Chapter 7
Seven
S teph sat nervously in the car park at Brookers and jumped when there was a bang on the window. She turned and found Steve staring in at her, pulling a face that made her laugh. As she shook her head with mock disapproval she got out of the car.
“Good morning, Miss Pryor. Are you coming in or sloping off back home?” asked Steve.
“Good morning to you too, Mr Cannon. I am indeed coming in.” She joined him for the walk across the car park towards the lift.
As they entered it, Steve asked, “Are you okay Steph? You look nervous.”
“I’m fine thanks, it’s just that Dave is back today and I am discussing my contract and role with Grant and Mr Brooker this morning.”
“So? You have nothing to be concerned about there. Trust me when I say that you are going nowhere other than into your own office.” He smiled at her as he arrived at his floor.
Steph continued in the lift to the twenty-third floor and was debating whether she should go back down to accounts when the doors opened to reveal Jon standing there in a dark grey three piece suit with a dazzling white shirt and black tie.
“Good morning, Miss Pryor, I was just coming down to see you in accounts,” he told her.
“Oh, why?” she asked nervously.
“Just to make sure you were here,” he admitted equally as nervous as her.
“Oh.” Steph felt slightly taken aback by his admission.
She was about to speak when the lift doors began to shut with Steph on the inside and Jon on the outside. Steph quickly began to press the buttons on the control panel but the doors shut anyway and the lift began its descent again. She laughed to herself as it stopped at the twenty-second floor, the doors opening to reveal Jon standing there again.
“You really are going to make me do all the running, aren’t you?” Jon stepped into the lift and grinned while selecting the button that would take them back to his floor.
“That wasn’t my intention,” she insisted as they exited the lift and Jon guided Steph by her elbow towards his office.
Andrea was already placing a tray of tea on his desk as he and Steph arrived in the office.
Leaving them, she offered Steph a smile. “Nice to see you again, Miss Pryor.”
Steph looked at her as she left and thought that her comment had seemed rather odd but made no response.
“It looks like Andrea missed you, too.” Jon passed Steph a cup of tea that she willingly accepted.
“If you say so.” Smiled Steph wryly.
“What is it you doubt, Stephanie, the fact that she missed you or that I did?” He stood in front of her now.
She had previously had no intention of doing this today. They were going to talk tonight. This was business, work, but she was incapable where he was concerned of not reacting to him and if she was honest she didn’t want to resist the effect he had on her.
“I don’t doubt that you missed me. I missed you, too, a lot.” She laid her hands flat against his chest and looked up at his face.
“I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from you this morning when you were so pissed off with me on Saturday,” he admitted seriously.
“Neither was I.” Steph smiled as she felt his arms snake around her waist before pulling her tightly against him. “Sorry about the weekend. Burying my head in the sand when I don’t want to face up to something is one of my default settings I think.”
“I’m beginning to see that. Maybe we could rearrange the meeting with Grant and we could do something or go somewhere or both,” Jon suggested bending his head so that he was resting his forehead against hers.
“Very unprofessional, Mr Brooker,” she chided him.
They both jumped as Andrea announced Grant’s arrival through the intercom on the desk.
“Or we could meet with Grant now and go somewhere or do something later.” Steph grinned as she picked her tea up and took her seat opposite Jon’s at his desk.
They had all exchanged pleasantries when Grant said, “Right then, if it’s okay with you Mr Brooker maybe we could get on.”
“Of course.” Jon looked down at the papers in front of him before handing back over to Grant.
“Your contract with us is now due for review and what we propose is a permanent contract with a revised role and responsibilities and of course the salary does reflect that,” said Grant as he passed a piece of paper to Steph and then to Jon.
Steph looked down and gasped as she saw the job description in front of her. “I can’t accept this,” she said still shocked at the details.
“It’s a very fair package we’re offering you,” said Grant obviously surprised by her reaction.
“What? Yes I appreciate that Grant, but it’s too much,” said Steph still reeling.
“What’s too much?” asked Jon, “The salary? I can assure you that you will earn every penny, Miss Pryor. We have been looking at restructuring other parts of the company after contracting Bakers for additional legal services and this is one of the next steps, but you have forced our hand in so much as we are dealing with accounts sooner than we had intended. However, the role of Head of Financial Services has been devised specifically with you in mind, Steph.” Jon sat back in his chair leisurely.
“But why me?” she asked seriously.
“Because you have proved to be an invaluable asset to the company. You have spotted flaws in existing systems, saved me money on prospective contracts and you know what I want in new deals. You understand me and the way I work, like with Richards. oh, and I trust you implicitly,” said Jon, shocking Steph, but rendering Grant wide-eyed and open mouthed at his openness and honesty.
“And I don’t want anyone else coming along and whisking you away from under my nose,” he said with a smirk, but Steph was unsure whether he meant professionally or personally.
“I see,” she replied, “But the salary . . .”
“Not enough? There’s room for negotiation there, isn’t there Grant?” asked Jon of the still wide-eyed H.R. Manager.
“What? No!” protested Steph. “It’s too much.”
“Nonsense. It’s in line with equivalent roles in equivalent companies,” said Jon sternly.
“Mr Brooker is right there, Miss Pryor, I did research the details,” verified Grant and then added. “The period of notice that you would need to provide us with is six months and although this is an extended period, the reason for this is because we feel that it would take this amount of time to recruit a replacement and for you to hand over the workload to them, that is non-negotiable.”
“Can I take it away and think about it?” asked Steph nervously.
“Why? What’s to think about?” asked Jon as Grant had nodded his head to agree to her request.
“It’s a big commitment and I had been considering my option to set up in an independent consultancy role,” Steph revealed causing Jon to arch an eyebrow in response.
“Well, we would expect a commitment to us alone for the first year, but then we can renegotiate if you wish. That can be included in your contract if you need that reassurance in writing,” said Jon flatly.
“Okay, thank you,” said Steph. Then added, “It won’t be necessary for you to add it to the contract, I trust you implicitly, too.” She stared directly at Jon until Grant coughed loudly to signal his discomfort at the situation.
Jon smiled and extended his hand that was holding a pen. She accepted it and signed her copy of the contract and then a second copy that Grant retained.
“Welcome to the family, Miss Pryor.” Jon was already on his feet and extending a hand which she accepted to his obvious amusement.
“Indeed,” said Grant. “But I have another meeting in half an hour so I will be off, but Miss Pryor I will need to get your new I.D. arranged with your new title on and I will send an email to all staff, but I think Mr Brooker would like to show you your new office,” he said as he reached the door.
“Thanks, Grant,” called Jon as the door closed behind the other man.
“So, when did you cook this up?” asked Steph as Jon stood in front of her and began to undo the buttons on her red blouse that she wore under a black trouser suit and black heeled ankle boots.
“I resent that accusation, Miss Pryor, but I will forgive you, for a price.” He smiled.
“Ah, that I can do because I am being paid very handsomely now.” She grinned back.
“Oh, darling, pounds sterling is not the currency I had in mind,” he said seriously as he pushed her jacket halfway down her arms effectively trapping her.
“You do know that I have to meet with Dave in less than an hour to hand back his workload, don’t you?”
“So? You’re his boss now.” He continued moving the sides of her blouse to reveal her heaving breasts encased in a white lace bra.
“Unless you plan on making this a quickie, we will have to reschedule because I should lead by example,” she said seriously, absorbing the fact that she was indeed Dave’s boss.
“A quickie?” He smiled. “Is that what you want?”
“Not really, but I could settle for one if that’s what’s on offer,” she admitted.
Quickly, Jon pulled her jacket back up and said, “No, not a quickie and no settling for anything, not today. Let me show you to your new office,” he said refastening the buttons of her blouse.
Just along the corridor from his own office Jon stopped outside a door that was emblazoned with a brass plaque announcing the occupant:
Stephanie Pryor
Head of Financial Services
She smiled up at him. “You were that certain that I’d agree to this?”
As Jon opened the door and ushered her through it he laughed. “I had no intention of letting you leave until you had agreed.”
“And Grant?” she asked curiously.
“He knew that the job was yours and yours alone so the offer was always going to be a good one,” he replied as Steph looked around.
She surveyed the office that contained a large plant and dark blue leather seats beneath the window that sat opposite the doorway she stood in. A dark wooden desk with a phone was situated on the wall to her side with matching shelves and filing cabinets nearby. The walls were all neutral off whites with a splash of colour courtesy of several abstract prints and two dark wood doors to cupboards or a cloakroom she assumed. Steph decided that it was a similar size to Andrea’s office and although not to her taste, she would make it her own soon enough.
“Well?” asked Jon.
“It’s nice, although I may change the artwork and I am rubbish with plants so that green bush thing had better look out.”
Her response made him laugh. “Darling, this is your assistant’s office. Your assistant’s name isn’t on the door yet. Your office is through there,” he told her as he gestured towards one of the wooden doors to the side of the desk.
“Really? I get an office, an assistant and a reception area?” she asked excitedly.
“Of course you do. You can have anything you want, Steph,” he said softly and once more she wondered whether he was talking professionally or personally but resisted the temptation to tell him that all she wanted was him.
“Thank you.”
He pushed her gently towards her office door. “Darling, you have nothing to thank me for, this really is business,” he insisted making her turn and look at him suspiciously. “Okay, maybe not entirely business because we are more personal than business, but you have earned everything you have here,” he said as she stepped into her office.
She gasped as she took in her surroundings, “Oh Jon, this is beautiful.”
She spun around and looked over it all again; it wasn’t as big as Jon’s office, but her desk was ultra-modern, chrome and glass and her chair swivelled and rocked as she sat in it and was hugged tightly by the soft, smooth, black leather and as she glanced to the side she saw the magnificent views across the city that the huge picture window that was essentially one wall provided. She had bookshelves, filing cabinets, black leather sofas opposite her desk and the walls had been decorated with a soft, pale lime paint across two walls and the one that she sat with her back against had been decorated with a designer wallpaper showing birds in cages in blues browns and splashes of bright lime. Her desk already had her phone in place, a computer, an antique style desk lamp and a gift wrapped box.
“It’s beautiful,” she said again as she sprang to her feet and wrapped her arms around his waist and looked up at him.
“Good,” he said looking down at her and brushed her nose with his. “And although I didn’t get the paintbrushes out myself, I did choose the colours and stuff.”
“What great taste you have.” She grinned.
“Well, I chose you,” he almost whispered sending shivers and shudders through her body.
“I love it,” she declared.
“And I love you,” he said, watching her face as she absorbed what he’d said.
“I love you, too,” she admitted, shaking as he held her before pulling her tightly and kissing her hard as he began to undress her again thinking that he needed her now and regardless of whether that meant a quickie or that she would be late for her meeting with Dave, he was going to have her.
“I approve of this carpet,” said Steph as she stretched out on the carpeted area of her office floor, then rolled onto her front to stretch across Jon’s chest to retrieve her now ringing phone from her bag.
“Hi, Dave,” she answered. “Oh, sorry, I had a meeting with Grant and Mr Brooker first thing and then I had to clarify a few things with Mr Brooker. We’re all done now, so give me ten minutes and I will come down to see you,” she said as Jon pushed her hair behind her ears and smiled at her.
Steph laughed at Dave’s comment and suddenly her expression changed to one of panic as she stammered slightly, “No! Thank you for the congratulations, but don’t come to me, I’ll come to you. Okay, bye,” she said and hung up laughing.
“Dave wanted to come to you?” Jon asked.
“Yes. Bloody hell. Can you imagine the office grapevine if we were found like this?”
“I certainly can.” He gave her a suggestive wiggle of his brows. “So reluctantly I have to say that we should probably get off your comfy carpet, get dressed and get some work done.” Jon grinned as he passed Steph her underwear. “But tonight we will go out to dinner and talk, seriously, okay?” he asked nervously again.
“Okay,” she agreed and toyed with the idea of suggesting talking now, but Jon was already tucking his shirt into his trousers and bending to pick up his tie. “I do know we need to talk. That I need to listen.”
He nodded and looked poised to speak but his phone rang. “Hello, Kramer, about bloody time, although your timing might just be perfect,” he said with a huge grin that made Steph suspicious. “It’s all been agreed? I could bloody kiss you,” he told the person at the other end of the phone making Steph frown. He was about to open her door when he turned back and moved towards her, still talking on the phone. “I clearly won’t be kissing you though, beards are a big turn off for me.” He laughed, loudly and it sounded as though there was genuine joy in it. “Open your present,” he told Steph as he kissed her gently on the cheek before leaving her alone.
She looked down at the gift wrapped parcel again and proceeded to unwrap it to reveal a silver photo frame containing the picture of her and Jon taken at Charlie and Lindsay’s wedding. It was a lovely idea, but surely he couldn’t expect her to put it on display here, at work, where people could and would see it. She suddenly remembered that she had told Dave she would be with him in ten minutes, about fifteen minutes before.
She rushed through the accounts department and gently knocked on Dave’s door where she could see him looking down at a mass of papers. He looked up and grinned at her before waving her in.
“You’re late.” He smiled as he stood up and hugged her warmly, startling her slightly.
“Sorry, I was surveying my new office,” she said in the way of an explanation.
“Yes, up on the twenty-third floor, Miss Head of Financial Services. Well done.” Seeing her look of confusion, he laughed. “The office grapevine works fast around here.
“Ah, well, thanks.”
“Now as you are far too important to sully yourself with simple accounting you had better hand my files back over to me.”
She gave him a full handover before broaching the subject of his break.
“How was your holiday? How’s your wife?”
“Holiday was good. Just what we needed really and my wife is great. We did a lot of talking and we have agreed that we will have one more attempt at IVF,” Dave revealed.
“Good, I’m glad. You look happy,” she observed.
“Well, it’s a long haul, but we both feel happier than we have for a long time,” he said seriously and then suddenly switched subject. “I ought to let you get up to your own office, but thanks for looking after things for me, boss,” he said dryly, but she suddenly realised that not only was she his boss but his initial fears about her arrival had been proven to be fully justified.
“It was never my intention to be anybody’s boss when I came here,” she said genuinely.
“I know, but you’ve become it anyway.” He was up on his feet and holding the door open for her and although she was unsure whether the comment carried an undercurrent of anything, she said nothing, she just exited his office and headed back upstairs to her own space where she found Rosie sitting behind her assistant’s desk with Grant.
“Rosie!”
“Steph,” started Grant. “Rosie is now a permanent member of the Brooker team too and as long as you are happy she will be your permanent assistant. Mr Brooker thought you might be a good fit.”
“Happy? I couldn’t be any happier. Rosie knows just how I take my tea and which are my favourite biscuits meaning Mr Brooker was absolutely right.” Wearing a huge grin, Steph hugged the other woman before returning to her office and gazing at the photo of her and Jon that was looking at her from her desktop wondered again where he expected her to keep it. Moreover, she wondered if there would ever be a time when she might have it on display for the world to see.
Steph was just entering the Mexican restaurant where Jon had chosen to take her for dinner to talk when her phone rang. She looked down and saw that the caller was her brother Eddie and as she saw a look of irritation on the restaurant staff and diner’s faces she rejected the call and told herself that she would call him back later. They had just been shown to their table when her phone began to vibrate in her bag having been put onto silent. It was Eddie and as she rejected the call again she made a mental note to excuse herself in a few minutes to call him back.
Drinks arrived with a selection of nibbles that Steph was unsure were considered to be a starter or not when Jon directed the conversation towards their reason for meeting, to talk.
“So, Steph,” started Jon nervously. “We should talk about us and my wife. I love you and the main thing is that I . . . bloody hell,” he cried as his phone rang now and interrupted him. “Hello!” he answered abruptly, oblivious to the other diners, but immediately softened as he heard the voice at the other end of the line. “She’s here with me now, yeah, okay, where? We’re on our way now, bye.” Immediately he got to his feet signalling to their waiter. “Steph, we have to go, darling, I’ll explain when we get out of here,” he said before the waiter appeared wearing a confused expression as Jon pulled her to her feet. “Sorry we have to leave,” he said simply and threw some cash down onto the table before taking her hand and leading her to the car.
Once inside the car Steph said, “Please tell me what’s going on, you’re scaring me.”
“I don’t know the full details, but that was Eddie who called,” he said as he took her hand in his. “There’s been some kind of accident and your dad’s been taken to hospital.”
“What sort of accident? He’s okay though? My dad?” she asked barely pausing between questions. “He’s not going to die, is he?” She sounded desperate as Jon engulfed her in a warm embrace.
“I really don’t know, but Eddie said he is in a bad way, so let’s just get there.”
She let out a strange, strangled cry as she realised what he was saying.