by Len du Randt
Natasha smiled. ‘I’m a Personal Assistant for the chairman of a major New York corporation.’
‘A Yank,’ Jared chuckled. ‘Which company do you work for?’
‘Oh, I don’t know if you’d know them.’
‘Try me.’
Natasha merely looked at Jared for a long moment. Her eyes seemed to penetrate the very core of his soul, searching for weaknesses to exploit. ‘Three-Six Solutions,’ she said finally.
Jared probed his mind. The name didn’t ring a bell. ‘Okay,’ he said. ‘You were right. I don’t know them. What do they do?’
‘They specialize in networking equipment; Servers, Routers, that kind of thing. They also do data recovery and have recently acquired a company that’s made a breakthrough in human identification technology.’
‘Human identification?’
She nodded. ‘It’s a chip that they implant into you. This chip contains your identity and financial information. It also keeps track of where you are at all times.’
Jared frowned. ‘Isn’t that an invasion of privacy?’
‘It depends on your point-of-view,’ Natasha said. ‘Imagine clamping down on identity theft, financial fraud, drug trafficking. Terrorists won’t be able to transfer money without the government being able to lock onto it; kidnapped children would be instantly locatable. Imagine not having to carry cash or credit cards around where thugs could steal it from you or losing it in some foreign country where no one understands your language. Imagine going to hospital and not having to fill out any forms or having your entire medical history available in an instant when you’re unconscious or otherwise unable to speak. No more queues in shopping malls. The possibilities are endless.’
‘How does one weigh the right to privacy against the right to worry-free living?’ he asked. ‘I must admit that it sounds intriguing, but I don’t think that the greater population would fall for something like this. They’re just not ready yet.’
‘Oh, you would be surprised how easily someone could be swayed to get it, Mister Greene. It’s just a matter of the right thing happening at the right time; call it a purchase trigger event, if you will.’
Jared was intrigued. Amy was clueless. ‘And this chip,’ he asked. ‘I assume that it will work on some sort of radio signal?’
Natasha nodded.
The conversation became too high-tech for either Tanya or Amy to follow. They just sat in silence, finishing their meals as they listened to the two chatting about things only a small percentage of the world’s population would be able to follow.
‘You should give her a job at Whyte & Greene,’ Tanya said when she finally saw a chance to hijack the conversation. ‘You know; something to keep her occupied while she’s visiting.’
Jared frowned. ‘I don’t know if you should make her work on her holiday...’
‘Not at all,’ Natasha interjected. ‘It would be fun.’ She broke eye contact. ‘That is, if there’s something available, of course. I would hate to intrude.’
‘Can’t promise anything,’ Jared said. ‘But if there is something, I will be sure to let you know.’
‘That would be great,’ Tanya said and pushed her chair back. ‘Please excuse Amy and me while we get the desert.’
* - - - *
An awkward silence lingered in the car for at least ten minutes. Amy didn’t look at Jared. She merely stared out of the window at the golden sunset in the distance.
‘What’s wrong?’ Jared asked when he couldn’t bear the silence any longer.
‘Nothing,’ she said bluntly. The tone of her voice was a sharp contrast to the word that came out. There was another moment of silence before she broke it. ‘You and Tanya’s niece or whatever hit it off pretty well.’
Her name is Natasha. Jared laughed out loud. ‘So that’s what this is all about? Are you jealous?’
Amy didn’t answer. She didn’t even look at him. She merely stared at the last rays of sunlight as it set fire to Lake Metanoia.
The car slowed to a halt at a traffic light and Jared turned toward her. ‘Amy, are you seriously jealous of Natasha?’
‘Natasha,’ she whispered. ‘That’s her name...’
The traffic light turned green and Jared crossed the road and pulled over. He cut the engine and for a moment said nothing. ‘What’s all this really about, Amy?’ he finally asked. ‘What’s going on?’
She turned to him and Jared could see the redness in the corners of her eyes. ‘You barely spoke to me, Jared. It was like I wasn’t even there.’ Her voice quivered and she had to keep herself from yelling at him.
‘Nonsense,’ he defended. ‘I did talk to you. Quite a lot, in fact.’
‘See what I mean? You never do anything wrong, Jared. You’re always right!’
‘What?’
‘I’ve noticed the way you looked at her. I’ve never seen such hunger and longing in your eyes for me.’
‘Are you kidding me?’ Jared asked, unable to control his voice as well as Amy did. ‘I can’t believe we’re having this conversation. Are you even listening to yourself?’
‘You were also only too eager to get her into Whyte & Greene. I never had that opportunity.’
Jared fell back into his seat and raked his fingers through his hair. ‘So this is what this whole thing is about? Me offering her a job?’ He shook his head. ‘Amy, you know why I can’t let you work at Whyte; and besides, it’s not like you need the money. I’ve got that base covered for you. All I did was said that I will look into it for her. I didn’t make any promises.’
‘It’s not about the job, Jared!’ Amy snapped. ‘It’s not about the money either.’
‘Then what the hell is it about then?’
She turned her head away from him, avoiding eye contact at all cost. ‘I don’t...know.’
‘Right. Whatever!’ Jared started the engine and pulled off, spraying dirt as the Vanquish shot away.
For a long moment neither of them said anything. The awkwardness became unbearable to her. ‘Are we still going to Church?’ Amy asked cautiously.
And propose to you while I feel like this? ‘I don’t think so,’ he said. ‘You can go, but I think I’m going to skip tonight.’
The rest of the drive home was spent in silence.
* - - - *
‘Did we succeed?’
Natasha closed her eyes for a moment and raised her head before answering. ‘It appears that we have been successful, yes.’
‘I am relieved,’ Tanya said. ‘But we have to keep in mind that keeping him away from Church tonight was merely a short-term goal. We don’t have much time left. For our plans to succeed, we have to get rid of the girl permanently.’
Natasha grinned. ‘Oh, I wouldn’t worry too much about her. Jared is as good as mine.’
* - - - *
The first rays of the morning sun broke over Kelwick’s horizon. The light advanced toward Jared’s office, slicing through the lingering darkness at a lazy pace until it finally beamed through his massive glass wall. Jared stood at the window and watched as Kelwick woke like a sleeping giant. Something moved here, something stirred there. Finally the town came alive.
Jared caught himself comparing the beauty of the sunrise to that of Natasha. Elegant and graceful; breathtaking as nature itself. He welcomed the thought as he made his way to his desk to pick up his ringing phone.
‘You’re early,’ Shaun said. ‘Saw your car in the basement.’
‘Couldn’t sleep,’ Jared said and clicked the call to speakerphone before heading back to the window.
‘Any word from Lisa yet?’
‘No. She’s usually in by this time.’
‘First one in, last one out. You really should give her a raise, you know that?’
Jared nodded. It was completely unlike her to stay away without letting him know. He made a mental note to contact the police before noon. ‘Can you join me for a minute, Shaun? There’s something I need to ask you.’
It took Shaun on
ly a minute and a half before he walked through the doors. A minute and a half that felt more like an hour and a half to Jared. ‘What’s up, boss?’
‘You’re happily married, right?’ Jared asked rhetorically, not taking his eyes from the magnificent view in front of him.
‘Almost three years,’ Shaun humoured him.
For a moment Jared didn’t say anything. He merely watched the view. ‘How did you know she was the right one; the one that you wanted to spend the rest of your life with?’
Shaun thought of various answers that he could impress Jared with, but settled for the truth instead. ‘I don’t know,’ he said and shrugged. ‘I just knew.’
Jared turned to Shaun and motioned to the liquor cabinet. ‘Did you ever meet anyone you felt the same way about after you married Samantha?’
Shaun frowned. ‘I’m not sure that I quite fully understand the question,’ he said as Jared filled two glasses half-way with Scotch.
‘Was there anyone else that you’d rather have been with other than Sam?’
Shaun rubbed the back of his neck. ‘I can’t say that there was,’ he finally said. ‘Although there was this one girl in accounting that I had my eye on...’
‘I’m not talking about an affair. I’m talking about the longing to be with that person for the rest of your life; the urge to skip work just so that you can be with her. Someone that you could love just as much—if not more—than your wife.’
‘In that case,’ Shaun said as he studied Jared’s facial expression, ‘I would have to say no.’
Jared sighed.
‘What’s wrong, Jay? What’s bothering you?’
Jared didn’t answer.
‘Is it Amy?’
Jared shook his head. ‘It’s not Amy. Well, not directly.’
‘Wait…there’s someone else?’ Shaun asked, keeping the conversation in context.
Jared merely looked at Shaun and exhaled deeply.
‘Oh man,’ Shaun said and followed Jared to his desk. ‘Who is she? What’s her name? Where did you meet her?’
‘It isn’t love, really,’ Jared said. ‘It’s more like an infatuation. Her name’s Natasha and I met her at Tanya’s place yesterday. Shaun, I can’t find myself thinking of anything or anyone else.’
Shaun shook his head. ‘This isn’t right, man. What about Amy?’
‘What about her?’ Jared asked curtly. ‘I’m not married to the woman.’
‘And does the fact that you wanted to ask her to be your life-long companion mean nothing to you?’
‘I just wish you could see this...this perfection of nature. Shaun, she’s unlike any other woman that I have ever met.’
‘Oh man, this is bad. What are you going to do about it, Jay?’
‘I don’t know,’ Jared said and washed down the last of his Scotch. ‘I just don’t know.’
Shaun was at a loss for words. For the first time since he met Jared, the man did not have a solution to a problem. For the first time, a woman managed to get his brain signals all messed up. He fought the urge to shake Jared on the shoulders and tell him that women had been the downfall of man since the beginning of time, but instead, merely forced a weak smile. ‘I’m sure that you’ll know what to do once push comes to shove, Jay. I just hope you make the right choice.’
‘You and me both,’ Jared said. ‘For now, just not thinking about her would be a major accomplishment.’
‘Take a day or two off. Sort out your priorities and get your thoughts straightened out.’
‘No can do,’ Jared said and pointed at his desk. ‘Too many things I have to sort out with Lisa not pitching up for work.’
‘Maybe you should get that girl you like so much to fill Lisa’s place until she returns.’ Jared shot Shaun a glance. Shaun raised his hands in the air and laughed. ‘Just kidding,’ he said. ‘But you really do need a break.’
The seeds were planted. Jared’s mind already worked out the calculations. ‘She actually could come and work here, you know,’ he said. ‘Just to help out until Lisa decides to pitch up one day, of course.’
‘Are you serious?’
‘I’ll think about it.’
Shaun pressed for an answer. ‘You’re serious, aren’t you?’
‘I said I’d think about it!’ Jared snapped. There was an awkward moment of silence as the bewildered Shaun only stared at Jared, wide-eyed and unwilling to say anything first. Jared took a deep breath and exhaled long and slow. ‘I’m sorry,’ he said. ‘I don’t know what came over me.’
‘No worries,’ Shaun said. He tried his best to hide the quaver in his voice. ‘Tell you what; I’ll go make us a nice cup of coffee. Lisa style.’
‘Thanks, Shaun,’ Jared said and turned his attention to the window.
Shaun looked at Jared for a moment, unable to grasp the reality that his powerful leader had been reduced to a love-sick puppy. He hoped that this was merely a phase, an infatuation that would leave as instantly as it had come. The realization gripped him that anything else could be fatal to the business.
* - - - *
Maybe you should get that girl you like so much to fill Lisa’s place until she returns.
Jared stared at the shadows that the lazy afternoon sun cast against his walls for what felt like forever before he picked up the phone.
You should give her a job at Whyte & Greene.
Was it a sort of divine intervention? His mother believed in those. Lisa, his personal assistant was AWOL. Natasha is a personal assistant. More than one person suggested that she work there. Yes, Jared decided. It must be divine.
He punched Tanya’s number.
‘Hello?’ a young voice answered from the other end.
Jared’s stomach flipped when he realised that it wasn’t Tanya that answered. ‘Hi,’ he fumbled as he tried to re-arrange his thoughts. He wanted to speak to Tanya first; to melt the ice; to soften the blow. This was totally out of his comfort zone. ‘Do you...erm...is this...?’
‘Can I help you?’
‘I’m sorry. This is Natas…Natasha, right?’
‘Yes...?’
‘Hi. I don’t know if you can remember me. It’s Jared Greene. We met...erm...yesterday.’
‘Of course I remember you, silly,’ she giggled. ‘How could I forget?’
Jared’s heart fluttered around in his chest. She remembers!
‘How are you, Jared?’
‘I’m fine,’ he said, trying hard to keep his voice from trembling. ‘And you?’
‘Same here. Just bored, you know?’
Jared chuckled and tightened his grip around the phone. ‘The reason I’m calling,’ he said, ‘is to ask you if you would be interested in a position at Whyte & Greene? Sort of like a temporary thing to keep you busy for a few days?’
‘I would be delighted,’ she answered without hesitation.
‘I figured you would make a fine personal assistant. Mine went missing a few days ago. We don’t know where she is yet, but I was wondering...’
‘It would be an absolute pleasure,’ she said. ‘When do I start?’
Jared’s heartbeat quickened. His leg bounced up and down in a nervous rhythm. ‘You could start tomorrow if you’d like.’
‘That would be wonderful,’ she said. ‘What time should I be there?’
‘Around eight...?’
‘Eight would be perfect.’
Oh wow! She’s really coming! ‘Tanya can give you directions to the company.’
‘Great,’ she said. ‘I look forward to working with you, Mister Greene.’
‘Please, call me Jared.’
He put the phone down and on rubber legs as heavy as lead made his way to the liquor cabinet. His hands shook as he poured himself another glass of Scotch. Definitely divine, he thought as he finished the contents of the glass in one large gulp.
* - - - *
The flowers worked somewhat. Amy wasn’t really upset about the fight in the car. She was more hurt than upset. There was no way that she wo
uld let Jared realise this until he apologized enough. Dinner and a movie ought to do the trick quite nicely, thank you.
‘So am I forgiven?’ Jared asked and pouted his lips.
Her ice-façade melted. ‘I’m the one that needs to be forgiven,’ she said. ‘Not you.’
‘We were both stubborn, my love. Maybe this will show you just how sorry I am for being rude to you.’ From his jacket pocket he produced a small velvet box.
Amy’s heart skipped a beat.
‘When I saw this,’ Jared said and opened the box, ‘it screamed your name.’ He removed the platinum necklace from the box and wrapped his arms around her neck to clip it on for her. He then took a step back and cocked his head to the right. ‘I was right. The perfect match.’
Amy blushed. Part of her felt foolish for expecting a ring. Another part felt angry for expecting anything at all. ‘It’s lovely,’ she said.
‘You think so?’
Amy nodded.
He figured that now would be the perfect time to break the news and get it over with. ‘Lisa didn’t show up for work the past few days.’
‘Really?’ Amy asked. ‘That’s not like her. Did she call in sick?’
‘That’s the strange part. She didn’t call in at all. We also can’t get hold of her at any of her contact numbers. I even sent someone to her home.’
‘And...?’
‘Nothing.’
‘Did you call the police?’
‘Yup. They said that they’d look into it.’
‘I hope she’s all right.’
‘She’s a tough cookie,’ Jared said and chuckled. ‘I’m sure she’ll be fine.’ Amy pointed to a bag of onions and he handed it to her. ‘So until I do hear from her again,’ he said and paused. Moment of truth. He wanted the next sentence to sound as nonchalant as possible. ‘I decided to get someone to fill Lisa’s place.’