Page 57 of Meet Me Under the Northern Lights

REYKJAVIK R?ST, REYKJAVIK

Chloe looked out over the sea from her seat outside this coffee shop with extraordinary views.

Boats close in the marina and then the open water, its motion strong and sturdy today, dappled by the tiniest amount of winter sunlight seeping through the clouds.

It was a bit like how she was feeling. Grounded but not motionless, steadfastly determined in her trajectory…

Did she know exactly how the future would pan out?

Absolutely not. But who did? Really? However, right now, it was enough to know that she felt ready to engage with life fully again, not bury everything else but her career aspirations.

There had been an email from Michelle waiting for her when she woke up but, for the first time ever, Chloe hadn’t read it. Instead she had scheduled in a Zoom call with her boss and for once she was going to take the lead.

She saw the notification that Michelle had joined the meeting; it was time.

‘Good morning,’ Chloe greeted brightly as Michelle’s face appeared on screen.

‘Hello, Chloe, shall we skip the pleasantries and just cut to the chase here?’ Michelle snapped. ‘I have a mani pedi in thirty minutes. I don’t actually know why we are having this meeting because I put everything I needed to say to you in the email I sent you.’

‘Oh,’ Chloe said. ‘Well, I haven’t had a chance to read that yet.’ She took a sip of her coffee and willed its caffeine to keep giving her strength.

‘You haven’t read it?’

‘No,’ Chloe said. ‘Because I spent this morning finalising the pitch for the Sinclairz Chairs anniversary event.’

‘Oh, finalising the pitch for the Sinclairz Chairs anniversary event!’ Michelle parroted.

‘You mean the event you blabbed about in front of the chamber of commerce! Or, rather, not actually you blabbing, but some kind of weird alien voice that Lars said, and I quote, “sounded like Google Translate”.’

Chloe cupped her coffee cup in both hands and let Michelle carry on.

‘So, not only did you commit one of the ultimate business sins, talking about an event we have not even secured yet, letting other business people know there is such an event so they can tell any number of people about it and we can get more competition for the job, you got an app, or whatever, to speak Icelandic! Which says to me that you don’t speak Icelandic and therefore you’ve never been able to speak Icelandic and you’ve been lying to me since the day your CV claiming to speak Icelandic arrived in my emails! ’

Yes, that was pretty much what had happened. Chloe thought it was a fair summary of events and nothing that she hadn’t been prepared for.

‘I don’t know, Chloe,’ Michelle said, looking increasingly uncomfortable. ‘I was beginning to think that I could really trust you.’

What? Chloe put down the coffee cup fast, almost sloshing some over the table.

‘You were beginning to think you could trust me?’ Chloe said, hurt flavouring the words.

‘Yes, I mean, there are certain aspects of your strategy that need some careful moulding, but I thought this was something we could work through together in time and?—’

‘Michelle,’ Chloe interrupted. ‘Please think about what you’re saying. Really think about it.’

‘I have thought about it, Chloe. I thought about it all night long when I couldn’t sleep because the creature I am growing inside me is hitting my bladder every five seconds like it’s a fairground punchball game.

I thought about how completely embarrassed I was about your behaviour in front of the chamber of commerce and?—’

‘Well, do you want to know what I’m embarrassed about?

I don’t expect you really do but, as this is my meeting, I am going to tell you anyway.

’ She took a breath and looked Michelle in the eyes.

‘I am embarrassed that I actually thought you were more than just my boss. I’m embarrassed that I considered you to be my friend.

Because I have worked so, so hard for you from the moment I started at the company.

I have dedicated my every minute, no, more than that, my every second, not just to the company but to you personally.

I have answered every call, every email, every late-night WhatsApp message about ridiculous things sometimes and I have never ever questioned anything you’ve asked me to do.

I’ve just been there for you, dedicated, professionally and personally.

And most of that isn’t in my job contract, it’s simply in my nature to be a nice person, to help, to support even when I was going through the most difficult of times myself. ’

‘Well, I?—’

‘And that’s what hurts the most now,’ Chloe carried on. ‘To hear you bringing down my abilities when I have held you and this company up, created new opportunities, helped you build this business into the success it is today and you never even asked me why I was going in and out of hospital.’

There was quiet. No immediate response. Michelle sitting still just looking into the camera. Was she going to say anything? Was there any point to this anyway? Some people just couldn’t see how their behaviour impacted others even if you tried to explain it.

‘Chloe, why you were in and out of hospital is none of my business,’ Michelle stated matter-of-factly. ‘You made sure it never impacted on your work, I will give you that.’

Chloe sighed. It wasn’t the response she had hoped for.

‘As an employer, the full details aren’t always necessary but, as my friend?

As someone who has shared so much time with you and Milo.

As someone who organised your mother’s birthday presents every year?

’ She took a deep breath. ‘Michelle, I was in and out of hospital because Michael and I were trying for a baby and it wasn’t happening.

And, what happened instead was I found out I can never have children.

Yet, somehow, I don’t even know how, I have been there for you and your family from the moment I bought you the pregnancy test.’

Emotion ballooned in her chest now and she looked past her laptop screen momentarily, sought solace in the sea again.

‘Michelle, I am absolutely overjoyed for you and Milo that you’re having this baby.

But, I won’t lie, it’s been hard watching every second of your pregnancy – the sickness, the cravings, the seeing your bump grow and your skin glow and feeling those little feet strike out and kick.

And it’s been exhausting hiding my pain from you which is why I couldn’t do it any more. ’

‘Chloe—’

‘No, don’t say anything now, Michelle. I know that I lied on my CV, that was stupid and unnecessary and I never thought it would ever come back to haunt me the way it has.

And I also know I had plenty of opportunity to tell you the truth before I ever got on the plane to come here but, well, I chose not to.

I also apologise for the robot voice stuff.

That was Kat’s idea. She was trying to get me out of a hole with the whole not speaking Icelandic thing and she made a bad choice.

I will speak to whoever I need to speak to at the chamber of commerce and set matters straight, tell them my behaviour is not a reflection of you or Celebratey and?—’

‘Chloe, let me?—’

‘I am going to email you my presentation for Sinclairz Chairs. I think it’s sensational.

I think, if they go with us, they are going to have an anniversary celebration to remember with the theme being “family – we grow together”.

It encompasses the idea that traditional values can support new future visions, so it is very much being thankful for the very beginnings, but also preparing to get excited for all the success that is to come.

’ She took a restorative breath, but she was so positive that her idea for what the Sinclairz Chairs event should be was going to hit the remit and go even further.

There was just one more thing to add. ‘And the other attachment to the email is going to be my resignation.’

‘Chloe, please, stop talking now and?—’

‘Now isn’t the time for more talking, Michelle.

I know this is an incredibly difficult period for you and it’s not my way to leave someone in the lurch which is why I am going to work longer than my notice period, if you need me to.

But, I need a break. I’ve not stopped to take stock of my life since Michael left.

I just tried to work my way through it. And that can only work temporarily; after that you have to address things, or they just lie dormant waiting to crush you all over again when you least expect it.

So, that’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to take some time out for me. ’

And, with those words said, she looked out at those rays of sunshine bursting through the clouds and knew, without doubt, she was making the right decision.