‘Yeah, but…’
‘We’re only human. I fancy other men all the time but that doesn’t mean I don’t love my Nick and—’
Graham stops when we hear shouting coming from downstairs.
‘Out,’ Ward is saying. ‘Now!’
‘But Ward,’ Spencer says, ‘I was only passing by.’ The door slams.
Graham and I jump up and head out of the room only to see Nadine cowering behind her desk as Ward continues shouting. ‘You know you don’t invite him in and give him free run of the office!’
‘But he’s always popping in to see Jan.’
‘How long’s he been here?’
‘Not long. He left some croissants for us.’ She holds up a brown paper bag, stained with grease.
‘How long! Five minutes? An hour?’
‘Ward,’ I call from the top of the stairs.
He doesn’t turn round, just raises a hand, as if to warn me not to say another word or come any nearer.
Colour drains from Nadine’s face. She is scared. I think we all are.
‘So, basically he was here long enough to do some damage,’ concludes Ward, storming into our office.
‘I’m sure he wouldn’t…’ Nadine’s voice falters. She looks at me helplessly, almost in tears. I head downstairs. ‘Don’t worry,’ I say, touching her shoulder before following Ward.
I watch as he tosses brochures aside and picks up pieces of paper, desperately searching for anything Spencer can use against us. ‘Ward, I think you’re overreacting.’
‘After everything he’s done, I’m overreacting, am I?’
‘That was one instance. He’s never done it before.’
‘How do you know?’ Ward throws some more of my brochures on to the floor, goes through my in-tray, as Spud quivers under my desk. He’s acting like some crazed husband who won’t rest until he finds evidence of his wife’s adultery.
‘Ward, what’s going on?’
Nadine comes into the room. ‘I didn’t know,’ she swears. ‘Didn’t know he couldn’t come in without an appointment.’
‘This is my fault, Nadine,’ I assure her.
Ward locates the letters on Graham’s desk addressed individually to the divorcing couple, his valuation for Broadhurst, clearly marked as two million. ‘We’ve probably lost this pitch now.’ He scrunches the letter into a ball.
‘I’m sorry,’ Nadine says, her voice trembling.
I prise the paper from his hand and stand in front of him while Nadine, Lucie and Graham hover by the door. ‘You need to calm down. If anyone is to blame it’s me, Ward. I should have made it clear about Spencer, but do you know what? It’s just a house. One pitch.’
‘One more pitch we can’t afford to lose.’
Ward and I are standing close now, face-to-face.
He stares at me as he says, slowly, ‘I am trying to get this company up and running again.’
‘I know, but mistakes happen.’ I stare back. ‘This…’ I wave the paper at him. ‘This isnotlife or death. Some perspective would help here.’
‘Your perspective and mine are clearly different.’
