Chapter 9
Amy has packed; what she’s packed for me is anyone’s guess.
Julia and Lucas from Harrods have apparently made sure I have the complete holiday wardrobe and all travel arrangements are taken care of.
I’ve sent the due diligence report to Mr Ghurair and a list of additional enquiries to the other side, which means I should have bought myself a hassle-free week on that deal whilst they find the answers.
I take a final swig from the lukewarm coffee on my desk and shut down my computer.
‘Margaret, I’m heading to the negotiation meeting at GJR’s offices. Is my cab ready?’
‘It’s outside. Mr Ryans arranged it. Should I set your out-of-office reply?’
‘Not yet, I’ll be back in the office late tonight to finalise the details of this negotiation before I fly out in the morning.’
‘Well, have a wonderful time, won’t you?’
‘I’ll do my best. Remember, if you need me—’
‘I know, I know, you have your phone. I won’t be calling you unless I absolutely have to.’
I smile. ‘Thanks, Margaret. You’re a star.’
As I ride the lift to the ground floor, I check my make-up and adjust my black pencil dress.
When I step into the street, London’s brisk air strikes me even harder than usual after the heat of Dubai and I pull my coat closed at the chest.
Kenneth – replacement Jackson whilst he’s on leave – is waiting for me.
I cast my handbag and laptop case onto the back seat of Gregory’s Mercedes and slip inside.
Kenneth closes the door behind me; he’s either started to get this or Gregory has had a word about procedure.
Something tells me the latter is more likely.
I flick through the information a trainee managed to pull together for me on the game Gregory wants Constant Sources to acquire.
I can’t personally see what all the fuss is about.
In substance, Black Diamonds looks like other games I’ve seen before.
A robber in jailhouse stripes runs across the bottom of the screen, occasionally jumping over traps set to catch him and avoiding the batons of red-faced, raging policemen.
Meanwhile, black diamonds fall from the sky when buildings miraculously get blown up.
The robber must catch the falling diamonds in a shopping trolley-type thing.
My trainee tells me it’s great but I translate that to mean he enjoyed playing on it all afternoon then calling it research and billing his time to GJR.
One thing that’s undeniable however, is that mind-numbing though it may seem to me, this game’s download figures are already showing big promise.
The creator is a guy in his late teens, Stuart Culliton.
He’s new on the scene but there are one or two articles online, marvelling at his age, questioning whether he could be the next Mark Zuckerberg. I’m interested to meet him.
‘Thanks, Kenneth,’ I say as I step onto the pavement outside my dark knight’s glass tower.
I ride the lift to the highest floor for Gregory’s office block.
When the doors open, I’m confronted by a young, slim man dressed in cleaning uniform.
I recognise him from somewhere but I can’t place him.
As I move out of the lift and passed him, I do a double take, my mind struggling to connect the dots.
Then he beams at me. ‘Scarlett.’
‘Paul?’ I’m used to seeing him sitting on the pavement outside my office block, pale and shaky, but now he has colour in his cheeks. His eyes have more life and his hair is clean. ‘What? How?’
‘I’ve been hoping for weeks that I’d see you again, so I can say thank you.’
‘Thank me for what?’
‘Asking Mr Ryans to give me a job.’
‘He— Gregory employed you?’
He nods, his cheeks flush. ‘You didn’t know?’
‘No. I— When?’
‘Six weeks, four days ago.’ He plants his mop in his red bucket and leans on the stem with pride. ‘He sought me out, in the shelter. I knew his face from when he dropped you off at your office and that morning he was looking for you.’
Oh, yes, I remember, when you gave up my hideout. ‘I suppose I can forgive you for that.’
He smiles. ‘He told me he was doing it for you. He took me on. It’s like a dream.
No one ever gets a job from the streets.
He gave me an advance on my wages so I could rent a room, said I have to earn it back, of course, but it covered my rent for six months and left some over.
I won’t let him down. I won’t let either of you down, I promise. ’
‘I don’t know what to say, Paul. I’m pleased for you. Really, really, pleased for you. You look well.’
He shrugs, bashful. ‘Might pay my soup angel a visit now that I’m getting back on my feet.’
He used to tell me about a woman who served him in the soup kitchen. He swore she was giving him the eye and he called her his soup angel. ‘I think you should. Listen, I’ve got to go but it’s lovely to see you. And, Paul, don’t stick to this for Gregory and me; do this for yourself.’
He nods and gives me a soft, proud smile that makes my entire body warm.
I pass Sue at reception and walk with purpose straight into Gregory’s office. He lifts his head and stands as I cast my bags and documents onto one of the sofas. As soon as he steps out from behind his desk, I throw myself at him, hands locking into his hair, mouth crashing roughly against his.
‘What have I done to deserve that reaction?’
‘You, Gregory Ryans, are quite simply wonderful. That kiss was because I just passed Paul in the corridor. Thank you. What you’ve done for him is incredible. You’ve put your faith in him.’
He strokes a hair from my brow behind my ear in that way he does. ‘No, baby, I put my faith in you.’
I lunge again, taking his mouth and twisting my tongue around his until he matches my pace and pulls me into him. We’re both panting when we separate. ‘That one was for the flowers.’
He drops his forehead to mine. ‘You’re more than welcome.’
‘Erm, sorry, sir.’ Sue clears her throat in the doorway. ‘I’ll close this for you.’
‘Do so,’ he says, turning my chin back to face him, his complete attention focused on only me. ‘I wish I could take you home to my bed right now.’
Closing my eyes, I try to push those thoughts away. ‘Me too but we’ve got work to do.’
He bites the tip of my nose. ‘We have.’
We settle onto the two leather sofas in his office and a blushing Sue brings through coffee, setting out the pot and two saucers on the table between us. I offer her an apologetic smile, both because she walked into our embarrassing PDA moment, and because I remember she has a crush on my man.
After a chat through the background information on Black Diamonds, Gregory fills me in on what Tim and Jean-Paul have pulled together for Constant Sources.
Gregory doesn’t want to keep Black Diamonds available for gaming; he wants to buy it and take it off the market to stop it from putting a dent in the profits of his game, Jail Run.
Tim, Jean-Paul and Williams have all looked over the finances.
Black Diamonds is still in its infancy but if it continues on the current projections, it could take 50 per cent of Jail Run’s profit in twelve months.
‘Is it so similar to your game that there could be an intellectual property claim?’
He twists one side of his mouth and shifts his head.
‘Not similar enough. It’s a popular concept.
It’s just a case of having the best.’ He leans back into his sofa, spreading an arm across the back of the leather seat.
‘It’s pretty amazing though, what this kid’s done.
I mean, he’s nineteen and from what I can tell from digging, this is his first venture. ’
‘Very entrepreneurial.’
‘Indeed, but I wonder whether he’s just the face of the game, to give it a story. The way he’s got the game on the market and selling, it’s like he’s had support from someone experienced.’
‘Or a case of first time lucky.’
‘Possibly.’ He glances at his Omega. ‘Right. It’s five to seven. They’ll be here any minute. Let’s get this done, then I can take you home and fuck you until you scream my name into tomorrow.’
I gasp, then he winks at me and I laugh, hard. ‘I’m going to call your bluff on that, Mr Ryans.’
‘I sincerely hope you do.’
Sue’s voice comes over the intercom on Gregory’s desk. ‘Your 7 p.m. has arrived, sir.’
‘Showtime, lady.’ He stands and fastens one button of his blazer then lifts his head and corrects his silk tie.
‘I like you in a three piece,’ I confess, straightening my dress.
‘I like you naked.’
Despite myself, I smirk. ‘Gregory, that’s not professional.’
‘Apologies, Legal Counsel. I also like you in that tight little black dress. I like thinking about how I can take you out of it.’
‘Game face, Ryans.’
‘Sorry.’ His lips straighten.
‘Better. Now, before we go in there, I want to know your tactics.’
‘Don’t worry about my tactics, Scarlett; this is what I do.’
‘I do worry, Gregory. This product might be selling now but as far as I can tell, there’s no registered intellectual property in the game.
If you intend to buy it and take it off the market, there’s not much protecting you.
If someone brings a replica to market, you could be right back to where you are now. ’
‘All right, all right. I get it. I’m going in at five hundred thousand.’
I contemplate that figure. Seems reasonable. ‘And your upper limit?’
He leans his head to one side with a look that tells me I’m not going to find out the answer to that question. He holds open the door to the office for me. ‘You’ll know if I reach it.’
I grit my teeth. ‘Good to know we’re a team here.’
We make our way to the boardroom on twenty-seven. ‘This one is bigger and more intimidating,’ Gregory explains.
‘You made me pitch in there the first time I came here.’
‘I’m fully aware. How you handled that room told me everything I needed to know about how you’d handle other things.’
There’s a sparkle in those dark eyes that tells me he isn’t talking about business.