Her eyebrows rose in inquiry since she hadn’t a clue what he was talking about.
“Those extras during my incapacity? It’s too difficult to fasten all these small buttons, and there’s no way in hell I can tie my tie.”
Her surprised chortle couldn’t be suppressed. “You expect me to tie your tie? How do you know I can?”
“I’ve every confidence in you.”
The twinkle in his gaze she disregarded. “Do you need to be so formal?” In his present circumstances, she was amazed formal clothing was necessary.
Nairn’s reply was definite. “I always wear a tie at the London office, and I’m not going to change that because of a blip in my health.” His eyes strayed down to the cargo pants. “This is as close as I can get at the moment to cover my legs, though I assure you I do need the tie.”
Aela spent the next few minutes deftly fastening his buttons, and re-zipping the leg of his cargo pants as far as it would go over his leg cast. Tying a tie was easy because she’d worn a tie at formal pilot events and knew how to do it – except tying it for Nairn meant very close proximity to her heavily breathing boss.
Nairn reached forward to hold onto her shoulders while she concentrated on knotting the tie. Ignoring the pressure of his gentle squeezing she continued with her task. When his lips got closer to her hair as she bent her head, she imagined a whispering kiss.
Nairn drew in a pained breath because she was firm in pulling the knot up into place, her fingers caressing his neck before she smoothed down his collar. The breath she huffed on purpose onto his stretched up Adam’s apple made his skin erupt into little goose pimples.
Nairn’s fingers curled on her shoulders as he put her away from him, his sigh loud, so close to her ear.
“Thank you, Miss Cameron.”
Were his ribs paining him again? She somehow didn’t think that was what the sigh was about.
Chapter Thirteen
“Almost in Glasgow,” Aela shouted to Nairn. “So, was that spectacular…or what?”
Nairn’s dry answer blasted her ear. “Not down yet, so I guess a nine and three quarters.”
A little after ten o’clock found them moving from the hangar where the floatplane was berthed. Her laugh rang out as they sat atop one of the powered baggage carts while it chugged them along to Nairn’s jet. Aela had warned the ground crew that this time Nairn might just need a little shunt between planes. Glasgow to London was the next leg of the journey, and she just couldn’t wait to get her hands on the jet controls. She’d been conscious of the way her skirt rode up her thighs as she’d used the foot controls in the floatplane but decided not to make an issue of it since Nairn had mostly been looking out of the side window.
Nairn’s jet was a delight to fly, a slightly newer version than any she’d flown before, yet not so different. Too soon, she followed instructions from air traffic control in London for descent and after that handed the plane over to the maintenance crew.
Her next challenge presented itself, the greatest to date because flying had been familiar. Another Range Rover awaited, Aela expected to drive it to the London office. Driving the vehicle wasn’t the issue. She’d spent five days as a tourist in London when she’d made landfall in the UK and knew London traffic was vastly different from Lanera.
Profound swearing burst free as Nairn hobbled down the jet ramp, followed by an apology. “Sorry. Didn’t think ahead enough to ask if you’d rather have had a driver get us to the office.” When both of his feet were on terra firma he smiled at her then explained, “I’m so used to doing all this myself I haven’t broken it down to individual transportations.”
She made sure her grin looked confident. “My driver’s license allows me to drive in the UK, and we’ve sorted out insurance details. With directions I’ll get us where you want us to be…so long as you don’t expect me to scoot around like a London cabbie, because there’s no way I could do that.”
Nairn’s answer was good-humoured. “I don’t expect you to be familiar with London streets. Soon, though?”
His smile wasn’t just around his mouth, his blue eyes twinkled and the day seemed to get brighter.
Their relaxed attitude was a boon, since the drive was daunting. Thank heavens for satellite navigation systems. The posh voice was very clear and helped her negotiate the route. All she’d to do was concentrate on driving on the left and wend her way through the traffic throng. Soon she parked in a dedicated bay at an impressive waterfront development which housed Nairn’s main office building and two warehouses. His glance settled on her as she engaged the handbrake and turned off the ignition.
“Not too late to back out, Miss Cameron.”
Aela knew very well what he was doing, but she wouldn’t change her mind anytime soon. Their eyes clashed as she shook her head. “Nice offer, thank you, but I’m here for the duration and in this quest just as much as you are now, sir. Shall we get to work?”
Stepping out of the car she slung their laptop case straps across her shoulder, fisted his walking aid, and toed her door closed before she went round to hand Nairn the metal cane.
“Don’t say you didn’t have your chance.” His jaw was set, a steel glint in his eye as he manoeuvred himself out of the car. “If you’re sure about not deserting, then let’s get on with it.”
“I don’t feel like abandoning you today, sir.” She zinged the automatic locking device and opened the entrance door to the offices. “A problem shared is a problem halved? Isn’t that what they say?”
Nairn’s look wasn’t convincing. He still appeared uncomfortable. “So I’ve heard, but my problems shouldn’t be your problems.”
Their entering the building created quite a stir.
“Mr. Malcolm! You’ll need the lift today.” The entrance level receptionist gushed as she hastened over the tiled foyer to summon it. “I didn’t know you’d had an accident.”
Her inquiries regarding Nairn’s health were brushed over, Nairn’s terse and impatient manner indicating he wasn’t having any truck with gossip. “Sandra, this is my new PA, Aela Cameron. She needs a security pass. Organize it, please. Field all my calls through her direct line, and send Robert up to my office right away.”
Aela barely had time to note the doors with clear insignias for Nairn’s different companies. Lanwater: Traders; Dry Gear; and Whitecaps.
“Personnel and Payroll Departments on this side,” he barked at her. “The link door leading to the warehouses is the one at the far end of that corridor, beyond the Security office.”
A bleached-blonde head popped out of one of the offices, noted Nairn’s injuries and made a hasty retreat. “Mr. Malcolm’s here.”
The comment was discernible by them although it was no doubt intended to be a stage whisper. Aela could well-imagine the flutter inside the office. She guessed as soon as the lift was in motion that his health issues would spread like wildfire before they even reached his top floor office suite. Nairn ushered her into the Gale Breakers office and made introductions. She’d already spoken with the woman on the phone, so there was marginal familiarity.
Nairn spent no more time than necessary on updates from Lanera then led her into his small Technical Division. It housed a computer department and a room serving as a base for his small team of technicians.
“Nairn Malcolm, what the hell have you done to yourself?”
Aela was surprised by the informality of the chirped question being asked by a female seated at a large bank of computer monitors. She watched the woman’s head bobbing as she tut-tutted, appearing highly amused by Nairn’s state of health.
“Good morning is all the greeting I need today, Miss Faulds!”
Nairn smiled at the woman who was still chuckling and muttering to herself about idiots who should only sell and not try out all the products.
“Ginny Faulds meet Aela Cameron, my new PA.”
“Glad to see you got lucky about something, Mr. Malcolm,” Ginny chortled, the stare she sent Aela’s way qui
te blatant.
Nairn looked from woman to woman, his grin wide. “You know something? I believe I did, Ginny.”
Aela had no idea of the relationship between the two people next to her, but they were very comfortable with each other as Nairn got a brief update on her departmental progress.
Robert, the security guard, was already waiting in Nairn’s office by the time they entered.
“There’s nothing at all, Robert?” Nairn sounded frustrated, the lack of evidence a disappointment he couldn’t seem to mask.
Robert confirmed he’d looked at the security tapes, along with police officers. Nothing from the previous Thursday, when the tank problem was discovered, appeared suspect. He clarified the tapes from the previous two weeks were still being checked, the police matching up movements with personnel who were legitimate around the area. “The warehouse staff has been interviewed but nothing has transpired from that either, Mr. Malcolm.”
With no new information to process they set down to work. In some ways Aela found the office situation easier. As PA she had her own front office, Nairn occupying a spacious corner office overlooking the Thames. Now, she wasn’t aware of his dominating presence every second on the opposite side of the room, but it did mean buzzing him often before transferring some of the constant calls coming up from the main switchboard.
A couple of hours later she buzzed him yet again. “Warehousing just rang about the new two-clip buoyancy aids for kayaking.” She checked her notes. “They think you should assess them before they’re dispatched to Adrenalinn Adventuring, Tallinn, Estonia. Someone in warehousing doesn’t sound happy about them.”
Almost before she’d finished speaking Nairn hobbled towards her. “Let’s go. It’s time for you to meet Adrenalinn Adventuring staff and visit the stockrooms.”
She’d been quite surprised nobody from the floor below had made any kind of excuse to come and talk to him but then again, with a grin she had difficulty suppressing, she guessed why no-one had bearded the grouchy ogre’s den.
They exited the lift on the floor below, Aela trekking behind as Nairn got into a good lurching rhythm and entered a large office with a dozen littered desks, manned by clicking staff in communication with customers.
Nairn stopped at the desk of Robin Ellesmere, the Manager of Adrenalinn Adventuring, introduced her as his new P.A., and asked for an update on the buoyancy aids in question.
“The spring clips are harder to operate than those from our last manufacturer. In extreme conditions they might be too difficult to deal with, but I don’t have the practical kayaking experience you have, Nairn, to be sure about them.”
“When did you place the order?”
“Stella organized it about a month ago. Remember you requested a bigger front pocket than those on the previous design?”
Aela watched Nairn nod at the memory of it. “Sure, but I don’t remember okaying this manufacturer.”
“I’d need to check, but I’m pretty sure Stella got a better deal on this batch, so long as it was a bulk order, and that’s why it went through.”
As Robin answered Nairn’s question he pointed out an example for her on a brochure, to bring her up to speed.
Nairn nodded acceptance of Robin’s reservations over the goods in question. They were going to climes where extreme cold was common and deficiencies in them couldn’t be contemplated. “I’m taking Miss Cameron on a tour of the warehouses, so I’ll look at them when I’m there.”
Nairn lurched away from Robin, passed the next desk which was empty, and moved on. She was quite used by then to his terse announcements as he introduced her to the rest of the staff, but she detected a tension that didn’t seem related to his injuries or to the staff’s concern for his welfare. Nairn scanned around as though looking for something, or someone.
“Stella isn’t here today?” Nairn asked Robin.
Aela knew from personnel lists Stella Grainger had joined the company some months before as Assistant Manager of Adrenalinn Adventuring.
“She’s down at Payroll. There was an issue about the wages and conditions for the staff at our bungee site in Perthshire.”
“I’ve heard nothing of it.”
Nairn’s brow was creased. She had already realized he hated to be out of the loop about anything, though delegation meant he was only informed about the larger issues.
“Want me to send her up to you later, Nairn? Stella’s not been to visit you for a while.” Robin’s chuckling request was accompanied by twitching of his eyebrows, a suggestive twitching she wasn’t meant to miss. Robin’s hearty laugh accompanied Nairn’s silent exit.
Aela wouldn’t pry: it was none of her business. Nairn had told her he didn’t date employees, and even if he’d forgotten, or lied, it was still nothing to do with her.
A slow tour of the rest of the premises followed, where she was introduced to the employees, Nairn familiar with everyone. She could tell Nairn knew his business intimately and had a good rapport with his employees. They were respectful; no animosity towards him – in fact there was a general camaraderie. So who on earth had been sticking knives in Nairn Malcolm? She got no bad vibes from her tour at all.
The slow progress around the warehouses exhausted Nairn. His brow furrows deepened with every move forward, although she knew him well enough now to recognize he was unwilling that his employees should see his debilitation. But if he was as well liked, as it seemed, why were the incidents happening?
Nairn interrupted her slight distraction. “Miss Cameron. We’ll take a sample up to my office. I’d like to have another think about it, John.”
John Reid, the warehouse manager, passed a floatation vest over for her to carry.
“Maybe someday I’ll get a chance to try one of these out.” She winked as she hitched the buoyancy aid over one shoulder. “I fancied kayaking in Estonia, but I never made it so far north in Europe.”
John’s friendly replies were cut short by Nairn’s declaration that they were done and were returning to his office. As they headed back along to the lift, she sighed. An incommunicative Nairn occupied the lift alongside her.
His voice buzzed through the intercom a while later. “I’m through with the buoyancy aid. Could you take it back to the stockroom, please?”
Another jaunt was very welcome. She was aware Nairn was exhausted; an earlier blatant inquiry if he’d remembered his pain killers had been received with one of his condescending black glowers. Time to make a strategic exit, but first she went in to collect the vest.
“Call in to the Adrenalinn office, please, and give Robin this file for counter-signature.” Nairn’s request was accompanied by a suppressed grunt when he stretched his arm a little too far, his last words gagged.
“Not a problem.” Her answer was blithe, amazed at his stamina but bugged by his determination to act normal when he clearly wasn’t. “It’s way past time for you to chew down some more happy pills and take a break, sir, but I don’t suppose you’re going to listen to little ol’me?” Another black glower was the answer she expected as she picked up the buoyancy aid and slung it across her shoulder.
There was no way she was going to wait for the lift when Nairn wasn’t with her. She skipped down the narrow staircase and elbowed her way in the Adrenalinn Adventuring office door. A blur of russet hair flashed past her, almost knocking her down as she made an awkward negotiation of the buoyancy aid in one hand and the now cascading file of papers in the other. Someone was in a hurry! But she wasn’t, and she was going to take some time out from Nairn.
Using Robin as a fount of knowledge, she spent some time clarifying issues she was still uncertain about.
Returning the buoyancy aid was her next priority as she stepped onto the lower staircase leading to the ground floor. A few skips down her foot slipped off the step; her whole body launched itself clear into the air, feet first, and she landed with a spectacular whoosh on the bottom step, right on top of the buoyancy aid which had somehow managed to end up under th
e small of her back. The air was punched right out of her lungs, her head whacked back like a whiplash on the concrete step behind it, and her legs sprawled out in an ungainly loll.
All within sight of anyone, and everyone, who was presently in the entrance foyer.
“Miss Cameron!” Sandra’s shriek as she ran across from the front desk penetrated the haze around Aela as she felt her faculties flip back into place again. “What on earth happened?”
A flurry of people appeared in an instant to help her. Once the adrenaline stopped pumping so hard, she realized short of having a bump on the back of her head she was otherwise unhurt. Assuring them everything really was in good working order had no effect – their concern for her was overpowering. There was no doubt she’d have her own bruises appearing to match Nairn’s, but they’d be in places he wouldn’t be seeing. Thank goodness for the buoyancy aid. It hadn’t exactly floated her to the bottom, but it had saved her lower back from being pulverized by the bottom step.
“Sandra!” Robert’s gruff tones hissed in her ear as he helped her to stand. “Don’t let anyone go up that staircase, and get Miss Cameron to a seat right now.”
All Aela wanted was to be up in the office she’d been having a little escape from. Embarrassed by her tumble, she hated the solicitous fuss.
“Someone take this back to the warehouse now, please.” Robert indicated Aela’s burden as he bent to examine the bottom step of the staircase.
Margaret, Head of Payroll, prized the buoyancy aid from Aela’s tight grip and assigned it to one of her staff before she helped her towards the soft seating near the front door.
“I’m fine, really…I’m okay. I’ll just get back up to my office and have a seat there,” she assured Margaret, summoning up a hearty laugh to minimize the tense concern.
Margaret insisted on escorting her into the lift and up to Nairn’s office suite.
“I’m fine, Margaret,” she persevered, dredging up a reassuring smile for the woman as she went and sat at her desk. “Look. I’m sitting down.”
Nairn appeared in the doorway as she entreated Margaret to go back down to her own work. “Is there a problem, Miss Cameron?”
Take Me Now Page 12
