Lost and Found - 14

14

 

 Wednesday 23^rd April 2008

Amelia was worried about Clay, he’d been absent for more time than he was around, when she did seem him he looked grey and worried. Finally today he was in the office, she’d tapped Marilyn to let her know when he was free, and as soon as she had the nod, she dived into his office.  

                “Should I be worried?”

Clay’s head shot up and he stared at her, “worried?”

Amelia sidled across to his desk and sat in the seat facing him, “you’re looking a little stressed, you’re rarely in the office and I don’t think I’ve seen you eat a meal in two weeks!”

He shrugged, “I’m just trying to stay one step ahead of this situation, I’m sensing some sort of crisis, which could see us all struggling, but I’m just trying to stay one step ahead!”

Clay was rarely this serious, or this concerned, so she took his warning at face value. “So what sort of time frame are you talking about Clay? I mean should I start to panic?”

He shook his head, “if things collapse we’ll be safe, we just have to watch the banks like a hawk. I’m meeting with everyone this week to get some guidelines in place. This is a high risk job Amelia, so we have to expect some ups and downs, but let’s hope it’s not too heavy a down! Or we could see ourselves dragged into more than we’re bargaining for!”

She took his sombre words as she made her way back to her office and digested them at length. If there was the market crash that some people were predicting some of the biggest investments they worked with would lose millions. Her own money was wisely, and safely invested, she’d had a few large bonuses since being in the States, and had instantly tied them up in solid investments. It was different gambling with other people’s money, but her own, no, she was careful with that. But it didn’t stop her from pulling her profile up on her computer and double checking.

Saturday 3^rd May 2008

Amelia pulled a pillow over her eyes. How sad? She wanted to shout from the roof tops, how sad that on your twenty sixth birthday you wake alone...to one birthday card! Is this what my life has become? Rolling over, burying her head further stopped any formal answer escaping her lips. Instead she slowly gathered herself and climbed out of bed. The solitary card from Li was a black and white photo of a small child in a rubbish bin with a witty comment. It was so typical of her best friend, always wanting to cheer her up!

Chuckling she placed on her fireplace, next to the photo of her and Li halfway through the revolution of the London eye, that had been Li’s birthday last summer. Life had been so simple back then. Before she’d moved to New York, and before she’d reacquainted with Sol, when her heart was hard but not broken. And now? Now she was close to tears.

Determined to enjoy her day she showered, dressed, then headed around the corner to a great breakfast place. After coffee, eggs and the tastiest sausage she had ever tasted, she headed out into the spring sunshine. She’d booked a pampering session and haircut on 5^th Avenue, so that was her first stop.

Two hours later she emerged, her dark long locks cut into a chestnut sleek bob with copper highlights. She loved the way it swung around her jaw, and her head felt so much lighter, she almost bounced along the street, ignoring the fact that it was still only lunchtime, and there was a hell of a lot of birthday left yet.

Aimlessly wandering and enjoying just being she didn’t pay real attention to where she was going, so the shouting to her right, the kids rushing around playing football surprised her, though she’d heard about the legendary feistiness of these ‘Soccer moms’, and they didn’t let her down. Grinning, she found a bench and watched the comings and goings for a while. She’d promised herself that she’d head to Times Square and get the best tickets she could for a Broadway show, but glancing at her watch she knew there’d be huge queues already, so she thought about what restaurant she’d like to eat at that evening. Marilyn was like the News of the World, always explaining what was new, where the celebs hung out, but she also knew she’d not get a table anywhere that desirable.

Her mind drifted back to her birthday the previous year, she’d worked all day, then left the building to see Li stood in the street with a huge foil balloon shaped like a Tellytubby. They’d gone on a cruise of the Thames, frequented several bars, then met friends at an Italian restaurant near their home.

Swiping at a stray tear, she stood. Take away it was then, maybe Korean, she loved the variety that was available in the City.  She’d not reached the gates to the park when her phone rang. Sitting on another bench she entered into an excited conversation with Li. She’d hoped to visit Amelia for at least one night, but she was slap bang in the middle of the busiest time of her life, and really couldn’t leave London. So instead they gassed for half an hour, at the cost of at least a dollar a minute.

Hanging up Amelia was so much happier, so pleased having spoken to her that she almost skipped out of the park. When the phone rang again she snatched it to her ear.

                “What did you forget Miss Li Wan Cheung?” her laughter literally froze in her throat as a male voice replied.

                “You obviously don’t check your caller ID display Miss Parkin!”

Clay! Amelia’s anxious heart started to calm, “hey boss. How goes it?”

                “Shouldn’t I be asking you that? Happy Birthday! Marilyn just called me...on a weekend...to tell me I was neglecting my staff. So I was a little presumptuous and booked a table at the Vine Tree, it’s a new place in...”

                “Oooh! Marilyn told me all about it! Are you sure?”

                “I am, we’ll do drinks at mine as it’s close. Can you be here for seven? I’ve got the table for half seven.”

Amelia was now nervous, she’d not been to Clay’s home before, and whilst the thought of company was wonderful, she was still a little anxious.

Calling to various boutiques and shops she loved in SoHo and Greenwich. Finally she found a knee length dress in emerald, the shop owner agreed that it set off her new hair colour perfectly, and after ransacking her wardrobe, she found shoes that would match.

It was hardly catwalk standard, but since being in New York she’d been so busy working that she’d lost a fair amount of weight, in fact this was the best she felt she’d looked in ages, so the trendiness or lack of in her outfit was not a valid concern.

At half six she got into the taxi she’d ordered and reeled off the address in the Upper East side that he’d given her. They cut through the City in the early evening, a sliver of the sun that had shone all day still illuminating the tallest buildings. The car stopped at the foot of a flight of steps that led up to a large brownstone. Paying the driver she jumped out and negotiated the steps in her heels. He buzzed her in, and then she had two more flights of stairs to climb.

By the time she reached his actual door she was knackered.

He laughed when he saw her, “there is an elevator you know!” He was immaculate in his charcoals suit, black tie and shirt. As usual his blonde hair tried to conform to a style, but failed dramatically.

She grimaced, “I didn’t see it until the first floor!”

Stepping back he swung an arm gesturing her inside. She followed him along a dark wood panelled hallway to a door and it opened onto a beautiful room. Despite the traditional presentation of the building, this large open plan room was modern, minimalist and so not what she had expected. A glass dining table with six ladder back chairs sat to her right separated by a wall of glass bricks from two dark leather sofas and a huge TV that was currently turned to a music channel. Tom from Kasabian was embracing the camera as he sang “Shoot the runner”, she was surprised to find something so...not conforming from Clay.

                “Have to say I expected East coast rap from you!”

He stopped in his tracks, heading into the kitchen, “really? In that case, open that cabinet to the left of the TV and browse my music collection!”

She was hunched over the mountain of CD’s when he reappeared with champagne and two flutes.

                “Impressed?”

She was. It was such a varied collection, from Michael Jackson to Oasis, via some eighties wonders and prog rock of the nineties. She’d always thought you could tell a lot about a person by his music collection...the fact that Cole hadn’t bought a CD or downloaded a single track in the last year told her far more than the drunken drugged up encounters had. She was glad to be free of them. Then spotting an album her eyes lit up.

Handing him a Super Furry Animals album she grinned, “Put this on and I’ll agree to anything! My favourite band of the moment!”

Nodding knowingly he slid the disc into the machine and then smiled, “so you like these guys? I met one of them in London a few years ago. Love what they do!”

With some of the unique sounds of the band echoing around the room, she relaxed back taking the glass of champagne he offered, sipping it gratefully.

                “So,” he sat opposite her sprawled on the sofa. “What were your plans for your birthday before I called?”

Taking another glug of champagne before answering she grinned, “I had a date with a take away. I was thinking Korean, my new favourite. Damn you for making me have a life Mr Brinkworth!”

Chuckling he reached to top up her glass, “I’m not much different. I’m definitely an example of all work and no play make Clay a dull boy!”

                “I find it amazing that you’re single Clay, have you ever been married?”

He flushed a little, then nodded, “I got married when I went to London on my Masters, I’d left my childhood sweetheart back in Ohio, but when I got to London I met this woman...” he rolled his eyes, “let’s just say I wasn’t thinking with my brain! She was beautiful...older...experienced,” he turned to Amelia, “do you get my drift?”

She nodded, her teeth biting her bottom lip to hide the surprise, solid, reliable and dependable Clay. She was amazed. “So what happened?”

He grinned, “I had the best two years of my life,” he rolled his eyes again, “you really have NO idea. Then she disappeared, literally. I found a note saying ‘It was fun’ and haven’t seen her since. It took my best friend Dan five years to locate her and I’m in the process of trying to get her to agree to a divorce. I honestly think she’s hoping I die, because she’ll inherit everything!”

Amelia burst out laughing, then realised he was serious, “wow! What happened to Miss Ohio?”

He sighed, “She married my younger brother, all makes for a Jerry Springer Christmas!”

                “It’s the quiet ones you have to watch!”

He refilled her glass, “what about you? You’re not married; I’ve not known you go on a date other than with that dick Cole!”

Sighing she looked at Clay, it was so relaxing in his company, no agenda, no pressure. And so she retold the unhappy story of Sol, he was the first person she’d told and it felt so good to just get it all off her chest. By the time she finished he was shaking his head in sympathy.

                “So you’re REALLY looking forward to this launch next month then!”

Covering her eyes she let out a groan, “I have to go, I have to support Li, she’s my family. But then the thought of seeing him, seeing them!”

Clay leaned in close, “well there are two solutions to this, either I don’t give you the time off work, you don’t go, job done. Or I come with you...I’ve dated worse!”

                “You’d pose as my boyfriend?”

                “There are worse roles to play!”

When there was a buzz of the doorbell, he stood, “that’ll be our chariot!” Taking her hand he led her down to the street and into the waiting taxi, but Amelia’s mind was still digesting his offer.

The car pulled up at the restaurant and they got out, the maitre’d led them to a table deep in the heart of the luxurious restaurant. Then she felt as though a bolt of lightning had hit her square of the head and she couldn’t contain her jubilation, sat at the table beaming equally as much was Li, and Daichi.