“Okay, I’ll collect them, oh okay, I’ll let her know.” She hung up and turned to Jon, “Mr Newton and Ms Downing from Montague have arrived and Jonah Mason from Richards has been trying to reach you, Miss Pryor. Rosie has told him you’ll be unavailable this morning.” She turned back to Jon, “I’ll collect our visitors.”
“Unless you’d like me to?” offered Sonia.
“I don’t care who collects them so long as someone does,” said Jon suddenly irritated and no longer the carefree, playful Jon that Steph had travelled into work with earlier that morning.
Sonia and Andrea exchanged a glance and both left to collect Montague’s representatives.
“Are you okay?” asked Steph as soon as the other women left the room.
“No, I am not. He pisses me off, Jonah bloody Mason! The way he looks at you with his tongue out in his desperation to get into your knickers,” he snarled.
Steph moved to stand behind Jon’s seat where she bent down, wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered into his ear, “But there is only one person I want in my knickers, and that’s you, you know that, or you should after how much I begged you last night and this morning to be exactly there, in my knickers, in me.” She released a groan at the memory.
“Fuck Steph, don’t talk like that, darling, I am getting hard thinking about being in you.” He groaned making her laugh gently against his ear.
“Good because every time I look at you I want you back there to the point that I may need to take a comfort break to relieve some pressure,” she told him nipping at his ear now.
“You won’t find a shower head like mine in this building.” He laughed as he turned in his seat and captured her between his thighs.
Steph laughed too, then gazed up as if reminiscing. “Mmm, I told you it was effective didn’t I?”
“You certainly did . . .” he started before the door opened and they both turned to find Sophie Marley standing there breathless.
“You have made it by the skin of your teeth!” grimaced Jon as he checked the clock.
“Sorry,” Sophie started, but Jon stopped her.
“I don’t need excuses, just sit down and remember you are here to observe unless invited by one of us to speak,” he said tartly surprising Sophie.
“Yes, Mr Brooker,” she said and attempted to take the seat next to him.
“Sit next to Steph, she’s the one you need to watch.” His tone was flat making Steph smile a little too much that Sophie was on the receiving end of pissed off Mr Brooker and although it was because he was jealous about her, it was still Sophie who was on the receiving end of his angst.
Steph retook her own seat opposite Jon as Mr Newton and Ms Downing appeared with Sonia, but minus Andrea who was heading back towards her own office. With the introductions over and a quick explanation from Jon that Sonia would be responsible for the company initially if the merger went ahead, that Steph had overseen the new proposal and that Sophie was an observer.
“This all seems very disorganised and unprofessional,” snapped Ms Downing who was probably only in her mid to late thirties, but somehow managed to look ten years older with her frumpy suit, flat shoes and frown.
Jon huffed and looked across at Steph who picked up her queue perfectly.
“What does, Ms Downing? The fact that a new member of staff initially negotiated an implausible deal with you, but we have now ironed out the in-discrepancies of that in our final offer? Or perhaps you’re referring to your deliberate attempts to misrepresent the state of your company’s finances and its order book to force an offer biased towards you from the said new member of staff?”
Ms Downing stared down the table at Steph but made no attempt to reply.
Steph stared back for a long moment and then smiled as she asked, “No response to that? I guess we all know the answer then. Now, shall we move onto the deal that is on offer to your company or would you like to debate the merits and ethics of your own and Miss Marley’s conduct?”
Steph continued to hold the other woman’s gaze firmly until she replied, “So there is a deal available then?”
Steph passed out the provisional offer and smiled across at Jon who was staring at her wide eyed.
“You should look at the figures and distribution of cash and shares on page three,” started Steph, “And then Sonia will talk you through where we’d be looking to take the Montague brand long term.”
“Are these figures negotiable?” asked Mr Newton finding his voice.
“No!” Steph’s blunt response seemed to shock everyone around the table including Jon.
Ms Downing looked across at Jon and then back to Steph, “You’re the accountant?” The question was almost accusatory.
“I’m an accountant by qualification, but I can’t claim to betheaccountant,” Steph replied tersely.
