Kay and Michael exchanged a private look, then Kay shook hands with Alastair. His clasp was weak and his touch damp; she didn’t take to him at all.
“How about a cup of tea for one of our potential new partners?” Michael suggested.
Kay left the room and, having taken the two men tea and biscuits, started her day’s work. She thought that Michael must have taken leave of his senses to contemplate having someone from Twigge and Moore as a partner. She really couldn’t understand him at times. But it wasn’t long before Michael was ushering his visitor into the outer office.
“Father and I will arrange a formal meeting with you, but it was good to meet you informally after such a long time even though we’ve spoken on the telephone a few times recently.” Having shaken hands Michael retreated back to his room.
“So this is where all the real action’s going to take place,” Alastair said, sitting on Kay’s desk and staring down at her.
“Whatever you say, but I’m very busy at the moment and don’t have time for idle chat.” Kay continued with her typing. She’d taken an irrational dislike to anything or anyone connected with Twigge and Moore.
“You should be nice to me. My father plays golf with Michael’s dad.”
That explains it, thought Kay crossly. The old boy network. She believed that people should get jobs on merit, not by who they knew. She’d thought better of Michael. Maybe she should look for a job working for someone with more integrity. Furious that her annoyance was spilling over from this man to Michael in her thoughts, she took a deep breath. Alastair would be out of the office building very soon.
“No ring on your finger. Are you spoken for?”
“That’s none of your business.” The deep breath hadn’t worked at all.
“Fiery aren’t you?”
“Not especially, but I do have work to do. Now please would you go back to your work and leave me to get on with mine.”
“You might regret your attitude when I’m a partner here.” He chuckled. “So how about going out for lunch today? Maybe we could get to know each other better.”
“Thank you, but I’m working through lunch. Now I have to take these letters in to Michael to be signed.” She picked up the papers and left him gaping after her.
“He’s insufferable!” Kay slammed the papers down in front of Michael who grabbed her wrist.
“Hey, calm down.”
She pulled away and stood looking out of the window. He immediately joined her. “What’s wrong? What did he say?”
“Just that his father knows yours and would I go out with him. What an awful man.”
“That doesn’t sound so bad. His father does know my father and what single man wouldn’t ask you out?”
Kay answered ‘you’ in her head, but said nothing.
Michael stroked her arm. “Oh, Kay, the more I get to know you the more I like you. If only…”
Kay was still cross and pulled away. “I don’t understand how you can even consider someone from Twigge and Moore. I’ll tell you something. If he becomes one of the partners I’m leaving.” She flounced out of the room.
The day didn’t improve and by the time she went back to Olive’s in the evening she was wondering if she’d made a huge mistake moving to Blayton.
Olive had made cottage pie for their evening meal, but Kay found she couldn’t do justice to it or face the jam roly poly for afters.
“What’s wrong? Was it a bad day?”
“Dreadful.” Kay explained what had happened and how she wasn’t sure Michael was quite the man she’d thought. “If that awful Alastair is taken on I’m leaving.”
“I’m sure Michael will choose the best person rather than someone known by the family. He seems an honest, genuine man. I wouldn’t worry. Now come on, you must eat some of this roly poly, I made it just for you. I’m sorry if you feel the meals I’m giving you are too heavy for the warm weather, but I never feel salad is enough when you’ve been at work all day.”
Kay forced herself to eat a few spoonsful and when she found it was delicious and she was hungry, she wolfed it down.
* * *
Things had been busier than Kay expected as she hadn’t fully envisaged what setting up a new office would entail. As clients wouldn’t be appearing yet, Kay decided to wear more casual clothes to work which made the physical jobs a little easier. Her favourite outfit was tapered slacks with a loose fitting blouse and a patent leather belt along with flat shoes. She tied her hair back in a high pony tail and liked the way it bounced when she walked. One day Michael told her how lovely she looked.
Kay was flattered. “I’m surprised you notice. You’ve got far too much to do to be looking at what your staff wear.”
“You’re not just staff,” he said, before hurriedly shutting himself back in his office.
Kay didn’t know what to make of him sometimes, but she stayed in an exceptionally good mood all day.
* * *
It was almost a week later when Olive took an envelope from her pocket. “This came for you in the second post.”
“It’s from Betty.” Delighted, Kay ripped at the envelope wanting to read what her friend had to tell her. “Dear Kay,” she shared with Olive, “I am having a nice time working for Mr Harris senior, I expect you are with Mr Michael too. I have been for an interview. I felt very scared, but the man was very kind and put me at my ease. I am looking forward to visiting you one day and meeting your landlady. She sounds very nice. Will I see Mr Michael? I have something to tell you about Charlie. I hope you won’t be cross with me. I’ll tell you everything when I see you. Love Betty.” As Kay folded the letter back into the envelope, she frowned.
“That’s nice. You don’t look too pleased. What’s the matter?”
“I’m worried about her getting mixed up with Charlie. I wonder what it is she has to tell me and why would I be cross? Oh, Betty, what have you done?”
* * *
Usually Kay was pleased to see Michael in the office when she arrived, but today she had other things on her mind. She hadn’t slept well and had woken with a headache which even Olive’s kindness and scrambled eggs on toast hadn’t managed to dispel. On the way to work she’d scoured the streets for signs of Charlie, feeling that if she could confront him, Betty might somehow be saved. As she pushed open the reception door to Harris and Partners, she reflected that it was probably just as well there had been no evidence of Charlie as she would no doubt have said the wrong thing to him and she wasn’t exactly sure of her facts anyway. She’d just been guessing. Before taking off her jacket, she placed the milk bottle from the front step into the fridge along with her sandwiches in their paper bag.
“Kay, good morning,” smiled Michael coming out of his office. “We’ve got a new member of staff joining us in a few minutes.”
“Oh? Who would that be then? Someone else from Twigge and Moore?” Kay’s tone surprised even her and she sat down on the wooden chair at the desk which had once been Charlie’s. She wished now that they hadn’t brought it with them, but there was no way it could be returned without a fuss. “I’m sorry, Michael, I’m being a misery and you don’t deserve to be on the end of my acid tongue today.” She tried to smile at him.
He perched on the desk and patted her shoulder. “I’m trying to help you, Kay. I know there’s an awful lot to do around here and you’re single-handed. I’d like to help, but I’ve got business commitments so I’ve done the next best thing. I thought a receptionist would be the answer. There, what do you think?”
Kay wasn’t sure what she thought. She gave herself time to come up with a reply which would be non-committal and not provoking. “Thank you, Michael,” she managed. “Do you want me to sit in on the interview? What’s her name and what time is her appointment?” Kay pulled the office diary towards her and held her pencil poised over the page.
Michael stood up. “I don’t think you understand. She’s starting work. Today. I’ve engaged her.”
“I see,” re
plied Kay, determined to stay calm. “In that case, I’ll be pleased to show her around the office and go through the routine with her. Would you like a cup of tea now or wait until she gets here?”
“Shall we wait until Vanessa arrives and have it together?”
There were a million questions coursing through Kay’s mind, but she felt she couldn’t ask any of them without seeming bad-tempered and ungrateful. Michael was still hanging around and she felt she should say something. “How did you hear about Vanessa? Was it through a business contact of yours?”
“No, nothing like that. She belongs to the tennis club and was asking about jobs. I’m sure you and she will get on.”
Kay doubted that very much. “I thought you said that some of the women at the tennis club pretend to be something they’re not…”
“That’s definitely not the case with Vanessa. She’s very different from most of the others. We’re not all terrible people at the club. You should come along one day. We could arrange a game.”
Now Kay laughed. “I’m not sure about that.”
“I thought we’d agreed something along those lines. You teaching me to dance and me giving you a bit of instruction with tennis.”
“But you could dance,” protested Kay. “My tennis isn’t even as far up as the most basic level.” Already Kay was feeling happier. She and Michael had their old rapport back and she couldn’t really blame him for trying to help her. It had previously been agreed that more staff were needed. He disappeared into his room and Kay stood up, hung her jacket on the coat stand and consulted the drawing she’d made of the office furniture and the space it was to occupy. Just a few more changes to be made.
The office door flew open and an attractive young woman came confidently up to Kay. “I’m Vanessa,” she said, “Mike’s expecting me. Would you tell him I’m here?”
“Of course,” replied Kay, not taking to this forthright young woman at all. She was about to invite her politely to take a seat, when she saw that she had already done so.
Michael came bounding out to the reception area grinning at Vanessa. “How good of you to get here this morning,” he enthused. “Would you bring us some tea, Kay?” The two of them disappeared to Michael’s office, leaving Kay wondering what had happened to the suggestion that they would all have their drinks together. Still, it was nothing to do with her. She was not the owner of the business and she had other things to do.
During the day Kay reluctantly had to admit that Vanessa was efficient as well as attractive. After being shown how the telephone transfers took place, she’d sent a couple of calls to Michael’s office and deflected another two or three by taking messages and passing them on. She also liked to chat.
“Isn’t it good that Mike’s going to be the boss? I think he’ll be ever so successful. The girls at the tennis club think he’ll want to settle down soon because he’ll need a wife to put on business dinners, host cocktail evenings and so on.”
“I’m sure you’re right,” Kay said, hoping that if she didn’t join in Vanessa would be quiet and let her concentrate. She was working through all the invoices trying to make things add up. Although she knew in the long term having Vanessa to take on some of the work load would be useful, at the moment she wasn’t fully occupied.
“I think…”
“Why don’t you nip out to the bakers and get some buns then make tea?” Kay really didn’t want anything to eat as the lunch Olive provided was more than adequate and she knew a big meal would be waiting for her when she got home.
“That’s not a good idea, Kay. I don’t want to put on weight and I’m sure you need to watch yours too. We don’t want Mike getting chubby either. I’ll just get myself a glass of water.”
Kay sighed and tried to ignore the endless chatter. She supposed she’d get used to Vanessa, but today she couldn’t wait for six o’clock to come round.
“It’s fun to be working for Mike,” said Vanessa at half past five. She fetched her coat from the coat stand and shrugged it on. Kay didn’t know what to say. If Vanessa had been an ordinary employee she’d have reminded her of the agreed hours, but she was Michael’s friend and so she kept quiet.
Having spent another hour typing more letters Michael had dictated that day Kay was ready to go home. Just as she was about to head back to Olive’s he appeared with a pile of papers in his hand. “I thought you could file these before you go.”
Kay was cross once again. “Why don’t you ask your pretty new receptionist to file them in the morning? It’s not as if she’s fully employed.”
Michael was quiet for a moment then said, “Really, Kay, I’m disappointed you feel that way. I thought better of you.”
Chapter Eight
“I’m really sorry I’m late, Olive. I had to stay and work on for a bit. I hope the meal’s not spoilt.”
“Not to worry. I’ve been to my friend’s house for a natter so I thought we’d get fish and chips tonight. You do like them, don’t you?” Olive took her purse from the table and waited for Kay’s response.
“Oh yes, I do, but let me go.”
“No, I need to keep active and I like a chat with the owners. You put some plates to warm in the oven and lay the table. Then make a cup of tea. Salt and vinegar?”
“Please.”
Kay did the allotted jobs then read her book while she waited. It wasn’t long before Olive was coming through the back door with Michael trailing behind her.
“Look who I found at the chip shop. The poor man was going to take fish and chips back to the office because he has so much work to do.”
Michael grinned at her. “That’s right, I had some filing to see to.”
“Filing!” Olive exclaimed. “You shouldn’t be doing that.”
“I know, but some members of my staff have minds of their own.” He winked at Kay and mouthed ‘Sorry’.
She couldn’t stay cross with him for long. She unwrapped the newspaper from her portion and breathed in the delicious aroma as it wafted into the room. “They look good. I’m starving.” Kay tucked in. “We had fish and chips every Friday at home.”
“You must miss your family. You don’t regret coming to Blayton do you?” Michael asked.
“Not at all. I’m very happy here when you’re not being a slave driver and when your new receptionist manages to stop talking for a few minutes.”
“She is a bit of a chatterbox. Would it be a help if you moved your desk into my office. I’m usually pretty quiet when I’m working. It would be nice.”
Olive stopped eating and looked at each of them in turn.
“That would be a very bad idea and you know it Michael. Whatever would the rest of the staff think?” Kay wished she could just agree, but she knew it wouldn’t be professional. “It will be fine. I’ll get used to Vanessa and she’ll be busier and have more people to talk to soon. Now if everyone has finished I’ll put the paper in the bin and make some more tea.”
* * *
Kay could hear an owl somewhere out in the night. She turned over and tried to get to sleep, but it was eluding her and she knew why. Michael was always in her thoughts even though she knew her feelings for him weren’t reciprocated. She went over the evening. How he’d winked at her and said sorry. She remembered the moment when his hand had brushed hers. She thought how lovely it would be to move into his office. If only…
She gave herself a talking to. She must separate work and her home life. She needed to pursue her hobbies and get to know new people. That had to be the answer. Tomorrow she would ask Olive what she knew about the possibilities for dancing in the town. There was the Orchid Ballroom, of course, but she wouldn’t want to go there on her own. She’d find out about classes and maybe learn one of the new dances. Having made the decision she turned over yet again and promptly fell asleep.
* * *
Olive admired the green and pink dress Kay was wearing. “You look lovely. You’ll be the belle of the ball.”
“Hardly. Don’t stay up wi
ll you, Olive? I won’t be very late, but I expect it will be past your bedtime. Did I tell you that tonight we’re going to learn a dance called the stroll? I think I know a little bit of it. Come on, Olive, let’s try, It’s a simple six count. I’m not sure, but it might go like this. Tap, tap, tap, step, break, step. And again.”
When Olive had collapsed in her armchair Kay grabbed her bag and skipped towards the door. “I’ll teach you properly when I’ve learnt all the steps.”
“I can’t wait,” Olive grinned as she caught her breath.
When Kay arrived at the venue it wasn’t quite what she’d been expecting. It was a plain wooden hall which wasn’t nearly as glamorous as the Orchid Ballroom. Kay hoped the whole evening wouldn’t be a big disappointment, but as soon as she walked in she was pleasantly surprised by the friendliness of the people there.
A tall thin man, who introduced himself as Len, stood in the centre of the hall. “Welcome to you all, especially any new members.” It seemed to Kay that all eyes were on her and she felt a bit shy. “As usual we’ll walk through the steps before going on to practise them with music. Just follow me.” He turned his back on the gathering and took them through their paces a couple of times. Then he put a crackly record on the gramophone and the music echoed out.
For Kay, it was much easier to move with the music as it transported her. Her fluid movements were noticed it appeared as, when the music stopped, there were several admiring glances in her direction.
“You’ve danced before,” said Len.
“Not the stroll, but yes I used to dance although I haven’t for a while. Not like this.”
“You’re a natural,” he said. “Everybody find a partner, one you’ve not danced with before. That way you get to know each other. We’re one man short so I’ll dance this week. You’ve done well with the new routine, but we’ll return to the old tried and trusted ones now, shall we?”
Kay found she was dancing with a pleasant young man who trod on her toes and clasped her too tightly, but she didn’t mind. It was good to be on the dance floor again. Dancing with Michael had been different; this was learning new skills. She picked up the threads easily and remembered the moves. She smiled as she thought of getting Olive to dance again. The music finished and Kay’s partner reluctantly let someone else take his place.
Law of Attraction Page 7