‘Yeah, sure, Amy,’ Theresa replies, and I slip out of the hall and into the lobby.
Making my way down the long corridor I enter the toilets to see they're just as swanky as the ones at the restaurant Crawford took me to. I wish I'd stop finding things that reminded me of him, it’s rather annoying. I wash my hands then dry them off in the posh dryer and leave. As I make my way back down the long corridor I see an older man with grey hair and a smart suit walking towards me. Presumably making his way to the gents.
‘Good evening,’ he says as he approaches and I'm quite taken aback; you don't get that at these events often. The attendees just don’t tend to talk to us staff.
‘Good evening, I say and smile in response as I pass him by.
I’m nearing the end of the corridor when I feel somebody grab my arm from behind. Quickly, I’m swung around and faced with somebody who doesn’t seem very happy with my right now.
‘Well, well, if it isn't Crawford Montgomery's little bit of rough,’ the man spits with venom as he pushes me up against the wall.
‘Excuse me?’ I splutter in shock and recognise the man as Crawford's associate, Ashby.
I'd met him first at the last event like this, then a second time at the restaurant, and a third time at Crawford’s office. This would make the fourth time that we've met, and so far, none of our meetings have been pleasant. This does seem like it’s going to be the worst so far though.
‘Don't you play the innocent with me, you manipulative little gold-digger. I suppose you're happy now, are you? Now that you've put a stop to my development plans. Do you even know what you've done? You realise what this means for me, the trouble that you caused me? I don't suppose you care, do you? As long as you get what you want. Signed the house over to you, now has he?’ He seethed as he faced me.
‘I've no idea what you're talking about. If this is about when I came to the office, then of course I’m going to fight to save our home, what would you expect? Other than that, your rambling just sounds insane to me,’ I reply.
‘Of course you've got Crawford wrapped around your little finger, haven't you? How much have you managed to bleed him for already, I wonder? Well, let me tell you something. I'm not letting you ruin me. I suppose you thought you were going to get away with sabotaging my plans, did you?’
‘Sabotage?’ I question his words I confusion as I have no idea what he’s talking about there.
‘Yes, because of your stupid whining and Crawford's little infatuation with you. He's put a stop to everything, but of course, that's the way you wanted it. Well, I'm sorry to tell you that's not the way you’re going to have it. That's not the way this is going to end.’ Stretching his forearm across my chest just below my throat, he pins me harder against the wall. ‘You're going to fix this.’
‘And how on earth am I supposed to that?’ I ask, still confused as to what is happening.
Ashby reaches into his pocket and pulls out a mobile phone. ‘You're going to call Crawford right now, and you're going to tell him that you want the deal to go ahead. You're going to tell him to push it through. To talk to his father and tell him it's a good deal and they should go ahead with it. What's more, you can tell him you were wrong about everything. That you want me to lead on the deal and think I'm the best person for it,’ he says, flicking his phone open.
‘And what makes you think that he'd listen to me? And even if he would, why do you think I would help you and agree to lose my home in the process?’
‘Because I will make sure that something happens to you and your family if you don’t. Something terrible,’ his eyes narrow as he utters the threat.
‘Ashby Talbot, get your hands off that woman!’ I hear a stern voice command, and turn around to see the grey-haired man from the corridor who's emerged from the toilet. ‘Now, Ashby!’
‘Oh, I see,’ Ashby begins, loosening his grip on me. ‘I should have known you'd already started work on your father-in-law, as well. Seraphina approaching her use-by date already, is she, Max?’
‘I don't know what you think you're doing, Ashby. But I'm going to have security remove you from this building straightaway. Hear my words Ashby; If any harm comes to this woman or her family, I will rain down upon you with every inch of power I have in me. You will be finished in this town, and so will your parents. Now, I suggest you leave before I have security bounce you off the curb, and if I ever see you in this building, or any other building ever again, you're going to wish you’d never so much as heard the name Max Montgomery. Is that understood?’ I could tell by the man’s tone this was not an empty threat. This man had power and knew how to use it.
‘But Max, you don't understand. She’s manipulating Crawford and ruining everything.’
‘I understand quite well, Ashby. Don't think that I haven't heard everything that you said to this poor woman. I also know my son well. If he's put a stop to your deal, it's of his own accord and he would have felt there was legitimate reason to do so. I'm going to make sure that you are barred and ousted from every last bit of our social circle, and none of us ever have to be faced with your pitiful little existence again.’
‘You're going to pick this waitress over me? Are you serious?’
‘You just have no sense at all, do you? I pity your poor parents,’ Mr Montgomery says with a look of disdain. Raising his head, he calls out down the corridor. ‘Security, please remove this man from the building straight away, and be sure he doesn't enter again!’
‘But Max...’ Ashby calls out as the two burly security guards approach and take hold of his arms.
That's “Mr. Montgomery” to you,’ Mr Montgomery replies dismissively, before turning towards me. ‘Are you all right, my dear?’ He says placing a comforting hand on my shoulder.
‘Yes, I'm fine, thank you. Just a bit annoyed, and confused, too, if I'm honest.’
‘Yes, that makes two of us. You're not by any chance a coffee shop waitress, are you, I wonder?’ He asks.
‘I am, yes. How did you know?’
‘Just an educated guess, I suppose. So you know my son Crawford, I take it. I think you also may have met both my wife, and ex-wife today?’
‘Yes, I do. And yes, I did. I’m sorry, I just don't know what to think of anything now.’
‘What do you mean, dear?’
‘It seems I thought I knew something. Now, after this, I'm not sure that I knew it at all,’ I murmur.
‘I don't quite understand. Are you talking in riddles?’
‘I think I could have made a harsh judgement of someone. I think I could have been mistaken.’
‘I can just give you my opinion. From what I've just heard, it appears to me that Ashby’s been up to no good and Crawford may have put a stop to it. You should know that Crawford would never be the sort of person that would go out of his way to make life difficult for someone. That's just not the type of person he is, and it’s not how he makes his money. He's a fair man.’
‘Yes, you might be right. I need to talk with him about this straightaway. It's possible I've made a terrible mistake.’
‘Don't be so hard on yourself,’ Max says, gazing down the corridor after Ashby.
‘I think I own him an apology.’
‘I’m sorry to tell you this, my dear, but your apology may have to wait.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Crawford’s leaving the UK on business this evening, and he’ll be gone for several months.’
‘Oh no.’ I take a deep breath and my heart sinks in my chest. ‘I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude, but I have to go. Thank you, for your help. But, I need to rush.’
Running down the corridor, I bump into Theresa at the end.
‘Amy, where have you been? The supervisors been asking about you and I don't think I can make up excuses any longer.’
‘I don't have time to explain, Theresa. I just have to go,’ I say, untying the back of my white apron from my skirt and pushing it into Theresa’s hand.
‘Go wher
e? What do you mean?’ Theresa says as she crumples up her brow.
‘Please apologise for me, but I have to go. It's urgent. I'm sorry. Goodbye.’
Bolting from the building I hail the first taxicab I see outside.
‘Taxi!’ I cry out desperately.
A large black cab pulls over to the curb, and once the door clicks, I pull it open and step inside.
‘Hyde Park, please,’ I say through the glass to the driver.
‘Certainly. You must be pretty posh if you're looking to hang around there this time of night,’ the taxi driver says bemusedly.
This might end up being a costly journey I'm sure, but I don't care. I just have to get there.
‘And please hurry. I need to catch somebody.’
‘Sure thing, love.’
As we drive along and I watch the numbers on the red display count upwards, I wonder what I'm going to say to Crawford when I get there. The roads appear to be getting busier and sure enough, we soon approach some congestion and are stuck in a traffic jam.
‘Looks like you are out of luck tonight, love. This traffic doesn't seem to be going anywhere,’ the taxi driver remarks.
‘I think you could be right. It doesn’t look like I’m going to make it, does it?’
‘I wouldn't hold out much hope if I were you. What's it all about anyway? It's not a matter of life and death, is it?’
‘I think I made a mistake, a dreadful mistake, and I need to speak to somebody, to let them know.’
‘This somebody better be worth it.’
‘I think he is and he’s leaving the city So, it's my last chance to say sorry and tell him how I feel.’
‘Do you love him?’
‘I don't know. Maybe. I could do. I might do. I think I do, yes.’ The words seemed to stumble out of my mouth of their own volition.
‘Why didn't you just say so? A matter of love, well, that’s a whole different situation altogether.’ The taxi driver veers to the right and up onto the pavement, and proceeds to drive down alongside the traffic.
‘What are you doing?’ I ask, wide-eyed.
‘I hate to see anything get in the way of love, darling. I'll get you to your fella, you just do the rest.’ He says, turning off down a side street.
‘I can't believe you just did that,’ I laugh, feeling exhilarated.
I'm almost there. Then I'll be able to fix everything.
It’s not long before we pull up outside Crawford's apartment, with the door attendants standing outside.
‘Blimey, he’s posh?’ the taxi driver says as I get my purse out of my bag. ‘Don't you worry about that, love. Stop wasting time. Get in there and get your man.’
‘OK, I will,’ I say smiling with the confidence of the decision I’ve made, as I push my purse back into my bag and exit the taxi. The driver cheers me on as I run towards the steps.
‘Excuse me miss, are you visiting someone here this evening?’ One of the doormen asks.
‘Yes, I am,’ I say with my head held high in a matter of fact manner. ‘And I’m sorry to say that I’m in quite a rush. So, would you mind if I just hurried through please. Time is of the essence you see.’
‘If you’d just wait here a moment, Miss. Firstly, please give us your name.’
‘My name's Amy Smith and I’m visiting Crawford Montgomery. But, as I say time is of the essence, so...’
‘We don't appear to have your details, Miss,’ the door attendant says as he consults the burgundy leather-bound guest book in his hand.
‘Oh no, I don't suppose you would have. It's not a planned visit. You see, my friend lives here. He’s going away this evening and I'm hoping to catch him before he does. I have visited him here before.’
‘I'm sure you have, Miss, but you must understand that we're unable to just let people pass. Perhaps you could contact your friend and he could come down and greet you.’
‘I'm afraid I can't do that.’
‘Well, then I'm afraid, there's nothing we can do, Miss.’
Just then, I notice the man I met at reception the night I visited with Crawford. As he passes the glass he catches sight of me and opens the door a little to push his head out. Taking a closer look, he walks down the steps towards me.
‘It's okay, gentlemen, I'll deal with this.’
‘As you wish, Mr. Brown,’ the door attendant says as the man takes my arm.
‘How can we help you this evening, Miss Smith?’
‘I've come to see Crawford. I must see him before he goes away.’
‘I'm sorry to tell you that you're too late. Mr. Montgomery has left for his plane already I’m afraid.’
‘Well, then I’ll go to the airport and catch him there.’
‘I doubt that would be possible, Miss Smith. You see, Mr. Montgomery has his own private jet, as you might expect from a man of his stature.’
‘Yes, of course he does,’ I sigh.
‘I will, of course, inform Mr. Montgomery upon his return that you came to see him while he was away. I have no idea how long he will be. These things do take some time, you know.’
‘I understand, thank you,’ I say and my heart sinks.
‘Please, let me arrange transport for you, Miss Smith.’
‘That's fine, thank you, I wouldn't want you to go to any trouble. I'm sure I should just be able to hail a cab.’
‘No, it's no trouble at all, I can assure you. I'm sure Mr. Montgomery would want you to be looked after.’ As he speaks, he beckons another man from the bottom of the steps. ‘Andre, you wouldn't mind fetching the car and taking Miss Smith home, would you?’
‘Of course not,’ Andrew replies. ‘If you wouldn't mind waiting a moment, I'll bring the car around for you.’
Chapter 32
Him.
Three months later.
‘Good morning, Mr. Montgomery. Welcome home,’ reception say as I approach. ‘I trust you had a comfortable flight?’
‘Yes, thank you, James. We did a night flight, so it was quite restful, which was handy, as I could do with the rest of the last few months I've had.’
‘Is your business in Dubai now concluded Mr Montgomery?’
‘It is for now, at least. You know things never stay quiet for long in the business world. I'll be off to Monte Carlo next month, but I have a few weeks before then.’
‘Well it's nice to see you back, Sir. Your mail is stored in the usual place, and I've kept an eye out for anything addressed urgent. Also, I feel inclined to mention you had a visitor on the day you left.’
‘A visitor?’
‘Miss Smith came by to see you.’
‘Miss Smith... do you mean Amy? She came here looking for me?’
‘Yes, she did, Mr. Montgomery. Not long after you left, in fact. She seemed keen to see you and was rather disappointed to discover you had left already. I took the liberty of making arrangements for her to get home.’
‘Thank you, James. Is there anything else I should know about? ‘
‘I don't think so, Sir. I believe your mother has been keeping on top of things in that respect.’
‘My mother?’
‘Yes, Mrs. Montgomery has been looking after the apartment while you've been away. I presumed it was prearranged between you both.’
‘Yes, of course. That's all right, James.’
I should have known even one of the most secure buildings in the world is not impenetrable by my mother, or her dog it seems.
‘Is there anything else you need from me, Mr. Montgomery?’
‘No, thank you. I’ll be in my apartment if should anybody need me.’
‘Of course, Sir.’ Bowing his head, James returns his attention back to his work behind the counter.
I scan my ID and wait for the doors to slide open then step inside. As the carriage ascends, I'm intrigued about what I may find when I get inside my apartment since because my mother's been there. Before I know it I’ve reached the top and the doors ping open again. Removing my keys, I scan myself a
gain and enter my apartment. The yapping is immediate as Penelope crouches to the floor, preparing herself for attack. She's at least a couple of inches bigger than when I left, but is still by no means big. She doesn't recognise me and also seems under the misconception that this is her home and I'm an intruder. Nevertheless, she does look cute as she bares her teeth at me through her impeccably combed hair.
‘Do be quiet, Penelope,’ I say.
The minute I move, she jolts back, preparing to make a run for it, but then has second thoughts. I reach my hand out and she extends her neck to sniff at the end of my fingers before running in a circle and leaping into my arms.
‘I do so hope that you haven't taken a liking to any of my furniture, Penelope. It's not designed to be chewed on,’ I say into her ear as I scratch her head and carry her through to the lobby. ‘Now, do you know where we might be able to find our mother?’
‘Darling.’ She soon appears. ‘You should have told me you were on your way home; I would have organised something.’
‘What, like transport to move your stuff back out before I got here?’
‘No, I mean a sort of “welcome home” thing, of course. With cake and decorations.’
The thought of her pushing drawing pins into my walls makes me shudder. Then I remember that there's no way my mother would ever, in a million years, stand on a chair to push drawing pins into a wall. So, I'm safe there.
‘Tell me, mother, how is your apartment? Is there some sort of problem with it I should know about?’
‘No, not at all. I just thought you could do with somebody here looking after the place while you were away. Keeping an eye on things, you know.’
‘I'm sure you're right mother. I don't know what I would have done without Penelope's fluff everywhere. How have things been while I've been away anyway? Is there any news from the office?’
‘Everything is quiet, as far as I'm aware.’
‘As far as you're aware, mother. You do still work there. I take it?’
‘Of course I still work there Crawford, now you're just being silly. As you can imagine, I've not had as much time to go into the office, as I've been looking after your apartment. But I'm sure the girls would let me known if there was a problem.’
Romancing The Billionaire: The Complete Story Page 12