Free Alberta Clipper by Sheena Lambert

will be at work til at least six.  No chance of us getting caught until then.”
    “And you call me the floozy?”  Christine smiled down the phone.  “Later.  Don’t get sunburned.” 
    “I’ll try not,” Emily said.
     
     
    Christine sat trying to prioritise the items on her to- do list.  Wednesday.  She had a conference call later in the afternoon with the UK and US offices which she needed to prepare for.  She had a report to finish for Mark before that.  And she had to make ready for a trip to London the following week.  She had decided to fly out on Sunday evening, rather than face the four AM wake-up call on Monday morning.  She’d be there until next Wednesday night.  Her birthday was Tuesday, but there was nothing she could do about it.  The meeting involved staff from the US and Singapore offices, so she couldn’t have rescheduled it, even if she had wanted to.  Which she hadn’t.  Turning twenty-nine was nothing to celebrate.  Although it was a little different now.  If she had been here, she might have gone for dinner somewhere nice with Gavan .  But less than a fortnight ago, she had expected to spend the evening having cocktails with Emily and maybe some of the other girls.  Which wouldn’t have differentiated it from any other Tuesday night.  Anyway, she would be seeing Gavan on Friday.  And if he wanted to celebrate her birthday with her, they could always make some arrangement for when she got back. 
    She decided to get a coffee and get the report f or Mark finished first.  Walking to the coffee room , she noticed Marcus Wells going into Mark’s office.  As he closed the door behind them, Mark turned and looked straight at her.  He looked worried, more so than usual.  But he had given her the smallest hint of a wave.  Weird.  Unlike Mark.  Christine wondered why Marcus Wells would be here.  If there was trouble in the UK office like she had heard, then it was more likely that he would be engaged over there.  Unless the trouble had involved the Irish office too.  But there had been no suggestion of that.  Christine made two coffees and strolled over to the reception desks.
    “Hey Amanda.  Fancy one of these?”
    “Aw great, Chris, you are a total star.  I’m gagging for a coffee, and a pee actually.  I’m on my own this morning, and things are a little hectic.”   The low buzz of the phone interrupted them.  “CarltonWachs, Amanda speaking.  Of course Mr. Radcliff.  One moment.”  She clicked her mouse.  “Luke, Charles Radcliff for you.  O kay, no problem.”  She glanced up at Christine.  “Sorry Chris.”
    The phone buzzed again.  Christine drank her coffee, watching Amanda filter calls for Mark and Shay with great efficiency.  “Thanks again for this,” Amanda raised her mug.  “I really needed it.”
    “No problem.  You’re busy.  I’ll go.  But hey, do you know why Marcus Wells is here?  I saw him in with Mark.”  Christine couldn’t be certain, but she thought that Amanda reddened slightly.
    “I’m not sure, Chris.  I think they might be a bit concerned about the institutional desk.  I don’t really understand it.”
    “I thought the question mark was over the UK desk, though?”  Christine looked at Amanda.  Amanda just shrugged.  The phone buzzed again.  Christine gave her a silent wave goodbye, and walked back over to her office.  She observed the institutional desk as she passed.  There didn’t seem to be anything different or unusual about it.  She caught Damien Forde’s eye, just as his gaze dropped to its usual level, halfway between her neck and her umbilicus.  She ignored him, and looked over to Craig’s desk.  No one there.  He was probably out schmoozing clients.  When she saw him walking back to his desk from the direction of the men’s washroom, she turned and met him at his chair.
    “Quick lunch later?  I won’t have much time, but we could run to the pub?” 
    “So you’ve forgiven