P.S, I Love You Part 31

"Who's not normal?" Mr. Feeney asked gruffly, standing up from his chair and stretching.

"You." Alice smiled and closed the door behind her.

"See how my staff treat me?" Mr. Feeney laughed, approaching Holly and holding out his hand to greet her. His handshake was once again warm and welcoming, and Holly felt immediately at ease with the atmosphere between the workers.

"Thank you for hiring me, Mr. Feeney," Holly said genuinely.

"You can call me Chris, and there's no need to thank me. Right, why don't you follow me and I'll show you around the place." He started leading her down the hall. The walls were covered by framed covers of every X magazine that had been published for the last twenty years.

"There's not much to the place; in here is our office of little ants." He pushed open the door and Holly looked into the huge office. There were about ten desks in all, and the room was packed with people all sitting in front of their computers and talking on the phone. They looked up and waved politely. Holly smiled at them, remembering how important first impressions were. "These are the wonderful journalists who help pay my bills," Chris explained. "That's John Paul the fashion editor; Mary our food woman; and Brian, Steven, Gordon, Aishling and Tracey. You don't need to know what they do, they're just wasters." He laughed and one of the men gave Chris the finger and continued talking on the phone. Holly presumed he was one of the men accused of being a waster.

"Everyone, this is Holly!" Chris yelled, and they smiled and waved again and continued talking on the phone.

"The rest of the journalists are freelancers, so you won't see them hanging around these offices much," Chris explained, leading her to the room next door. "This is where all our computer nerds hide. That's Dermot and Wayne, and they're in charge of layout and design, so you'll be working closely with them and keeping them informed about what advertis.e.m.e.nts are going where. Lads, this is Holly."

"Hi, Holly." They both stood up and shook her hand and then continued working on their computers again.

"I have them well trained," Chris chuckled, and he headed back out to the hall again. "Down here is the boardroom. We have meetings every morning at eight forty-five."

Holly nodded to everything he was saying and tried to remember the names of everyone he had introduced to her.

"Down those steps are the toilets, and I'll show you your office now."

He headed back down the way they had come and Holly glanced at the walls feeling excited. This was nothing like she had ever experienced before.

"In here is your office," he said, pushing the door open and allowing her to walk in ahead of him.

Holly couldn't stop herself from smiling as she looked around at the small room. She had never had her own office before. It was just big enough to fit a desk and filing cabinet. There was a computer sitting on the desk with piles and piles of folders. Opposite the desk was a bookcase crammed with yet more books, folders and stacks of old magazines. The huge Georgian window practically covered the entire back wall behind her desk, and although it was cold and windy outside, the room had a bright and airy feel to it. She could definitely see herself working here.

"It's perfect," she told Chris, placing her briefcase on the desk and looking around.

"Good," Chris said. "The last guy who was here was extremely organized, and all those folders there will explain very clearly what exactly it is you need to do. If you have any problems or any questions about anything at all, just come ask me. I'm right next door." He knocked on the wall that separated their offices.

"Now I'm not looking for miracles from you, because I know you're new to this, which is why I expect you to ask lots of questions. Our next edition is due out next week, as we put them out on the first day of every month."

Holly's eyes widened; she had a week to fill an entire magazine.

"Don't worry." He smiled again. "I want you to concentrate on November's edition. Familiarize yourself with the layout of the magazine, as we stick to the same style every month, so you will know what kind of pages will need what type of advertis.e.m.e.nts. This is a lot of work, but if you keep yourself organized and work well with the rest of the team, everything will run smoothly. Again, I ask you to speak to Dermot and Wayne, and they'll fill you in on the standard layout, and if you need anything done, just ask Alice. She's there to help everyone." He stopped talking and looked around. "So that's about it. Any questions?"

Holly shook her head. "No, I think you covered just about everything."

"Right, I'll leave you to it so." He closed the door behind him and Holly sat down at her new desk in her new office. She was slightly daunted by her new life. This was the most impressive job she had ever had, and by the sounds of things she was going to be extremely busy, but she was glad. She needed to keep her mind occupied. However, there was no way on earth she had remembered everyone's name, so she took out her notepad and pen and started to write down the ones she knew. She opened the folders and got to work.

She was so engrossed in her reading that she realized after a while that she had worked through her lunch break. By the sounds of things, no one else from the office had budged an inch. In her other jobs, Holly would stop working at least half an hour before lunchtime just to think about what she was going to eat. Then she would leave fifteen minutes early and return fifteen minutes late due to 'traffic&rsquo, even though she would walk to the shop. Holly would daydream the majority of the day, make personal phone calls, especially abroad, because she didn't have to pay the bill, and would be first in queue to collect her monthly paycheck, which was usually spent within two weeks.

Yes, this was very different from her previous jobs, but she was looking forward to every minute of it.

"Right Ciara, are you sure you've got your pa.s.sport?" Holly's mum asked her daughter for the third time since leaving the house.

"Yes, Mum," Ciara groaned, "I told you a million billion times, it's right here."

"Show me," Elizabeth said, twisting around in the pa.s.senger seat.

"No! I'm not showing it to you. You should just take my word for it, I'm not a baby anymore, you know."

Declan snorted and Ciara elbowed him in the ribs. "Shut up, you."

"Ciara, just show Mum the pa.s.sport so you can put her mind at rest," Holly said tiredly.

"Fine," she huffed, lifting her bag onto her lap. "It's in here, look Mum...no, hold on, actually it's in here...no, actually maybe I put it in here...oh f.u.c.k!"

"Jesus Christ, Ciara," Holly's dad growled, slamming on the brakes and turning the car around.

"What?" she said defensively. "I put it in here, Dad, someone must have taken it out," she grumbled, emptying the contents of her bag in the car.

"b.l.o.o.d.y h.e.l.l, Ciara," Holly moaned as a pair of knickers went flying over her face.

"Ah shut up," she grumbled again. "You won't have to put up with me for much longer."

Everyone in the car went silent as they realized that was true. Ciara would be in Australia for G.o.d only knew how long, and they would all miss her; as loud and irritating as she was.

Holly sat squashed beside the window in the backseat of the car with Declan and Ciara. Richard was driving Mathew and Jack (ignoring his protestations), and they were probably already at the airport at this stage. This was their second time returning to the house, as Ciara had forgotten her lucky nose ring and demanded that her dad turn the car around.

An hour after setting off, they reached the airport in what should have been only a twenty-minute drive.

"Jesus, what took you so long?" Jack moaned to Holly when they all finally trudged into the airport with long faces on them. "I was stuck talking to d.i.c.k all on my own."

"Oh give it a rest, Jack," Holly said defensively, "he's not that bad."

"Ooh, you've changed your tune," he teased, his face all mock-surprise.

"No I haven't, you're just singing the wrong song," she snapped, and she walked over to Richard, who was standing alone watching the world go by. She smiled at her oldest brother.

"Pet, keep in touch with us a lot more this time, won't you?" Elizabeth cried to her daughter as she hugged her.

"Of course I will, Mum. Oh please, don't cry or you'll get me started too." A lump formed in Holly's throat and she fought back the tears. Ciara had been good company over the last few months and had always succeeded in cheering Holly up when she felt that life just couldn't be worse. She would miss her sister, but she understood that Ciara needed to be with Mathew. He was a nice guy and she was happy that they had found each other.

"Take care of my sister." Holly stood on the tips of her toes to hug the enormous Mathew.

"Don't worry, she's in good hands," he smiled.

"Look after her now, won't you?" Frank smacked him on the back and smiled. Mathew was intelligent enough to know it was more of a warning than a question and gave him a very persuasive answer.

"Bye, Richard," Ciara said, giving him a big hug. "Stay away from that Meredith b.i.t.c.h now. You're far too good for her." Ciara turned to Declan. "You can come over anytime you like, Dec, maybe make a movie or something about me," she said seriously to the youngest of the family and gave him a big hug.

"Jack, look after my big sis," she said, smiling at Holly. "Ooh, I'm gonna miss you," she said sadly, squeezing Holly tightly.

"Me too," Holly's voice shook.

"OK, I'm going now before all you depressing people make me cry," she said, trying to sound happy.

"Don't go using those rope jumps again, Ciara. They're far too dangerous," Frank said, looking worried.

"Bungee jumps, Dad!" Ciara laughed, kissing him and her mother on the cheeks again. "Don't worry, I'm sure I'll find something new to try," she teased.

Holly stood in silence with her family and watched as Ciara and Mathew walked hand in hand out the door. Even Declan had a tear in his eye but pretended his eyes were watering because he was about to sneeze.

"Just look at the lights, Declan." Jack threw his arm around his baby brother. "They say that helps you sneeze."

Declan stared up at the lights and avoided watching his favorite sister walking away. Frank held his wife close to him as she waved at her daughter constantly while tears rolled down her cheeks.

They all laughed as the alarm went off when Ciara walked through the security scanner and was ordered to empty her pockets, followed by a frisk.

"Every b.l.o.o.d.y time," Jack laughed. "It's a wonder they agreed to let her into the country at all."

They all waved good-bye as Ciara and Mathew walked on until her pink hair was eventually lost among the crowd.

"OK," Elizabeth said, wiping the tears from her face, "why don't the rest of my babies come back to the house and we can all have lunch."

They all agreed, seeing how upset their mother was.

"I'll let you go with Richard this time," Jack said smartly to Holly and wandered off with the rest of the family, leaving Richard and Holly standing there slightly taken aback.

"So how was your first week at work, darling?" Elizabeth asked Holly as they all sat around the table eating lunch.

"Oh, I love it, Mum," Holly said and her eyes lit up. "It's so much more interesting and challenging than any other job I've done, and all the staff are just so friendly. There's a great atmosphere in the place," she said happily.

"Well, that's the most important thing, isn't it?" Frank said, pleased. "What's your boss like?"

"Oh, he's such a doll. He reminds me so much of you, Dad, I just feel like giving him a big hug and a kiss every time I see him."

"Sounds like s.e.xual hara.s.sment in the workplace to me," Declan joked, and Jack sn.i.g.g.e.red.

Holly rolled her eyes at her brothers.

"Are you doing any new doc.u.mentaries this year, Declan?" Jack asked.

"Yeah, on homelessness," he said with his mouth full of food.

"Declan." Elizabeth scrunched up her nose at him. "Don't talk with your mouth full."

"Sorry," Declan said and spat the food out on the table.

Jack burst out laughing and nearly choked on his food while the rest of the family looked away from Declan in disgust.

"What did you say you were doing, son?" Frank asked, trying to avoid a family fight.

"I'm doing a doc.u.mentary on homelessness this year for college."

"Oh very good," he replied, retreating back to a world of his own.

"What member of the family are you using as your subject this time? Richard?" Jack said slyly.

Holly slammed down her knife and fork.

"That's not funny, man," Declan said seriously, surprising Holly.

"G.o.d, why is everyone so touchy these days?" Jack asked, looking around. "It was just a joke," he defended himself.

"It wasn't funny, Jack," Elizabeth said sternly.

"What did he say?" Frank asked his wife after snapping out of his trance. Elizabeth just shook her head dismissively and he knew not to ask again.

Holly watched Richard, who sat at the end of the table eating his food quietly. Her heart leapt out to him. He didn't deserve this, and either Jack was being more cruel than usual or else this was the norm and Holly must have been a fool to find it funny before.

"Sorry Richard, I was just joking," Jack said.

"That's OK, Jack."

"So have you found a job yet?"

"No, not yet."

"That's a shame," he said dryly, and Holly glared at him. What the h.e.l.l was his problem?

Elizabeth calmly picked up her cutlery and plate of food without a word to anyone and quietly made her way into the living room, where she turned the television on and ate her dinner in peace.

Her 'funny little elves' weren't making her laugh anymore.

THIRTY-EIGHT.

HOLLY DRUMMED HER FINGERS ON her desk and stared out the window. She was absolutely flying through her work this week. She didn't know it was possible to actually enjoy work so much. She had happily sat through lunch breaks and had even stayed back late to work, and she didn't feel like punching any of her fellow employees in the face yet. But it was only her third week, after all; give her time. The good thing was that she didn't even feel uncomfortable around any of her fellow colleagues. The only people she had real contact with were Dermot and Wayne, the guys from layout and design. The office had developed a lighthearted banter and she would often hear people screaming at each other from office to office. It was all in good humor and she loved it.

She loved feeling like she was a part of the team, as though she were actually doing something that made a real impact on the finished product. She thought of Gerry every single day. Every time she made a deal she thanked him, thanked him for pushing her all the way to the top. She still had her miserable days when she didn't feel worthy of getting out of bed. But the excitement of her job was dragging her out and spurring her on.

She heard the radio go on in Chris's office next door and she smiled. On the hour every hour without fail, he turned on the news. And all the news seeped into Holly's brain subconsciously. She had never felt so intelligent in her life.

"Hey!" Holly yelled, banging on the wall. "Turn that thing down! Some of us are trying to work!"

She heard him chuckle and she smiled. She glanced back down at her work again; a freelancer had written an article on how he traveled around Ireland trying to find the cheapest pint and it was very amusing. There was a huge gap at the bottom of the page and it was up to Holly to fill it. She flicked through her book of contacts and an idea came to her immediately. She picked up the phone and dialed.

"Hogan's."