‘Cheers, Rach.’ Jason laughed. ‘You do wonders for a man’s ego. I’m okay,’ he assured her, noting that she actually looked extremely concerned. He should have spoken to them sooner. He couldn’t have. He’d been incapable of thinking coherently, let alone communicating.
‘Could’ve fooled me,’ Mark said, narrowing his eyes as he looked him over. ‘That place stank like a bloody distillery after the last time you were in.’ He nodded towards Jason’s office.
‘Yeah. I, er… Drowning my sorrows.’ Jason shrugged an apology. He wasn’t about to share why he’d consumed enough whisky to risk alcohol poisoning – not all of it anyway. He needed to convey the outcome of his meeting with Robert Fenton though. He’d been going to do that straightaway, but then he and Karla had ended up having a blazing row in front of them. He just hadn’t had the heart since, for anything. ‘I need to have a word,’ he started reluctantly. ‘About the financial backing I was hoping to secure.’
‘We know,’ Mark said, before he could continue. ‘Paul Edwards called.’
The key client who’d gone elsewhere? Jason looked at him curiously.
‘He was also worried about you,’ Rachel supplied.
‘Decent of him.’ Jason tried not to, but he couldn’t help but feel the tiniest bit cynical. An extra week was all they’d needed to get the customer-fronting software right, he’d been sure of it. He’d asked Edwards to give him a few days. The guy had turned him down. But then, that was business, he guessed. ‘And?’ Sighing, he pulled up a chair. Exhaustion was catching up with him. If he didn’t sit down, he was sure he’d fall over.
‘He told us, confidentially, that your delightful father-in-law had backed Logic Solutions,’ Mark went on, his expression now bordering on contempt.
Jason flinched inwardly at the mention of the man as his father-in-law. ‘Right.’ He tugged in a breath. ‘So you know we’re stuffed then? That is, I am,’ he clarified. ‘You two need to be looking around. Use whatever you need to here, and if something comes up, grab it. You don’t need to work any notice. That goes without saying.’
Feeling emotional, Jason stopped. Mark had turned down the offer of a well-paid position to work with him. Rachel and Mark had always given more than one hundred per cent. Jason felt as if he was stuffing them both.
‘Finished?’ Mark asked, pushing his hands into his pockets.
Jason smiled ruefully. ‘It definitely looks that way.’
‘Not quite,’ Mark said, walking across to perch himself on the edge of the desk. ‘How would you feel about me buying the business?’
It took a second for that to register, then, ‘What?’ Jason squinted at him.
‘Delirious, obviously.’ Mark clearly noted his incredulity.
‘I’m…’ Jason shook his head. ‘I’m confused. I mean,how?’ Mark didn’t have the finances. With a divorce behind him, the only asset he had was his flat.
‘I’ve spoken to my bank manager. She’s willing to consider a percentage of the amount required, provided I can meet the rest.’
Jason stared at him. ‘And you propose to do this by selling your soul, presumably?’
‘My flat, actually. I don’t think my soul is worth anything.’ Mark’s mouth twitched into a regretful smile. ‘And before you answer, I already have an offer. It’s being sold as a buy-to-let. I’m going to rent it back.’
Jason balked, trying hard to keep up with him.
‘Turns out my red-hot Tinder date is an estate agent,’ Mark went on, with a wink, ‘so she’s pulling a few strings. I can turn this around, Jason, given time. I know I can. Well, I’m pretty sure I can,’ he added, with a shrug. ‘Obviously, you’ll need time to think about it though. I’ll give you a minute and go grab us a coffee.’
After going through Mark’s vision for the future of Upwards Online, which took them through lunchtime, Jason was in his own office, having said yes. He’d offered Mark a lower price for the saleable assets, not that they were worth a great deal. The business was in the clients, and Mark and Rachel had clearly been working their guts out on ideas and marketing. They wanted to do this. And he… Mark had suggested he continue working with him, but Jason wanted out of it. He wasn’t sure it had ever been an area he’d wanted to be in. He would have to look for a job himself, find a way of supporting his kids, but this seemed like as good a way forward as any, considering he really would have cut his throat rather than touch any of Fenton’s money.
Jason sat at his desk, feeling bemused by the fast turn of events. He needed to tie up loose ends and formulate a plan, given that suicide wasn’t an option, something he was ashamed he’d considered even when he wasn’t getting as drunk as it was possible to get. Getting drunk and chatting to women online, he reminded himself, though he couldn’t remember what had been said.
Jesus, he was a mess. He needed to delete the sites – wished he could delete parts of his life. Flicking on his laptop, wondering whether he might actually owe anyone he’d ‘chatted to’ an apology, he called up the site he’d been browsing. Guilt twisted inside him. He’d been angry. Furious. Figured that, as his marriage was over, he had nothing to lose. Would this really have helped anything though, ‘hooking up,’ or whatever one did, with complete strangers? He’d obviously been inebriated, to the point of senselessness.
Despairing of himself, he was about to exit the site when he received another ‘like’. Jason’s gaze strayed to her photograph, and he found himself taken aback. The woman was stunning, her hair, glossy brunette, tumbling over her shoulders, her skin lightly tanned and dotted with cute freckles. Her eyes were dark, rich chestnut in colour and with a definite twinkle therein. It was her smile, though, that caught his attention. She was laughing in all three photos she’d uploaded, natural and carefree.
Jessie Kinsella. He read her name and then curiously checked out her profile:
Not a 9–5 girl. Nursing is my thing. Caring, but don’t cross me. See aikido emoji. Black belt wannabe. Theatre, thrillers and chick flicks make me happy. Prefer > Dinner + Movie. Fancy surfing (home or abroad), climbing a mountain and the Golden Gate Bridge?
Seeking: Men who can laugh at themselves + value health. Character – sporty. Smiling is sexy. Say hello!
She was located in Ireland, he noted. Far enough away that there was no risk of any hasty ‘hook-ups’. Would it really hurt to say hello? Jason hesitated, and then, reminding himself that he actually didn’t have anything to lose, took up her invitation.
Nice to meet you, Jessie.He typed.Great bio. Do I need to learn self-defence?
