‘I can’t… wait, what did you say?’ She creased her brow and looked out, past Angel and onto the darkening street.
‘I realise it’s an unusual request but I can only assume she was pleased with what you did.’
‘Pleased? You mean she didn’t…’ The word complain was on the tip of her tongue but something told her to stop.
‘I’m really hoping you could fill her twice-weekly spot,’ Rebecca interrupted.
‘I could… head over there now if that was convenient.’
Angel screwed up her nose and folded her arms across her chest, tapping her foot on the floor.
‘I’ll give her a quick call back and confirm. Toodle pip!’
Hayley ended the call and dropped the phone back into her bag. ‘Cheer up, genius kid. I think your fairy-light arrangement might have just scored me the cleaning job.’ She inhaled the winter air. ‘Either that or we’re about to see a rich woman go all Wrestle Mania.’
‘We’re not going to a bodega?’ Angel asked.
‘No, we’re going back to Westchester.’ She took a step out onto the sidewalk and stuck out her hand. ‘Taxi!’
Drummond Global Offices, Downtown Manhattan
‘So…’ Oliver leant back in his chair and squashed the stress ball with his right hand. ‘Where are we with the woman who was threatening court action on the maternity-leave issue?’
Clara tried to stifle a yawn but he caught it. It was after five. She’d worked her butt off today.
‘Was it twins or triplets?’ Oliver continued. ‘Huey, Louie and Dewey?’
‘Sorry?’ Clara shook her head and dropped her eyes down to the notepad in her hands, looking for the information. ‘I’m not quite sure.’
‘Clara, pack up, you’re going home.’
Clara shook her head. ‘We have two other employment issues to go through.’
‘Not today. Go home.’ He stood up. ‘What’s the name of the employee who wants to extend her time with her children?’
‘Kate Vickram.’
Oliver nodded. ‘Agree to it. In fact, get Mackenzie and her team to make it standard in all the contracts.’ He paused, looking to the windows where snow was flashing past like a rushing white fog. He turned back to Clara. ‘And send her a care package. Good stuff. Things for her, things for the babies and get her husband some beer. He’s going to need that.’
He watched Clara’s jaw drop a little away from the rest of her face. ‘Are you sure?’
‘Yes, Clara, I’m sure.’ He raised a finger in the air. ‘And tomorrow, I want flash cards.’
‘Flash cards?’
‘You know, those things kids use to learn letters and words? A is for apple, etc. Well I want employee photos and names.’
‘You want employee photos and names,’ Clara repeated.
‘It’s time I invested some time in the people that work for me,’ he answered.
There was a knock on the door and Clara looked at her watch.
‘Are we expecting someone?’ Oliver asked, striding towards the door.
‘I’m not,’ Clara replied.
Oliver threw open the door and Delaney Watts dropped her hand, adopting a glossy smile to greet him. This was one person hedidrecognise. Blonde, perfectly turned out, with the nose of abloodhound. Delaney took care of his public relations with the ability to sniff out bad press quicker than a gossip columnist. Except the headlines in the news yesterday, which she was still getting to the bottom of.
