When She Was Bad Read Online Free

child in the classroom.
    ‘Rachel, hi. Just wanted first to say “welcome” and secondly to ask—’
    ‘I’m not taking questions at this point.’ Rachel’s high-pitched voice was clipped as if someone had slammed a door on it. ‘If there’s anything you need to know, you can ask when you come in to see me.’
    Chloe’s English-rose cheeks flushed red as Rachel clickety-clacked briskly back to her office on her vertiginous heels, and Amira felt sorry for the girl. She could be a pain in the bum sometimes and was an arse-licker extraordinaire, but she was only twenty-four, and was being paid peanuts to come into work every day. And she’d be mortified to be snubbed like that in front of Ewan, whom she was constantly trying to impress. As far as Amira could tell, no one in Chloe’s life had ever said no to her, and she thought for a horrible moment that the younger woman was about to cry.
    ‘I was only going to ask her if we should be doing anything to prepare for our interview.’
    ‘Ah bless, you were asking for homework.’
    Charlie didn’t mean to be unkind, it was just his manner, but Amira knew Chloe wouldn’t get it. She’d once overheard her telling Paula she felt Charlie’s attitude to women bordered on sexual harassment because of his liberal use of ‘sweetie’ and ‘love’ when addressing colleagues. Paula had had to point out that he used the same endearments to the male members of staff and she shouldn’t read too much into it.
    ‘I’m sure you don’t need to prepare anything, Chloe,’ Paula snapped.
    Amira glanced over curiously. That wasn’t like Paula. Normally her responses to everything were so infuriatingly measured it made you want to say something outrageous, just to provoke her into a reaction. On closer inspection, Paula was not looking her usual placid, contained self. Her faded brown bob was neat as ever, but her face looked washed out, the features smudged and undefined.
    Idly, Amira’s gaze slid across from Paula to the glass box which she must now force herself to think of as Rachel’s office. With a start, her eyes locked with those of her new boss. The woman was leaning back in her desk chair staring straight out. Her face, clear of the practised smile she’d been wearing earlier, was set hard – and even from a few yards away, Amira could see how tightly she was clutching the pen whose end she was clicking in and out, in and out with an unnerving rhythmic intensity.
    Amira found herself glancing away, feeling unaccountably guilty – why? Yet really, mightn’t it all turn out for the best? It was a shame Gill had to go, but they’d all known it was on the cards. The department’s poor performance had been highlighted in the company’s annual review and it was only a matter of time before someone was called to account – and Gill was the obvious candidate. So the change around wasn’t entirely unexpected. There and then, Amira decided to keep her head down and wait for things to settle.
    But as she opened up a PDF file that pinged into her inbox from the still-sulking Chloe, Amira couldn’t quite shake off the memory of those metallic blue eyes burning like acid into her own.

5
Sarah
     
    She was going to be late again. She’d had to wait for two tubes to go from the platform at Finsbury Park before she was finally able to squeeze into a carriage, where she ended up pressed into the armpit of a sweating young man in a shiny suit wearing too much aftershave and not enough deodorant. And then once she’d changed to a different line at King’s Cross, the train had sat in a tunnel just outside Liverpool Street for ages, with Sarah’s stress levels rising by the second. They were so close to her destination she could have practically jumped out and on to the platform, but instead she’d had to stand gripping the rail and trying to remember what that stress management leaflet they’d all been sent had said about finding your happy place in your mind. Bed –