‘Not good enough, apparently. Though this isn’t over yet,’ I warn.
He crosses his arms, with a challenging glint in his eye. ‘Well, I apologise for wanting to move that first meeting along. Nothing personal. My ex got a flat tyre and we were trying to arrange someone else to pick up my daughter from kindergarten but couldn’t make it happen. I was a little distracted.’
I push aside my first instinct, to feel sympathetic. ‘If you expect me to applaud you for darting out of work for a family matter, you’re talking to the wrong person. IfIdid that, my commitment to the business would be questioned.’
‘No applause necessary,’ he says, entirely missing my point. ‘And regarding my comments about your modelling show—’
‘Can I stop you there? I really do have to get on with this.’
He leans forward, elbows on the edge of my desk. It takes all my will not to look at those forearms. ‘I know you do. But I also need to talk to you about it before you meet Krishna.’ He’s serious now. The banter, it would seem, is over. At least I thought so.
He leans back in the seat again. ‘How about I buy you a drink after work tonight?’
I think my jaw might actually drop.
‘Comeon!’ he grins, as if he’s trying to persuade me to jump into a swimming pool. ‘Let’s get to know each other. We gotta work together, after all.’
He looks at me expectantly, almost daring me to say yes. In the split second that follows, I have a vivid flashback of my dream. His hands on my breasts. That full mouth on mine. The insistent throb between my legs. My eyes drop automatically to his lips and he clearly registers something odd in my expression.
‘Sorry,’ he sits back, holding up his hands. ‘I didn’t mean to unsettle you. I wasn’t suggesting a . . .date, just to be clear. It was strictly work.’
‘I didn’t for a moment think you were.’
‘All I’m saying is, we got off to a bad start. And that’s not going to work long-term.’
‘There isn’t going tobea long term,’ I remind him. ‘Rose will be back in a matter of months.’
‘Six. That’s a long time to be enemies.’
‘We’re not enemies. I don’t give you enough . . . thought for you to be my enemy.’
He laughs. Anyone would think he was enjoying this. ‘Youreallyare good at the put-downs.’ He leans in. ‘What’s this all about? I know you’re pissed off aboutOur Girl In Milan, but is there something else too?’
I look at my screen, ignoring him momentarily as I bite the inside of my lip. Then I turn to him and decide to come straight out with it. There’s no other way. ‘Are you hoping to keep hold of Rose’s job permanently?’
He sits back, as if surprised by the question. ‘No,’ he says flatly.
‘Because you know she has breast cancer, right? But she’s going to get better, then she’s coming back. So, if you have any ideas about keeping this position for good, then you need to just put them straight out of your mind. Like, now.’
He crosses his arms, as if something all makes sense. ‘Okay, listen to me. I do not want this job permanently. End of story.’
I feel my back slump. ‘You’re sure? Because—’
‘I’m sure.’ His gaze is so intent that it silences me. ‘There aremanyreasons why I will not be even attempting to keep hold of it. I won’t bore you with them, but you have my word. When Rose’s six months are up . . . that’s assuming she—’
‘She’s definitely coming back,’ I tell him firmly.
‘Of course.’
‘Because she’ll be better and you’ll be gone.’
‘Precisely.’
I don’t know why exactly, but I believe him. He really doesn’t seem to want to stay around here for good.
‘Now we’ve got that out of the way, can we please put aside any lingering hostility, for the sake of both of us?’
I’ll give him this: he’s persistent. I hate to say it, but he’s also right. I haven’t got the energy to continue like this for five months.
