Law of Attraction (7 page)

“Have a seat and how about a dish of crumble with custard. It’s all nice and hot still,” Olive said.

“That would be lovely, thank you.” Michael sat at the kitchen table and Kay couldn’t help thinking how comfortable and relaxed he looked.

“I told Kay she can invite her friends round so I hope to see more of you.”

“That’s very kind, but maybe Kay sees enough of me at work.” Michael tucked into the large portion of pudding which Olive had put on the table in front of him.

Kay wasn’t sure what to say. “Olive says we can watch television some time, but I don’t suppose that’s something unusual for you.”

“I do have a television, but I don’t watch much. It would be pleasant to come and watch a programme with you and Olive.”

Olive winked at Kay who decided she should put the kettle on to make tea. She listened to Michael and Olive chatting away to each other. She liked the informal way her boss had with people. He always managed to put people at their ease.

After the tea Michael said, “I could stay here all evening, but I’d better be getting back. I’ll see you in the morning, Kay.”

“I’m not sure I’ll make it to work tomorrow. I might well oversleep in my cosy bed after such an exhilarating day.”

Michael smiled. “You’d better try. I’m not saying this to be polite, but I really need you.”

Chapter Seven

Olive stretched her legs and rested them on the footstool she had in front of her armchair in the sitting room. “Well I never, he really needs you.”

“Well, I suppose I am quite an efficient secretary,” Kay said, secretly pleased that Olive was teasing her.

“Did you see the look in his eyes, those lovely bright blue eyes?”

Kay laughed. “Do you think he’s handsome?”

“Not like some of the film stars you see, but I think he’s very attractive. What about you?” Olive delved down the side of the armchair and produced a bag of sweets. She held them out to Kay who took one and popped it in her mouth.

“I haven’t told anyone else this, but I think he’s gorgeous,” Kay said, her cheeks bulging.

“Ooh, I haven’t had this much excitement in a long time. I think he’s got a soft spot for you. Why else would he turn up just to bring that key? It wasn’t necessary. It was just an excuse. He’ll be at work in the morning to let you in, won’t he?”

“Mmm, I think he’s kind, that’s all. There’s no way he’d consider me as anything other than a friend. I’m sure he has plenty of admirers at the tennis club he goes to.”

“I don’t know. I’ve seen the way he looks at you.”

Kay had a warm feeling inside as she got ready for bed. Perhaps it
was
possible that Michael could think of her as someone other than a friend.

* * *

It was back to business the next day. Michael looked as though he’d been at the office for some time before Kay arrived. He’d thrown off his jacket, loosened his tie and undone the top buttons of his shirt. “I want to discuss a few things with you straight away, Kay. Come in to my room and sit down. I’ve been thinking a lot about our relationship.”

Kay’s heart missed a beat.

“I’ve decided that I must share everything with you completely. You’ve been my secretary for quite some time now and I think you need to know all
I
do about our employees and clients. I’m relying absolutely on your discretion.” Michael took a deep breath. “So, I’m going to start by telling you the whole story about Charlie.”

Kay told herself not to be silly. What had she been expecting? Some declaration of undying love?

“There have been discrepancies in the accounts over the past few months. At first the missing amounts were small and we put it down to accounting errors, but then the sums became larger so Dad and I decided I should keep a close eye on things. I went into the office in the evenings or weekends when there was no one around and went over the accounts with a fine tooth comb. What I found was that Charlie was fiddling them. I asked him to stay on after everyone else had gone home one day and challenged him about it.”

“That must have been awful.”

“It was. I don’t know what you thought of Charlie, but he was a very unpleasant character. When I confronted him he sneered and said it was no more than his due. He said a lot of other disagreeable things which I won’t bore you with. I fired him there and then and told him to collect his belongings from his desk. I should have gone with him as I think that is probably when he took the stationery from the cupboard. He’s quite clever so realising he wouldn’t get a reference from me, he thought he would type his own on our paper. That’s what I guess anyway. And of course he wrote that letter to Reacher and Good.”

“Shouldn’t you tell Twigge and Moore?”

“I’ll write a letter, but I doubt they’ll be interested. He will seem like a loyal employee. They won’t know the half of what he’s up to. I didn’t. I’ll definitely let them know I didn’t write his reference and also that I fired him for fiddling our accounts. You’ll have to make sure the letter is marked confidential. We’re going to have to be very careful about any further damage he might inflict on us, but with you here by my side I’m sure we can get through this and build the business.”

“Good morning.” A man had walked into the office without knocking. “I hope you don’t mind me calling unexpectedly. I was just passing so thought I’d see how things are going,” he said, holding out his hand to a puzzled Michael. “Alastair Barnes from Twigge and Moore.”

Kay and Michael exchanged a private look, then Kay shook hands with Alastair. His clasp was weak and his touch damp; she didn’t take to him at all.

“How about a cup of tea for one of our potential new partners?” Michael suggested.

Kay left the room and, having taken the two men tea and biscuits, started her day’s work. She thought that Michael must have taken leave of his senses to contemplate having someone from Twigge and Moore as a partner. She really couldn’t understand him at times. But it wasn’t long before Michael was ushering his visitor into the outer office.

“Father and I will arrange a formal meeting with you, but it was good to meet you informally after such a long time even though we’ve spoken on the telephone a few times recently.” Having shaken hands Michael retreated back to his room.

“So this is where all the real action’s going to take place,” Alastair said, sitting on Kay’s desk and staring down at her.

“Whatever you say, but I’m very busy at the moment and don’t have time for idle chat.” Kay continued with her typing. She’d taken an irrational dislike to anything or anyone connected with Twigge and Moore.

“You should be nice to me. My father plays golf with Michael’s dad.”

That explains it, thought Kay crossly. The old boy network. She believed that people should get jobs on merit, not by who they knew. She’d thought better of Michael. Maybe she should look for a job working for someone with more integrity. Furious that her annoyance was spilling over from this man to Michael in her thoughts, she took a deep breath. Alastair would be out of the office building very soon.

“No ring on your finger. Are you spoken for?”

“That’s none of your business.” The deep breath hadn’t worked at all.

“Fiery aren’t you?”

“Not especially, but I do have work to do. Now please would you go back to your work and leave me to get on with mine.”

“You might regret your attitude when I’m a partner here.” He chuckled. “So how about going out for lunch today? Maybe we could get to know each other better.”

“Thank you, but I’m working through lunch. Now I have to take these letters in to Michael to be signed.” She picked up the papers and left him gaping after her.

“He’s insufferable!” Kay slammed the papers down in front of Michael who grabbed her wrist.

“Hey, calm down.”

She pulled away and stood looking out of the window. He immediately joined her. “What’s wrong? What did he say?”

“Just that his father knows yours and would I go out with him. What an awful man.”

“That doesn’t sound so bad. His father
does
know my father and what single man wouldn’t ask you out?”

Kay answered ‘you’ in her head, but said nothing.

Michael stroked her arm. “Oh, Kay, the more I get to know you the more I like you. If only…”

Kay was still cross and pulled away. “I don’t understand how you can even consider someone from Twigge and Moore. I’ll tell you something. If he becomes one of the partners I’m leaving.” She flounced out of the room.

The day didn’t improve and by the time she went back to Olive’s in the evening she was wondering if she’d made a huge mistake moving to Blayton.

Olive had made cottage pie for their evening meal, but Kay found she couldn’t do justice to it or face the jam roly poly for afters.

“What’s wrong? Was it a bad day?”

“Dreadful.” Kay explained what had happened and how she wasn’t sure Michael was quite the man she’d thought. “If that awful Alastair is taken on I’m leaving.”

“I’m sure Michael will choose the best person rather than someone known by the family. He seems an honest, genuine man. I wouldn’t worry. Now come on, you must eat some of this roly poly, I made it just for you. I’m sorry if you feel the meals I’m giving you are too heavy for the warm weather, but I never feel salad is enough when you’ve been at work all day.”

Kay forced herself to eat a few spoonsful and when she found it was delicious and she
was
hungry, she wolfed it down.

* * *

Things had been busier than Kay expected as she hadn’t fully envisaged what setting up a new office would entail. As clients wouldn’t be appearing yet, Kay decided to wear more casual clothes to work which made the physical jobs a little easier. Her favourite outfit was tapered slacks with a loose fitting blouse and a patent leather belt along with flat shoes. She tied her hair back in a high pony tail and liked the way it bounced when she walked. One day Michael told her how lovely she looked.

Kay was flattered. “I’m surprised you notice. You’ve got far too much to do to be looking at what your staff wear.”

“You’re not just staff,” he said, before hurriedly shutting himself back in his office.

Kay didn’t know what to make of him sometimes, but she stayed in an exceptionally good mood all day.

* * *

It was almost a week later when Olive took an envelope from her pocket. “This came for you in the second post.”

“It’s from Betty.” Delighted, Kay ripped at the envelope wanting to read what her friend had to tell her. “Dear Kay,” she shared with Olive, “I am having a nice time working for Mr Harris senior, I expect you are with Mr Michael too. I have been for an interview. I felt very scared, but the man was very kind and put me at my ease. I am looking forward to visiting you one day and meeting your landlady. She sounds very nice. Will I see Mr Michael? I have something to tell you about Charlie. I hope you won’t be cross with me. I’ll tell you everything when I see you. Love Betty.” As Kay folded the letter back into the envelope, she frowned.

“That’s nice. You don’t look too pleased. What’s the matter?”

“I’m worried about her getting mixed up with Charlie. I wonder what it is she has to tell me and why would I be cross? Oh, Betty, what have you done?”

* * *

Usually Kay was pleased to see Michael in the office when she arrived, but today she had other things on her mind. She hadn’t slept well and had woken with a headache which even Olive’s kindness and scrambled eggs on toast hadn’t managed to dispel. On the way to work she’d scoured the streets for signs of Charlie, feeling that if she could confront him, Betty might somehow be saved. As she pushed open the reception door to Harris and Partners, she reflected that it was probably just as well there had been no evidence of Charlie as she would no doubt have said the wrong thing to him and she wasn’t exactly sure of her facts anyway. She’d just been guessing. Before taking off her jacket, she placed the milk bottle from the front step into the fridge along with her sandwiches in their paper bag.

“Kay, good morning,” smiled Michael coming out of his office. “We’ve got a new member of staff joining us in a few minutes.”

“Oh? Who would that be then? Someone else from Twigge and Moore?” Kay’s tone surprised even her and she sat down on the wooden chair at the desk which had once been Charlie’s. She wished now that they hadn’t brought it with them, but there was no way it could be returned without a fuss. “I’m sorry, Michael, I’m being a misery and you don’t deserve to be on the end of my acid tongue today.” She tried to smile at him.

He perched on the desk and patted her shoulder. “I’m trying to help you, Kay. I know there’s an awful lot to do around here and you’re single-handed. I’d like to help,
but I’ve got business commitments so I’ve done the next best thing. I thought a receptionist would be the answer. There, what do you think?”

Kay wasn’t sure what she thought. She gave herself time to come up with a reply which would be non-committal and not provoking. “Thank you, Michael,” she managed. “Do you want me to sit in on the interview? What’s her name and what time is her appointment?” Kay pulled the office diary towards her and held her pencil poised over the page.

Michael stood up. “I don’t think you understand. She’s starting work. Today. I’ve engaged her.”

“I see,” replied Kay, determined to stay calm. “In that case, I’ll be pleased to show her around the office and go through the routine with her. Would you like a cup of tea now or wait until she gets here?”

“Shall we wait until Vanessa arrives and have it together?”

There were a million questions coursing through Kay’s mind, but she felt she couldn’t ask any of them without seeming bad-tempered and ungrateful. Michael was still hanging around and she felt she should say something. “How did you hear about Vanessa? Was it through a business contact of yours?”

“No, nothing like that. She belongs to the tennis club and was asking about jobs. I’m sure you and she will get on.”

Kay doubted that very much. “I thought you said that some of the women at the tennis club pretend to be something they’re not…”

“That’s definitely not the case with Vanessa. She’s very different from most of the others. We’re not all terrible people at the club. You should come along one day. We could arrange a game.”

Now Kay laughed. “I’m not sure about that.”

“I thought we’d agreed something along those lines. You teaching me to dance and me giving you a bit of instruction with tennis.”