BUTTERFLIES FLY AWAY (21 page)

“What happened here?  Nico will kill me! 
I’m trying to prove to him I can be the perfect assistant here in the East
Coast.  He will fire me at this rate.”  Robin wailed.

Robin re-dialled Nico’s number.  He had been
calling discreetly wanting updates on how things were progressing and this
would be a major problem.

“We have an issue, Carrie has disappeared” she
confessed.

In the garden Carrie took out her mobile and dialled
Nico’s number.  It was busy.  Great.  A standard voicemail
announcement prompting her to leave a message.  She didn’t trust herself
to remain civil and hung up.  She checked the other office number that she
had updated on her contact list from the business card he gave her.

They wouldn’t let her speak to him.  She wasn’t
on his approved list of callers.  No ifs ands or buts despite trying to
explain Robin was here with her now to validate her credentials as an approved
person.  All attempts were rebuffed. 

“I’m sorry; I can’t connect your call.  If you
are not on the approved list of callers we have to terminate any nuisance calls
trying to get through.  Mr Devanti is a very busy man.”

“But I’m not a nuisance” Carrie was left with the
buzzing of the dial tone.  She had hung up on her.

Carrie was livid.  The kind of blood boiling
rage type of angry was coursing through her at that very moment.  Somehow
she had walked through the gardens in her temper and was now sitting on the
bench that surrounded the large oak tree.  She did what she always did
when things got bad.  She called her big sister.  The phone was
answered within a couple of rings.

“Hi Carrie, this is early for you, what’s up?”

Then she proceeded to promptly burst into tears of
anger, frustration and disappointment.  Through the tears she tried to
explain what had happened this morning.

“So, tell me again.  He sets you up with ‘let’s
play at dressing up’ then you find out it’s a routine thing for him?”

“Uh uh,” Carrie agreed.

“Give me that creeps number and I will speak to
him.”

“It’s okay Claire; they probably wouldn’t let you speak
to him anyway!  But you can’t fight my battles for me on this one. 
We aren’t back in the playground.  This isn’t the same as Tommy Young
pulling my pig tails until I cried!”

“Carrie, I will always be in your corner.  You
know that.”

“I’m going to go and wash my face.  Then call
his mobile again.  I need to deal with this myself. Okay?”

“Okay but call me later”

Tansie was taking her break and on the phone to
Monique discussing the dance that evening.  “Monique you should see the
parlour, it’s all been decked out for Carrie” Then she spotted a weeping
Carrie.  “Hold on, I’ve just seen Carrie and she doesn’t look very happy,
I will call you back.”

She walked through the perfectly manicured grass
that was cut without fail twice a week. 

“Hi Carrie how are you?”

“Oh Hello Tansie”

Tansie saw the blotched marks on her friends face
from crying.

“What the hell is going on?  Who upset you?”

Carrie explained what she had overheard. 
Trying to contact Nico and her call being rebuffed.  How foolish she
felt. 

“Come on, let’s get you cleaned up.” She led Carrie
back through the staff entrance.  Carrie used the staff rest room to wash
her very blotchy pink face.

When she returned to the staff break out area a mug
of coffee was waiting for her.

“Think you need your caffeine fix”

“Thanks Tansie”

Tansies phone began to ring it was Monqiue.

“Hi I think we need reinforcements here, can you
come up to the Inn? Yes, I know you are getting your hair done for
tonight.  Come up when you can.”

This time it was Carries phone that began to
ring.  An unknown number.  She hit reject and returned to her
coffee.  The staff room door opened and Terri walked in.

“Hi Tansie, I thought you were going home? Oh
Carrie?”  She looked in surprise.  “I thought you were in the parlour
for your make over for tonight”

“Long story Terri, I’ve abandoned ship”

“I may as well keep busy and make some cookies.”

“Can I help Tansie?  I love to bake.”

“Sure, let’s keep you busy too!  Let me just
check the pantry for the ingredients I think today is going to be a white
chocolate and coconut day.”

Carrie was unaware that Tansie had signalled for
Terri to join her.  Whilst they collected the recipe ingredients Tansie
updated Terri on this morning’s events.  Armed with the butter, eggs,
flour, coconut and chocolate chips they returned to Carrie.  Terri now
fully updated.  Something had to be done as Carrie couldn’t avoid the
parlour indefinitely.  She was surprised when Nico had asked for her help
he had appeared to be sincere in his request to give Carrie this
experience.  The present outcome wasn’t looking good.

Now Carries phone rang.  The caller ID flashing
Nico.

“Excuse me a moment ladies, I need to answer this
and I don’t want to use colourful language in front of you”

Carrie was retreating back out the staff doorway
into the garden once more.

“Thank god you are alright, Where are you?”

“Not that it is any of your concern but I am still
at the Inn”

“What?  I’ve had people looking for you. 
You had me worried sick Carrie.  You can’t just walk away without telling
anyone.”

“Listen, I tried to call you okay.  But I’m not
on your ‘list’ of approved people.  So get those facts right before
calling me out”

“That’s not right Carrie.  I did give your
details for approval.  I will deal with that now and I’m not happy that
you couldn’t speak to me when you called.  What happened?  I thought
you were okay.”

“Mistakes happen.  I tried your mobile too and
it was busy.  I didn’t just drop off the face of the earth.”

“Carrie, I live a public life.  There are
people out there who will try and exploit those close to me.  I have to
protect those people I care about and I care about you.  When you left
today I was worried something more sinister had happened”

“Nothing sinister happened.  But answer me
this.  What you’ve done today for me.  The dresses, makeover team
etc.  Have you done this before?”

There was silence on the line as he paused to
answer,

“Not like this Carrie.  The hair and makeup,
yes for family and friends if the event needed it.  But today was for
you.”

“Okay, I believe you.  I got the impression
this was a standard thing to do.  It made me feel cheap.”

“That was not my intention.  I want you to feel
special today Carrie, never cheap.  What was said to upset you so much?”

“I don’t want to discuss it any further, it won’t
change things.”

“If that’s how you feel.  But I would like to
ensure it’s not repeated.  Are you ready to go back and pick your dress?”

“I’m kind of busy right now, making cookies with
Tansie.”

“I think Tansie can manage on her own but I still
want you with me tonight Carrie.  Why don’t I tell Robin to let everyone
go for lunch and you can return in say 30 minutes?”

“Alright, I think I can do that”

“Great, now please call me if you decide to change
your mind and this time your call will get through!”

Nico placed his phone on his desk.  The call
with Carrie finished.  Thank God she was okay.  She didn’t understand
the risks of disappearing.  He redialled Robin’s number.

“Robin, she’s in the kitchen.  Been at the
hotel the whole time.  Your team didn’t look very far.  I’m dealing
this but Carrie called my office and didn’t get through.  She wasn’t on
the damn approved list.  I gave you her details last week Robin.  I
am not happy about this.”

“I’m so sorry Nico.  Let me check it out
here.  I’ve got access to the systems from my laptop.  I will let you
know what the error has been.  Are we still going ahead?  The team is
all on standby here.”

“Yes, tell everyone to take a 30 minute break for
lunch and Carrie will be back then.”

Carrie returned to the kitchen.

“I think it’s sorted now, he asked me to go back in
about 30 minutes.  Give me a chance to finish the cookies with you and get
my head together.”

Tansie gave her a long look. 

“You okay Carrie?  If that’s what you want to
do.  Monique is coming soon and I think we will join you for a bit of
moral support”

“Thanks Tansie, I think I’m having a wobble about
facing those people again after I’ve just made a fool of myself.”

“Carrie you have nothing to feel foolish
about.  Now grab that spoon and get mixing, it will help you loosen up a
bit!”

Robin updated the team and everyone took a much
welcome break.  Robin hated to disappoint Nico.  He was a great boss
to work for and she loved her job.  It brought her challenges but great
opportunities too.  She remotely accessed the approved caller list and
noted that Lea had been removed.  He had moved on then to Carrie. 
She couldn’t find Carries name.  Oh hell and she had been the one to
update the list with her details.  Accessing her emails she checked the
contact information that Nico had given her to cross reference. 

No Carrie Reynolds-Davies on the list but there was
a Varrie Reynolds with the same mobile.  It was a typo Varrie instead of
Carrie.  Robin corrected the file and sent an instant message to Nico.

“Sorry boss, my mistake, Carrie was entered onto the
system as Varrie Reynolds.  I’ve corrected it to Carrie
Reynolds-Davies.  I will explain this to Carrie and apologise.”

Carrie put aside the wooden spoon and watched Tansie
drop spoonful’s of cookie dough onto the baking sheet.  Within minutes the
kitchen was full of the aroma of the cookies baking.  Carrie was quiet
after her call with Nico, reflecting on a very strange morning.  She
texted her to sister with a quick update that she had spoken with Nico and was
going ahead with the makeover.  Tansie made a final check and the cookies
were ready just as the door opened and Monique bellowed hello.

“What has been happening here then, tell me all?”

Monique delivered this with her usual hug. 

“Not much Monique, I like you hair, it is lovely”

Whenever Carrie had met her before her hair was
always down looking very much like she was channelling Naomi Campbell. 
Long and straight in a centre parting.  Today it was elegantly swept up,
with a knot in the back and her fringe was in a stylish bump at the crown of
her head.  

“It’s very glamorous.”

“Thank you Carrie, I am very very happy with my sexy
‘do for tonight.  Now let’s get you sorted Tansie has explained everything
that happened.  Remember we brought you luck with your outfit at
Shamiqua’s.”

With the ping of the oven announcing the cookies
ready Carrie checked her watch; it was time to return to the parlour. 
Time first for a straight from the oven gooey soft cookie.

“Tansie, these are yum.  I think they are the
best ones I have tasted in my time here!”

Robin was waiting outside the parlour door.

“Carrie, can I have a word in private please?”

“On you go Carrie, Tansie and I will wait here for
you”

They walked over to the large window that overlooked
the garden area. 

“I am really sorry Carrie, I feel like we kind of
got off on the wrong foot this morning.  I spoke with a couple of the
girls and they think you might have overheard them having a gossip.”

“It’s okay Robin,”

“No I want to explain.  Yes the team have
worked together before.  As you can imagine some of the events run by
Devanti require the expertise of a lot people and its best if we work in one
location.  It was indiscreet to talk about previous occasions but we are
not on call for the women who are in Nico’s life.  Not that this has
happened before.   Oh shoot I’m making this worse!”

“Robin, I understand honestly I do.  I had a
bit of a wobble thinking I was in the Devanti harem!”

“It’s nothing like that at all.  We’ve been
pulling together the ideas for today over the last 24 hours.  Another
thing, the approved list.  I am so so sorry.  That was my fault I had
a typo with your name on the list and added you as Varrie Reynolds.  It’s
been fixed now so when you call again there won’t be any issues with
that.  Nico was furious.”

“Let’s just wipe the last couple of hours away and
start afresh”

“Thanks Carrie, now I hate to remind you but its
1.30pm and we still have to find you an outfit, hair and makeup.”

“I have faith plus I have Tansie and Monique my good
luck charms, now they are a force to be reckoned with!”