Time Never Runs Out

By Jennifer Dempster

Nina recently came back from a trip around Europe where she was off trying to find herself. What she found was that she missed home and everyone she knew. She also felt ever so lonely. Coming home to London seemed like the perfect solution to her problem and bumping into the gorgeous new guy at work took her mind off her troubles.
He was smart, attentive and genuinely appeared to like her as he had asked her out for drinks the first time he had met her. Yes, it was a huge problem that she was soon to be his boss but even worse was the fact that he was already engaged and worse still – to her best friend. Would this man be her downfall? Would Nina never find a decent man? Would she turn into a lonely spinster woman with lots of cats, or would she meet someone even more perfect for her?

About the author

At the time of the publication of this, her first book, Jennifer Dempster is currently a 30-year-old writer who has been writing for the past ten years. Unfortunately as much as she absolutely adores writing (it is pretty much the only reason she gets up in the morning), it doesn’t pay the bills as yet.
Jennifer is an online trainer for the travel industry. She loves being able to go to work in her pajamas without any makeup on, because the only one who will see her, is her mom who works in the same office.
Besides writing, she can’t get enough of travelling and wants to see all the countries in the world before her 40th birthday and has given it a pretty good try so far. She also loves wine, book club, dancing, photography and spending as much time with her family and friends as she can handle (or they can).

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jennifer Dempster
• Release date: Apr 4, 2017
• ISBN: 9780620712972

Book preview

Time never runs out

Time never runs out

Jennifer Dempster

Copyright © 2017 Jennifer Dempster

Published by Jennifer Dempster Publishing at Smashwords

First edition 2017

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage or retrieval system without permission from the copyright holder.

The Author has made every effort to trace and acknowledge sources/resources/individuals. In the event that any images/information have been incorrectly attributed or credited, the Author will be pleased to rectify these omissions at the earliest opportunity.

Published by Author using Reach Publishers’ services,

P O Box 1384, Wandsbeck, South Africa, 3631

Printed and bound by Novus Print Solutions

Edited by Vanessa Finaughty for Reach Publishers

Cover designed by Reach Publishers

Website: www.reachpublishers.co.za

E-mail: [e-mail]

Dedication

To the one person who always believed in me and never let me give up on my dreams. Luciano, you are the star that guided me through.

Content

Dedication

Chaper 1

Chaper 2

Chaper 3

Chaper 4

Chaper 5

Chaper 6

Chaper 7

Chaper 8

Chaper 9

Chaper 10

Chaper 11

Chaper 12

Chaper 13

Chaper 14

Chaper 15

Chaper 16

Chapter 1

So here I sit at the tender age of twenty-nine. Oh okay, so I’m actually thirty-five, but no one really needs to know that, do they? I know what you’re thinking, because, unfortunately for me, you are definitely not the first one to think it. You are thinking: what is a woman of thirty-five still doing unmarried and without any children? Trust me on this one; it’s a long story and I’ll get to it later!

You know that common quote, ‘always the bridesmaid, never the bride’ – well, that defines me in a nutshell! All my friends are, of course, already married, yet here I sit every Friday night wondering if I’ll ever have anyone to go on a date with ever again or if I’ll ever actually get married! I had the opportunity once upon a time to marry a really great man, but I gave it up because I wasn’t really in love with him and I didn’t want to live a lie. How stupid is that?

Although this is hard to share with anyone, my life has definitely always felt more like one big party that I was never invited to than anything else. I’m sure that you must have, at least once in your life, been to a party that you weren’t actually invited to and you only know the one person who you came with. You know, where everybody stares at you like they know that you don’t belong, so how come you don’t get the picture? Well, that is exactly how I feel on most days! Don’t get me wrong, I have a lot of friends and I do go to a lot of parties that I’m actually invited to, yet, in my normal life, I always get the feeling that I’m not supposed to be here or that I’m not in the right job, relationship or place; take your pick.

Strange as that sounds, it’s actually the best way to describe the fact that, instead of being a ‘plus one’, I am always a ‘minus one’ wherever I go!

Okay, I’m not going to lie to you here, there have been a few guys through the years who have shown interest in me, but I didn’t notice, they weren’t my type or they came on way too strong at the beginning and put me off straight away. I have a friend, Marcy, who always says that she seems to attract the freaks and the old guys and I know what she means! You know that old paedophilic-looking guy who you will see standing in a dark corner at some bar somewhere in the world. Well, that seems to be the quality of guys I attract.

However, I have no one else to blame when I just don’t notice a great guy checking me out or flirting with me or when I date a really great guy and screw it up, which I actually seem to do quite often.

Whenever I have been in a relationship, it generally always seems to be with the wrong kind of guy. You know that guy whom your mother warned you about when you were sixteen and started dating? The reason that mothers around the world put their daughters on the pill before they are actually ready to do so. The reason that fathers lock their daughters in their rooms at night! That was the kind of guy I would always go for.

My problem has always been that, although I’m a very confident woman, I have always had insecurities about my weight – what is wrong with being a size sixteen, I ask?

I would never notice a guy looking at me, because I’d always be thinking that he was clearly staring at the gorgeous blonde behind me.

Enough bad-mouthing myself now! Let’s get back to the story at hand.

It all began on one super-hot day in autumn, which is very unusual for any place north of the equator. My day started out just like any other and I stupidly thought that it would remain just as boring as it always is and that nothing out of the ordinary would happen. Oh, how wrong I was!

I was thirty at the time and totally in my prime on the way to this cute little coffee shop across the road from my work, where I was meeting Angela, my best friend since I was four years old, for a quick cappuccino before our long day at work began.

Before I carry on, there is something you need to know about Angela. You see, Angela was never going to be the settling down type. She always saw herself as a free-spirited woman of the Earth, which no man would ever be able to tame. Unfortunately, because of her untamed spirit, she missed out on some of the greatest guys I have ever met and decided to devote her time to bad-arse misfit guys who wouldn’t stay around long enough for breakfast!

Luckily for her, this always suited her just fine and she hoped it would remain this way forever and that, by dating these younger guys, she could stop the aging process in its tracks!

She thought that she would never get dropped by older men for younger girls if she never even bothered to date the older men in the first place. It was a good theory that got totally blown out of the water by an older man – by older, I mean her age – and broke her seal and, from then on, she was irreparable. We will get to that later, though. Right now, we have to get back to the very ‘ordinary’ day at hand.

Hey Angie, where have you been? I’ve been waiting out here for hours! Okay, so I lied; it hadn’t been hours exactly, but I deserved to be a little pissed, especially when Angela was always so punctual that it usually made me sick.

Hey gorgeous! Yes, this was Angie’s permanent name for me, because she’s one of those friends whom you love to have. You know, the one who is always complimenting you when you’re having an ugly or fat day and everyone else would swear you fell from the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down!

Sorry for being so late; it literally took me forever to get here, but I really have the best news for you. That was Angie for you; she never waited on good news and definitely couldn’t hold a secret if her life depended on it!

As usual, I humoured her, thinking that it was just something silly like she found some money in her pocket or something! Okay, so you’re killing me here; tell me the really good news already!

Well, you see… I’ve fallen in love and we’re getting married! Looking at my wide-open mouth and my aghast expression, she asked, Is this not the best news that you have ever heard?

Assuming she was kidding, because, as I just explained, this was so not like Angie, I continued to chirp her. Oh Angie, you are so hilarious sometimes! I really love it when we kid around like we’re still youngsters!

What are you talking about, Nina? I’m dead serious. Why can’t you just be happy for me for once?

How does she really expect me to respond to this very shocking news and the fact that she thinks I can never be happy for her? If this has anything to do with the fact that I generally hate her boyfriends, it has nothing to do with me not wanting her to be happy; it is actually the opposite!

I love Angie; she has always been like family to me and the guys she usually picks treat her like complete dirt and I wouldn’t be a good friend if I just stood by and let it happen.

Ang, of course I want you to be happy; it’s just that this is so sudden and I worry about your sanity some days!

Worry about my sanity! My sanity! Have you looked in the mirror lately and realised just how many long-term relationships you’ve been in since we’ve been friends? Isn’t that the pot calling the kettle black?

My best friend is getting married and she waits until now to tell me. Does that sound rational to you?

Okay, so maybe my first response should have been ‘that is so great, Angie, and I hope you guys will be so happy for the rest of your lives’, but come on; this is me we’re talking about! To explain my last comment, you must understand that I hardly ever lie – if I can help it – and I most often than not will tell someone just exactly what I think of them and their actions.

Why couldn’t I just be one of those girls who go through their lives with nothing better to do than get walked all over by everyone else and just keep their mouth shut about everything? In my current situation, it would have really helped to be one of them.

Ang, would you stop giving me that look. I love you and obviously I want you to be happy and if this guy – whatever his name is – makes you happy, then I say go for it!

Oh Nina, you have no idea how happy you’ve made me! Of course, you will be my maid of honour, right?

Of course I will; just tell me when and where?

Ang, so happy to hear this, gave me a huge hug and burst into tears! This was so out of character for her that I started to get this huge ‘butterfly flitting around in my stomach’ feeling.

Actually, it was more of a ‘hammer smacking me in the stomach’ feeling! She’s pregnant! I mean, why else would she be getting married so quickly after meeting someone and what were all the tears about?

Ang, are you okay? Is there anything else that you would like to shock me with?

No, Nina, I’m definitely not pregnant. I’m just so in love and I know he’s the one for me. His name is Dean, by the way, and he is the sweetest man I have ever met. You will love him when you meet him.

Did I say ‘are you pregnant’, because I really don’t remember that, but what can you do after knowing someone for twenty-six years? They know your mind way better than you do!

Glad to hear that you’re not letting a man tame you because you’re pregnant, so what is the real reason for such a rushed wedding? I mean, I get that you are ‘so in love’ and all that, but I mean, how much can you really know about someone in only…?

This is where I trailed off with my speech, because I just realised something. I had no idea how long they had been dating, because not only was this the first time I had heard about this guy, but I had also been off gallivanting around the world for the last six months.

How long have you been together? How long have you not been telling me anything and why?

Relax Nina, we’ve known each other for the last six months that you’ve been off finding yourself around Europe and I haven’t told you until now, because I wanted to wait until I could tell you in person. This is actually your fault, Nina; if you had just been here, I could have told you. Why did you have to go around Europe to find yourself? Why couldn’t you just find yourself here in London?

Firstly, just to set the record straight, I did not tour Europe to find myself. I actually decided to tour Europe so that I could find the perfect job and life for myself. It was a great trip, don’t get me wrong, but unfortunately it didn’t fulfil its purpose and now I’m back in London to try again.

London isn’t my home and no matter how long I stay here – going on eight years now – it will never be my real home. I was born in South Africa, the most beautiful country in the world in my opinion, and it will always be my home. Where ‘my roots lie’ and all that rubbish! Ang was born there too, only she’s accepted and flourished in our ‘new’ surroundings.

She was always way more of a big city girl than me and we both knew that eventually this would come between us, but that is another story for another time.

Yes, I know I’ve been gone for six months, but really, Ang, you can’t hold it against me forever and clearly I didn’t find myself in Europe or I would have stayed and how pissed would you be then! Besides, I bought you presents.

I’ve known Angie long enough to know that all else will be forgiven if presents were involved! I know what you’re thinking and no, Angie is definitely not superficial in any way; she just loves presents. It makes her feel like she was on the trip with you.

You bought me presents! Oh you sweet, sweet girl! Is there by chance any Swiss chocolate in there? You know how I feel about Swiss chocolate.

In fact, I did know how she felt about Swiss chocolate, seeing as I had once watched her kick an old lady’s cane from under her to get to the last slab of Swiss chocolate at an airport in Geneva! Not the proudest moment in her life – I’m guessing. Nevertheless, she does love her chocolate.

I wonder if Mr I’m-too-good-to-meet-your-best-friend-before-I-ask-you-to-marry-me knows what he is in for!

I have no idea if there is any Swiss chocolate in there for you, because Europe was such a blur it all felt like one big country and I have no idea where I have been and where I haven’t. Keep looking, though.

Oh Nina, you are too good to me and I have missed you so much ‘since you’ve been gone’…

Wait a minute; isn’t that a line in a song?

I don’t care; it seems appropriate. So how busy are you tonight, because I thought it was high time that you met Dean and told me what you thought.

My social life has been as quiet as a hearse since I’ve been home, so I’m wide-open tonight!

Give people a break, Nins; you’ve only been home for three weeks now. It took everyone that long to forgive you for just up and leaving in the middle of the year.

Oh my gosh, will you look at the time. I am so late for work already; I’d better get moving! Sorry Ang, I would have loved to stay longer, but I really have to go. I’ll see you tonight, though. Chow Chickita.

You’d better not fade on me tonight! I’m expecting at least six solid hours of partying before you decide to go home because you have work in the morning!

Okay, okay, you have my word. No fading tonight!

Chow gorgeous; see you later!

At least there is one thing I can be grateful for about living in London. No one really cares how late you are for work or how early you leave in the evening, just as long as your work gets done.

So I ran into work at about 10am – okay, so I lied about how no one cares how late you are for work – and my boss didn’t even give me his stern, fatherly expression, which is usually plastered on his face any time I see him. He didn’t give it to me, because he had missed me these last six months and didn’t want me to go away again.

Right before I totally lost my mind and decided to find myself in Europe, I had just started this new job as an assistant editor in an up-and-coming magazine.

It was the job that I had worked the last ten years for and, although I needed the trip around Europe to clear my head and regain my sanity, I really didn’t want to lose the best job that I had ever got. Luckily for me, I have the most understanding boss in the world and he took me back immediately. It really helped that I was the best assistant editor he had ever seen and that was something that was difficult to find in a city as big as London.

James greeted me at the door to my office and wouldn’t let me in without a huge hug and kiss. I know what you’re thinking and no, I am definitely not stupid enough to get involved with someone I work with! James is my sister, Sally’s, fiancé. My sister really got lucky in life, where I was left in her shadow and rarely met a man even half as decent as my sister’s.

What is so ironic is that I actually introduced my sister to James about three years ago when I met him at a bar and thought that, although he was gorgeous and sweet, he was definitely more Sally’s type than mine.

I was right, of course, and they had got on like a house on fire. Although Sally and I only had two years between us, we couldn’t be more different. Not only in looks, but also in our personalities. Sally was always the natural beauty who needed no make-up or new clothes to glam up her look.

She always looked fantastic and glamorous in anything that she wore and guys would always notice her first if we were both in the same room. She also seemed to exude this confidence that I had struggled long and hard to build up over the years! When she entered the room, she just seemed to light it up and everyone would turn around and ask: who is that?

This fact only bugged me when I was younger and could have really done with the attention, but, as I got older, I realised that I dazzled people in my own way and with my own very different aspects and that I need not feel jealous anymore.

My friends would say that it was our differences that made us so close and I would have to agree. If we had been too similar, we would have clashed immediately and, although I tried to mimic the things she said and did as I was growing up, I later realised that we could have the same friends without jealousy, as they liked us both for different reasons.

Although Sally was ever the party animal in her younger years, after she met James, everything changed and she settled down into a really subdued, comfortable life. She would stay in with James most nights instead of coming out to the pub with us. It was only much later on that I realised why she enjoyed this so much.

I might rag on her a lot about not coming out with us anymore, but sometimes I would much rather be staying in and watching a great movie than be out on the pull in some random pub!

From the first night I met James, I knew that he was different from all the other guys and that he would immediately become like a brother to me. I had no idea at the time that someday he would actually be my brother! Well, okay, technically he is going to be my brother-in-law, but to me he will always be my brother.

Sally and James had both decided about the time they got engaged that they both wanted a big family and that they couldn’t wait until they were married for that. So my sister is busy sitting at work three months pregnant as we speak. I really don’t mind that it is my sister getting married and not me. I mean, why would I want to be getting married at thirty? Isn’t that just a little too young?

Okay, so I really did mind. What could I do to change it, though? I had always put my career and myself on a higher level than any guy and had nothing to show for my brilliant decision!

I thought Europe might help with the whole not having found a decent guy thing, but I was sorely mistaken!

The guys in Europe are a completely different kind of sleazy. At least I know what kind of sleazy the guys in London are and I can avoid them like the plague! That wasn’t my only reason for going to Europe, mind you, but it was one of them.

Being back at work after such a long leave of absence really broke the high that I was still on from my trip around Europe. It’s amazing how quick the feeling that you are still on holiday can fade and the depression of real life can settle in. Don’t get me wrong, I really love my job and, as you know, I waited ten years for it, but in an ideal world I’d much prefer to just be travelling around the world my whole life.

Nina, what are you doing? Are you still off gallivanting around Europe or is it America this time?

Sorry, Mr Jones; I don’t know where I was. What can I do you for?

We’re having a board meeting with a new employee in about ten minutes and I would love for you to be in on it.

Thanks, I’ll definitely be there. Who is this new employee? I had no idea that you had hired anyone new while I was gone.

He’s not hired yet; you have the final say.

I am sitting in my office in an utter state of confusion. Mr Jones, my boss, must have seriously missed me to put something as important as hiring a new employee on me. Although I know that he loves me – as a daughter, of course – he has never as much as let me pass out the cheques on payday. Who is this new employee guy anyway?

I’m not sure I like the idea of someone competing with me for my job, especially when I’m only now getting the hang of it!

Oh crap, here I go again, typing on my computer and not noticing that I am totally late for the meeting. As I sprinted out of my office in such a huff, I didn’t notice that there was this guy walking towards me with a huge box in his hands and I crashed straight into him!

Oh my gosh! I am so sorry; I didn’t see you there! I feel really awful; let me help you with that.

No worries, I should have been looking where I was walking.

So it’s both our faults then. Wow, what just happened? My stomach just flipped over like I’d been riding a roller coaster or something! That is so weird. I must be getting a stomach bug or something!

Yes, that is exactly what I think too. I’m Dean, by the way; I just thought that you would like to know whom you just tried to walk over.

I’m Nina, and again, I’m so sorry; let me make it up to you with a cup of coffee later. What am I doing? I am completely flirting with this guy! What’s wrong with me? I don’t even know him and I never get involved with someone I work with, although, come to think of it, I’ve never seen him here before…

Make it a drink after work and I’m in.

Sounds like a plan. I’m sorry, I’d love to stay and chat, but unfortunately I’m really late for a meeting and my boss will have my arse.

No problem; I know exactly what you mean.

Hey Mr Jones, I’m so sorry I’m late; I had a little run-in on the way to the boardroom; you know how clumsy I can be.

Nina, I’d like to introduce you to our new employee. This is–

Dean?

I can’t believe my luck! I told you that I have really bad luck with men and this is a classic example! Oh please, kill me now! I have to sit through an entire meeting with the most untraditionally gorgeous man I have ever met with the deepest, soulful black eyes that look straight through me. This is going to be ‘torture’!

Oh, so you two have already met? Great, then let’s cut the formality and head straight into the interview.

Half an hour later, although it had felt like a lifetime to me, we were done and it was very clear that Dean would soon be a part of our team.

I wasn’t quite sure how I felt about that yet, but I’m sure that I’d learn to deal with it eventually!

Thanks so much for coming in, Dean, and we’ll see you back here bright and early tomorrow morning. You are definitely in for a shock with our workload, but don’t worry about it; you’ll get used to it eventually.

Thank you very much, Mr Jones, Ms Watson. This is a great opportunity for me and I won’t let you down. Ms Watson is me, in case you’re wondering.

See you tomorrow, Dean.

As we were leaving the boardroom, Dean, the gorgeous man he is, grabbed my arm and pulled me into the corner. I’m so sorry; I had no idea you were my boss when I asked you out for a drink!

I’ve got to hand it to him, he looked absolutely mortified and rightly he should be! I asked you out, remember? Don’t worry about it.

So it was both our fault again, right?

Right, so I’ll see you tomorrow and we’ll forget about the whole drink thing?

I don’t think we have to forget about going for a drink altogether, he said. We are adults, you know. We can go for a drink and still work together the next day.

I don’t date people I work with!

What was wrong with me? This fabulous guy just asked me out and I’m going to turn him down because it might cause problems at work later on.

I’m not asking you to marry me; all I’m asking for is one drink. Say tomorrow night after work? I just remembered that I’ve got something on tonight. What do you say? It could be a ‘welcome to the office’ drink.

Okay, okay, that sounds really great! See you tomorrow morning.

Bye; looking forward to our date.

It is a welcome drink, remember? I’m looking forward to it too! I can’t believe I just did it again! I can’t stop flirting with this guy! I’ve never believed in getting butterflies when you see someone for the first time, but just having Dean touch me made my stomach flip over again and all the hair on the back of my neck stand up. I’m starting to think that I’m not getting a stomach bug after all!

Why did this have to happen to me? Especially now, when I don’t need any distractions in my life.

Generally, I don’t phone anyone during work, because I’m actually too busy. However, considering the rarity of meeting a nice guy, I think I really need to talk to Angie about him.

It is just ringing! The one time I really need to talk to her, about a guy of