Mix-Up under the Mistletoe (Glenbriar #11)

Chapter Two

Tilly

Monday, December 16 th

Evening

T he train screeched along the tracks, jolting Tilly in her seat like someone was shaking her. Trying to read emails on her phone on the way home never really worked. It wasn’t just the constant vibration of the train speeding from central London towards Slough, but the weariness that crept in and took hold. By the time she got to her station, then took the bus and walked the remaining distance to her flat, it would be almost nine o’clock. She’d barely have time to eat before bed and before she knew it, her alarm would be buzzing. Just in time to start the journey again, only in reverse.

She pressed the off button on her phone and leaned on the window, making brief eye contact with the man opposite. She smiled, but he looked away directly and closed his eyes, appearing to fall asleep immediately. That was a talent she didn’t have. Sleeping on public transport had never been something she could do easily. She was sure she’d miss her stop and have to make her way back. Barely stifling a yawn, she stared out as the city lights passed by in a haze of orange and white, punctuated here and there with Christmas colours.

The railway cut past rows of houses and blocks of high-rise flats and, as the train slowed to come into a station, the view became more focused. Tilly caught glimpses of rooms lit up, like a series of snapshots into other people’s lives. Televisions flickered. Christmas trees glowed. Flashing lights adorned windows, dazzling and gaudy. Others were soft and only hinted at anyone living there. Perhaps they weren’t home yet or were already in bed. Maybe in another room? The kitchen, cooking dinner for their family or soaking in a bubble bath after a long hard day.

Those lights called to Tilly. Every evening, she found herself drawn to them and the images her mind conjured of the warmth and homeliness behind those windows. Of course, she had no idea who lived there – how could she? But every little scene seemed to whisper a welcome, inviting her to join them for the split second they were in her vision.

She gazed at the buildings as they passed by like they were dollhouses. If only she could shrink to their size and join in with their lives. Warmth and safety were in there. People who had families and friends. Tilly had never had much love for Christmas, but Christmas in those dollhouses might be fun. In those make-believe worlds, she could imagine it any way she wanted.

The train rattled into her station and Tilly shook herself out of her musings, picked up her bag and exited onto the cold platform. Shivering, she pulled her collar high against the drizzly rain. In her pocket, her phone vibrated with a message, then another and another. She’d check them when she got on the bus. Her hands were too cold to attempt that now. And really, who would it be? The only people who ever called her were from work and she’d had quite enough of them for one day… Though it never stopped. Even when she was out of the office, she was always on call. Or they expected her to be.

The bus was late and Tilly tapped her toes, trying to keep warm. Some noisy people outside a pub were heading her way and her heart flickered.

Please, let them walk on by. She kept her head down. The bus came around the corner and Tilly’s shoulders lightened as the doors opened and she hopped on, flicking her travel card on the pad by the driver’s booth.

She took a seat and checked her messages. One from her boss about a meeting he wanted her to attend at eight the following morning.

Seriously? Should I just sleep at my desk in the future?

What was the point of even having a flat? A flat with ridiculously high rental for its size and location.

The other two messages were from Mitchell, her coworker. Tilly’s heart did a silly little leap at the sight of his name. She wished it wouldn’t. Office crushes were the worst, and at twenty-six, was it normal to still get them? Her hopes of making it something more had been thoroughly dashed when she’d asked Mitchell if he fancied getting a drink with her, only to discover he was already dating another colleague. The humiliation at his rejection still burned. Now Tilly had to see them both and act like she’d never asked him in the first place or pretend she’d asked him as just friends.

She leaned back, trying to think about something else, but all their interactions from the week replayed in her head and made her cringe. Not that he was mean about it, but it was so awkward, and his girlfriend was either strutting about like she was delighted with herself or glowering at Tilly like she wanted to throttle her. None of it made for a pleasant working environment. But then, she’d found a place she belonged, and that counted for something. 1-Quick Getaways was the only place she’d ever worked, and the closest thing to stability she’d experienced. If she clung to it through the storms, that wasn’t a bad thing, was it? Starting over was something she couldn’t face, not when her whole life had involved so many restarts already.

Mitchell’s messages were both about work. Phew. That was a relief. He wasn’t impressed by the timing of the meeting the following morning and wanted to know if Tilly knew what it was about. Like she would. The managers wouldn’t tell an admin assistant anything that important. Maybe after working there since she’d left school nine years ago, she could have expected to move up the career ladder a little, but so far, that hadn’t happened.

As she climbed the stairs to her flat, the usual thudding music blared from 7B. Oh no. That was the flat directly beneath hers. There would be very little sleep tonight – again.

Tuesday, December 17 th

Morning

Bleary-eyed Tilly arrived at the office door at eight the next morning with a large cup of coffee. The second she saw Mitchell, she pulled out her biggest smile. He didn’t return it, but yawned. ‘These early mornings are a killer,’ he mumbled. ‘I hope we’re not getting fired.’

‘Is that likely?’ Tilly took a nervous sip. After all the hours she’d put in this year, she was surely due for a promotion, not a dismissal.

‘I hope not,’ Mitchell said. ‘Not after the info I got in Manchester. I should be getting a bloody award for that.’

‘I’m sure you will. They appreciate your work.’ She carried on smiling at him, but he barely glanced at her. He was unlikely to be sacked; the managers had a soft spot for him. Much like Tilly had. She gulped some hot coffee. Even with a grumpy face, there was something about him.

‘In you come.’ Arnie Wilcox, the managing director, opened the door. ‘Sorry to call you both in so early, but something urgent has come up.’

Tilly took a seat next to Mitchell, pretty sure all she was here for was to take the minutes. She gave Arnie a little smile, and he sent her one back with an odd little quirk of his eyebrow. Tilly’s cheeks felt a little hot. He was good looking but must be at least fifty, probably older, and he was married for god’s sake. But he had a kind of charm brought by power, smart suits, and expensive aftershave.

‘I’m doing the Scotland job already,’ Mitchell said. ‘I won’t have time to fit anything else in, even if it’s urgent.’ He spoke quickly, his voice a little sharp, and Tilly understood why. Being sent to Scotland seven days before Christmas was a pretty unreasonable request. Tilly often thought some of the directives from the managers were on the harsh side. But what did she know? This was how business worked. Getting ahead obviously meant using whatever methods, even if they didn’t always sit well with her. But what could an admin assistant do about it?

Expecting Mitchell to travel to Scotland on a Wednesday night and be back by Friday night with all the information they requested was bad enough, but this close to Christmas? Why couldn’t they just wait until January? Not my place to figure it out. Perhaps Mitchell’s success was against him this time. He’d excelled himself in Manchester and now Arnie wanted that to continue.

‘That’s exactly what I want to talk about,’ Arnie went on. ‘Henry has laryngitis and can’t go with you now, which is unfortunate because on trips like this, it’s always worth having two of you. Double the chances of getting something useful.’ He gave them a tiny wink. ‘I’d like you to step in, Tilly.’

‘Me?’ Her jaw almost hit the floor… or in her mind it did, because she couldn’t actually move a muscle. ‘But that’s tomorrow, and I have no idea what to do. I’ve never done a…’ What should she call it? She guessed these visits were barely disguised spying missions – chances to infiltrate the opposition and harvest as much information as possible. Not something she liked the sound of and definitely not something she had the first clue how to pull off.

‘I’ll give you full details on what we expect from these scoping visits. I believe you’re the perfect person for the job. You always have a smile on your face; it attracts confidence. You’ll be ideally placed to get the information we need. Mitchell is very experienced in these matters. He’ll help you out.’

‘I…’ Mitchell looked at Tilly and she tried to smile at him, but his expression told her he was not impressed by this turn of events.

‘What if I slip up?’

‘You won’t.’ Arnie leaned forward. ‘No need to worry. This isn’t some underhand visit, and I don’t want you to view it as such. It’s important for our future and I’m counting on you, Tilly. You’ve worked here a long time.’ He checked something on his computer screen. ‘You’ve had some good ideas.’

Her cheeks heated again. Once, she’d attempted to pitch what she thought was a great idea to Arnie, but he hadn’t seemed particularly interested. Now he thought it was good?

‘We’ve taken on your suggestion about the eco-tourism and I’ve got some of my top people working on the idea.’

He had? But who were these people, and why wasn’t she involved?

‘This could stand you in very good stead for the future,’ Arnie continued. ‘If this trip is a success, it could lead to great places. Even better if you can persuade them to work with us.’

Tilly’s heart pounded in her ears. Could she do it? Was it just a case of chatting with people and finding out what she could? She’d probably be great at that. She was good at watching and listening. Often, it was easier than joining in.

‘Ok.’ She took a deep breath. ‘If you tell me exactly what I have to do.’

When she and Mitchell left the room, Mitchell rolled his eyes. ‘Not sure why he’s chosen you to do this. No offence, but you’re not exactly qualified for it.’

‘I know that, but…’ Tilly blinked, not sure what to say. Ever since she’d asked Mitchell for that drink, he’d been off with her. How was it her fault she hadn’t realised he already had a girlfriend? Before that, he’d always seemed so nice. But how often had she thought that about someone?

‘And Scotland.’ Mitchell let out a low groan. ‘It’s such a frigging long way to go.’

Tilly tried not to hear any unspoken words, but couldn’t help thinking he’d added, ‘and to be stuck with you’ inside his head.

‘Well, it’ll be a good experience for me.’ She brought her hands together and slapped on her smile. ‘I’ve never been to Scotland before.’

‘This isn’t a sightseeing trip. You won’t have time to do anything other than work. And Scotland is an ugly, cold place anyway.’ Mitchell sighed. ‘You need to study the two places we’re visiting. One of them is Innova-Travel. Have you heard of them?’

‘Yeah, they’re pretty big.’ Tilly swallowed the disappointment that she wouldn’t get to do any sightseeing.

‘Arnie’s going out for the big guns. Innova is top of the game for the prestige market, and he wants all the information he can get.’

‘How did you get it in Manchester?’

His easy grin returned, and he ran his fingers through his hair. ‘Just played it cool, made friends with some of the staff, got chatting to them and we went for drinks, then I asked a few questions. Once we find their weak spots, we know where to strike.’

‘I’m not sure I can do any of that.’

Mitchell smirked. ‘Innova has a good reputation, but sometimes good people are easy to get around.’

Tilly nodded. That might be true, but she didn’t like the sound of it. Not after what she’d been through in her childhood. Arnie may call this a scoping mission, but was it really anything other than spying? Still, it was what she was being paid to do, and she had to try her best.

Wednesday, December 18 th

Evening

Sleeping on a reclining chair on the sleeper train that night proved to be as impossible as sleeping on any other form of public transport. Mitchell was flat out, wearing the ugly sleep mask they’d provided, his head lolling to the side. Tilly was glad she’d never gone on a date with him. That snoring would have been hard to get used to. But would it have been any better than the blaring music from the flat downstairs?

She’d lost touch with the dating scene, much like the way she’d lost touch with most of the friends she’d made growing up. Maybe that wasn’t surprising, given how all over the place her young life had been. Sometimes she struggled with the fact she was only twenty-six; she felt so much older, and dating seemed like something other people did. People who weren’t tired to the bones from working all hours and commuting. People who had exciting lives to share. People who didn’t need to be ashamed of their past or their family… or lack thereof.

Tilly looked out the window into the blackness, sporadically glimpsing little dollhouses as they passed through towns. She tried closing her eyes every now and then, but sleep was as far from her as the North Pole. Occasionally, she drifted, but the train would jolt, and she’d be wide awake again. Perhaps she always slept with one eye open. A habit she’d learned as a child and never shaken off.

Thursday, December 19 th

Morning

By the time they reached Glasgow on Thursday morning, Tilly was exhausted and completely discombobulated. She couldn’t stop yawning as they got a taxi and headed for the hotel. Mitchell rolled his eyes and shook his head, no doubt assuming she couldn’t see him as he was facing the other way, but she spied his reflection. They left their cases at the hotel, but weren’t able to check in until later. Still in the clothes she’d put on last night, they set off for Innova-Travel’s head office. Hopefully Mitchell would do most of the talking because Tilly was so bushed she was sure she’d say something stupid as soon as she opened her mouth.

Struggling to hold back another yawn, she followed Mitchell towards the glass doors of an office perfectly slotted into an old Victorian sandstone building. She glanced up, briefly observing the amazing architecture of the street before Mitchell opened the door. Inside was a very white reception area with a tall Christmas tree in the corner next to a rounded desk where a woman sat at a computer. Along the walls were a series of photographs of landscapes and one of a very dramatic house. Tilly focused on it for a second until the woman spoke.

‘Good morning. Can I help you?’

‘Morning.’ Mitchell brought out his killer smile. No wonder Arnie chose him to do this kind of job; he could switch on the charm at the drop of a hat. Tilly had fallen for it, but when she thought logically about it, he wasn’t right for her. Clearly he didn’t like her as much as she’d hoped. Now, it seemed like she annoyed him more than anything.

‘We have a meeting with Rafe Harrington,’ Mitchell continued. Tilly clasped her hands in front of her and smiled. Had he already arranged a meeting? Or was that a lie? He sounded so confident.

‘Let me see.’ The receptionist typed something into her computer and looked at the screen. ‘I don’t see anything here for Mr Harrington today.’

‘Hmm,’ Mitchell said. ‘That’s odd. Maybe we could go in and see him anyway, or if he’s available this afternoon, that would be fine.’

The woman clicked away at her keyboard. ‘What’s your name?’

‘Mitchell Hayward.’

‘And what’s your business with Mr Harrington?’

‘Market research.’

‘Which company are you representing?’

‘Is Mr Harrington available?’ Mitchell continued, smiling. ‘It would be good if we could see him as soon as possible. We’re on a fairly tight schedule.’

‘Can you tell me your company name, please?’

‘1-Quick Getaways,’ Tilly said.

Mitchell gave her an exasperated look, but Arnie hadn’t said to hide it, and this sneaking their way in didn’t feel right. It wouldn’t exactly foster any confidence. If they were to find out anything useful, they’d need to build up a working relationship. Surely, honesty was the best place to start. But then, when had her approach to anything ever brought success? Maybe she’d have been better off keeping her mouth shut.

‘Unfortunately, Mr Harrington isn’t in Glasgow this week. He’s gone home to his family for Christmas. I can make an appointment for you sometime in the new year, or you can email him. He might pick up his emails during the holidays.’

‘Where is his home?’ Mitchell asked.

Tilly tossed him the same look he’d given her just a moment ago. Surely he wasn’t considering following the man to his home?

‘Nowhere near here,’ the woman said. ‘And I doubt he’d appreciate a work visit.’

‘Of course,’ Tilly said. ‘And just to make this clear, we’re here on a networking visit and would welcome an informal chat with Mr Harrington, that’s all.’

The receptionist lifted her left eyebrow slightly, betraying her scepticism. ‘Would you like me to pencil you in for a date in the new year?’

‘That would be fine.’ Tilly gave her a warm smile.

Mitchell glared at her again, but she kept her focus away from him as the woman clicked her keyboard. ‘His first available date is January the twenty-third.’

‘That’s more than a month away,’ Mitchell said.

‘He’s a busy man.’

‘That’s fine.’ Tilly didn’t drop her smile, and the receptionist smiled back.

‘Great. You’re in the calendar.’

‘That’s a beautiful house.’ Tilly gazed at the aerial photo on the wall. It was like something out of Grand Designs with an all-glass front and a glass tower in the centre flanked by balconied terraces on either side and with a green roof, so the whole building looked to be coming out of the ground.

‘It’s a bespoke eco house built by Mr Harrington’s parents.’

‘Wow, it’s gorgeous.’ Tilly adjusted her glasses and squinted at the small print at the bottom of the picture. Greenacres, Glenbriar. She had no idea where that was.

‘Yes, it really is.’ The receptionist carried on typing. ‘Ok. I’ve put you in for a meeting that day.’

‘Thanks,’ Mitchell said, his expression grim. As soon as they were on the street, he put his hands on his hips and shook his head. ‘Why did you agree to that?’

‘We won’t get anywhere with sneaky methods.’

‘What are you talking about? I’m not doing anything sneaky. It’s about being smart and personable.’

‘It’s about building trust,’ Tilly countered, and if that was what he considered being personable, it was a miracle he’d got anyone to open up in Manchester.

‘And for that, we need to be smart and personable, like I said. We can’t just blurt stuff out and agree to any old thing, like meeting up in a month’s time. That’s giving them too much time.’

‘I didn’t blurt it out.’ Did she? ‘I was just looking for a compromise.’

Mitchell shook his head. ‘This is why you’ll always be stuck in admin. You don’t get business. There’s more to it than flashing that smile and agreeing with everyone. You should have let me handle that receptionist.’

‘What?’ She looked away and shook her head. If she could muster the energy to get angry with him, she would try, but she couldn’t. She was too exhausted. Did she agree with everyone? She didn’t agree with him right now, but falling out wasn’t a good plan. Not when they had another day and a half to get through.

‘I bet he’s sitting in there right now.’ Mitchell jabbed his thumb back towards the Innova office.

‘What were you going to say to him if we got in there?’

‘We just need to open a dialogue. Pave a path about the positives. Test the water and gain his confidence.’

‘Well, if you really want to see him at home, we could try visiting the house that was in the picture.’

‘What house?’ Mitchell frowned, then smiled. ‘Oh, that one you mentioned to the receptionist. Is that why you were asking about it? Clever. So, you’re actually sneakier than you look.’

‘No, just smarter. We’re not being sneaky, remember?’

He chuckled. ‘Thing is, we don’t know if he’s actually there. His family might have built the house, but they might not live in it. And he might have gone elsewhere or nowhere. Who knows? It’s too risky.’

Risky or stupid? Sneaky or smart? Crazy or worth a shot?

‘Yeah, you’re right.’ She really was no good at this kind of thing.

‘But you know what?’ Mitchell’s smile grew. ‘That was smart, and I think you should do it.’

‘What about you?’

‘I need to get back tomorrow night, or my girlfriend will kill me. You can spend the extra day travelling about, if you want? I can’t risk not getting back.’

Every one of his words carried a sting.

‘But don’t worry, I’ll tell you exactly what to say and how to play it. This could be your big moment.’

Could it?

Tilly had devoted so much time to 1-Quick. When she’d got the job there, the sense of belonging was overwhelming. She’d never had anything so stable in her life. She owed them. Now, she had a steady job, a home of her own, albeit a small one, and she didn’t want to jeopardise that.

Could one more day in Scotland be all it took? One day that could be the defining moment of her career… Maybe even her life.