Free Unforgettable Embrace by Joanne Clancy

she got on very well.
    He always laughed and said that obvious beauty was better than hidden beauty, what was a man supposed to do-look for beauty? If it was staring him in the face he was hardly going to deny the obvious beauty for the hidden beauty now was he?
     
    Bettina had joined the team a few months previously, from their Danish office. She was constantly going on about how much she missed Copenhagen and how amazing the public transportation system was in Denmark and of course, how diabolical it was in Cork and in Ireland generally, which it was, but that was part of the charm. Rachel often found herself having to fight the urge to scream at her to get out and go back to Denmark, but she managed to restrain herself.
     
    She and Rachel didn't like each other. They had both taken an instant dislike to each other from the moment they met. They tried to be polite and had even made a few attempts to have coffee together but they seemed to irritate each other and invariably ended up sitting in awkward silence. They exchanged pleasantries throughout the day, but that was about it. They were both resigned to the fact that they would simply never be friends.
     
    Rachel's “best friend” in the office was David Mc Cloud, a short, gregarious Scottish man with a wicked sense of humour. He was possibly the funniest person she had ever met, and the two of them got on famously. He often said if he wasn't already very happily married to his wife of fifteen years, that he would have married Rachel in a heartbeat.
    David managed the United Kingdom and Ireland department, which comprised the largest team in the office. His team always seemed to be having so much fun at work, with their uproarious laughter being heard sporadically throughout the day. Senior management often asked him to quieten his section's antics, but as they were the best performing team in the office David and his gang were usually left to their own devices.
     
    One of the best perks of working at Sherrington International was the discounted hotel rooms. Sherrington owned a large collection of hotels, including the most beautiful luxury hotels, all across Europe. Rachel and Tony had stayed at the five star Brussels hotel the previous year. The luxury and opulence of the hotel was breathtaking.
    The staff was falling over themselves to make their stay as pleasant as possible, and Rachel had gotten their deluxe suite at a seventy five per cent discount. She and her friends spent many enjoyable hours drooling over the London collection of spas. They were planning on a weekend away when they could all agree on a date in their diaries.

 
    Chapter 11
     
     
    “ Look at the state of his shoes!” Liz exclaimed. The girls were in Rachel's apartment checking out some of her matches on Maybe Love.com.
    “ Who wears brown lace-up brogues these days? My granddad used to wear them in black when he went to church on Sundays!”
    “ I think he looks sweet,” Jen said. “The phrase “goody two shoes” springs to mind though; no pun intended.”
    “ You can always judge a man's character by his shoes, my father often said,” Liz continued, “I used to think it was a sweeping generalisation on his part, but there's a lot of truth in what he said. My own experiences of life and love have revealed that many a man's and a woman's true character can be correctly assessed by what they choose to wear on their feet.”
    “ Hmm, that is very interesting actually,” Rachel mused. “Look at us, for example; Jen always wears skyscraper high heels. I don't think I've ever seen you in a pair of runners.”
    “ I wouldn't be caught dead in the things,” Jen agreed, “I don't even own a pair.”
    “ You don't even have one pair of runners!” Liz exclaimed.
    “ I hate them,” Jen said, “always have, always will detest them.”
    “ Exactly,” Rachel continued, “Jen is the glamorous, slightly high maintenance one among us.” “I am not high maintenance!” Jen