takingher to dinner to get her feedback, and she would need something fairly dressy to wear. Were it not for him, she’d reasoned to herself, she wouldn’t have to spend money on clothes for restaurants she wouldn’t be going to. So if he wanted to foot the bill, then why not?
    Besides, Samantha had been having fun. They had made a deal. Tess would pretend to yawn inside the toy shops and Samantha would tap the over-sized face of her newly acquired Disney watch in boredom inside the grown-up clothes shops, and then they would break for lunch at a place upon which they had both agreed, and which was based on a menu of pizzas and burgers. Good, fortifying food before they dutifully visited some place of culture in the name of education.
    Tess had discovered that in New York there was a cultural destination for every day of the week for at least a year. Having always considered places of culture as unutterably boring, she was slowly discovering that they weren’t half bad—especially when being explored with someone with an equal lack of knowledge. Even if that particular someone happened to be a ten-and-nine tenths-of-a-year-old child. They would learn together along the way, and it had to be said that Samantha was as sharp as a tack. Indeed, Tess had delegated most of the guidebooks to her, and her job was to describe what they were looking at, including its history.
    ‘I think I’ll go red.’
    ‘Why do you care if it’s not a date?’ Claire smirked, easing herself off the bed and dusting herself down. ‘And please don’t tell me again that it’s not a date. For the past three weeks I’ve hardly seen you, and now you’re off to a restaurant with him. Surely you’ve saideverything there is to say over your games of Monopoly and your cinema evenings?’
    ‘Has it been three weeks?’ Yes. Yes, it had. Time seemed to be moving at the speed of sound. After her initial hesitation about getting involved with Matt and the tense relationship he had with his daughter, she seemed to have dived in—headlong. Games night—their first night—had been a muted success, and since then things had picked up because he had been making an effort. He was getting back to the apartment before seven without fail, and throwing himself into every activity with such enthusiasm that it was difficult not to be swept away along with him. Samantha, wary at first, was slowly beginning to thaw, beginning to really enjoy herself, and it was hard not to be caught up in the changing tide.
    ‘It’s a
debriefing,’
Tess concluded. ‘And I only wish I didn’t have to go. I’d much rather be living it up in Manhattan on a Friday night out with you and Tom. Okay, maybe not you and Tom, but with other people. Young, exciting people. Artists and writers and poets.’ The sort of people she thought she
should
be thrilled to hang out with, in other words. ‘I haven’t really had a chance to report back to Matt on how things are going with Samantha. This is purely about my job. I think I’ve put on weight. Have I put on weight? This dress feels a bit snug.’
    ‘Tess…’ Claire said hesitantly. ‘You’re not going to do anything stupid, are you?’ ‘Anything stupid? Like what?’ ‘I don’t know what Matt Strickland gets up to in hispersonal life, but there’s a reason why he is where he is today. He’s tough and he’s pretty ruthless.’
    ‘What are you trying to say?’
    ‘Don’t fall for the guy.’
    ‘I wouldn’t!’ Tess turned to her sister. ‘My dream guy isn’t a high-flier who wants to make money. You know that. My dream guy is down to earth and sensitive, and when I find him I’ll recognise him.’
    ‘That’s not how life works.’
    ‘I’m just doing my job, and for the first time in my life I’m actually enjoying what I’m doing. You have no idea what it’s like to see Matt and Samantha together. Okay, it’s not perfect, but it’s beginning to work, and