Mergers and Acquisitions

by A. E. Radley

  Georgina looked at her with pity. She appeared to see right through her subterfuge.

  “I see,” she said simply. “Well, as I say, we’ll be at The Crown if you change your mind.”

  If Sophie thought she was exhausted at the office, she was practically asleep on her feet when she finally got home. She’d taken the presentation to a twenty-four-hour printers in the end, but not before she’d ruined her clothes and covered herself in printer ink. She’d grabbed a sandwich for dinner and eaten it while running back to the office to cover and bind the presentation.

  All in all, it had been a horrific day. Temping for Jonathan wasn’t easy. Dealing with Kate was no fun. And Georgina was asking about her non-existent sex life. A few more days like this, and she’d be happy to go back to interning, where the only drama was whose turn it was to make the tea.

  She opened the door to the apartment and could hear the television.

  “Hi,” she called out.

  She shrugged out of her coat and placed it on the cat tail hook. She placed her bag on the table by the door and walked into the living room.

  Matt was asleep on the sofa, the television playing quietly in the background. He looked adorable, softly snoring, curled up in a ball. During the journey home, she had decided that Georgina was wrong about Matt. How could someone make such wild accusations about a person they hadn’t met? Georgina didn’t know him like Sophie did.

  Sure, there were some strange coincidences. Things that may have looked weird from the outside. And maybe they were going through a weird patch in their relationship. But they loved each other. Matt told her that he loved her every day.

  She watched Matt sleep for a few seconds, a smile appearing on her face.

  She crept into the room, picked up the remote control from the coffee table, and turned the television off.

  I wonder what the time is? She looked at her bare wrist. She sighed as she remembered that she had taken her ink-covered watch off earlier. She turned around and saw Matt’s mobile phone on the floor by the sofa. She picked it up and activated the screen to see the time.

  “What are you doing?” His hand snapped forward and grabbed the phone.

  “Whoa, calm down,” she told him. “I was checking the time.” She looked at him in shock. His reaction had frightened her.

  He sat up and rubbed his eyes. “Sorry, I was still half asleep. I didn’t realise it was you.” He looked at his phone. “It’s ten past ten.”

  She looked at him for a few seconds. Georgina’s words echoed in her head. This wasn’t the first time that Matt had been overly protective of his phone. In the early days, they would constantly use each other’s phone to check the time or access the Internet. But over the past few months, Matt had been a little more guarded.

  Over the past few months.

  A lot had changed over the past few months. Sophie saw Georgina’s pitying look in her mind.

  “What’s up?” He frowned, but quickly pocketed his mobile phone.

  Questions swirled around her head, demanding answers. Puzzle pieces started to fall together like paving slabs hammering down into wet sand.

  It wasn’t the exhaustion. She felt like she was finally waking up.

  “How was work?” she asked.

  “It was good,” he replied. “I’m not quite up to where I want to be with commission yet. I may need to work a few more nights until we get to the end of the month.”

  Sophie licked her dry lips. She couldn’t believe she hadn’t seen what was right in front of her. She’d been too scared to. Something in her brain had prevented her from seeing the obvious. Until now.

  “Matt, we need to talk…”

  Chapter 13

  A stack of papers slammed down on her desk, causing Georgina to startle.

  “Here’s the meeting minutes from yesterday,” Sophie mumbled. She turned around to leave.

  “Wait a minute,” Georgina called after her.

  Sophie paused in the doorway. She kept her back to Georgina as she asked, “Can I get you something else?”

  “You can turn around and explain why you are throwing papers on my desk and scaring the hell out of me.”

  Georgina knew she had overstepped the previous day. She’d only invited Sophie for a drink so she and Michael could pump her for information about Kate’s plans for the Atrom campaign. When she’d heard about the boyfriend saga, she’d been unable to keep her mouth shut. To her, a delayed wedding was one thing, a delayed engagement was something else. But it wasn’t her place to say anything about it.

  She didn’t want to upset Sophie. Quite the opposite, she wanted information from her. But somewhere between seeking information and keeping the girl sweet, care had snuck in. Seeing her stressed out, up to her elbows in ink had triggered something in Georgina. She wanted to protect the girl, warn her. Clearly her good intentions had backfired. Now, Sophie was angry with her.

  Sophie slowly turned. “I’m sorry for throwing the papers,” she mumbled. She seemed to be struggling to maintain her composure.

  “Close the door,” Georgina ordered. She couldn’t leave things the way they were.

  “I have to get—”

  “Close the door,” Georgina repeated.

  A tear escaped Sophie’s eye and tracked its way down her cheek. “Please,” she begged. “Just let me get on with work.”

  “I’m sorry about what I said yesterday,” Georgina said. “I was out of line. It wasn’t my intention to upset you.”

  “You were right,” Sophie breathed out. “He… you saw it… everyone probably saw it. Everyone but me.”

  Georgina felt her jaw drop open in surprise. “Oh. I’m… I’m sorry.”

  “Can I go now?” Sophie asked, tears falling readily down her face.

  “You can, but I don’t think you want your colleagues seeing you like this. You’re welcome to stay until you compose yourself.” Georgina was already up and leaning around Sophie to close her office door. She was no stranger to people crying in her office, but this was one of the first times she cared. She didn’t want the Red Door staff to think she had been the cause of Sophie’s tears. Nor did she want Sophie to be upset.

  “I don’t want to be a bother,” Sophie sniffed between gulps of breath.

  “You’re not a bother.” Georgina took hold of Sophie’s shoulders and walked her over to the armchairs in the corner. “Sit.”

  Sophie all but fell into her chair, staring directly ahead into nothingness.

  Georgina snatched the box of tissues from her desk and placed them in Sophie’s lap. She looked at her watch. There was half an hour until her next meeting.

  “Would you like me to leave you alone?” Georgina asked.

  Sophie shook her head and made a move to stand up. “I don’t want to kick you out of your office, I’ll go.” The tissue box tumbled to the floor.

  Georgina stepped forward, blocking Sophie’s path with her body. “No, sit down. You clearly need a few moments to compose yourself.”

  Sophie hesitated before sitting back down. Plucking a tissue from the box, she curled up into a ball in the chair and sniffled. Georgina looked at her. She had no idea what to do, no experience in this area.

  “Do you want to talk about it?” Georgina asked softly.

  Sophie quickly shook her head.

  She wasn’t about to push the point. She knew her skillset in emotional matters left a lot to be desired. “Very well. You’re welcome to stay here as long as you need. I’ll just get on with some emails.” Georgina turned away and returned to her desk.

  She pulled her MacBook closer to focus on her work. The sounds of her typing and Sophie’s occasional sniffles filled the air. Georgina was dying to know what had happened; her guess had clearly been right. How she was so competent with other people’s love lives and so incompetent with her own remained a mystery. As did her behaviour towards Sophie Young.

  Georgina wasn’t exactly known for her kindness towards others. In fact, she was probabl
y better known for her distinct lack of compassion. From an early age, she had decided that she wanted to be successful. People would know her name, and she would never have to worry about money. It quickly became clear that being successful involved making a lot of people unhappy.

  The thrill of taking another step on her ladder of success far outweighed any guilty feelings towards anyone she’d climbed over on her ascent. As years flew by, her sensitivity towards others all but vanished. Her ability to suffer fools had always been non-existent, but her ability to suffer anyone at all quickly joined it.

  Anyone not reaching her lofty standards was berated, embarrassed, and, often, fired. She’d quickly discovered that giving people even the slightest amount of wiggle room led them to trample all over you later. Being a soft heart was not acceptable in corporate America.

  She’d developed quite the reputation for her no-nonsense attitude. She was actively feared. It suited her perfectly, fear seemed to equate to the perfect blend of work output and professional attitude that she desired.

  Until Jessica came along. Georgina shifted uncomfortably in her chair at the unwelcome reminder. Jessica had quickly cut through Georgina’s icy exterior. It was so clichéd that it made Georgina want to gag. Initially, she had treated Jessica like any other assistant. That is to say, she treated her terribly. She berated her for the smallest mistake, she deliberately insulted her, and she overburdened her with work to watch her fail.

  As time went on and Jessica stood her ground, Georgina had started to feel guilty for her behaviour. An entirely new sensation. Jessica consistently achieved perfection. She accomplished every task Georgina threw her way. She also had the courage to tell Georgina when she felt she was wrong.

  Georgina started to treat Jessica differently. For the first time since she had set up shop, she was putting kindness towards a member of staff first.

  She’d softened.

  And now she was allowing a junior employee to cry in her office.

  It infuriated Georgina that she cared for the girl. A few years ago, she would have been the cause of her tears, not the protector of them. Her reputation would be in tatters if people back home knew what she was doing.

  “Thank you,” Sophie whispered.

  Georgina looked into her watery eyes.

  “For letting me hide out in here,” Sophie explained. “Sorry I’m such a mess. I didn’t mean to get myself into this kind of state. It all just came out.”

  Georgina lowered the lid of her MacBook. “Do you want to talk about it?” she asked again.

  “Nothing to talk about,” Sophie muttered. “He’s been seeing someone else for a while. He won’t admit to it, but I know he is.”

  “How do you know if he didn’t admit to it?” Georgina worried for a moment that she had driven a wedge between Sophie and her boyfriend. Maybe she had planted an idea in her head, and Sophie had seen proof where there was none.

  “He goes out a lot, to the same place. And he talks about this one girl a lot. He says she’s a friend, but… but I don’t think she is. Suddenly, he’s losing weight, shaving off that awful beard. He’s on his phone all the time. And he hides it. He used to leave it on the table, but now it’s always in his pocket.”

  “Are you sure you’re not jumping to conclusions?”

  “We haven’t had sex in five months,” Sophie whispered. “And when he kisses me, it’s light kisses. Or on the cheek.”

  Georgina licked her lips and glanced down at her desk for a moment. Sophie could only be in her mid-twenties. She’d not had sex with her boyfriend in five months, and she considered him to be the one. The one she wanted to settle down with forever. She wondered how low her expectations and self-esteem must be to put up with that lack of intimacy. Or if Sophie herself had no desire for intimacy.

  “I’ve embarrassed you, I’m sorry,” Sophie said, clearly mortified. “It’s just, you mentioned it yesterday and, well, I—”

  “No, it’s fine, fine,” Georgina replied quickly. “I’m just surprised that someone your age, with your looks…” She trailed off, not wishing to finish a sentence that was rapidly becoming inappropriate.

  “Well, it wasn’t a lack of trying on my part,” Sophie admitted. “The truth is, he hasn’t loved me for months, he just… just stayed with me because it’s easier. While he waited to find someone better.”

  Georgina shook her head. “I’m sure that’s not true. I’m sure he loved you. Loves you, even.”

  “Maybe, but not enough.”

  Georgina moved over to the armchair where Sophie sat. Her tear-stained appearance was completed by a wobbling lip. Georgina usually ran away from such a sight, leaving it for someone else to deal with. Someone more competent in matters of the heart. But there was no one else. Sophie was opening up, and she needed support.

  She knelt in front of her, placing a comforting hand on her knee. “It’s not a reflection on you.”

  Sophie shook her head. “How can it not be a reflection on me? He… he fell out of love with me. I’m not enough for him.”

  Georgina shook her head vigorously. “You are an intelligent, beautiful, passionate woman. Maybe he’s not good enough for you, and he realised that and got frightened.”

  “You think so?” Sophie asked.

  “I know so.” A voice in the back of Georgina’s mind screamed at her to stop talking. This road led to trouble. But she couldn’t stand to see Sophie distraught. Memories of Jessica swirled in her mind. The similarities between the women were startling. In a few days, Sophie had wormed her way into Georgina’s heart, and Georgina had let her in.

  She sat on the arm of the chair and pulled Sophie towards her. The shy, bumbling girl seemed to vanish in the swirl of emotions, and she put an arm around Georgina’s middle. Georgina held Sophie close as sobs continued to shake her. She used her free hand to softly caress Sophie’s hair.

  Georgina tried not to think too much about the sensations that were tearing through her. Part of her felt special at being able to offer Sophie the comfort she so desperately needed. But another part of her felt nervous. Why was she helping Sophie? What was it about her that drew Georgina in? And what would she do about it?

  They’d sat in a comforting embrace for a few moments, when the door flew open and Kate stepped in. She placed a file on Georgina’s desk, only seeing the pair as she turned to leave. She stopped and stared.

  Sophie pulled away from Georgina.

  “What is going on here?” Kate demanded.

  “Nothing is going on,” Georgina replied hotly, not appreciating the insinuation.

  “I’m sorry, I should go.” Sophie wiped at her remaining tears with the sleeve of her cardigan and bolted from the office. The tissue box bounced along the floor.

  Kate watched her go before slamming the door closed and spinning to face Georgina. She put her hands on her hips and glared. “What was that?”

  Georgina picked up the tissue box and placed it on her desk. “She was upset. She’s broken up with her boyfriend,” she explained.

  “And she came to you for comfort?” Kate asked with a smirk. “Or are you pulling her into your clutches?”

  Georgina laughed. “My clutches? Are you out of your mind?”

  Kate pointed her finger at Georgina. “I’ve seen the way you look at her. Leave her alone. I won’t stand for this.”

  Georgina folded her arms and smiled. If she’d known she could irritate Kate so easily, she would have done it ages ago.

  “I think you’re jumping to conclusions,” Georgina said. “The girl was crying, I offered her tissues and a shoulder. But, if it were more, I don’t see what it would have to do with you.”

  “She’s my assistant,” Kate fumed. She placed her hands back on her hips.

  “No, she’s the most junior member of your staff, and I believe you assigned her to me,” Georgina replied.

  “She is a member of my staff.” Anger radiated from Kate in waves.

  Where is this rage coming from? Georgin
a mused. Surely she doesn’t have feelings for Sophie?

  “And yet, she comes to me,” Georgina replied. It wasn’t entirely true, but it was enough to irritate Kate. She felt a lot more at home annoying Kate than she did comforting Sophie.

  “I’m watching you,” Kate spat.

  Georgina opened her mouth to reply but closed it again when she saw Michael approaching her office through the glass door. Kate followed her gaze and turned around.

  Michael opened the door. “Sorry to interrupt, but Yannis is here.”

  “Yannis?” Kate said.

  “Do we have a meeting today?” Georgina asked.

  Michael shook his head. “He’s in Kate’s office.”

  Kate turned to face Georgina. “He does this sometimes.”

  “Better see what he wants,” Georgina said. She had a few clients who would suddenly turn up in the office. It was often not a good sign, but any extra time she could have with Yannis, she was willing to take. She needed to get to know him, understand how his mind worked, his likes and dislikes.

  Kate slowly nodded before walking out of the office.

  Michael looked at her. “What was that about?” he asked, clearly picking up on the tension in the room.

  “I’m not sure,” Georgina confessed. “Seems I struck a chord.”

  “What did you do?”

  “Played with her toy.”

  Chapter 14

  Kate bolted across the office, wanting to put distance between herself and Georgina. The moment she caught her rival embracing Sophie, an unexpected fire rose within her.

  She wished she hadn’t reacted quite as she had. She feared all she had done was provide Georgina with more ammunition in her attempts to irritate her.

  But she’d reacted without thinking, wanting to protect Sophie from Masters. She hadn’t even considered that Georgina would attempt to ensnare Sophie, but now it seemed so obvious. Georgina clearly had a type. Kate felt guilty for pushing the innocent girl straight into her clutches. She hoped her reaction would warn Georgina off. The sooner the woman was back in New York, the better.