Ulterior Motives (14 page)

“You want me...” She shook her head in confusion.

Ross’ blue eyes were businesslike, his manner calm and professional. “I have the authority to hire anyone I choose. What’s more, I’ve spoken to Henri about you, and he’s already agreed upon the increased salary and benefits I’m offering you.”

“You’ve told him about this?” she said, surprised again. “You really do work fast.”

“Babel isn’t paying you nearly what you deserve, your hands are tied by an inefficient bureaucracy—”

“Elite is just as big as Babel, maybe bigger. Surely you must have bureaucratic confusion, too. Otherwise Chuck wouldn’t have gotten away with so much all this time.”

“We have the same problems, but you won’t have to worry about them.”

“Why not?”
 

“Because I’ll be here, and I have a free hand. I don’t have to okay anything with headquarters.”

“And after you go?”

“You’ll still have me. I’ll be your direct contact when you need to clear something. I can also arrange for you to have a lot more independent authority than you have now.”

Shelley looked at him, drawn to his offer but bemused. “Why me?”

“Because you’re very good at your job, Shelley. In one year you’ve increased Babel’s business in Cincinnati by more than thirty percent. You have an excellent reputation throughout the city. Mike Paige is so impressed with you that even my offer hasn’t swayed him in his desire to sign a contract with you. I’ve seen you with your students and staff. I’ve seen you with clients. I’ve seen you in the midst of chaos in your office. And I’ve always been impressed.”

Shelley gazed at him, undeniably pleased with his approbation, proud that someone as successful as Ross admired her ability and had faith in her potential. Offering her double her current salary was certainly a firm expression of that faith. She pushed her plate away and sat back in her chair, trying to organize her thoughts.

“Wow,” she said inanely.

“I realize this has come as a surprise to you.”

“That’s
an understatement.”

“I assure you the offer is genuine.”

“What about Babel?”

“Resign. Two weeks’ notice should be sufficient. It’s all they deserve.”

“Resign?” she repeated. “But I... I can’t just walk over to Elite and start doing business there.”

“Why not?”

“Well, I... What about my responsibilities at Babel?”

“They’ll be taken over by the new director,” he said reasonably. “Elite will be your responsibility from now on.”

“But what about... Wayne and Francesca? What about Ute and Hiroko and Sasha? What about Pablo Gutierrez? I promised him I wouldn’t let them kick him out of the country.”

“Shelley—”

“I
promised
him, Ross. And then there’s Mr. Powell. He’ll never learn another language if I’m not there to be firm with him. And there’s that girl trying to learn French so she can talk to her new mother-in-law. She always needs me to... Ross, I can’t just drop all that and move over to Elite.”

“Perhaps in time those teachers and clients will also—”

“Clients! My God, what will they say—all my clients? After the way I’ve convinced them all that Babel is the best place in town. What will they think when I suddenly turn around and start saying that I was wrong before and Elite is really the best?”

“They’ll realize—”

“Realize what? That I’ve been bought? That I have no integrity?”

“Of course not.”

“And what will Elite’s staff think? After all the business I’ve taken from them, they must hate me.”

“They don’t hate you. I’m sure they don’t.”

“What do you know about it? If Chuck could fool you, anybody could!”

“He didn’t exactly... Well...”

“And Babel, what will they say? They’ll blacken my name in every city around the globe.”

“I think that’s a slight exaggeration.”

“They gave me a job, trained me, gave me this post—”

“And they pay you inadequately to work long hours while they leave you understaffed and don’t support you against your competition—”

“Oh, yeah? Well, all that will change soon.”

“When?” he challenged.

“When I get this contract with Keene. That’s when I’ll get my promotion, my raise, more office staff...” She stopped abruptly and stared at him with growing despair. “Oh, no.”

“Shelley, you don’t have to hang on to a hopeless wish to get what you deserve. This is a simple business decision, a fair and honest offer made by a company that has the sense to recognize and reward your worth.”

“My worth? What would I be worth if I simply bounced from Babel to Elite like that? Even my mother would be disappointed in me.”

“If we’re taking personal matters into account here, I think you should consider me, too.”

“You? What about you?”

His eyes softened and his expression became intimate. “I’m offering you the job because you’re the best choice, and I don’t agree with the obstacles you’re worried about. But I would also like to point out that if you took it, we would no longer be competitors. We’d be colleagues, working together.”

“And you think we’d be unbeatable,” she said stiffly.

“Also inseparable,” he said.

She nearly forgot to breathe as she drowned in the depths of Ross’ gaze, thinking of the two of them together, day after day, building a business, building a relationship...

“Inseparable?” she said. “Until you go away again. And then what?”

He frowned and looked away from her. “We’ll work something out.”

“Oh, you’ll keep in touch,” she said sarcastically. “From where? Bangkok? Marrakech? Paris?”

“Let’s cross that bridge when we come to it,” he said evasively.

She was ashamed she’d believed the sincerity in his eyes for even a moment, embarrassed that she’d even briefly pictured the two of them working side by side, sharing triumphs and confidences in some idyllic work-and-play relationship. He must have proposed this a dozen times before. It must be one of his oldest tricks. Well, it wouldn’t work with her.

“Forget it,” she said. “Forget the whole thing. I do not want to be your protégée or your paramour, and I will not let you damage my career—”

“Damage
your career? I’m trying to help it!”

“—or ruin my reputation or my self-respect. I should have realized that this friendly invitation to lunch, like every other gesture you’ve ever made, had an ulterior motive. I was right the first time— you’re a very slippery character.”

“Will you please try to think objectively?”

“My entire career could depend on this contract with Keene. I had it in the bag until
you
showed up! I don’t care what it takes, but I won’t let you ruin this for me.” She lowered her voice when she noticed several people nearby starting to stare.

Ross made a visible effort to regain his usual calm. “All right,” he said after a moment. “You don’t want the job. I’d like you to think about it for a while, but,” he added as she started to interrupt, “I won’t press the issue. In the meantime why don’t we try to enjoy the rest of our meal?”

Shelley stared glumly at her plate. “I’m not hungry anymore.”

He sighed and leaned back. “Frankly, neither am I.”

“Do you think they have doggy bags here?”

Ross smiled in genuine amusement. “We can ask.”

“I think I’d like to go back to work now.”

“Yes, maybe we’d better.” Ross paid the check, assuring their waiter that there was nothing wrong with the meal. “Miss Baird has just remembered a pressing appointment with her reflexologist,” he explained.

“I see,” said the waiter, clearly reassessing Shelley.

“You’re incorrigible,” she chided Ross as they left the restaurant.

“I’ve been told that before. On a number of occasions.”

“Yes. I know.”

“I can see it’ll be impossible to be a man of mystery around you,” he said. “You seem to know every detail of my wicked, wicked past.”

“No, just the generalities. The details were missing. But I’m dying to know if it’s all true.”

His lips twitched. “More true than I care to admit.” They reached a street corner. “Well, here’s where we part, though not for long, I hope.”

“Don’t get those hopes up,” she advised him. Then she added hesitantly, “I suppose you want your Pashto interpreter back.”

“No. Keep him as a gesture of good faith. No strings attached.”

“I don’t believe
that
for a moment.”

“You wound me. Oh, wait a minute. I almost forgot. Here.” He handed her a small printed card. It was an invitation. “We’re having an open house at Elite next week. I hope you’ll come. Of course, I’d been hoping to introduce you to everyone as our new—”

“Don’t push it, Ross.”

He shrugged. “Oh, well. I hope you’ll come, anyhow.”

“I don’t think I’d feel comfortable.”

“Of course you will. You’ll know lots of people there.”

“Lots of... You’re inviting my clients, too, aren’t you?”

He nodded.

“Oh, Ross,” she said sadly. “Of all the language schools, in all the towns, in all the world, you walk into mine.”

He frowned. “I think I’ve heard that before somewhere.”

Chapter Six

Shelley held the telephone away from her ear as a string of sordid invective burst forth from the receiver. She smiled with smug satisfaction, blissfully aware that she was about to douse the fire.

“Are you still there?” she said loudly into the receiver. “Okay, okay, calm down. I was just kidding.”

The voice from the receiver sharply questioned Shelley’s legitimacy, breeding, and species. It was amazing how stress affected some people.

“Yes. I’ve found a Pashto interpreter,” Shelley said cheerfully into the receiver.

“You’ve found someone? You’ve
found
someone! Oh, my God! Who? Where? When? How?” cried the relieved interpreters’ coordinator in Washington.

“He’s a native of Afghanistan, a professor of English literature, and an American citizen.” She didn’t add that he also looked like a desert prince from an old Technicolor movie. Sloe-eyed, bronze-skinned, and rather intimidating, Ross’ Afghan friend, who preferred to be called Tim, sat in Shelley’s office with regal bearing this cheery Monday morning.

“And you’re sure he’s going to do the job?” prodded the woman on the phone. “We’ve got less than twenty-four hours left, Shelley. I don’t have to tell you—”

“No, you certainly don’t. May I remind you that this is not the first time I’ve arranged a local interpreter for your contracts with the feds in this region,” Shelley said with dignity.

“No. No, I realize that.” The woman sounded a little sheepish now.

“We’re finishing up the final paperwork now. I anticipate no difficulties and can assure you that everything will go smoothly at this end.”

“Good. Thank you,” the woman said. “And... Shelley?”

“Yes?”

“Those things I said earlier? I didn’t mean them personally.”

“No, of course not,” said Shelley, her ears still ringing.

She replaced the receiver in its cradle with an amused smile and turned her attention to Tim. His dark eyes shone with similar amusement. “You have a wicked sense of humor,” he said. “Like Ross.”

“Only when I’m provoked,” she replied. “Do you have any further questions about the job?”

“No. You’ve explained everything with admirable precision,” Tim said gallantly.

“Thank you. And thank you for coming so far to do this little two-day job for me. The interpretation fee won’t even cover your expenses. How can I ever repay you?”

“There is no need. I’m doing this as a favor to Ross,” he assured her. Tim’s earnest eyes and soft voice mitigated his appearance and made him seem approachable.

“If it’s not prying, may I ask
why
you’re doing this for him?”