Even After All

Part Five

Chapter Five

Mattie had changed and started on with her work when her phone rang. Looking at the screen she sighed, it was her father. He was heading to Thailand the following day, three winter months spent with her brother in the sun was his usual treat, and whilst him being away meant she had less to worry about, she missed him desperately too.

                “Hi Dad.”

Jimmy Davies was her hero, now in his seventies, he was still a mountain of a man, and he never failed to cheer her up, usually with a huge bear hug. He had been a police detective through her adolescence but had retired whilst she was at University, he and her mother had spent the next few years holidaying, seeing the world and doing all the things they’d promised themselves they would. Until her mother died. So quickly and out of the blue. Since then her father had been a lost soul. Almost six years on and he still wasn’t really over it.

                “Matilda. I’m starting to panic as there’s only three days till I travel. Will you come for tea first?”

Her going to her father’s for tea was another pre trip ritual that they had got into over the years. But now with her new associate breathing down her neck she wasn’t so confident that she could make it.

As if he sensed her hesitation he added, “I can’t travel if you don’t!”

Her father lived in Oxfordshire, a fair trip out of London, and one she would struggle to make before he left the country.

                “I’ve got a few really busy days ahead. Can I meet you in London? That little Italian place you’ve been telling me about?”

He ummed and ahhed, and Mattie knew it wasn’t what he wanted, but she had to be harsh, “Dad, life it hectic at the moment, I’m SO busy. Please meet me in town?”

Reluctantly he agreed.

Hanging up with a sigh, she started work. The day to day running of a complex the size of the Sunset Golf and Country Club was huge, she constantly had databases to upgrade, wages and pay cards to co ordinate, staff rotas, bookings...she was never short of things to do, and one she got into embroiled in things, time seemed to pass quickly. Soon she’d have managed her daily tasks and could make her way home.

Dylan had compiled lists of everything he intended to do, his new office was far better than the one Matilda had offered, and now that he was in place and connected to the work intranet, he could start compiling the lists and information that he wanted. When he was busy he didn’t have to think about the confrontation he’d just run away from. She’d divorced him, he was not at fault here, no matter what she said, SHE’d hurt him. He’d make her see that, but now wasn’t the time, he was too busy.

                “Dylan?”

The phone ringing had disturbed him working and lifting the handset automatically he almost jumped in surprise to hear his personal assistant from his New Your office at the other end. Since he’d set eyes on Matilda he’s almost forgotten that he still had a life elsewhere. Brandy was a fifty two year old gem, she managed every aspect of his life, and most of the time he was able to ignore the way she pronounced his name as ‘Di-larn’.

                “Brandy, hi!”

She tutted, “you promised me you’d send me all the info for the Barker deal as soon as you landed...you haven’t so now I have to work a Sunday!”

He groaned, “sorry Brandy. I’ll email now, and fax the signed papers. You’re in Manhattan?”

                “Oh yes. Whilst my family are all sitting down to a huge lunch without me.”