Chapter 28
28
DRUMMOND GLOBAL OFFICES, DOWNTOWN MANHATTAN
Oliver took a deep lungful of the frosty air before he pushed the door to the office block. Despite the hangover headache he was managing, it was a good day. He had coffee and he had a plan. Today, he was going to create the perfect date for a woman he really wanted to get to know better. And he was going to set Daniel Pearson on another mission. He’d granted lots of wishes and no matter how much it irked him, he was going to try and do something about Hayley’s.
He stepped into the reception area and straight away saw Clara. He smiled and made his way over to her.
‘Good morning, Clara. How was your day off? If you tell me you spent it anywhere but the bedroom, I’m going to be disappointed.’
Clara’s mouth fell open and she started to splutter as the receptionists behind her giggled. ‘I wasn’t aware I had to report my day off activities to the CEO.’
‘Absolutely you don’t.’ He touched his nose with his finger. ‘I won’t say a word.’ He grinned, indicating the elevator. ‘Going up?’
‘Yes, but—’ Clara started.
‘Before you do anything this morning, Clara, could you get the Christmas tree guys back here and have them put it back in the lobby.’ He looked at the vacant space, not even a pine needle in sight. ‘But get a bigger one. And more decorations.’ He pressed the button for the lift. ‘And get a couple of thousand dollars’ worth of toys to go under the tree. We’ll give them to employees’ children and the hospital.’
‘Oliver, what’s happened?’
He smiled. ‘Nothing’s happened. I just think we should get the Christmas tree back in here.’
‘Because?’
‘Because it’s nearly Christmas.’ He stepped into the lift.
‘It was nearly Christmas the other day when you had them take it down,’ Clara answered, following him.
‘Timing is everything,’ he replied, unable to keep the grin off his face.
Clara shook her head as the doors closed. ‘I saw the front page of the newspaper yesterday.’ She turned to look at him. ‘I called in to speak to you about it only to be told you were out of the office.’
‘Uh-huh.’
‘And when I called again, every hour on the hour, I got given the same message.’
He let out an exasperated sigh. ‘It was your day off. What the hell were you doing calling me? I told you, I expected you to?—’
‘Spend the whole day in bed, yes; the whole lobby heard you.’
‘And did you? In between phone calls?’ He moved himself into Clara’s personal space, ducking his head a little to catch her eye.
Clara smiled back at him, a coy expression on her face. ‘There may have been some marital harmony at some point during the day.’
He clapped his hands together and laughed. ‘Good.’
‘And where were you? Did you and Andrew Regis take the meeting to the country club or something? ’
He felt his smile slide and he tightened his lips together, drawing in a breath. ‘Not exactly.’
‘Well, you should know he’s been on the phone already this morning,’ Clara said.
‘OK.’
‘Twice,’ Clara added. ‘And so has your mother.’
‘I see.’
‘Three times.’
He stood tall, ignoring the weight in his chest. Whatever his mother was up to with Andrew Regis, he wasn’t going to let it pull him out of this good place he was in right now.
‘Reconsidering the tree and the presents?’ Clara asked.
‘No.’ He shook his head. ‘The tree comes back, the presents arrive and when the mail is ready, I want you to come into my office and tell me the most romantic place in the city to take someone on a date.’
‘According to the newspaper, you grant women wishes.’ He watched the smirk play on her lips.
‘Don’t believe everything you read in the press, Clara.’ He winked. ‘And why don’t you have William call someone named Nick in packaging. He needs an assistant manager I’ve heard.’
He watched the smile arrive on Clara’s lips. Today he was unstoppable.
Dean Walker’s Apartment, Downtown Manhattan
‘No, Peter, I don’t really know,’ Dean paced around the kitchen, his mobile phone to his ear. ‘He turned up here last night, said there was a problem and I’ve been up all night trying to find this report on the internet. ’
Hayley cringed as she sipped at her cup of tea. Angel kicked her ankle from her seat around the breakfast bar and glared.
‘You have to tell him,’ Angel said through tight lips.
Hayley shook her head. ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’
‘There’s nothing wrong with the Globe.’
‘We don’t know that.’
‘He didn’t sleep,’ Angel stated, a spoonful of cereal in her mouth.
‘How do you know? You should have been asleep.’
‘I’m going to tell him,’ Angel said.
‘Tell him what?’ She raised her teacup in innocence.
‘That there’s nothing wrong with the Globe and that you’re trying to get a job.’
Hayley watched Angel swing her legs to the side, facing her body towards Dean.
‘Uncle Dean!’ Angel called loudly.
Hayley jumped down from the high stool, spilling tea as she set the cup down and raced to Angel. She put a hand over her mouth and pulled her into her body, muffling the sound. This was becoming a regular tactic.
‘Angel, please don’t,’ she begged.
Angel fought herself free and wiped at her mouth with the sleeve of her sweatshirt. ‘You leave me with no choice then.’ She reached across the table and dragged the New York guidebook across the countertop.
‘Oh please, not 101 facts about the birds of Central Park.’
‘Let me see.’ Angel thumbed the pages of the book. ‘I think… yes… the New York Public Library followed by the Empire State Building and then the Rockefeller Center.’
‘I thought we might have a look at a couple of galleries and can we swap the library for a browse around Barneys or Bloomingdales?’
‘No.’ Angel crossed her arms over her chest.
‘Oh fine, you win.’ She stuck her tongue out. ‘Go and get dressed then.’
Angel pulled a face and headed towards the door, swinging her hips in some sort of victory dance.
‘I’ll see you when I get in.’ Dean ended the call, putting his mobile phone down on the countertop. He did look pale and harried, and it was all her fault.
‘Listen, I reckon Oliver’s got it wrong. You know what these MDs are like. What do they know about the grass roots of the business?’
Dean was suddenly looking at her like she had grown a second head.
She looked down at her onesie. Had she spilt something on herself? ‘What?’
‘You said Oliver ,’ Dean stated.
She swallowed. She’d totally forgotten Dean knew nothing about any of their meetings. She could feel her cheeks turning into a riot of colour. ‘Isn’t that his name?’ she offered.
‘Yes, I just?—’
She interrupted quickly. ‘Angel wants to go to the Empire State today and, after I’ve phoned as many galleries as I can, we’re going to go and visit some more and hope I get a lead on Michel.’
Dean picked up his coffee mug. ‘D’you think that’s wise?’
‘What?’
‘Going to the galleries with Angel. I mean, what if he’s actually in one of them?’
‘Don’t you think I’ve thought of that?’
‘I don’t know. Have you?’
‘Yes, I’ve decided I’m going to talk to her about it at the top of the Empire State, having drunk several strong coffees.’ Hayley felt her chest tighten at the thought of broaching the subject with Angel. She carried on regardless. ‘I’ll tell her I know about her wish and that I’m going to help her find her father.’
A loud bang on the floorboards had Hayley turning towards the doorway. She gasped. Angel was stood just behind her, the special dictionary fallen open on the floor at her feet.