Chapter 11
Chapter Eleven
Double K’s offices had a small meeting room called ‘The Pod’. The ‘d’ on the sign had been vandalised by an unnamed employee so that it now read ‘The Poo’. Fortunately, Keith thought it was funny, so Kev wasn’t wheeled in to deliver rough justice.
Evie and Leo were holed up in The Poo, working through her list of possible reasons why Keith and Kev would have asked her about Leo. They dismissed number one – normal practice, nothing to worry about – because it hadn’t seemed at all normal to Evie. Likewise, they dismissed number four – some vague even huger risk – because they had enough to be going on with, worry wise. They boiled down reasons two and three and decided this: one or other of them, maybe both, were at risk of losing their jobs.
‘Well, if we’re being let go,’ said Leo, ‘then I guess all we can hope for is a decent pay-out.’
‘But at Monday’s team meeting, Keith said Double K was on track to make a tidy profit,’ Evie told him. ‘Seems unlikely that would have changed radically in less than a week.’
‘And as you scolded me over lunch,’ said Leo, ‘neither of us has been given even a hint that our performance wasn’t up to scratch.’
‘ Scolded is harsh,’ said Evie.
‘But accurate.’ Leo smiled. ‘And deserved. My head has been up my arse for so long now, I can carry out my own colonoscopies.’
Evie felt a tingle all over. This new funny Leo was pushing all her buttons, and she warned herself to proceed with caution. Banter and scorching physical attraction and the heady buzz of secret collaboration did not a strong relationship make. All right, now she thought about it, they did make a pretty solid foundation, but there was still a lot of work to do.
Patience, Evie.
Leo sighed. ‘I think we have to admit defeat,’ he said. ‘We don’t know the real reason and unless we confront Keith and Kev, we never will.’
‘The last person who confronted Kev was never seen again,’ said Evie.
‘Seriously?’
‘Yes, they emigrated to Australia a week later and disappeared. Rumour has it they were eaten by a crocodile.’
Leo raised a sceptical eyebrow. ‘I’m pretty sure Kev had nothing to do with that.’
‘ Are you?’ said Evie, meaningfully.
‘Idiot,’ said Leo, amused.
‘Card-carrying and proud,’ replied Evie. ‘So – what now, boss?’
‘Oh, yeah.’ Leo sounded less than thrilled. ‘I’m in charge, aren’t I?’
‘And one hundred per cent responsible for our decisions.’
Leo gave her a look. ‘Good thing they pay me the big bucks then.’
‘Oo, that stung.’ Evie clutched her chest. ‘ Never tell me how much more than me you’re making.’
But Leo had gone into thinking mode. He leaned forward and rested his forearms on his thighs. Tapped his fingers together for a minute, then sat up straight.
‘Okay, here’s my idea,’ he said. ‘We work through that report of yours, the one you wrote on your day out with Straight Flush. We shape it up and turn it into a strategy paper. One so smart and brilliant that it will blow Keith and Kev’s minds. We’ll become their most valuable employees. They won’t dare give us the heave-ho.’
‘Do you think we can do that?’ said Evie.
‘No clue,’ said Leo. ‘But I’d rather give it a go than emigrate to Australia.’
‘I like it!’ Evie laughed and held up her hand. ‘Gimme some skin!’
Leo shook his head, smiling, and high-fived her. His palm touching hers sent an instant wave of electric heat through her. Through him, too, it seemed.
‘Oof,’ Leo said, staring at her.
‘Yes,’ agreed Evie, staring right back.
‘This is a thing, isn’t it?’ Leo said.
‘A thing. Yes. It is.’
Leo rubbed his thumb over his palm.
‘I’m still your boss,’ he said. ‘For now, at least. So, I’m not sure if this thing should become – a bigger thing.’
‘An office romance is not actually punishable under law,’ Evie said. ‘Unlike, say, incest–’
‘Jesus.’
‘But I agree that we shouldn’t leap in headfirst,’ Evie went on. ‘Let’s take it slowly. See how this thing evolves.’
They stared at each other a moment longer.
‘If this meeting room wasn’t entirely glass, we’d be at it right now, wouldn’t we?’ said Leo.
‘Absolutely,’ said Evie.
‘We should go back to our desks. Start work on this killer strategy paper.’
‘That’s our plan,’ agreed Evie. ‘And we should stick to it.’
‘Do you want to come for a drink with me afterwards?’ said Leo.
‘Thought you’d never ask,’ Evie replied.
The afternoon sped along, with only a few minor arguments.
‘I swear, deliverables is not a real word!’ insisted Evie. ‘Just say results !’
‘ Deliverables is more action-oriented,’ Leo countered. ‘Trust me. I know this shit backwards.’
‘Ugh, fine,’ said Evie. ‘But I draw the line at low-hanging fruit . Sounds like a pair of testicles.’
‘ Incent or incentivise ?’ Leo asked.
‘Neither!’ said Evie. ‘But if you insist, use the ise one. But don’t spell it with a z!’
‘ Synergies ?’
‘I will ship you to Australia against your will.’
By 5pm, they had their first rough draft. And a pressing need for alcohol.
‘Where shall we go?’ Leo asked. ‘Your local?’
‘Why? Have you been barred from yours?’
‘No, but only because I never go,’ said Leo. ‘You?’
‘Close run thing last New Year’s Eve, but we charmed our way out of it.’
‘We?’
‘Nicky and I,’ said Evie. ‘My flatmate and bestie. Who’ll be there at my local whether I invite her or not. Just so you know.’
Leo chewed on his bottom lip, weighing his options. Evie tried not to think about when she had recently had her own taste of that lip.
‘I suppose I’ll have to meet her sooner or later,’ he said.
A hesitant pause before he asked, ‘How much does she know? About me? And me and you?’
‘Everything,’ said Evie. ‘Even things I may have imagined happened between us.’
‘So – she knows I used to be a model?’
‘Very much aware of that,’ Evie confirmed. ‘Google’s had a huge workout recently.’
‘Shit …’ Leo winced. ‘Did you find the TV commercial for–’
‘Acne cream? Sure did!’
‘For the record, I’ve never had a spot in my life!’
‘Really?’ said Evie. ‘Bastard.’
Leo hesitated again. ‘I guess you couldn’t really miss the underwear ad, could you?’
‘Printed and framed on Nicky’s bedroom wall,’ said Evie.
‘I’m kidding!’ she added, before Leo had actual heart failure.
‘You know, I’m usually a strict one-beer guy,’ Leo told her as they gathered up their things and readied to leave. ‘But this evening, I have an inkling I’m going to break that rule.’