by Michelle Day
His biggest regret was missing his son’s first steps and his first words and he knew he was missing out on all aspects of his life but he reasoned with himself that if he was going to give Gavin every opportunity available to him during his life, then sacrifices had to be made, sacrifices that he would explain when he was old enough to understand. Paul knew he could afford to take a bit of a back seat with his gardening company which, in spite of increasing the staff, still took up the majority of his time. But he wasn’t willing to let it go just yet, that time would come soon enough when he had complete control of the club.
He arrived in Gloucester just as the two boys were eating breakfast. Seeing his father, Gavin clambered out of his booster seat and made his way over to the man he knew as Daddy. Paul cherished these moments and didn’t hesitate to reach down and lift his son into his arms for a much missed hug. He planned to stay for most of the week not returning to London until just before the club opened on Friday, not only for the party but also to catch up with the staff of his splinter company and scout for a possible yard but more than anything, he wanted to be able to take Gavin to nursery school and pick him up and just do all the things that full time Dad’s did with their kids.
As he cuddled his son and dragged the bowl containing the cereal he had been eating across the table, he couldn’t help but notice that Luke was somewhat sullen and was only playing with his food rather than shovelling it enthusiastically into his mouth as was normal. It was also painfully obvious that Carmen was not in a particularly sunny mood which didn’t bode well for him in the long run as she had a talent for turning whatever had caused the mood around to something he had or had not done.
Just as he took a breath and opened his mouth to ask what was wrong with both her and Luke, Helen, with Art in tow, bowled into the kitchen. He quickly covered his smile at Helen’s dishevelled appearance and turned his attention back to holding the bowl while Gavin chased cereal around it with his spoon.
The arrival of his mother caused Luke to stop eating altogether and bang his spoon loudly on the table while pushing the half full bowl onto the floor. His big brown eyes never left Art’s face, almost as if he was challenging him to admonish him for his behaviour but Art merely grabbed a cloth and began to clean up the mess as Helen berated her son for his blatant bad behaviour.
Carmen offered to get Luke dressed and along with Gavin, Paul followed the trio silently from the room under the guise of lending a hand. But in reality, even though he got on famously with Art, being his employer and seeing him quite clearly getting in deep with Helen was not something he needed to see nor was he entirely comfortable with it.
“How long has that been going on?” Sitting on Gavin’s bedroom floor, he helped his son into his clothes as he addressed Carmen.
“Since you introduced them over climbing frame catalogues.” She answered.
Somehow he knew it’d be his fault, “Ah, they seem to get on well.” He hedged.
Carmen sighed and gave Luke a quick hug as he dressed in record time, “Helen’s really happy and I’m so pleased for her but Luke doesn’t like it. He’s had six years of having her to himself and he really does not like having to share her with Art. That little display this morning was nothing.” She patted Luke’s bottom and sent him to play in his room. “He’s taken to drawing on the walls and throwing plates of food, he spits at Art and had even managed to get his hands on a pair of scissors with disastrous results for Arts clothes. Helen’s at her wits end, I mean Luke’s always been wilful but this is getting ridiculous.”
“Does Art do anything to garner this sort of behaviour from Luke?”
“No. I have to give him credit, he’s great with both of them and on the rare occasions that Luke lets his guard down, they seem to get on. I’m not sure if a six year old should be feeling resentment but that’s what it is and he plays up every time Art is here.”
Paul observed the interactions between Luke and Art for the next few days. It was painfully obvious that Art was indeed the cause of Luke’s bad behaviour for the youngster went back to being his placid, loving self when Art wasn’t around. After dropping Gavin off at nursery school, Paul made his way to the café that his Gloucester work crew occupied when the weather was bad.
Feeling responsible for the initial introduction, it was clear to Paul that Luke’s relationship with his mother was suffering and although he’d give anything to see Helen happy, he wouldn’t let Luke’s well being pay the price for it. As he sat, he caught Art’s eye and held his gaze.
“I know what you’re going to say.” Art opened.
“I wonder if you do.” Paul replied, “Do you want to do this here?
Art shrugged and looked around his co- workers. “They know so it’s as good a place as any.”
“Fine.” Paul took a large gulp of tea from the mug that had appeared in front of him. “I’m not saying you should end the relationship but perhaps you shouldn’t stay the night or be there so often.” He was surprised when Art nodded his agreement.
“I know but Helen says she feels safer when I am there and that Luke will learn to deal with it.”
“You’re a father Art, did your boy react like that when he met the new man in his mum’s life?” Paul asked.
Shaking his head, Art scrubbed his hands over his face and let forth a weary sigh, “No, there was a little period of adjustment but overall he was fine. I’ve tried everything to ease Luke into this but he just won’t accept me being near his mother and I’m not prepared to come between them.”
“So what happens now?” Paul pushed; he wanted an answer before he left.
“Helen and I will have to go back to dating. Carmen has said now that she’s working through the day again, she’s more than happy to babysit on the night’s Helen stays with me as she doesn’t have a social life when you aren’t here.”
He took on board the dig about Carmen’s social life and moved his mug out of the way to make room for his second breakfast of the day. “I appreciate that Art and I’m sorry it had to come to that.”
“Fair do’s Paul but just for the record, it isn’t really any of your business, I work for you. What goes on between Helen and I is personal and not for you to be involved in.”
Well, didn’t that just get his back up? Sitting up straighter and pushing his fingers roughly through his hair, he addressed the older man, his brows drawn down, his voice low, “Actually, as I have a vested interest in Luke’s future and you have been staying in my house, I’d say it has quite a lot to do with me. If you don’t like me running interference for a six year old who can’t do it for himself then make sure you conduct your relationship with his mother off of my turf.”
“Your house?” Art asked, “I was under the impression that Helen and Carmen owned it between them.”
“They do but they were a little short on funds and I stepped in. I wanted Gavin to be raised in a family environment and with a sibling and as it isn’t my intention to have any more children, it was an ideal situation and meant that Luke and Gavin would grow up together. The majority stake in the house is mine and I would appreciate it if you would respect that.”
Art downed his tea and pushed his plate away. “Fair enough.” He answered before leaving.
Paul’s day took a sharp downward plunge when he was asked to step into the office upon arriving at the nursery school to collect his son. After explaining that holding another child to the floor and grinding play-doh into his face and hair and not showing any regret or remorse when reprimanded, the school had come to the decision of excluding Gavin from it and to this end, Paul was asked not to bring him back again.
He spent the time between picking up Gavin and leaving once again to collect Luke, trying to get his son to talk to him about what had happened at school. But came to the conclusion that either Gavin didn’t understand and couldn’t verbalise to him or, which he suspected was more the case, the three year old understood perfectly what he had done and was simply refusing to tal
k about it, remaining sullen until his older, more communicative friend was safely home with them.
Carmen and Helen arrived home within moments of each other. Carmen was still stripping off her coat as Helen came through the front door. Both women took a moment to savour the delightful smell of cooking before Carmen headed to the kitchen, Helen having been waylaid by the telephone.
Fully expecting Carmen to blow up over their son’s expulsion and also intending to tackle Helen over her involvement with Art and the subsequent conversation between them, Paul had thought it best to ease both women into their respective conversations by cooking them a lovely meal which he had achieved largely by being talked through it over the phone with his mother. If it tasted as good as it smelt, he was on a winner. With a nice bottle of wine gracing the table and both boys happily digging in, at least the scene was set.
Credit where it was due, Carmen didn’t explode at the news and actually told him that it wasn’t the first time their little boy had been in trouble and that she hoped he wasn’t setting a precedent for the years to come. She had a back up school all picked out who were more than prepared to deal with Gavin’s shenanigans and she actually apologised to Paul for having been confronted with today’s minor catastrophe. Once dinner was over, she whisked Gavin away for a bath and a very stern chat.
Helen was a whole different kettle of fish. She was usually the calm collected one of the two women but once Art had told her of Paul’s intervention via the phone call she had taken when she arrived home, she saw red and laid into Paul with a ferocity he hadn’t thought her capable of and he found himself apologising profusely.
Once she had calmed down, Helen did relent enough to let him know that she appreciated his concern over Luke and understood why he had felt the need to say something. Luke’s usual calm demeanour evaporated each and every time Art was present and he became unruly and surly and in retrospect perhaps she should conduct her relationship away from her son until he was old enough to understand that she didn’t love him any less just because she had Art. Even with this admission, it was a very quiet evening with only the bare minimum of stilted conversation between them.
Things slowly put themselves back on an even keel over the next few days and were almost completely normal by the time he readied himself to leave early Friday evening. It surprised him when Gavin cried and clung to him as he set his bag down in the hall and went to say his goodbyes. It was the first time the boy had shown any true emotional attachment to him and he knew he would have to make a more concerted effort to spend more time with him. To this end, he asked Carmen to think about letting him take Gavin and possibly Luke back to London with him the next time he had some free time. He explained that Monica would like to connect with her grandson and as he was now living with John, that could happen outside the tension filled atmosphere of the family home.
The following week was another busy one with several deliveries having to be taken at the yard due to inclement weather, not helped at all by a stroppy driver who simply dumped his load of topsoil in front of the steps of the office. Paul allocated home improvement jobs to his men, thankful that side of the business was at last picking up to allow them to be able to work over the winter months. The interior work was currently prolific with home owners wanting their decorating and improvements done in time for Christmas which meant his team were working flat out, he’d even sent Phil out on a job, something he tended to avoid in the winter months as the older man was beginning to complain of aches and pains associated with a lifetime of working outside. With his three capable secretaries ensconced in the mess room, no doubt adding their feminine touch while they waited for access to the office, Paul set about removing the topsoil from the steps and surrounding area.
Thankful for the dry if chilly day, Paul hauled on his work boots and a padded shirt, dragged out several wheelbarrows and a shovel and attacked the pile of dirt with vigour; he soon discarded his padded shirt and was sweating in the chill of the day as he moved the earth.
“Quite the Chameleon aren’t you? Business suit one day, jeans and shit covered boots the next.”
The voice brought him to a standstill. Resting his hands on the handle of the shovel, Paul smiled at the man who had joined him, “To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?” He asked.
Norman waved a manila envelope at him, “We have business to discuss that isn’t for the ears of the spies at the office.”
“Come over to the mess room.” Paul wiped his hands on his jeans, cleaning a little of the dirt from them before grabbing his shirt and shrugging it on. Entering the cabin first, he told the women there that they might as well take the rest of the day off and once they were gone, he switched the kettle on to boil and left Norman to make the tea while he washed his hands.
“I thought you had loads of people to shovel shit for you.” Norman called from the kitchen area.
“I do.” Paul replied, he came back into the room and sank into the closest chair. “They are all out on jobs and it’s not shit, its topsoil. It usually gets delivered to site but I couldn’t pass up the bargainous price of a bulk load so once I have moved it away from the office and we have a quiet day, it’ll be bagged up ready for use in the spring.” He took a sip of his tea. “And by the time I’ve moved it all, the driver who delivered it will no longer have a job.”
Norman looked at the young man over his steaming mug, “I did think it was an odd place to have it dropped but your scowl was akin to a thunder cloud so I thought it was probably a good idea not to mention it.”
“I wasn’t here when it arrived and according to the ladies, the driver didn’t want to wait the whole five minutes it would’ve taken me to get here, copped a strop and just dumped it.” He shrugged, “he’s going to be regretting his decision very soon.”
“Remind me never to fuck with you.”
Paul laughed, nearly spilling his tea, “I will, trust me I need all the allies I can get. Now, down to business, time is money and all that.”
Three fairly quiet weeks passed. Paul continued to keep his head down when in the office although Michael had taken to dropping by and checking on his work which he was certain was supposed to irk him, mission achieved Dad, consider me irked. He would vent to Norman during their clandestine meetings, his mood not helped by his silent chuckles as they worked.
The confirmation that he was one of the top three people selected for young business man of the year arrived in the post along with his invitation to attend. Flattered as he was, he was uncertain whether he would attend. True, the publicity would be fantastic either way but did he really want to risk exposing himself to failure?
Noticing his young boss was not his usual rambunctious self as he looked across his desk and office at him, Phil cleared his throat, aware that the second he spoke, the ladies in the room would also prick up their ears, “What’s up Paul?”
Dragging his fingers through his hair and over his face, Paul gave the other man a hard stare. “Some stupid bastard nominated me for an award and now I’m in the running for the big prize, believe it or not, it’s a lot of added fucking pressure I really didn’t need.” He turned towards the three women, “Sorry ladies, didn’t mean to swear.”
Bristling slightly but knowing the words held no venom; Phil leant forward in his chair and placed his arms on his desk. “Well excuse us for wanting you to have the recognition you deserve.”
“I appreciate the sentiment behind it, I really do but I have a lot of metaphorical balls in the air at the moment and it couldn’t have come at a worse time.” Paul answered.
“You always have a lot of stuff going on though, it wouldn’t have mattered when the nomination came, it still would have gotten in the way of your latest scheme.”
Nodding, Paul leaned back in his chair as he regarded the other man. “True, a point well made. Alright look, I am totally flattered that you thought me worthy of the nomination and it’s going to be good for the business but if I am going to this ceremo
ny, I’m not doing it alone. All of you will need to be there and you of all people know I couldn’t have achieved what I have here without any of you. You guys gave me a chance when I bought the company, guided me, listened to me, I will never forget that so I will do this for you. And just so you know, I don’t scheme; I plot and plan everything with the greatest of care. ”
Smiling and returning to his paperwork Phil answered, “And that attitude right there, is the reason we think you are worthy of this.”
Entering the venue where the awards were to be presented, Monica on his arm and his siblings following, Paul stopped, his mouth dropping open in surprise as he saw not only the London work crew but also the one from Gloucester and Norman as well as his three office ladies waiting for him.
“Darling, stop staring and go and mingle, think of the opportunities.” Monica encouraged.
Dropping her hand from his arm, he moved forward and greeted his staff, thanking each and every one of them for making the effort to be there before being whisked away by the event organisers to meet the other nominees. By the time he returned to the main body of the venue and found his seat amongst his family and employees he was completely certain that humiliation was just a heartbeat away as having met the other nominees, he was sure what he did for a living and the way he treated his staff didn’t hold muster to any of them.
With the evening well and truly underway, Paul’s tiny spark of hope gradually dwindled as an employee from each company involved took their place on the raised dais and extolled the virtues of their outstanding employer. Looking at those gathered around him, he began to wonder just who would stand up for him amongst the motley crew. His ponderings were short lived when Phil suddenly left the table, took the stage and waited patiently for everyone to be quiet.
“What can I tell you about Paul Jensen that you don’t already know? He’s everything that you read about in the papers but that man is not the one I know. Yes he’s a player but he is so much more than anyone can comprehend and I only hope I can do him justice with my words.