Chapter 24
Lila
Lila had left Pluckers, jumped back in the car, and retraced her earlier journey, so that less than twenty minutes later she was sitting back outside Ken’s house.
The Fiat was still in the driveway, and there was a white van there now too with a huge cupcake on the side.
Probably the wife’s weekly delivery of stodge to keep her going while she was gorging herself in front of the TV.
If someone else was there, the confrontation would have to wait.
She wasn’t going to go charging in to a situation that came with an audience.
This was between her and Bernadette. That was it.
She pulled out her phone and snapped a quick pic, a smiling one this time as opposed to a pout, then uploaded it to her Instagram and Facebook with the hashtags #Fridayfeeling #cantwaitfortheweekend #blessed.
Although, right now, she didn’t feel very bloody blessed at all.
Rod and Kylie had excelled themselves, and for what?
Was she in a bar drinking cocktails? Was Ken licking champagne bubbles from every crevice of her body?
Oh, that very thought made her shudder. Was she somewhere fabulous that she could show off the results of the last hour?
Nope. She was sitting in the seat of a car, shades on so no passers-by would realise she was staring at her lover’s house, hoping – for the love of God – that she could get on with speaking to his wife and revealing all.
Ken wanted this. She knew he did. He just didn’t want to break the news to Bernadette, but once it was done he’d be so grateful. There was no way a man could make love to her the way he did today and not want that every day of his life.
She turned the temperature down on the dashboard to the point that it was almost uncomfortable, so that her perfect face wouldn’t begin to shine, then she sat back and stared at the doorway.
And stared. And stared. The ringing of her phone was almost a welcome distraction.
The office again. Jeez, didn’t they know it was a Friday and she was finished for the day?
Sighing, she realised now was as good a time as any to answer.
It wasn’t like she was doing anything else.
‘Lila Anderson,’ she said haughtily.
‘Lila, it’s Fred Johnston.’ Her boss. The director of sales.
In some ways, he reminded her of Ken – strong, direct, a powerful alpha male who exuded the kind of presence that absolutely appealed to her.
She’d flirted with him on every occasion, but, unfortunately, like Ken, he had a wife – in his case, the very efficient, decidedly frosty head of HR.
Lila absolutely couldn’t imagine the two of them having sex.
She probably asked him to fill out a form, complete an inventory and sign a disclaimer before she took her knickers off.
Why did these men always choose women who were no match for them?
Anyway, she’d never acted on any attraction to Fred because he didn’t quite come close to what she already had.
‘Fred! So lovely to hear from you,’ she purred. ‘What can I do for you?’
He cleared his throat. ‘Lila, I’ve been trying to get hold of you all day…’
Damn, so it had been Fred who’d been calling. If she’d known that she’d have answered first time.
‘Sorry, Fred, it’s been hectic today. So many meetings. I don’t know how I managed to cram it all in but it’s worth it when I smash those targets every month.’ No harm in reminding him of that not so insignificant fact.
‘Erm, yes. Well, the thing is, we’d like you to come down to head office on your first day back after the Christmas holidays.’
Her smile widened. A visit to head office could only mean one thing.
Actually two. When they were firing someone, they always asked them to come down, so they could retrieve the company car, but that wouldn’t be the case here.
What she was excited about was the other reason a rep got called to the mothership.
Promotion. She was finally getting the step up she’d been lobbying for.
Area manager for Scotland, Ireland and the North of England.
A twenty-five per cent increase in salary, loads of travel, and an even better company car.
This was the closest she’d been to delight since Ken made her come at lunchtime.
‘Of course!’ she said, excitement bubbling. ‘What time would you like to see me?’
She could go down the night before, stay the night in a spa hotel, get a few treatments and a good night’s sleep so she looked her best. This was it for her. New job. New man. New life. After years of waiting, it was all about to happen.
‘Eleven o’clock. You’ll be meeting myself, the head of finance and there will be a representative from HR.’
Of course his wife, Lady Frosty Tits would be there – it would be in her remit to action the promotion. And the finance director would be there to talk about her pay rise.
‘Great!’
He cleared his throat again. ‘Actually, Lila, just so we’re on the same page, I have to inform you that this is the opening meeting in what may be a disciplinary situation.’
Not so great. ‘Sorry? I don’t understand.’ A disciplinary? For what? She was their best fucking seller, trouncing every other amateur out there. What could they possibly be disciplining her for?
‘There are several issues that we wish to discuss.’
Lila felt her stomach begin to clench. Several? What the hell…?
‘An allegation has been made that there may have been an inappropriate relationship with a client.’ He let that hang there.
Lila wasn’t one for swearing – so unladylike – but again, fuck.
Who would report her? ‘From who?’ Too late she realised her first reaction should have been to deny the allegation.
From his tone, she immediately realised that Fred had picked up on that too.
‘I’m afraid it’s confidential, but as you know, it’s in your terms and conditions of employment that there can be no inappropriate relationships that could be a detriment to our business, or could lead to accusations of…
let’s just say, we like to know for sure that we get orders based on the quality of our products and services. ’
Oh. For. Fuck’s. Sake. Now, if she was reading between the lines correctly, he was implying that she swapped sex for orders. She pulled her shades off as her head fell forward on to the steering wheel and, for once, she didn’t give a toss that she would have to reapply her foundation.
He couldn’t do this. This was ridiculous. Besides, if anything she should get a bonus for the affair with Ken because it had brought the company extra bloody sales.
‘We’d also like you to bring down a full copy of your schedule for the last three months, together with receipts for all purchases made using the company credit card.’
Her fury and disbelief were now, slowly but surely, being frozen out by a deep chill that was working its way up from her feet, consuming everything in its path. ‘Why?’
‘Again, we have reason to believe there may have been some impropriety in your use of the card.’
No, no, no. This wasn’t how it worked. She smashed targets, the company left her to her own devices.
That was the way it had always been. Sure, she knew about the rules, but over the years she’d taken a few chances and nothing had ever been questioned Yes, she’d probably got a bit cavalier, but she hadn’t taken anything she didn’t deserve.
‘I can assure you my card has only been used for legitimate company expenses,’ she replied, going on the offensive. No way was she taking this crap from him.
‘Indeed. So we would very much like to understand the breakdown of the payment to the…’ There was a rustling of papers. ‘The Dorchester, two months ago. And perhaps also the Glasgow River Hotel, today at lunchtime.’
Holy shit, how did they know about that already?
They must have full visibility of every transaction.
Her mind flew back through everything she’d used the card for in recent times.
Flowers for Mum. The new suit she bought for the sales conference.
That red dress for the evening reception.
Every hotel bill. Why were they questioning it now? Why?
There were thousands of employees in the company so there was very little micro-management, especially when it came to reps who worked their own territory.
As long as they were performing well, they didn’t attract any negative attention.
However, someone had made an official complaint against her, and that had been enough for the bean counters to probe deeper into her actions.
Who? Who the hell…? She racked her brain. There was no one. She’d always made a point of being sweet to everyone that mattered so that she’d get more business. Another thought. Ken’s wife? Had she found out and reported her? No way. Ken would have known about that and stopped it.
Sweet to everyone that mattered. The phrase repeated in her mind.
Everyone that mattered. Suddenly, another image, Madge’s disapproving but smug face this morning when Lila had left Ken’s office.
Madge knew. Of course she did. She’d known right from the start, and there had never been a shred of love lost between the two women.
Had she been the one who’d reported her?
How dare she? Rage was now heating up the chill factor.
That fat, evil bitch. She was so jealous, she couldn’t stand it.
Had probably been in love with Ken all along and now she’d decided to interfere and try to destroy their relationship.
Well, the cow wouldn’t win. No way. She might cost her this job, but there was absolutely no chance that she would wreck Lila and Ken’s future.
That was theirs and it was going to happen. But in the meantime…