Page 38 of Suddenly Mine

Merry squirmed in her chair. She felt horribly uncomfortable and she wasn’t even sure why. So what if Christian was a janitor? It’s a good job, a much-needed job. She didn’t care at all what he did for a living — in fact, she admired a man who worked with his hands, who wasn’t ashamed to get a little dirty.

But something in the way her friends were staring at her made her feel ashamed, for a reason she couldn’t quite put her finger on. Diane had just told them all how her rich boyfriendhad driven her out of the city for a romantic picnic before splashing out on a ridiculously expensive necklace. Alice was dating a lawyer and Jasmin had just broken up with a partner in an architecture firm. Merry had heard countless stories of how they had been spoiled and pampered by their men, and the thought of them judging her on her choice of boyfriend made her feel about three inches tall. She felt like she had back at school — backed into a corner until she lied to make the cool kids like her.

“He’s notjusta janitor,” she said with a little laugh. She stared at the flowers and clenched her fists, hating herself for what she was about to say — which had nothing to do with how she herself felt about Christian and his career, and everything to do with how her friends felt abouther. “Why on earth would I date a janitor? No way.”

Everyone had fallen quiet, and Merry glanced up to see that nobody was looking at her. They were all staring to the side, their mouths open. Merry’s heart actually missed a beat, a wave of dread pouring over her.

Please, she begged, but even before she turned around she knew who she was going to see there.

Christian stood in the open staff room door. He was pale, and his mouth was open as if he had been physically struck. He looked at Merry with glossy eyes, as if he couldn’t believe what he’d just heard, then he turned and left the room.

“Oh no!” Merry pushed herself up so fast her chair toppled over behind her.

“He really is hot,” said Diane, still smiling.

“Merry, go get him,” said Alice, her expression one of deep sympathy. “Go now, before it’s too late.”

Merry ran through the door, calling Christian’s name, and saw his trolley abandoned next to the wall.

It was already too late. He had gone.

Chapter 16

CHRISTIAN

Christian pushed through the staff door so hard it slammed against the wall, almost splitting the plaster. He stormed down the corridor, his head spinning, his heart drumming. Behind him he heard Merry’s faint voice calling his name, but he didn’t turn back.

Her words had hurt. They’d pierced him like a blade and left a gaping wound. How wrong had he been about her? All this time he’d thought she was kind, and sincere, and honest, but in reality she was just like everyone else he’d met since he’d been here. All she cared about was status.

He walked back on to the store floor, losing himself among the shelves of baubles and tinsel. Merry’s words echoed in his head — why on earth would I date a janitor?— and he felt his blood boil. He wasn’t even a janitor, but the fact was that she had judged him based on the job she thought he had. She had belittled him, in front of her friends, and reduced him to a cliché.

But it was a good thing. It made his life so much easier now. He could forget about Merry, focus on the job at hand, find out what was going on in the store, and then get out of New York City before it did any more damage.

He heard the sound of a door behind him and he peered between two dolls to see Merry emerge on to the store floor. She was beside herself, trying to conceal her tears with her hands. But he couldn’t let himself feel anything other than anger, despite her upset.

He stayed in the shadows for the rest of his shift, ducking behind the displays whenever Merry appeared. He stalked through the craft goods using his trolley as cover, pretending to check off displays while watching her from a distance. Everynow and then she’d falter, a slight pause when she thought nobody was looking, a flicker of pain crossing her face before she straightened her back and smiled again. She looked wrecked — cheeks blotchy, nose red, her usual sparkle dulled to a flicker. Still, she pushed a smile on to her face when she spoke to customers with the kind of forced cheer that made Christian’s chest tighten in spite of himself.

His shift ended just after the morning rush and as he was leaving, he saw her crouch down to talk to a little girl who was holding a plush reindeer almost as big as she was. Merry asked the child’s name, admired the reindeer, then turned the tag around and said, “Guess what? He’s on sale today, but only if you promise to take extra special care of him.” The girl beamed, and her mother mouthed“Thank you”with a look of quiet relief as Merry took them to the till. Christian looked away, jaw clenched.

Damn her.

Damn her for being kind. For caring when she didn’t have to. For proving with every gentle interaction that she wasn’t like the others, no matter what she’d said back in the locker room. He should walk away — he didn’t know why he was keeping an eye on her in the first place. Instead, he turned down the next aisle to get a better look, and froze.

Just ahead, tucked between a rack of Pop Mart boxes, Margot was whispering furiously to Mrs Cradley. Christian stepped behind an elaborate display of JellyCats and listened.

Margot’s voice was low, but he caught fragments between the shouts of overexcited kids and the jingle of a nearby toy display.

“. . . It’s too much,” she said. “I told you this would happen.”

Mrs Cradley gave a sharp sniff. “Then we need to stop him. Before he ruins everything.”

Christian’s heart thudded in his chest.Stop him?He leaned closer, trying not to shift the cardboard cutout.

“I’m not sure how long we can keep covering for him,” Margot said. “If he keeps snooping—”

Cradley glanced around. “He’s poking around in places he shouldn’t. If we don’t get ahead of this, it could all come undone.”

Christian’s fists clenched.They’re talking about me. They know I’ve been looking into the sales anomalies.