by Sorell Oates
James' firm were acting on behalf of another company that wanted to either acquire or merge with Yearwood, Angus and Port. His distress at the clash between work and personal life had had nothing to do with his emergency visit to Beijing, it has to do with him being involved with the deal. Their discussions through the week flashed through Maddy's mind. She'd divulged all kinds of information on work that would have been of benefit to James if he was brokering a deal. All their talk on human resources; it was Maddy's job that was on the line. Geoff's distant and weird behaviour about helping her leave the company verified her line of thinking that her job would be axed in the acquisition.
Furious at being used, Maddy had had enough. For the first time ever, she prioritised her relationship over work. She put the blue folder in Geoff's tray.
”I'm not well. I need to go home,” she told Helen, grabbing her things together. ”Let the office manager know. Unless it's an emergency don't bother calling.”
Maddy stormed out of the office, leaving the entire accounts department speechless. She flagged a cab giving the address of SGR Nowe International at Canary Wharf. Under other circumstances she would have enjoyed the journey down the river Thames, but she couldn't be bothered with scenery. Equally furious with Geoff, she texted informing him she'd gone home ill and letting him know where she'd left the folder.
Fuelled by fury, she tipped the cab driver, not wanting to wait around for change from her twenty pound note. The building was modern and impressive. Maddy marched to the main reception desk.
”I'm here to see James Nowe,” she said with what calm confidence she could muster.
”Can I ask who's here to see him?”
”Maddison Bridie.”
Her eyes were hawk-like as she watched the receptionist ring through.
”I'm afraid he's not available.”
”Did you speak to him or his secretary?”
”His secretary.”
”This is urgent and important. It's a private matter. It's very important James is notified personally that I'm here.”
The receptionist glowered at her. Maddy didn't blame her. She knew she was being haughty. While she felt bad about her unpleasant attitude, if she didn't kick up a fuss they wouldn’t call James directly.
”Can you take a seat in the waiting area please?” asked the receptionist coolly.
Within minutes James appeared in the elevators. He hurried to Maddy.
”Maddy, what's up? What's wrong?”
”You knew, didn't you?”
James looked blank.
”You knew from the start about my company. You knew where I worked, you knew there was a deal going on and if I'm right, you were working on it.”
”Maddy, let's go outside.”
”We'll discuss it in here,” she said sternly.
”I can't discuss it here. Please come outside,” he requested tentatively.
Steaming, Maddy allowed him to usher her out the front door.
”Do you want coffee?” he offered.
”I only want answers.”
They walked to a bench overlooking the Thames. London was always prettiest in the summer when the sun was shining. The view and company should have been perfect but Maddy was ill.
”I only want the truth,” she sighed.
”I’ll give you the truth, you have my word.”
”What do you know about truth, James? You haven't been honest with me even once. You take me out for a drink, kiss me and the next day give me the cold shoulder on the train. You make love to me and when I get a call from an ex you walk out on me. You never mention where you live, where you work, who you are. You'll forgive me for saying your word means nothing to me.”
”Get angry Maddy. I deserved that.”
”Did you know where I worked?”
”No. Not until you told me.”
”Why didn't you say you were trying to buy out my company?”
”Because I can't. Business, law, it's private. I can't talk about these deals with anyone except the parties involved. When you told me where you worked, I felt awful. I didn't know what to do. I was already committed to my client and the deal, but I didn't want to lose you in the process. I hated not being able to tell you, that's why I was offish with you.”
”Did you use me to get inside information on Yearwood, Angus and Port?”
”No. The things you told me, because you are involved with the financial aspect of the company, I was privy to the information any way. It took longer, but we were already getting accounting reports from the lawyers acting on behalf of your company.”
Maddy knew James was speaking the truth, because Geoff had requested she prepare the reports to pass on.
”Fine, I understand that. I appreciate your job and whatever restricts you from discussing your clients and the projects you work on. I even appreciate I was the one blabbing about my company to you and you would've gotten hold of the information regardless, but I'd love to know why you never mentioned where you lived or where you worked. Was it really because you thought I’d brand you as an over-privileged, selfish, spoilt man that never grew up?”
”Actually yes. People in my line of work hear the name Nowe and decide from those four letters alone what kind of person I am. You aren't stupid, Maddy. Look how easily you tracked me down with so little to go on. If I’d told you all those things on the day we met, you probably wouldn't have even bothered giving me a chance. I know I've played it wrong, I should've been upfront, but I...I felt there was something between us and I wanted to give us a fair and proper chance without my surname putting you off.”
”There was something between us,” she said tearfully.
”But there's not now?” James' voice was breaking with emotion.
”How can I ever trust you?”
”Because I never lied. I may not have been open, but I never lied. I always came back to you. I'm not perfect. It isn't only women who get hurt by the opposite sex. I slept around and had fun in my twenties. I had a lethal reputation with the ladies and law by the time I hit thirty, but all the women wanted was the boy. They weren't interested in the matured man wanting to settle down. They wanted the rich, reckless, boy-wonder lawyer, who'd lavish money on them and never ask for anything back. I know you're too good for me. When your ex called, I knew I couldn't compete. I was angry and jealous because I badly wanted us to work. I was petrified I was putting everything on the line for a girl on the rebound.”
”I told you it was two years ago.”
”I know. I told you I'm a fool. There's a lot of room for personal improvement with me.”
”You're wrong. You're perfect James. I only wish you'd been perfect for me.”
”You are perfect for me,” he said in a choked voice.
Maddy broke down weeping. James draped an arm around her to cuddle her to his chest. Close to tears himself, he kept Maddy warm and tight in his embrace. Eventually she calmed herself and looked out at the river, which was nowhere near as blue as James' eyes.
”I lost you,”' she said. ”Will I lose my job too?”
”I can't answer that,” muttered James.
”Thought you'd say that,” said Maddy bitterly.
”Trust me when I say Maddy, I would never do anything to deliberately hurt you. I only want to look after you.”
”I believe you. I believe you didn't deliberately set out to hurt me, but you did anyway; it's just that it was unintentional. Are we merging or being acquired?”
”Maddy please, you know I can't. Go to Geoff, he'll tell you. You trust him.”
”I never mentioned Geoff did I? That was why you were stunned this morning, because you forgot you weren't supposed to know his name. Yesterday when you said you'd been drinking since lunch. Celebrating completing the deal with Geoff, were you?”
”Yes. We hold a lunch to celebrate sealing the deal. I got in Wednesday night from Beijing, the deal was signed Thursday morning. I had to attend the meeting and then we had lunch.”<
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”It was only after work that you decided to see me.”
”Maddy, I made a mistake. You come first. I've just left a meeting to see you. Don't you see how much you mean to me? I realise now, for me to be happy we have to come first in my life. I have to put you first. Our being together is the one thing I want.”
”I thought I wanted that to, but how do I love the man who took away the most important thing in my life?”
”I was stupid enough to hope I might be more important to you than your job,” he said sadly.
”You were. I sacrificed a week's work to get in touch with you, only to find you could've contacted me at any time. You considered buying out my company more important than being with me.”
”I asked you to trust me on this matter, Maddy. I won't deny I haven't dealt with this conflict of interest well, but you come first for me, not work.”
”Sorry James, I don't see it.”
Maddy took public transport back to the office. Although she wanted to go home to lick her wounds, she decided it was best to face Geoff and receive her notice. Robotically, she entered the office, knocking on Geoff's door without registering any of her colleagues in the accounts department.
”Maddy, I thought you'd gone home ill,” said Geoff. ”Feeling better?”
”Not really Geoff. You and I go back a long way. Stupid, but I kind of always thought you were the next best thing to my Dad.”
”I always thought if I had a daughter I'd want her to be like you.”
”You've sold Yearwood, Angus and Port?”
”Sit down.”
”I'd rather stand.”
”Sit down Maddy,” there was an edge to his voice Maddy didn't dare disobey.
”You're right, the company has been acquired. I’ve made sure the business we've sold to will develop the company; expand and improve our position in the property market.”
”A lot of job cuts?”
”Some, but I've tried to keep those minimal. You know I've always valued our staff.”
”But I'm the company accountant and we no longer have a company, so I'm out of a job. That's why you were trying to talk me into job hunting earlier this week, because you knew I'd be out of work sooner rather than later. The business taking us over will have their own accountants to deal with the inclusion of our books. I'll be redundant to the new company. They won't need any more accountants.”
”You're right. They will be including our company with their accounts and they do have their own team to manage that side of the business.”
”Will you stay on as a consultant?”
”I thought I might, but I'm getting older. I've worked hard to build this company up. I was offered the option of becoming a full time financial consultant, but I turned it down. I don't want to waste my twilight years plodding away at work when I promised my wife we'd travel when time and finances permitted. If I accepted the position of consultant, by the time I could retire properly I'd be too old to enjoy travelling. Suffice to say the buyers were reluctant to take on a new company without someone experienced at the helm managing the finances of their new acquisition. The lawyer acting on their behalf, a Mr. James Nowe said the deal wouldn't go ahead without confirmation of an appropriate person for the role. He asked me to come up with a name of the best person in the company to take on the position if the issue were to be resolved. It was only after I gave your name that he recommended his clients sign on the dotted line. He then got me very, very drunk.”
”You're letting me take over the finance department of Yearwood, Angus and Port?”
”I'm not letting you. I'm making way for someone younger, energetic, hard-working and committed to take on the role. Someone who I know will take the business in the right direction. Someone I can trust to take over my vision for this company, so, no Ms, Bridie, you aren't losing your job.”
She flung her arms around his neck and cried.
”Word of wisdom for you, Maddison Bridie.”
”Am I in for a lecture now because I jumped the gun?” winced Maddy.
”You are. In life you'll find all men are flawed, but the ones who love you will do their best to overcome their flaws. James Nowe is devoted to you. He's on your side and in my professional experience with him he's honourable, full of integrity, honest and generally a likeable chap. I'm sure some women would find him attractive, but if you had the opportunity to have him in your life, I'd snap him up, because he's the kind of man who would happily go the extra mile for someone he cared deeply for. He did that for you. Stated his position and thoughts on the deal. He was adamant the best people to keep in the company were those who were the most loyal and most passionate. Two qualities he possesses in abundance. Maddy?”
”Geoff?”
”Go get your man.”
Shell-shocked, Maddy walked out of the office. Standing at the bottom of the steps with a dozen red roses and a box of chocolates was James.
”It's cheesy right, unoriginal?” he said uneasily.
”It's perfect. You're perfect. You're perfect for me James. It's probably too soon and too quick but I love you.”
”I love you too, Maddison Bridie, but no more stalking!”
He grabbed her, dipped her dramatically then kissed her deeply.
”Now that was cheesy,” she giggled.
”I thought we could go out to celebrate your promotion tonight.”
”Where do you suggest?”
”I could take you out wherever you want to go. Your wish is my command. I had hoped you might let me take you to my place, where I could cook dinner and you provide dessert.”
”And where would that place be exactly?” asked Maddison.
”Somewhere in Sevenoaks,” replied James, snaking an arm around her waist as they headed to the train station. ###
