by Ber Carroll
‘Great! Does that mean you’ve found a new finance director?’ she asked.
He laughed at the eagerness in her voice.
‘Not quite. We haven’t been able to attract the quality candidate that we hoped for. However, I do have a solution. I have decided to come to Sydney myself and take over the role for six months or so.’
There was silence for a moment.
‘But what about your job in San Jose?’ she asked.
She sounded confused and he smiled to himself.
‘I can cover it from Sydney. I’ll be there next week. I’ll look forward to meeting you then.’
He hung up with what felt like his first genuine smile in a long, long time. He was looking forward to meeting Claire, to meeting everyone in the office over there, to the new challenges and scenery. But most of all, he was looking forward to being on his own, having time to think clearly and finally sort out the mess that was his private life.
Chapter 9
There was a large tray of unsigned cheques between Claire and Paul as they sat on the sofa.
‘Why do you have to bring so much work home?’ he asked.
‘Because I don’t have enough time to do it during the day.’
‘Hopefully you won’t be as busy when Robert gets here.’
‘Hopefully.’
‘It’s very strange, though. It doesn’t make sense for a VP to leave his post for six months.’
‘It does seem a little unorthodox,’ Claire answered absently.
‘There must be something else on his agenda.’
Claire was only half-listening. She was looking forward to the upgrade project which would enable bank transfers rather than cheques to be the main method of payment. The current systems were archaic.
‘Maybe he wants to do a restructure of the senior management team.’
Claire looked up with a frown. ‘I don’t understand why you care so much about Robert’s reasons.’
‘And I don’t understand why you don’t seem to care at all,’ he countered.
‘I simply want someone in that finance director’s role so that I can get my life back,’ she answered, flicking through the supporting paperwork before signing a cheque. Out of the corner of her eye she saw him pick up the next cheque in the tray.
‘Put that back.’
‘Don’t be so touchy,’ he chided, obediently putting it back in place.
‘I’m not being touchy. Those cheques are confidential to Amtech.’
‘Well, you shouldn’t leave them where I can see them – you know that I’m a nosey bugger.’
She moved the tray to her left side. ‘There, does that take the temptation away?’ she snapped. ‘I don’t know what you find so captivating about Amtech’s vice-presidents and cheques.’
‘I’m only interested because you work there.’
Even though she still liked Paul, there were too many times when she found him annoying. She was busy at work, but instead of giving her space, he was crowding her. They were still at the kissing stage. The potential she’d thought was there at the start hadn’t materialised into any strong feelings. She was going to give it another week or two, and if she still felt the same, she would break it off.
The Australian senior management team was meant to meet monthly. The secretaries did their part – they blocked out the same day and time each month – but all too often some lastminute crisis resulted in the meeting being postponed, and they were lucky to get together every other month.
Steve Ryan liked to have the meetings off site because he thought it gave him a better chance of gaining the undivided attention of his team. The Duxton Hotel worked well – it was within walking distance of the office and offered excellent facilities for corporate meetings. The room had five chairs around a large rectangular table. Steve, Frank, Brian and David were late arriving but at least present. Tony Falcinella had returned to Hong Kong and Claire was the acting finance director.
‘Let’s try to get this over with quickly – I’ve got a client lunch starting at twelve,’ Frank said, pouring himself some iced water.
David looked annoyed. ‘To be quite honest, I get the impression that this meeting isn’t seen as a priority. Trying to get us all together is getting more and more difficult.’
‘We’re busy people, David,’ Frank responded with an insincere smile.
‘We can’t be too busy for this. These meetings are about our strategic direction, how we run the company – what could possibly be more important?’ David looked at the others for support.
Claire wasn’t sure what input he expected her to give, if any. She watched the dynamics between the members of the team with interest.
‘I agree with David,’ said Brian. ‘We’re not exactly a good example to our staff. We say that tenacity is one of the company’s most important principles yet we’re always reneging on our commitment to this meeting.’ Brian looked at Steve to take up the issue.
Claire could see a split in the team, Brian and David on one side with Steve and Frank on the other. Harry would most likely have been the mediator between the two sides.
‘We clearly have some differences of opinion here, but we don’t have this discussion on our agenda and are already running behind time today,’ said Steve. ‘Let’s park it and add it to the agenda for next month’s meeting. Now, the first item here is the financials. Claire, can you run us through the final numbers for the month?’
Claire handed out the reporting pack and began to talk through the highlights.
Emma looked very smart. Claire hadn’t seen her wear the pinstripe suit before and her make-up was noticeable because she didn’t usually wear any. It suddenly occurred to Claire that she may have been to an interview for another job.
‘You look really nice today – is that a new suit?’
‘I picked it up at half price on the weekend,’ Emma answered, walking through Claire’s office as if it was a catwalk. ‘Thought I’d wear it today for the big occasion.’
‘What big occasion?’ Claire queried, hoping that she hadn’t forgotten some important meeting.
‘Robert Pozos,’ Emma replied with a smitten look on her face. ‘Have you ever met him?’
‘No.’ Stacey passed by the office, her perfume leaving a fragrance in her wake, her sequinned top more suitable for a nightclub than the office. ‘Have all the females in the department dressed up for the occasion?’
‘Yes. He’s got a little fan club here.’
Claire threw her eyes to heaven. ‘Do you send him fan mail?’
‘Only the occasional email, but I’m sure he can read between the lines.’
They were both laughing when Steve Ryan knocked politely on Claire’s door to announce his presence. Their jovial mood was immediately at odds with his sombre expression. The man that stood behind him could only be Robert Pozos.
‘Robert, this is Claire Quinlan.’ Steve made the introduction awkwardly.
Claire stood up to shake his hand.
‘Nice to meet you,’ she smiled, trying not to look at him too closely. Her conversation with Emma instinctively made her want to determine why he was so attractive to the others. She met his brown eyes for the briefest moment, registered the whiteness of his shirt across his broad shoulders. He was tall. She had looked too long and turned her eyes to Steve.
‘And I believe you’ve met Emma before,’ he said to Robert. She had never seen Steve so edgy. He fixed his tie before putting his left hand back into his trouser pocket.
‘Yes, I have. How have you been, Emma?’ Robert spoke slowly and deliberately.
‘Fantastic. Loving every minute of working for Amtech.’
Claire and Emma giggled. Robert smiled. Steve fixed his tie again.
‘Robert only flew in this morning but insisted on coming straight to the office,’ Steve said. He was obviously ill at ease and not sure how to conduct himself around Robert. It did make an interesting situation. Usually the finance director reported to the general mana
ger, but in this case Robert was much more senior and that undermined Steve’s position and authority significantly.
‘Gosh, I don’t know how you can do it. When I got here I slept for a week,’ Claire said with a little laugh.
‘You get used to it if you have to travel frequently. Once I can get some sleep during the flight, I find I don’t suffer from jet lag.’ He smiled. He was looking at her. Steve and Emma didn’t seem to notice the lull in the conversation.
‘Have you been to Sydney before?’ she asked, even though she knew he must have if he’d already met Emma.
‘Yes, I have. It’s one of my favourite cities … I’m looking forward to living here for the next few months.’
Robert Pozos had a presence. He filled up her office, making her feel intimidated and flustered for no good reason. Her mind frantically scrambled for something else to say. Steve finally took control of the uncomfortable silence.
‘Well, we better move on, Robert. There’s plenty more people to meet and I’m sure you’ll catch up with Claire properly later.’
They left and she sat down with relief, forgetting that Emma was still there.
‘Well, what do you think?’ Emma startled her with the question.
‘He’s very attractive, but not my type. Too smooth.’ She shrugged. ‘Anyway, he must be quite old.’
‘He’s forty-one,’ Emma stated.
Claire resisted the temptation to ask how she knew his age. ‘I hope he didn’t hear what we were saying about him as he walked in … that would be too embarrassing for words.’
She was engrossed in work when Robert came back to her office. The Finance department had left for the day and the buzz of voices, phones and activity had eased to a peaceful calm. Robert had his jacket over his arm and carried a black leather briefcase.
‘I thought you would have gone home long ago,’ she said in surprise.
‘I’m just leaving now. I was hoping to talk to you earlier but it turned out to be a hectic day.’
‘You could say that,’ she agreed with a weary smile.
‘We must catch up tomorrow. Can you fit a morning meeting into your schedule?’ he asked. He looked full of energy as he stood in her doorway. She envied him his stamina.
‘Yes, no problem. What time?’ she enquired, opening her electronic diary on her screen.
‘Does eight suit?’
‘Okay, see you then,’ she said, hoping her dismay at the early hour didn’t show.
He gave her a brief nod and smile as his goodnight.
Under normal circumstances she wouldn’t mind getting up early, but she had been working twelve-hour days since Harry left. She stayed back most evenings until nine and liked the luxury of starting a little later in the mornings. She and Tony Falcinella had covered Harry’s role between them but at the price of her social life and Tony’s family life. Coming in early was a minor adjustment to her schedule but she was still annoyed.
Bloody Robert Pozos, waltzing in here and suddenly running everything to his timetable.
When she finally got home, her whole body was sagging with exhaustion and a headache was piercing relentlessly behind her eyes.
‘Paul’s phoned twice. He said he rang you at work as well but you didn’t return his call,’ Fiona called from the kitchen before Claire had even closed the front door.
‘I have a job to do! I can’t take personal phone calls all day,’ she answered, immediately irritated.
She joined Fiona in the kitchen and sat down with a yawn.
‘Let me guess … you’ve had a hard day.’ Fiona dipped a spoon into the pot and blew before tasting. She was wearing a peasant skirt and a knitted top that was an unusual shade of green. Claire was much more familiar with this Fiona than what she was with the business-suited one who left for work in the mornings.
‘Robert Pozos arrived today. What’s in the pot? It smells great.’
‘A casserole thingy.’
‘Great, I’m starving. I didn’t have time for a proper lunch.’
‘That’s really stupid. You’ll get sick if you don’t eat properly.’
‘I know, I know. Things should get better now that Robert has arrived.’
‘What’s he like?’ Fiona asked with mild interest.
‘All the girls in the office are mad about him. You should have seen the style in the Finance department this morning – I nearly choked on the cloud of perfume when I walked in.’ Claire smiled despite herself, remembering how funny it had been and wondering if Robert had had any idea of the effect he was having.
‘So he’s good looking?’ Fiona looked more interested now.
‘You could say that – and very, very charming. But something tells me that working for him isn’t going to be a holiday – he seems to have endless energy.’
‘Is everything okay between you and Paul?’ Fiona asked after a few minutes.
‘Why?’
‘He rings here every evening and, because you’re always at work, I end up spending ages talking to him. It’s getting a bit annoying.’
‘You’re telling me!’ Claire sighed. ‘I’ve decided to finish with him.’
‘Are you sure about how you feel?’
‘Yes, there’s no spark. He’s attractive, intelligent, successful … but he doesn’t make my knees weak.’
Fiona looked perplexed. ‘If he leaves you cold, why have you been going out with him for the last few months?’
‘I was giving it time,’ Claire shrugged. ‘After being with Michael for so long, I knew I wouldn’t feel any great passion straight away.’
‘Aha! So it’s passion you’re after!’
‘That’s right, I want undiluted passion. I want someone who puts me in a spin. Paul isn’t going to do that. And, looking back, neither did Michael.’
‘Okay, Ms Passion. Most girls would regard Paul as quite a catch. I just want to know you’re sure before you dump him.’ Fiona jokingly wagged her finger in warning.
‘Trust me, I’m sure. Even little things about him annoy me. Like how he wants to know all about my working day –’
Fiona held up a hand. She liked to float atop issues rather than be pushed under with too much detail. ‘You’ve convinced me. When are you planning to do the dirty deed?’
‘You mean break it off?’ Claire yawned again. ‘I’ll handle it at the weekend.’
She didn’t need any distractions for the rest of the week. She suspected she would need all her energy to keep up with Robert.
Chapter 10
Robert watched Claire rush through the office from the comfort of his leather swivel chair. She wore a sleeveless cream dress that outlined her slim figure. Her hair was a curtain of black, and he knew she would smell of shampoo and soap. She was tall. He hadn’t noticed that yesterday.
A minute later she was in his office. She had collected some files on her way. She placed them on his desk and sat down with a sigh of relief.
‘I didn’t think I was going to make it on time,’ she said, a little out of breath. ‘I fell asleep on the couch last night and didn’t wake up until forty-five minutes ago!’
Robert was amused by her honesty. He didn’t point out to her that she was a few minutes late and he had been waiting, punctuality being a fetish of his. She seemed to be relaxed in his presence. He was used to, and bored with, people holding him in awe.
‘Do you normally sleep on the couch or did you have a fight with your boyfriend?’ he asked, his eyes teasing her.
‘No and no,’ she replied.
‘Have you had breakfast?’
She shook her head. ‘Ignore my tummy if it starts making rude noises.’
She patted her flat stomach and he inadvertently glanced to where the dress stretched across her hips. He stood up.
‘I’ll get us both some coffee.’
When he left Claire opened her files, relieved to have some time to prepare for the meeting. She wasn’t sure if Robert wanted to discuss the financial results, the department or bo
th. One of her files had job descriptions for each member of staff and she left it open on the table so they could access the information conveniently. She had also printed off the monthly results package in its extended form. She flicked through the pages, familiarising herself with the key figures so she wouldn’t have to refer to the hard copy unnecessarily.
He returned some ten minutes later, juggling two cups of coffee and a brown-paper bag from Muffin Break.
She blushed, embarrassed that he had gone to such trouble. She wasn’t that hungry – she had only been making conversation. ‘Thank you …’
She broke off some of the muffin to eat. ‘Where would you like to start?’
‘How about we begin with the people. What do the Finance team do, what are their strengths and weaknesses … and how are they perceived by the field?’ he said, professional and serious without delay. The ‘Muffin Man’ was gone.
‘I’ve worked closely with all of them over the last five months. I like to think that the department is held in high regard. We do have some challenges, particularly with the Sales department. But overall, I would say that everybody is helpful, professional and better than average at what they do.’
‘That’s good to know. Now I need to hear about the weaknesses.’
Claire answered him slowly, being careful with her words, aware that this was his first and so most important overview of her department. ‘The only negative thing I could say is that, with the exception of Emma, the others don’t seem to be very ambitious. But that’s not necessarily a weakness – ambition can bring its own problems.’
‘What kinds of problems?’ he challenged immediately, studying her hard.
‘Ambitious people are always moving on and up, they don’t stay in their roles for very long. So they generally don’t tackle the long-term issues. And it’s hard to have continuity in a role and a department if people keep moving on.’ She met his penetrating gaze squarely, fighting intimidation at his directness and intensity.
He nodded some level of agreement, his eyes never leaving her face.
‘What about Alan Harris?’ He changed direction with no warning.
