‘Oh, where have you been?’ she asked, before sitting down.

‘I had to see my doctor’ he answered. ‘How’s that book about the Queen coming along?’

‘It’s not too far from finished’ Angelica paused for a moment ‘Did Lauren tell you the news?’

‘Yes. Thank god for that’ Angelica went back to work on it.

‘I’m about halfway done. I reckon it’ll all be finished by Thursday’

‘Good. I would rather it were done tomorrow, if you can’ Angelica sighed upon hearing that.

‘I’ll do my best’ Douglas just snarled. There was a brief period of silence ‘So, what did you need to go to the doctor’s for?’ Douglas suddenly had an embarrassed look on his face. ‘I do have medical experience, I’ll have you know’

‘Doing what?’

‘I used to work part time in a pharmacy’ she paused for a while ‘To tell you the truth, had I not got into the publishing industry I would have got into healthcare instead’

‘Well, that’s kind of noble, I guess’

‘Not really. It’s a matter of passion’ Douglas shuffled over to his left, looking at her hands. They were both on the mouse and the keyboard. ‘You’ve got me worried now, you don’t have cancer now, do you?’

‘No no, I don’t have that. Thank god’

‘What? You sound like you have something worse!’ a smile was on her face.

‘I…’ Douglas took a deep breath ‘I have constipation, Angie’ Angelica’s eyes went wide open.

‘Oh come on, really?’

‘Yes’ he took another deep breath ‘You know, I’ve been really stressed out about a lot of things. Our company is losing money like crazy. If we don’t get that book out soon, we might have to shut down. Or maybe we might get sold off to someone else. But who would want us?’ Angelica didn’t say anything. She was just working at editing the book. ‘Ugh, how come you’re so upbeat today? You’re not usually like this!’ Angelica gave him a stern glare.

‘Why are you saying that like it’s a bad thing?’

‘Oh, I’m sorry. It’s actually good that you feel that way. Though I heard you had a breakup, so I thought you would be all miserable. But you’re all happy. You’re so cheerful, even’

‘Well Dougie, I don’t regret breaking up with by ex. I don’t want him back, either. I want to find true love. I want to be with someone who accepts me for who I am. Someone who shares my dreams. Someone where I can just be myself without worrying about anything’ Douglas sighed.

‘Well, that’s all wonderful and all, but who would even feel that way towards you? How could you find someone like that?’

‘There has to be someone out there like that. Besides, I’m in no rush’

‘Well, OK. That’s good’ Douglas sighed again ‘I’m having relationship troubles myself. My wife… well, she… ummm…’

‘What? Thinks you’re cheating on her?’

‘No. She’s a gold digger’ Angelica gasped.

‘Oh no’

‘You see, she wants to live a lavish lifestyle. It was all fine at first but then all the money I’ve been getting has been drying up. To tell you the truth, I don’t know if I’ll ever get a bestseller again. It’s the only way I can save my marriage’ Angelica sighed, she was smiling, however.

‘Oh Dougie…’

‘Yeah, oh me…’ Douglas suddenly glared at her ‘Why do you keep calling me “Dougie”?’ Angelica just smiled.

‘It kind of suits you, to be honest’

‘OK. Thanks’ he looked back at his computer screen ‘Are you still working?’

‘Yes! I can work and talk!’

‘Yes, you’re a woman. You can multitask’

‘No. Anyone can do it, really. It’s a matter of focus. Right now I’m more focused on the editing the book than I am talking to you, it’s like driving a car. Your main focus is that as opposed to talking to others’

‘Yeah, I see what you mean. I’m not very good at that myself, I must admit’ he was now leaning on the desk. He was not touching his mouse or the keyboard. ‘Angie, I am in a predicament right now. You see, I have two kids as well as a wife. If she divorces me after all this time she’ll take half my fortune and I’ll need to support the kids. It’s been really stressing me out’

‘You know you said you had constipation earlier?’

‘Oh, yeah. What of it?’

‘I did hear that it can be because of stress’

‘Yeah, my doctor told me that. He said I need more fibre in my diet, too’

‘Well yeah! That should be an obvious solution!’

‘Oh boy…’ Angelica typed in “benefits of eating more fibre” in a search engine.

‘Oh! Listen to this: It says that eating more fibre reduces insulin and cortisol levels in the body, so you reduce the chance of getting diabetes and you’ll be less stressed!’

‘Oh wow, I better do that, then. My doctor did warn me I’m at risk of getting diabetes, too’

‘Well, make a change today, then! I think I’ll need to eat more fibre, too’

‘So you can shit better? Be my guest’

‘Now now, Dougie, there are far more benefits than that, it seems’

‘Yeah, you’re right’ Angelica spent the rest of the day working on the book. For the first time in a while she left the publishing house with a smile.