“I have just said no excuses, Stephanie, and I mean it, but if you really want to push this,” he said and got to his feet to leave. “I still don’t like the idea of that smarmy git trying his luck with you and I intend to tell him when I next see him.”
“Just leave it, please,” she pleaded holding her head that was pounding courtesy of the cold that was struggling to either break fully or clear up.
Reaching into her desk drawer she pulled out a bottle of pills and threw some into her mouth followed by some water.
“Are you still taking those fucking herbal things? You need to see a doctor, a real one who can prescribe drugs if you need them, not ground up wheat, rhino’s penis and whatever other shit they can throw in,” snapped Jon angrily.
“It’s not wheat,” she retorted. “Just natural ingredients that help to balance your body and aid health and wellbeing.”
“Bollocks, Steph. I am personally going to throw them away if I see them again and if you’re no better in the next couple of days you are going to see a doctor, even if I have to drag you there myself and as for Dr Smarmy, well, it won’t be him you’ll be seeing.”
“Jon, please, leave it,” she repeated.
“No chance, you have lost all rights to tell me what I should or shouldn’t do when you went to the pub with that dickhead and attempted to conceal the details from me, now I have work to do,” he said before Rosie called through to Steph as she said partially to herself.
“Did I ever have such rights?”
Steph pressed the intercom button on her phone and heard the nervousness in Rosie’s voice immediately as she said, “Sorry, Steph, but Jack Baker is on the line and I wondered if you werefree or if you just want me to take a message. I told him that you were in a meeting but he was rather insistent that he speaks to you.”
“Did he say what he wanted?” asked Steph, the colour draining from her face as Jon sat back down.
“No, just that he had some business to discuss,” replied Rosie.
“Rosie, did you tell him that I was meeting with, Miss Pryor?” asked Jon.
“No, Mr Brooker, I just said that she was in a meeting.”
“Good.” Jon frowned and then added, “Maybe you should put him through and Steph can put him on speaker.”
“Put him through,” said Steph as she sat back in her own chair now. “Good morning, Mr Baker, what can I do for you?” She really hoped there was a real business reason for his call.
“Good morning to you too, Stephanie, but why so formal? I thought we had passed that stage in our relationship, we’re old friends you and I,” said Jack Baker making Steph feel physically sick at the memory of the pass he had made at her, his hands on her.
Steph looked across at Jon who shook his head at the phone but looked up at her and smiled.
“I don’t know about that, but I am sure that you haven’t phoned me to discuss the status of our relationship.”
“No, of course not and you are as direct as ever I see. I will get straight to the point then. I have heard about your little promotion over there, you and Rosie, and I was thinking that we hadn’t parted on the best of terms and was wondering if you had any plans to influence Brooker’s decision on our contract when it comes up for renewal?” Jack Baker’s voice was less confident and she detected nervousness.
Steph laughed before replying, happy in the knowledge that Jack was worried. “Look, Jack, it is not really in my remit toinfluence Mr Brooker’s decisions about contracts unless there is a financial package that needs putting together and so long as the deal you offer is value for money, there should be no need for me to become involved. Now whilst I am flattered that you think that I have that much sway, I think you may be barking up the wrong tree.”
“I don’t think so. I think you have quite a bit of sway with Brooker, far more than you are prepared to admit. Do you remember that first meeting we had with him and I was rather taken with that secretary of his and thought that he must be more than just her boss?” asked Baker making Steph laugh until she looked across at Jon’s expression of annoyance at Jack’s confession.
“I do recall that particular conversation, Jack.”
“With hindsight I think I was way off the mark there because he couldn’t take his eyes off you and I am now wondering after he poached you from me whether that was the plan all along. He even had you included in the contract and now you have yourself a nice new job and a hefty pay rise I should think.” Jack sounded rather bitter.
“Jack, I have no idea what you are talking about and less of a clue as to why you have called me. I have assured you that I have no intention of trying to influence Brooker on your contract, so if that’s all, I have a lot to be getting on with,” she said genuinely confused.
“You know exactly what I mean. You have found yourself a rich boss that you can fuck to promotion and in some ways I admire that, but I could have promoted you, I told you I would have made things worthwhile for you, but I promise you that if you use your time and knowledge from here to harm me, I will crush you. I hope we understand each other,” he almost snarled at her.
Steph stared across her desk at Jon and shook her head unsure what to do. Jon frowned and drew his finger as if he were cutting his own throat as a gesture that she should end the call.
“We have nothing left to say to one another, Mr Baker, goodbye,” she said and terminated the call.
“What the fuck is his problem?” Jon had already made his way behind Steph’s desk and pulled her to her feet where he embraced her gently.
“I have no idea. Do you think he was drunk?” She remained confused by the whole episode.
