Grounded

by A. E. Radley

  “How?” Marcus finally managed to ask.

  “Nothing gets past me. You know that.”

  He looked back at the paper.

  “Don’t worry, none of your staff…my staff…our staff, had anything to do with this. I know someone has been telling you that I have spies in your organisation. That’s not the case, I assure you.”

  Marcus had always complained about her inability to lie, always telling the truth no matter how damning to the business it could be. Telling him outright that there were no spies in his business would hopefully put an end to any notion of corporate espionage.

  “The thing is, that’s not the only complaint I have in this file.” She gestured to the folder and encouraged him to turn the papers.

  He reluctantly turned over the letter and accompanying paperwork that he had gathered and sent in anonymously. He turned the last leaf of paper over and found the other letter. As he started to read, his brow furrowed in confusion. Halfway through, he picked the paper up, appearing to skim to the end before starting over and reading the whole document again.

  “You’re reporting Applewood Financial for financial misconduct?” He looked over the top of the letter at her.

  “In a manner of speaking. And I’m not hiding behind anonymity.”

  He looked at the letter again, his eyes drifting down to the bottom where her signature was.

  “You see, Marcus, when I heard about your complaint, I was disappointed. And then I had an idea. I should thank you, really. Nothing gets past me,” Olivia repeated. “Though, unfortunately, when I was younger and new to Applewood, I had a tendency to sign things without fully understanding them. I trusted my coworkers a little too much. But I did always look at everything eventually, even after they had been signed and sent off.”

  Marcus lowered the letter. “You’re going to report my old audit files. Have me investigated and barred for financial mismanagement that took place years ago?”

  “Well, that’s definitely a possibility.”

  Marcus laughed. “You do realise—or maybe you don’t; I really don’t know where your head is right now. You do realise that, if you report this, it takes me down but you along with me? It may have been my work, but it was your signature. You were the safety net.”

  “I’m well aware of how it works, Marcus. I may have been ignorant at the time I signed the paperwork and filed the accounts, but ignorance is no excuse. I know that reporting you will be the end of my career as well as yours.”

  “You’ll never work in the sector again,” he told her.

  “I know.” Olivia shrugged. “But I’m happy to shoot myself in the foot if it brings you down with me. Of course, I don’t have a business to worry about. Applewood Financial is about to fold, as you well know. I’d hate to be in the situation where I ran a large financial company and would need to find a colleague to take control while I was being investigated and then struck off. Trying to find someone to trust is very difficult these days.”

  Marcus pushed himself back from the table and stared at her venomously.

  “Or, there’s another way,” Olivia offered. She leaned forward and sipped from the straw in her drink.

  “You’re blackmailing me.”

  “No, I’m providing you with motivation to listen to my very reasonable solution to all of our problems.”

  “And if I refuse to hear you out? Or if I do and I disagree?”

  Olivia smiled. “Then you’ll be left wondering just how well you know me. Would I really send this or is it all a bluff? I know you think you know me so well, but would you stake your career on it?”

  Marcus closed his eyes and looked as if he was attempting to control his temper.

  “Drink up; it’ll make you feel better.”

  Marcus opened his eyes, snatched the colourful drink, and drank a few big gulps from the rim, ignoring the straws.

  “I have to congratulate you,” Olivia started. “Sincerely. Your business is exceptional. The slick operation, the people…honestly, I’m impressed at how much you’ve built up in such a short space of time.”

  He frowned at her, clearly unsure as to why she would complement him.

  “As you know,” Olivia explained, “I analyse businesses for a living. We both know that your new operation is weak in two places, audit and corporate restructuring. Both of these departments sat under my control, and therefore you’ve not managed to build as strong a team as you would probably like.”

  “It’s just a matter of time,” he told her.

  “Absolutely.” Olivia nodded her agreement. “You’ll be able to recruit and train in about four to nine months. But, sadly, you don’t have four to nine months. Techtrix and Maddison’s both have audits coming up next month. PAK is on the brink and will need to be restructured if they’re to stay solvent. I give them six weeks before they’re in a critical position.”

  Marcus rolled his eyes and sighed. “What do you suggest?”

  “A partnership.”

  Marcus shook his head and opened his mouth to argue.

  “I’m stepping down,” Olivia added. “Simon will take my place as managing director of a much smaller Applewood Financial. Now, I know you like and respect Simon, and he is excellent at people management and scheduling. Which is exactly what an audit and restructuring specialist would need. The staff that remain at Applewood are in a perfect position to take on this work as an outsourced provider. It makes sense.”

  “You’re stepping down?” Marcus clarified.

  “Yes. You won’t be working with me. I won’t even be a nonexecutive director. I will be completely removed from Applewood Financial.”

  “And you’re leaving your secretary in charge?”

  “He’s an executive assistant,” Olivia corrected. “And it wouldn’t be as if he replaces me in my current role. He would be the project manager between your team and Applewood’s team.”

  “And Applewood would be our outsourced audit and restructuring partner,” Marcus concluded.

  “Precisely. Let’s be honest; your problem is with me. I’d be gone. You’d work with people you know, people you trust. But Applewood will stay independent. The people in London will retain their jobs, and the work will not be moved to your New York office.” She took another sip of her drink. “Besides, I can’t imagine you have much capital left. Expansion at a rate that you have achieved doesn’t come cheap. While it would take you four to nine months to create your own team, I can’t imagine that you can afford to source or salary that team for at least another twelve months anyway.”

  Marcus attempted to school his features, and Olivia concluded that her estimates were right. She could tell that he was considering her offer, and she hoped that he would be able to see beyond his hatred of her and realise it was the best option for everyone involved. Yes, she was threatening him, but she had to do that to knock him off his high horse and get him to listen to reason. This solution was one that worked for everyone.

  “And if I disagree with this partnership plan?”

  “Why would you?” Olivia asked honestly. “You know it makes sense.”

  “I’ll have to think about this.”

  “Take all the time you need. You’re the one with a deadline. I’m happy to walk away from Applewood at this point.”

  Marcus shook his head and chuckled. “I don’t believe that for one second.”

  “You should,” she told him earnestly. “I’m realising that there is a lot more to life. I’ve been stuck in a terrible rut without ever analysing why I do what I do.”

  Marcus looked over Olivia’s shoulder and frowned. He leaned forward and gestured for her to do the same. “I don’t mean to startle you, but I think those bikers behind you are listening to us. We need to—”

  Olivia sat back up and waved his concerns away with her hand. “That’s just Crazy Weasel and Butcher. They are making sure I’m okay. I told them it would be fine, but they wanted to be sure you behaved yourself.” She turned around and smiled
at her new friends.

  Both men smiled back warmly before looking at Marcus with stony expressions. She turned back to Marcus and watched as he swallowed and tore his eyes from them before returning his attention to Olivia.

  “So…” He let out a sigh. “Let’s figure out how this might work.”

  CHAPTER 37

  “But I don’t wanna sleep,” Henry mumbled through a big yawn.

  Olivia chuckled. “You may not want to, but I think you need to.”

  “Can we go to the zoo again soon?”

  “Of course.” Olivia pulled the bed sheet up around Henry and smoothed his hair from his forehead.

  “Really?”

  “Really,” she confirmed. An idea struck her. “As long as you go to sleep now.”

  Henry considered the compromise and nodded his agreement. “Night, Olivia.”

  “Goodnight,” she whispered.

  “Kiss,” he demanded as she turned to leave.

  She turned back and kissed his cheek, smiling as he left a very wet kiss on her own cheek.

  He closed his eyes, turned to his side, and stretched out. Even at full stretch, he looked tiny in the enormous bed of the hotel guest room. Olivia turned off the lamp and returned to the living room, where Emily was excitedly pacing the room while on the telephone to Nicole.

  Emily finished the call and hung up. She turned to Olivia with a large grin on her face.

  “You won’t believe what she said,” Emily said. “Nicole has been looking through my other scripts, and she thinks that there are two that she can easily sell. They won’t work for her productions, but she knows a Scottish production company, and she wanted my permission for her to approach them on my behalf.”

  Olivia opened her mouth in surprise and simply nodded.

  “Is Henry okay?” Emily asked.

  “He didn’t want to sleep.” Olivia sat on the sofa and poured herself another glass of wine from the bottle on the coffee table. “But he also wanted to go to the zoo again. I told him he could, as long as he went to sleep.”

  “And you say you’re not good with children.” Emily sat beside her, picked up her own wine glass, and took a sip. “Thank you for today. And yesterday. And the day before that.”

  “I’m making up for lost time,” Olivia explained through a grin.

  “You’re spoiling us.” Emily placed a soft kiss on Olivia’s cheek. She frowned. “Um, Olivia…your cheek is wet?”

  Olivia pulled a tissue from the box on the coffee table and wiped her cheek dry. “Sorry, Henry kissed me.”

  Emily chuckled. “I’ll be glad when we’re over the wet kisses phase.”

  “One day he’ll be a teenager and won’t want to kiss you at all,” Olivia pointed out.

  Emily put her hand to her heart and shook her head. “Don’t wound me. Henry’s going to stop growing when he is seven and remain my sweet little boy forever.”

  “That’s unlikely.” Olivia shook her head.

  “A girl can dream.”

  Olivia chuckled. “What else did Nicole say? Has she got a date for the rewrites?”

  Emily lowered her wine glass and looked apologetic. “Yes. I need to cancel dinner tomorrow.”

  “Oh.” Olivia knew she shouldn’t feel disappointed. She’d had so much time with Emily and Henry lately.

  “She wants the rewrites for the weekend,” Emily continued.

  “This weekend?” Olivia questioned, surprised.

  “Yes, she apologised, but that’s the only date one of her partners can look at it before he goes on vacation. I’ve no idea how I’m going to get through it all, but I’ll try my best. I just hope I can keep Henry entertained with something, or that will slow the process down.”

  “I can watch Henry if you like?”

  Emily looked at her for a moment. “Really?”

  “Of course. He can stay here.”

  “Are you sure you wouldn’t mind?” Emily worried her lower lip.

  “I don’t have anything else to do. Henry’s a welcome distraction.”

  “You still haven’t told me what’s happening at work. I can tell something is up.” Emily looked at her intently.

  Olivia sipped her wine. “There’s nothing to say yet. The details are still being arranged. I’ll tell you when there’s something concrete.”

  “Okay, but you’d tell me if there was something important, wouldn’t you?”

  Olivia could feel her cheeks flare with heat. “Of course.”

  Emily sighed. “What is it?”

  “Nothing. It’s just the wine. Everything’s fine. Absolutely fine.”

  Emily reached out, took Olivia’s glass, and placed it next to hers on the table. She leaned forward and unbuttoned the top button of Olivia’s blouse.

  “You know how we kinda had an unspoken agreement that tonight we’d finally…”

  Olivia swallowed as Emily licked her lips and undid a second button. She didn’t trust her voice, so she simply nodded her understanding.

  “How we planned to exhaust Henry at the zoo and tuck him up in the guest room so I could finally get a look at the master suite,” Emily continued.

  Olivia nodded again, her breath catching.

  “Well…” Emily looked up. “That’s all off the table unless you tell me what you’re hiding from me, right now.” Emily sat back, picked up her wine glass, and sipped the liquid, looking over the rim at Olivia.

  Olivia licked her lips and let out a quick breath, finally remembering how to breathe. “There’s noth—”

  Emily’s gaze turned serious.

  “I bought a house,” Olivia blurted out.

  Emily coughed, choking on her wine. “What?”

  Olivia winced. She’d planned a way to tell Emily, and this certainly wasn’t it.

  “You bought a house?” Emily stared at her in confusion.

  Olivia nodded. Sometimes gestures of the cranium better expressed what was happening than words.

  “When? Where? Why didn’t you say something?” Emily asked.

  Olivia realised that no amount of nodding was going to help. “Here, in New York. I complete in a few days.” Olivia picked up her iPad from the coffee table and unlocked the screen, then brought up details of the property.

  Emily snuggled into Olivia’s arm, glanced at the iPad screen, and then grabbed it from her and stared in shock.

  “Holy shit.” Emily stared at the large house and then looked at Olivia with wide eyes. “Is this it?”

  “Yes.” Olivia nodded, concerned by Emily’s reaction.

  “It’s a mansion,” Emily declared as she started sweeping through the photos with her index finger. “Five bedrooms? What are you going to do with…oh my God…it’s got a pool? And a gym in the garage. Correction, double garage.”

  Olivia watched intently as Emily swiped through the pictures and read the property details, desperately trying to ascertain what her thoughts were.

  “Wow,” Emily finally said. She handed the iPad back. “You’ll need to hire a cleaner. It’s huge.”

  A nervous laugh escaped Olivia’s mouth. “You like it?”

  “Like it? It’s incredible. Beautiful. I’m not quite sure why you kept it quiet from me. Or why you need quite so much room…” Emily trailed off as the realisation hit her. She sat up, frowning at Olivia.

  “I, well, I guess I was hoping that you and Henry would live there with me.” Olivia announced before fear rendered her speechless again. “I know it’s ridiculously soon. And I don’t mean now, of course. But, I want us to be together. And I thought that buying a house with room for all of us would…” Olivia jumped to her feet and started to pace the room. “I’m not really sure what I was thinking. I just did it. Then I didn’t want to tell you because I know that it’s too soon. But the house was perfect.” She let out a shuddering breath and slowly turned to face Emily.

  Emily smiled and slowly shook her head in disbelief. “You’ll never stop surprising me.”

  “Is that a good thing?�
�� Olivia asked.

  “Well, I certainly won’t complain of boredom.”

  “You’re not angry?”

  Emily stood up and held out her arms as she walked towards Olivia. She enveloped her in a hug. “No, I’m not angry. I’m glad you’ve taken a step forward and bought a house. I understand why you bought a big house and why you wanted to keep it a secret from me.”

  “I don’t know why I do these things,” Olivia admitted. She nuzzled her face into Emily’s blonde hair and inhaled the smell of her shampoo. “I know it’s too soon to be asking you to move in.”

  Emily pulled back a little so she could make eye contact. “It is too soon. And buying a house isn’t the usual way to ask someone to move in with you.”

  “I’ve never been accused of doing things the usual way,” Olivia pointed out.

  “No.” Emily chuckled. “That’s definitely true. When do you move in?”

  “I get the keys on Friday,” Olivia replied. “I need to furnish it, of course. I may need help with that.”

  Emily loosened her grip around Olivia’s waist. “My help?”

  Olivia nodded. “I’ve never decorated a home. Never bought furniture. I don’t have a clue what I’ll need. What we’ll need, if you agree to moving in with me one day.”

  Emily bit her lip, gently untangled her arms from Olivia, and walked away, deep in thought.

  “Emily?” Olivia frowned at the sudden change in atmosphere.

  “Olivia…” Emily let out a small sigh. “You know I can’t afford a stick of furniture for a house like that.”

  “I don’t expect you to buy anything,” Olivia replied softly. She watched as Emily paced the room, arms wrapped around her waist as she contemplated.

  Emily let out a sad laugh. “Olivia, you are so very generous. But I don’t know if I can accept this. Any of this.”

  Olivia turned, walked over to the window, and stared out at the twinkling lights. She knew this was an important moment. A time to say the right thing.

  “Money,” Olivia announced, “is such a difficult subject. In my working life, I meet people with enormous amounts of money. I also meet people who have lost enormous amounts of money. Do you know what they all have in common?” She turned to look at Emily questioningly.