Patently in Love (9 page)

From: Marshall Winfield
[email protected]
To: James Edwards

Help!
My life has
suddenly gone wrong. In order of increasing importance:
1. I have 4
working days before I have to give Susan my opposition draft. I've been
wracking my brains to come up with some decent arguments. I have a few, but
no really good prior art document to hang it on. The ones I have are, at most,
tenuous.
2. I have three patent drafts due in by next week. I'm going to
have to phone at least one client and ask for a time extension. I hate doing that.
It looks really unprofessional.
3. Stevie's dating some prat who keeps
borrowing money off her. When I try to tell her so, she gets annoyed with me.
I thought she was supposed to grow out of the whole 'you're not Dad' thing by
now.
4. Last, but not least, I think I'm in love with Jane and I can't ask her
out because she's a work colleague. I know Keith is already trying to put the
oar in with the partners. I can't give him more ammunition. I'd like to keep
away from Jane, but it's a bit difficult when I work with her every day. She's so
damn lovely, I can't concentrate on my work.
Just shoot
me.
Marsh

##

From: James Edwards

To: Marshall Winfield

Sounds like a mess all
right.
Can't help you with the time management issues. I'm sure you'll cope
with your usual style.
I'll see if Lou has any ideas on how to help with the
Stevie situation. Perhaps a quiet woman to girl chat.
Regarding Jane...it's
never a good idea to date work colleagues. You know that better than most.
How MUCH do you like her?
Jim

##

From: Marshall Winfield

To: James Edwards

I like her a LOT! Can't
concentrate on work when I know she's in the office, day dreaming about
weddings and house with picket fence type like her. It was all I could do not to
kiss her last night.
And in a weird way when I'm with her--outside of
work, I mean--I feel like everything is just...right. Which is odd, since I've
only known her for about a week.
Marsh

##

From: James Edwards

To: Marshall Winfield

Sounds like you've got it
bad.
So, ignoring it and getting on with life isn't an option
then?
Assuming the answer is no, why not wait until after the partner's
meeting. Then ask her out. You'd have to keep things discrete, obviously. Set a
few ground rules etc. But there's no reason why it shouldn't work that
way.
Jim

##

From: Marshall Winfield

To: James Edwards

That's a good idea. Why
didn't I think of that??

##

From: James Edwards

To: Marshall Winfield

Because this love stuff is
turning your brain to cheese.
I was like that when I first met Lou. Luckily,
I was a student back then and didn't need to do much thinking.
Jim

##

From: James Edwards

To: Marshall Winfield

>> It was all I
could do not to kiss her last night.
Hang on, what happened last night?
Why did you fail to kiss her?
My secretary tells me that Jane got mugged
last night. What's going on exactly?
Jim

##

From: Louise Edwards
To:
James Edwards , Stevie
Winfield
So, our Marsh has
fallen for someone.
Hurrah! About time too.
From what Jim says, she
sounds like a nice girl --not like that bizarre Dominique woman. What did he
see in her?
Yes, we must persuade him to do something about
it.
Lou

##

From: James Edwards

To: Louise Edwards
, Stevie
Winfield
Dominique was a
force to reckoned with. Once she set her sights on Marsh, the poor man didn't
have a chance.
I hate to burst your bubble ladies, but I think Marsh is right
about not dating work colleagues. It would be best if he did nothing about it
until AFTER the partner's meeting. He has worked very hard for this company
and deserves a bit of recognition. It would be a shame to throw it away because
of a girl.
Jim

* * * *

Jane looked through Marsh's door. He was frowning at a patent and scribbling notes
in the margins. She knocked.

He looked up and smiled. "Come in. How are you feeling today?"

"I'm fine, thanks." She went in, but didn't sit down.

"What can I do for you?" He looked back to his work, as though anxious to get back
to it.

Jane fidgeted with the sleeve of her blouse. "I wanted to thank you for everything
yesterday."

Marsh waved her thanks away. "Don't worry about it. It was nothing."

"No, It wasn't nothing. So... can I buy you dinner? To say thank you."

Marsh appeared taken aback. "You don't have to do that."

"I'd like to."

He appeared to study the paperwork in front of him. "Um..."

He was going to refuse, she could tell. She had been wrong about how he felt and she
had been so certain. "It's no big deal. You don't have to." She started to back away.

"Oh no." He looked up again, his eyes flicking to the doorway behind her. He
lowered his voice. "It's just not a good idea to mix work and fun..."

Jane could feel that her face was bright red now. "Right."

"But," he said quickly, "as you say, it's just dinner to say thank you, right?"

Jane held her breath.

"So, that sounds fine. When did you have in mind?"

"How about Friday night?" That way, if things went really badly, they wouldn't see
each other until after the weekend.

Marsh pulled his diary towards him and leafed through. "Um... the week after would
be better for me. How about Wednesday?"

"Sure. Next Wednesday then. Great."

"Hang on, I'll just write it in." He scribbled in the book. "There, you're in the diary
now. So it's official."

"Well, I'd better get back to work I guess."

"I'm looking forward to it." His dimple flashed.

"Me too."

* * * *

From: Marshall Winfield

To: James Edwards

Jane was just in here. SHE
asked ME out! She wants to buy me dinner to say thank you for helping her
last night.
I suggested next Wednesday. The partners meet that day, so by
Wednesday night the decision will be made.
Marsh

##

From: James Edwards
To: Marshall Winfield
Well done.
I don't know how you do it. I've never been asked out by a woman. Ever.
Jim

##

From: Marshall Winfield

To: Stevie
Winfield
Okay, just to let
you know. Jane and I are going out to dinner next week. She wanted to buy me
a meal to say thank you.
Marsh

##

From: Stevie
Winfield
To: Marshall
Winfield
YAY!!! I'm
very excited for you. You'd better kiss her this time!
You'll have to give
me a full report the next day. Ok, maybe not a FULL report. There are some
things I don't need to know about my big
brother.
Love
Stevie

* * * *

Jane stared at her computer screen and tapped a nail on the edge of the keyboard. The
night before, she had been convinced that Marshall liked her, but now she wasn't so sure. His
reluctance to accept her invitation had surprised and upset her. No wonder he had been such a
gentleman the night before. It was easy to be chivalrous if you're not tempted to go any
further.

Thank goodness she hadn't thrown herself at him. That would have been terribly
embarrassing. The trouble was, she still fancied him and she would have to sit through dinner,
knowing he was just being friendly. She just knew she wouldn't be able to stop thinking about
kissing him the whole time. It made her warm just thinking about it.

She placed her hand against her cheek. It was a major disadvantage having such pale
skin.

* * * *

From: Jane Porter

To: Polly

Well, I asked him out. He didn't seem
all that keen. I'm all embarrassed now.
Jane

##

From: Polly
To: Jane Porter

Ouch. That doesn't sound
good. I bet he's gay.

##

From: Jane Porter
To:
Polly
You're not
helping.

* * * *

There was a knock on the door. It was Keith. He ignored Ruth and looked at Jane. "I
heard you got mugged. Are you okay?"

Jane frowned. It had been less than half an hour since she'd told Ruth. Gossip
traveled really fast in the office.

She didn't want any more attention. "It wasn't such a big deal. More of a bag
snatching, really."

Had Marsh been telling everyone about how he rescued her? She hadn't thought he
would be the sort, but then she'd been wrong about people before.

She had been wrong about Ashby.

"I thought it was more serious than that," said Keith. "Mind you, Sally does tend to
exaggerate."

Jane forced a little laugh. "No. No big deal at all." She wondered how Sally
knew.

"Well, if you need anything, my door is always open." He turned to leave. "I'll see
you later."

When Keith had left, Ruth popped her head above the partition. "I'm sorry. I didn't
realise you didn't want people to know. I mentioned it to Val when I gave her my last set of
dictation notes. She must have told Sally."

Jane sighed. Val was Marsh's secretary. Sally was Keith's. If the secretaries were
talking about it, then the whole company probably knew by now. The last thing she wanted
was people taking an interest in her life again. At least this time they'd be asking her how she
was and not talking in hushed whispers when she passed. And there would be no
photographers waiting to snap when she was least expecting it.

"It's okay," she said. "It really wasn't anything major. Just a bit of hassle to lose my
cards and phone. That's all." At least now she knew it wasn't Marsh telling people about what
happened.

Ruth sank back down into her chair, mouthing "Sorry" again.

Jane waved the apology aside. She opened up the file she was working on and got
back to work.

* * * *

From: Stevie Winfield

To: Marshall Winfield

Marsh, I've just Googled
your friend Jane. Turns out there's another Jane Porter, from Manchester. That
Jane used to go out with Ashby Thornton. Isn't that a weird
coincidence?
Stevie

##

From: Marshall Winfield

To: Stevie Winfield

Not really a coincidence.
They're the same person.
I also looked Jane up on Google, for professional
interest. I have the advantage of knowing what she looks like--and a rather nice
photo of her in the copy of
Spotted!
that Eloise left on my desk. She's
changed her hair, but she's the same person.
M

##

From: Stevie Winfield

To: Marshall Winfield

Does it bother you? The
girl you fancy is famous!

##

From: Marshall Winfield

To: Stevie Winfield

Why should it bother me
that she went out with someone rich and famous and talented?
Marsh

##

From: Stevie
Winfield
To: James Edwards
, Louise Edwards

Okay, I Googled Jane. Turns out
she's famous. She used to go out with Ashby Thornton. She was all over the
magazines when she and Ashby split up. He cheated on her with a girl from
Hollyoaks. It was a TOTAL scandal. The mags said she'd disappeared. Looks
like she reappeared in your office! Wow!
Although, I'm worried now.
What does a glamorous ex-WAG want with my brother???
Stevie

##

From: James Edwards

To: Stevie
Winfield, Louise Edwards

Who the hell is Ashby
Thornton?

##

From: Louise Edwards
To:
James Edwards , Stevie
Winfield
Jim, do try and
keep up. Ashby Thornton is a Britpop singer. He's the latest thing, according to
Spotted!
Stevie, don't worry about it. Just because Jane used to be
in the public eye, doesn't mean she's going to hurt Marsh.
As for what she
sees him. What are you talking about? He's gorgeous, he's successful, he owns
his own flat and to top it all off, he's a lovely man. What's not to
like?
Lou

##

From: James Edwards

To: Louise Edwards
, Stevie
Winfield
Oi, wife, I AM
reading this you know. A man doesn't need to hear that his wife thinks his best
mate is gorgeous!
Stevie, from what I've seen of Jane, she's a nice person
and doesn't really fit the 'glamorous ex-WAG' bill. If she was that sort of a
person, she would have sold her story to the Daily Mail and made some money
out of it. It sounds to me like she's trying to get on with her life.
First you
worry that he WON'T go out with her Then you worry that he WILL. You
women perplex me.
Jim

##

From: Louise Edwards
To:
James Edwards
Don't
worry Darling. You are, were and always will be, the love of my life. What do
I need a good-looking man for, when I've got you?
Lou

##

From: James Edwards

To: Louise Edwards

Dammit woman, you always
win me over with your sweet talk.
I love you
too.
Jim