Jon nodded. “Yes we do, but maybe not here. Come with me to my meeting, you should be there anyway and I would have invited you under normal circumstances.”
She nodded her agreement feeling a sense of contentment washing over her as a degree of normality fell between them.
They walked side by side, but not touching, no hand holding, Jon even resisted the temptation to cup her arm and guide her or to put a flat palm against the small of her back. They were simply two people attending the same meeting. They were still standingwhen there was a knock on the door and they both turned to find a woman of around thirty standing at almost six feet with the pout and a bone structure that any super model would be proud of.
Jon waved her in and greeted her warmly before introducing the pretty, no, gorgeous brunette to Steph. She flicked her shoulder length hair back as she accepted Steph’s hand, but viewed her suspiciously, but who wouldn’t thought Steph as she remembered her own appearance.
“Seasonal allergies?” asked Sophie of a confused Steph, a short laugh signalling her own amusement. “Hay fever, allergies, runny eyes, swollen face, red eyes? Either that or a man,” she laughed loudly until she saw the expression on Steph’s face when she stopped immediately and looked embarrassed for herself and Steph.
“Shall we?” interrupted Jon gesturing towards the table as he sat down himself.
Both women nodded and Steph felt a pang of jealousy course through her as Sophie sat next to him. Steph sat opposite, immediately regretting it as she felt the weight of his gaze on her.
“Right then, Sophie, now that you have met Steph could you as a newly appointed new business manager bring us up to speed on what new business is on the horizon for you,” he said and turned to smile at Sophie.
“It’s much the same as per the email I sent you last week,” she replied a little curtly thought Steph.
“Did you email the details to Steph, too?” asked Jon.
“No, although she was AWOL wasn’t she?” Sophie’s response was definitely curt now.
Jon stared at her and calmly said, “Then if you could talk Steph through the details and email her too please, oh, and she was on leave not AWOL,” he corrected.
“No disrespect to you,” she said and waved dismissively towards Steph, “But I don’t understand why I am duplicating work to an accountant.”
Steph stared across at the other woman, unsure if she was being goaded or simply disrespected, either way, she was unsure what to say. Jon had no such qualms.
“Then let me explain. Miss Pryor is indeed an accountant, but she is also Head of Financial Services, meaning that she needs a handle on anything with a financial factor, in fact you should make her your priority to receive these things ahead of me.”
“And as I am your line manager’s line manager, I would lose the dismissive hand waving and surly tone,” said Steph, her fatigue and impatience at this situation somehow helping her to find her voice.
Jon looked across at her and smiled.
“I didn’t mean anything,” stammered Sophie less confident now.
“Then I would suggest that if you don’t mean it, you don’t say it. So email me the details and if it’s okay with you, Mr Brooker I would like to schedule a meeting with Miss Marley to go through her new deals once I have had the chance to read through the email details,” said Steph.
“That sounds reasonable,” agreed Jon. “Steph, maybe you could talk Miss Marley through your role and what you expect from her, so there will be no further confusion or wasted time.”
Steph did precisely that, in the finest of details while Jon watched on.
“So,” said Jon, grinning across at Steph now. “What have you got that we’re due to close on Sophie?”
“There’s the Richards deal, but I believe you and Miss Pryor are still dealing with that one direct,” replied Sophie.
“Yes.” Steph expanded her next steps for Jon, “I have asked Rosie to dig the file out for me and I will take a closer look at it and feedback to you before we meet with Isaac Robertson.”
“Good. Soph, what else?”
Steph physically bristled at Jon’s use of Sophie’s abbreviated name.
“We are due to close on the deal for the stationary retailers, Montague, but they are still negotiating the finer details, but I expect to close on schedule once we’ve tweaked the details.” She smiled.
“Steph, are you happy with that?” Jon seemingly sensed that she wouldn’t be.
“That depends, if Montague are a retail business I assume Sonia Hansen is also up to speed with the tweaking and negotiating of the finer details?” Steph stared at Sophie.
“It seemed unnecessary as the deal is in the bag.”
