Sophie Kinsella - Remember Me?

“A power-crazed nightmare,” supplies Carolyn, deadpan.

“We feel bad.” Debs bites her lip as she looks at the others. “Don’t we?”

“Don’t worry.” I force a smile. But all of a sudden, as I regard the three of them, I feel more lonely than ever. These were my mates; we were always a foursome. But now they’ve had three years of nights out and talking and laughs that I’ve missed out on. They’re banded together in a trio and I’m the stranger.

“So, I just wanted to give you this.” Debs advances toward the desk, her face pinkening, and hands me the envelope. I rip it open and pull out a stiff white engraved card. A wedding invitation.

“Hope you can come.” Debs has shoved her hands into her pockets. “You and Eric.”

I feel a rush of humiliation. Her body language is obvious. The last thing she wants is us at her wedding.

“Look, Debs, you don’t have to ask me. It’s really kind of you…” I’m trying to stuff the card back into the envelope, my face hot. “But I know you don’t really-”

“Yes, I do.” She puts her hand on mine, stopping me, and I look up. Her eyes are just the same as they ever were-deep blue with long mascaraed lashes. “You were one of my best friends, Lexi. I know things changed. But…you should be there.”

“Well…thanks,” I mumble at last. “I’d love to come.” I turn the invitation over, running a finger over the engraving. “How did you get your mother to agree to such a late guest?”

“She nearly killed me,” Debs says bluntly, and I can’t help laughing.

“Did she threaten to stop your allowance?”

“Yes!” Debs exclaims, and this time we all break into giggles. Debs’s mum has been threatening to stop her allowance ever since I’ve known her-even though she stopped giving Debs an allowance about ten years ago.

“We’ve bought some muffins, too,” says Fi. “To say sorry for yesterday…” She stops as there’s a tapping at the door. Simon Johnson is standing in the doorway.

“Simon!” I start in shock. “I didn’t see you there!”

“Lexi.” He smiles. “Available for a quick chat?”

“We’ll go,” Fi says hurriedly, and hustles the others out. “Thanks for that…er…information, Lexi. Very useful.”

“Bye, Fi!” I smile at her gratefully.

“I won’t take up your time,” Simon says, shutting the door as they leave. “Just wanted to give you the final rundown for Monday’s meeting. Obviously keep it close to your chest. Within this department, only you and Byron have this information.” He comes toward the desk, holding out a folder.

“Absolutely.” I nod in a businesslike manner. “Thanks.”

As I take the folder from him, I see June ’07 typed discreetly in the top right-hand corner and feel a twinge of foreboding. I still have no idea what June ’07 means. I searched through all my files yesterday afternoon, but found nothing. No computer files, no paperwork, nothing.

I know I should have asked Byron. But I was too proud. I wanted to figure it out for myself.

“Looking forward to it!” I pat the folder, hoping I look convincing.

“Good. It’s Monday, twelve noon sharp, in the boardroom. A couple of the nonexecutive directors have to shoot off promptly.”

“See you there,” I say with a confident smile. “Thanks, Simon.”

The minute Simon has left, I sit down and whip open the folder. The first page is entitled Summary, and I run my eyes down the text. June ’07…major restructuring…realignment in the market…overall rethink…

After a few seconds I sink down into my chair, feeling overwhelmed. No wonder this is a big secret. The whole company’s being changed around. We’re acquiring a home technology company…we’re amalgamating several departments…I flick my eyes farther down.

…context of its current sales performance…plans to disband…

What?

I read the words again. And again.

My spine has gone cold. I’m frozen on my chair, reading the lines over and over. That can’t…it can’t mean what I think it means…

With a surge of adrenaline I leap to my feet and hurtle out the door and down the corridor. There’s Simon, by the lifts, talking to Byron.

“Simon!” I’m gulping air in my panic. “Could I possibly have a quick word?”

“Lexi.” As he looks up I can see a wrinkle of irritation in his brow.

“Hi.” I look around, checking there’s no one around to overhear. “I just wanted to…to…clarify a couple of things. These plans to disband the Flooring section.” I tap the folder. “That can’t mean…you can’t really mean…”

“She’s finally twigged.” Byron folds his arms, shaking his head with such amusement that I want to punch him. He knew about this?

Simon sighs. “Lexi, we’ve been through this many times, as you know. It’s a tough market out there. You’ve done marvels with your sales force-we all appreciate that. And you yourself will be rewarded. But the department is unsustainable.”

“But you can’t get rid of Flooring! Deller Carpets is all about flooring! This is how the company started!”

“Keep your voice down!” Simon snaps sotto voce, glancing around the floor. All the pleasantness has disappeared from his veneer. “Lexi, I cannot have this level of disruption. It’s highly unprofessional.”

“But-”

“There’s nothing to worry about. You and Byron will both have new roles in senior management. It’s all been worked out very carefully. I don’t have time for this.” The lift arrives and he steps into it.

“But, Simon,” I say desperately. “You can’t just fire the whole department…”

It’s too late. The lift doors have closed.

“It’s not called firing,” Byron’s sardonic voice comes behind me. “It’s called making redundant. Get your terms right.”

“How can you just stand there?” I wheel around, incensed. “And how come I didn’t know anything about this?”

“Oh, didn’t I tell you?” Byron clicks his tongue in mock self-reproach. “I’m sorry, Lexi. It’s hard to know where to start when you’ve forgotten…let’s see. Everything.”

“Where are the files? Why didn’t I see this before?”

“I may have borrowed them.” He shrugs and heads toward his office. “Ciao.”

“No! Wait!” I push my way in behind him and close the door. “I don’t understand. Why are they axing the department?”

“Have you looked at our sales recently?” Byron rolls his eyes.

“They went up!” I retort before I can stop myself, already knowing this is the wrong tack.

“By three percent?” Byron says scoffingly. “Lexi, carpet is old news. We’ve failed to penetrate the other flooring markets. We’ve only got a couple of contracts to see out. Face it. The party’s over.”

“But we can’t just lose the department. Those original carpet designs are classics! What about…rugs?”

Byron stares at me incredulously for a moment, then bursts into laughter.

“You’re hilarious, you know that?”

“What?”

“You do know you’re repeating yourself? You said all this at the first crisis meeting. ‘We could make the carpets into rugs!’” he imitates me in a shrill voice. “Give up.”

“But they’ll all be out of a job! The whole team!”

“Yeah. Shame.” He sits at his desk and motions toward the door. “I have work to do?”

“You’re a bastard,” I say, my voice shaking. I stride out of his office and slam the door, still clutching the folder, breathing harder and harder until I think I might hyperventilate. I have to read all this information, I have to think…

“Lexi!” My head jerks up and instinctively I clasp the folder closer to my chest. Fi is standing at the door of the main Flooring office, beckoning me. “Come in! Have a muffin.”