The Executive Floor
Page 15
Arriving at the deserted pool, she was overcome with memories. She remembered Granger had almost made love to her there. The way he’d taken her in his arms and kissed her in the shallow water. Her skin prickled at the memory of his touch, of his caress, of his soft lips on her body. She remembered the sight of his powerful physique driving through the water, each muscle working like a well-oiled machine.
She threw off her robe and dived into the water, gliding up and down the pool in strong lengths. She bit her lip and ducked under the water again; the silence in her ears only increased the volume of the voice in her mind. He was older than her, of course he had a previous life. She came up for air, the water rushing past her ears. Or maybe it was something else. Maybe she just had it wrong and it was something else. Maybe he didn’t have a child – someone else’s birth certificate. She should give him the benefit of the doubt, shouldn’t she?
The words from the letter swam in her mind. Birth certificate, newspapers, money. What else could it mean? Other than a child? She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to put it out of her mind. She got out of the pool and headed back to his apartment. She showered and changed for bed.
Chantelle lay down. Rocky climbed on to the bed and rested his head on her leg. She stroked his ears and smiled. She shouldn’t judge Granger. There was probably a reasonable explanation for the letter. She curled up in the deep white duvet and closed her eyes. An image of Granger came to her mind and she squeezed her eyes shut and forced herself to think about something else.
Chapter Eight
On Monday morning Granger had never felt more relaxed. He met Richard for breakfast in the hotel. ‘Tough night, huh?’ Granger asked, watching as Richard rejected all offer of food from the waitress, opting only for black coffee instead. His face was pasty white, and deep bags hung beneath his eyes.
‘I didn’t sleep a wink. I just kept checking and rechecking my figures.’
‘Just stay calm and it’ll be fine,’ Granger said.
‘Right.’ Richard took a large swig of coffee.
Granger put his hand on shoulder. ‘Take it easy. We’re meeting Michaela in fifteen minutes. I want to run through the pitch and check what you’re presenting before we head over there.’ Richard nodded. ‘I’m just going up to the room to make a call. I’ll join you down here in a minute.’
‘Calling your personal analyst?’
‘Maybe,’ Granger said with a smile, stepping into the lift.
Alone in the hotel room, he checked his watch. It would be evening in the UK. He dialled Chantelle’s number and walked to the window. He looked down at the river beneath, tapping his fingers on the glass. She picked up after two rings.
‘Allo?’ He smiled at the sound of her cute French accent.
‘Good morning, gorgeous! Did I wake you?’
‘Hmm, no, I was just going to sleep,’ Chantelle murmured, sounding drowsy.
‘Anyway, I just rang to find out how Rocky’s doing?’
‘Oh, Rocky …’ Disappointment hung in her voice. ‘He’s good …’
‘I’m only joking. How you are? Are you in my bed? It drives me crazy to think you’re in my bed without me,’ Granger said, pacing the room. ‘I wish I was there … what would I do with you if I was?’ He imagined her flat stomach, taut creamy skin, her shapely breasts and long slim legs, her silky dark hair framing her face. ‘I miss you, you know.’ He sighed.
‘We’ve only just met,’ Chantelle murmured. ‘You hardly know me. I hardly know you.’
‘Exactly, that’s what makes it so crazy. I’ve only just met you and I still can’t stop thinking about you.’ Granger laughed. ‘Anyway, I’ve got to go, but I’ll call you later after the meeting.’
‘OK.’
Granger frowned. ‘Is everything OK? You sound a bit … sad?’
‘No, no.’ Chantelle’s voice brightened. ‘I’m just a bit sleepy, that’s all.’
‘Well, I’ll let you get back to sleep.’
Granger hung up the phone. He glanced at his reflection in the mirror, then picked up his bag and went down to reception. ‘Ready?’ he said. Richard was standing by the sliding doors.
‘As I’ll ever be.’ Richard smiled.
‘Here goes!’
They made their way out of the hotel and into the waiting car.
Granger sat down on the bed and took off his shoes. He picked up his phone and dialled her number.
‘Allo.’
‘I love the way you answer the phone.’ He grinned and closed his eyes.
‘Hmmm. How did the meeting go?’ Chantelle asked.
‘Oh yeah, the meeting. That’s what I rang to tell you about. It went well. Really well. The deal is signed. We’re just going to iron out the details in the next few days.’
‘Congratulations! That’s great.’
‘Thanks to you and all your hard work, making sure my figures were right. I’ll be taking you out to dinner when I get back to say a special thank you,’ Granger said, making a mental note to get Janet to book a table at a French restaurant in Summerville.
‘You don’t need to thank me. And everyone else in the office has worked just as hard. It’s already enough you are letting me stay at your place,’ Chantelle said.
‘You’re doing me a favour. You haven’t forgotten you’re supposed to be looking after my dog, have you?’ Granger teased.
‘No,’ Chantelle exclaimed. ‘Of course I haven’t forgotten. I’ve been looking after him really well, I promise.’
Granger laughed at her protest. ‘It’s OK, I’m joking. I have no doubt you’re doing a great job looking after him. Better than me, that’s for sure. I bet he’s having the time of his life.’
‘We’re having a lovely time, aren’t we, Rocky?’ He heard the old dog grunt.
‘I see, so you’re not even missing me?’
‘Yes, I am,’ Chantelle said, softly.
‘Anyway, I wanted to say, I’ve ordered some more stuff to be delivered on Thursday morning.’
‘Right. I’ll wait in then.’
‘And don’t forget the cleaner comes this week so you may see her. I’ve told her to expect you there.’
‘OK.’
‘And there’s something else.’ Granger became serious. He had taken a decision. ‘There is something I have to tell you.’ The line went silent. ‘Chantelle? Are you still there?’
‘Yes. What is it?’ Her voice was shaky.
‘I can’t tell you over the phone. I need to talk to you face to face, it’s … it is not something I’m proud of, that I like talking about, and it will be difficult for you to hear. I have to tell you when I get back.’
‘I see.’ She didn’t sound surprised. ‘OK, we will talk when you are back.’
‘Good, I feel better that I’m going to tell you. I’ve been thinking about it and it’s making me uneasy. I’ve not been honest.’
‘Right.’ Chantelle’s voice was quiet.
‘I can’t go into it now. But we’ll talk as soon as I’m back, I promise. Anyway, I’d better go. I’m taking the team out to dinner to celebrate the deal and they are waiting for me. I’ll be back Friday night. I can’t wait to see you!’
Granger hung up the phone with a smile on his face. His flight was due in on Friday; he couldn’t wait to see her face when he surprised her by arriving home early. After taking a quick shower he changed into a silk shirt and woollen jumper and splashed on some aftershave. He was looking forward to celebrating tonight. This deal had been a long time coming and they’d nailed it, they really had; he was so proud of his team. And he was happy – genuinely happy. It was a strange feeling and he wasn’t quite sure where it was coming from. This wasn’t the first big deal he had landed, but his happiness was significantly more. As if something great was imminent. All he could think about doing was getting back to Summerville.
They took a taxi back to the hotel. Granger sat in the front, Richard and Michaela in the back. Granger paid the cab and they got out and walked into the hotel reception together. Richard yawned. ‘Man, what a day! I’m dead.’
Granger grinned. ‘C’mon! You’re showing your age, old boy.’
Richard frowned and shook his head. ‘I’m going to pass on a nightcap. I can’t keep my eyes open. Night, guys.’ He waved and headed for the lift.
‘Nightcap? Oh yes, please,’ Michaela said, taking Granger’s arm and guiding him towards the bar.
Granger smiled. ‘Just one though. I teased him, but I’m pretty tired too.’
‘We should be celebrating! I’ve never been so impressed, you really have some charm.’ Michaela was over a foot shorter than Granger. She had to reach up for his arm, and her tight white jeans, cowboy boots and huge belt with its big silver buckle did little to create a feminine appearance.
One drink, Granger promised himself, following Michaela into the hotel bar. She headed straight for a small table by the fire. Granger sat down beside her. The waiter arrived; Granger ordered a cognac and Michaela asked for vodka with apple juice. When the drinks arrived she drank hers like apple juice too, ordering a second one within minutes.
‘Granger,’ she said, looking into his eyes and twiddling the straw from her drink with her tongue. ‘I think the idea you presented today was amazing. You’re so full of confidence, of balls. You and I make such a great team.’
‘Thanks,’ Granger said. ‘You know, I am pretty happy with the job you’re doing too, Michaela. The results you are delivering are outstanding.’
‘Only pretty happy?’ Michaela pouted. Granger smiled slowly, his eyes fixed on her. She was drunk. ‘I mean it. I’ve always admired you. Your drive, your passion. I was so sorry to hear about your split with Cynthia. But she wasn’t right for you. You deserve better. And with the right woman you could go even further.’
‘That’s kind of you to say,’ Granger said, sitting back in his chair; he should put a stop to this conversation as soon as possible. ‘I have to say the last thing I’m looking for right now is a woman.’ Because I’ve already found one, he surprised himself by adding silently. ‘Granger Finance is on the up and it’s going to take laser focus to pull things off in the next years. I don’t want any distractions.’
Michaela shrugged and looked at him over her eyelashes. ‘I don’t know. Sometimes a distraction is welcome.’
Granger drained his glass. ‘Not for me. I’m keeping it professional for now. You know I have a personal rule never to mess around with anyone I work with.’
‘Rules are made to be broken,’ Michaela said, throwing her hair backwards.
‘Only in exceptional circumstances,’ Grange said, waving for the check.
‘You can’t go to bed already!’ She sighed. ‘The night is still young and we’re celebrating.’
‘I’ve had a long day I have to get to bed. Sleep well.’ He gave her a kiss on the cheek and left her to finish her drink.
Lucky escape, he thought, crossing the quiet reception. He stood in the lobby waiting for the lift, willing it to hurry. Finally, the door slid open in front of him. He breathed a sigh of relief as he stepped inside, jabbing the door-close button with his finger. The door started to slide shut. ‘Hold the lift.’ A cowboy boot was thrust into the closing doors causing them to spring back open. Michaela ran into the lift. She was carrying her glass of vodka, her straw between her teeth. She looked up at him, her eyes flashing triumph. ‘Made it!’ She grinned.
‘Changed your mind? Going to bed after all?’ Granger said politely as the lift sprang into life, taking them upwards.
‘I hope so.’ Michaela smiled. Too much wine with dinner, he thought.
‘Which floor are you on?’ he asked, hand hovering over the buttons.
‘Same as you.’ She smiled. She was moving closer as the lift powered them up to the fourteenth floor.
‘You’re so tall.’ Michaela was so near to him they were almost touching. She stood up straight, measuring herself against him. Her head reached the top of his shoulders.
‘Thank you.’ He stepped backwards. The lift stopped and the door slid open. He waited for her to exit but she just stood looking at him.
‘This is the fourteenth,’ he said, guiding her out. She grabbed his arm so he was supporting her weight. ‘Which room are you?’
‘Granger!’ She fished in her pocket and produced the room card. He squinted at it. ‘Fourteen fifty-five. OK.’ He took her arm and walked her to her room. He grabbed the card from between her fingers and slipped it into the door slot. Michaela took advantage of his distraction to fling her arms around his neck, sloshing vodka and apple juice down his back.
‘Granger. I’ve wanted you for so long.’ She sighed. ‘Finally, the night has arrived.’ He pushed the door open and slipped the key into the wall slot inside the room.
‘Michaela, I think you should call it a night.’ He detached her arms from around his neck.
‘But?’ She looked confused. ‘I thought you were coming in.’
‘No. I’m flattered, but no,’ he said firmly and stepped away from her room. ‘You should sleep.’
‘What’s the matter? I thought you and Cynthia were over?’
‘Michaela, I told you, I’m not interested in romance right now. Let’s keep things professional. We’ve had a great day, a big success. Now it’s time to sleep it off.’ He guided her to the bed and sat her down. ‘Good night, Michaela, thank you for today.’ He turned and strode out of the room.
In his own room Granger peeled off his sticky clothes and climbed under the scalding shower. The hot water soothed his tension. There were only a few more hours of the trip to get through; he had to focus. But it was the first time in his life that work wasn’t his number one priority and he wasn’t sure what to do about it. Normally, he thrived on the excitement of a business deal. He would be champing at the bit to move things along and start on the next project, but now he had more pressing things on his mind.
He stepped out of the shower and wrapped himself in a towel, then picked up his phone, dialled his PA and left a message. ‘Janet, please make sure to book a table for Thursday evening and make sure my flight gets changed to the earlier one.’
He sat on his bed. He rubbed his eyes and thought of Chantelle. There was something about her, that vulnerability. Losing her parents and the visible pain it caused her, but she didn’t even realise it. Her pain seemed to turn into a strength, a will to succeed and embrace her aunt and uncle with gratitude and love. A crisis like losing one’s parents at eleven would be enough to turn most normal teenagers into emotional wrecks, but not Chantelle. She had used it to build herself into an independent self-starter. It made her seem older, somehow.
On paper, she was too young for him. Twelve years younger was too much, wasn’t it? She would be wanting different things, at twenty-four. She still had a lot of living to do before she would be close to thinking about settling down and – he swallowed – marriage. But Granger was starting to realise he was getting to an age where that would or should be soon on the horizon for him. Although Chantelle did seem, in many ways, more mature than him. He wanted to get to know her better to see if it was real and if there was something underneath, hidden behind that exterior.
Early the next morning there was an email waiting with confirmation of the changed flight. Granger dressed and headed up to the gym, where he spent an hour lifting weights and running on the treadmill. He went back to his room to change and shower, then headed downstairs to reception. He flagged a cab and told the driver to take him to the city centre.
‘C’mon, you! I don’t h
ave to go to work until later today so that means we can have a lovely long walk,’ Chantelle told Rocky. The dog cocked his head to one side. ‘Why is it that I have the feeling I’m looking forward to a nice walk more than you? You’re such a lazy doggy.’ She ruffled his head and slipped the lead around his neck. They took the lift down to the ground and stepped out into the street. The good weather was still holding but rain was forecast for that day. Only one more day to go and he would be back. It had felt like such a long week.
She walked through the park, stopping every few steps for the dog to catch up. She sat down on a bench while Rocky sniffed around the stump of a tree. Nearby by a young family caught her eye. A pudgy toddler was waddling along with his parents. The young mum was pushing the pushchair and the dad was hovering beside the boy, ready to catch him if he fell.
The toddler caught sight of Rocky. ‘Da da da da,’ he shouted, and pointed at the dog. The movement and excitement caused the boy to lose his balance. His dad caught him before he landed on the concrete path, lifting him up and swinging him around the air. The boy cooed and reached down to grab his dad’s face. The mum laughed and rolled her eyes at Chantelle.
Chantelle smiled back. It was such an endearing sight. She felt a pang in her stomach. What she wouldn’t give for another few moments with her own parents. She watched as the young dad lowered the boy into his arms and carried him protectively down the path, both of them waving at Rocky as they passed.
Growing up without parents was the hardest thing in the world, she thought, watching the young family go. Could Granger really have a child he was ignoring? Something in her just couldn’t believe it. He seemed too honest, too much integrity. It didn’t ring true of the man she had started getting to know. He had treated her with decency and respect. She was an intern and he didn’t have to act like that with her.