Persuading Annie (18 page)

‘Ooh,’ she said. ‘Lots of processes.’

Jake considered this for a moment. She’d got him there. He was in a corner. He had to surrender.

‘Yes, lots of processes,’ he said. ‘Well spotted.’ No one could say he was a bad loser. He even managed to give her a congratulatory smile.

Annie felt her pixie dance had been a resounding success. Good thing she’d worn the pink tutu. She looked out of the window as Jake tidied his files.

Susannah leafed quietly through the BPR report.

‘It all looks most impressive,’ she said, nodding.

Thank Christ for that, thought Jake, remembering to breathe out.

‘Oh good,’ he said calmly. ‘We do feel that although it’s still early days, it’s remarkable to see how things have turned out. And a lot of things have come out from the staff interviews and workshops. Your staff have got some great ideas.’

Susannah looked up, alarmed.

‘I’m not sure I like the sound of that.’

Of course not, thought Jake. What finance director ever does? And what finance director ever puts two and two together and realises that that’s exactly why they’ve had to approach consultants in the first place?

He smiled at Susannah and spoke gently.

‘Believe it or not, staff are often the people with the best answers. They’re usually the ones who know how to make their jobs more efficient.’

Susannah looked dubious and Annie decided it would be a good time to change the subject. ‘You said – among other incomprehensible things – that communication was the key?’

David gave her such a grin of approval he might as well have given her the ‘thumbs up’ signal across the desk. Even despite Jake’s constant coolness, she could tell he was also impressed.

‘I did. Thank you, Ms Markham.’

Oh prig off, she thought. Ms Markham indeed. I’ve seen you in your underwear, you don’t fool me. Mind you, she considered, that was a long time ago. She wondered how much he’d changed …

‘… So it’s imperative we prevent that at all costs,’ concluded Jake.

Woops. Prevent what? Damn.

‘Absolutely,’ chimed in Edward. ‘We don’t want any nasty rumours abounding. Can’t have my staff unhappy. They’re like my children, you know.’

Ah, rumours. Good old Edward, thought Annie, and gave him a warm grin. She was back on track.

Edward grinned back at her. She grinned a bit more. He grinned even more. Then Annie became vaguely aware that Susannah was smiling fondly at them both as if they were all in a scene from the Bible. She stopped grinning immediately. Bible smiles from godmothers were a definite turn-off.

‘I said, have you had time to evaluate our BPR report or would you like to keep it a bit longer?’ repeated Jake.

Edward grinned man-to-man at him. ‘Sorry old chap, mind elsewhere, know how it is.’

‘Actually, I was talking to Annie,’ said Jake.

‘I’ve got a good idea!’ exclaimed Edward at Annie suddenly. ‘We could look through it together tonight. Over a bottle of bubbly.’

‘Oh, I’m so sorry,’ said Annie genuinely. ‘I can’t tonight. I’m … busy.’

‘Oh,’ said Edward, surprised at how disappointed he was. That was the last time he ever asked anyone on a first date in front of their family and his employees. ‘Never mind. Another time.’

‘Oh, is tonight your date?’ Jake asked Annie.

Annie stared at him in fury. How dare he? He’d managed to ignore all signs of even hearing her talk at the dinner party, and now he was telling them all that she had a date – and in front of Edward! She stared at Jake, her eyes wide, her jaw slack. ‘Oh I’m sorry,’ said Jake. ‘Was it a secret?’ Annie’s eyes continued to widen and her jaw to drop. She only regained control of her facial features when it occurred to her that she probably looked like a guppy.

Edward seemed to visibly back off. ‘Oh well then. Another time.’

Annie could almost feel Susannah’s disapproval freeze on her shoulders.

Right, she thought, so furious at Jake she forgot to blink for whole minutes. That was it. It was War.

* * * * *

Jake shook Susannah’s hand, holding the eye contact, grin and handshake even longer than usual. Every second counted.

‘Most impressive,’ said Susannah. ‘Keep up the good work.’

‘We do our best.’

As he left the office for his car, he let out a long, deep sigh. He opened the car door and slid in behind the steering wheel. Once in the cool of the car, he leant heavily on the wheel.

‘Don’t ever do that again,’ he told himself, his hand jerking up to his twitching neck. ‘Don’t
ever
let her get to you again.’ He screwed his eyes shut. ‘Don’t fuck this up because of her.’

Then he sat up, put the key in the ignition and drove away.

* * * * *

‘And then she just told me she didn’t love me any more. And get this – she’d never really loved me – she’d tried to, because I was so hopelessly in love with her – that was the word she used, hopelessly – but she’d always felt more like a sister to me than a girlfriend – no she didn’t say girlfriend, what did she say – oh yes, lover. More like a sister than a ‘lover’. A sister! Three years and she’d always felt like a sister towards me. Of course, she hadn’t mentioned that when I’d bought her the villa in Tuscany. Or screwed her senseless while we were moored at Monte Carlo. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love my sister as much as the next man, but that doesn’t mean I want to shag her brains out. Oh God, sorry. Bad taste, sorry. But what I want to know is, if that’s how she behaves with someone she feels sisterly towards, what the hell does that say about her prat of a brother? Between you and me I always thought there was something fishy going on there. Now, there was a thoroughly irritating twat, let me tell you. If he’d have got into Eton – which he wouldn’t – he wouldn’t have lasted a bloody week. Anyway, to cut a long story short, owch. Bloody owch.

‘Thought of suicide, of course. But hate the sight of blood, can’t tie knots and not good with pills, even when I take them with Ovaltine. Amazed how anyone does it, to be honest. And frankly, as my old man always said, it’s the coward’s way out. More importantly, who’d look after the manor? Anyway, cut a very long story very short, life goes on, doesn’t it. Yep, life bloody well goes on and on and on and you get used to the hellish dump that is your world and slump from one meaningless day to the next, safe in the knowledge
that death will inevitably release you from this sham of an existence.

‘And then Cass suggested I meet you, so here we are.’

Annie smiled weakly at Angus over their untouched dinner. The blind date was going about as well as she had expected.

‘Would you like to see the dessert menu?’ asked the waitress.

Only if it comes with ear plugs, thought Annie morosely.

Angus clapped his hands together in anticipation.

‘Ah yes, the perfect end to a perfect evening.’ And on that witticism, he toasted Annie.

She smiled at him briefly. Go on, she thought, as he winked at her over his wine. Ask me something about myself. Anything. It’s been two hours. I don’t even mind if it’s personal. Ask me what my bra size is. Ask me if I like to talk dirty during sex. Anything.

‘What I don’t get,’ started Angus. ‘Is that I could – and did – give her everything. I mean, everything. In fact, what could she possibly get without me that she felt she couldn’t get with me?’

Insomnia? reasoned Annie.

‘You know, the thing about women …’

Oh do tell, thought Annie, perking up slightly. I don’t know any women. So much to learn, so little time …

‘I don’t think they realise they’re doing it, it’s sort of beyond their control. They’re prisoners of their hormones. I don’t really blame them, I suppose, it’s what makes them so endearing …’

I’m going to kill Cass, thought Annie, and immediately felt better.

An aeon later, Annie saw the waitress finally bringing over
their desserts. She gave her a wide, expansive smile. One step nearer to freedom. She watched Angus tucking into his bread and butter pudding and tried not to be depressed by the fact that there was a mother out there who loved him.

Light years later, they stood outside the restaurant.

Angus clapped his hands together again.

‘Nightcap? My place?’ Another wink.

God, Annie hated winkers.

I’d love to, she thought, but I’d have to shoot myself afterwards.

‘I’d love to,’ she said, ‘but I have to go and pick up my nephews for my sister.’

‘Oh.’ Angus was surprised.

‘She’s got a migraine,’ explained Annie apologetically.

She almost changed her mind when Angus touched her lightly round the waist, told her how wonderful he had found her company and then shyly but surely gave her a remarkably effective kiss.

Am I being rash? she wondered idly, enjoying its effects.

Nope, she concluded finally. He might start talking again.

Instead, she nipped over to Fi and Sophie’s flat to pick up the boys. She hoped they hadn’t been too much of a nuisance. Or weren’t too exhausted. It was now eleven o’clock.

She stood outside their door massaging her temples and trying to remember how life had felt before she’d met Angus. Was I happy then? she wondered. It all seemed so long ago.

When the door opened and Jake stood in front of her, her mind, which Angus had left numb, was now blown.

They stared at each other for a while.

‘Hello,’ she said finally, deciding it was as safe as anything else to say.

‘Hello,’ he replied.

‘It’s Annie Markham,’ she explained helpfully. ‘I’ve just been on my date. Perhaps you could inform Reuters?’

Jake blinked at her. He had absolutely no idea how to play this. He’d been prepared all the other times. And surrounded by people. Luckily Annie started talking again.

‘Can I get to my nephews or are you on sentry duty?’

Jake opened the door and stood aside, keeping his eyes anywhere but on her.

‘They’re upstairs.’

‘Oh well done. Communication is the key, they say …’

Amazed at how swiftly her feelings could change from boredom to fury, Annie had no choice but to walk past him.

She felt stupidly self-conscious climbing the dark, narrow staircase in front of Jake. As she went, she kept her eyes fixed on the stairs, focusing on the royal blue carpet, aware that Jake was keeping a steady two paces behind her. Good, she thought. It’s where he belongs.

Fi’s voice came down the stairs.

‘Who is it?’

Annie decided to let Jake answer that.

‘It’s um—’

In one swift movement, she turned and stepped down so that her face was level with Jake’s. He almost jumped.

‘It’s ANNIE,’ she hissed at him, her breathing heavy. ‘A-N-N-I-E. Annie.’

This close to him, she noticed that his eyes hadn’t really changed at all. Except that she’d never seen them this startled before. After the slightest of pauses, his expression changed from startled to sardonic.

‘Ah yes,’ he whispered slowly, ‘how could I forget?’

What the hell was that supposed to mean? The idea that
Jake might actually think that he had a right to be angry with her was so new to Annie that she just stared in open bewilderment at him.

Neither of them knew how long they stood like that before Fi appeared at the top of the stairs.

‘Hiya Annie!’

Annie and Jake jumped away from each other and Annie ran up the stairs.

When she reached the flat, the boys were fast asleep on the drawing-room sofa. Everyone was in there with them, all staring at Tony, who was standing motionless in the middle of the room, on the phone. Annie had clearly interrupted some very important transaction. She felt conscious of Jake behind her as he finally followed her into the room and went straight over to the sofa.

Tony seemed about as tense as her. His whole body was rigid and his eyes were fixed in the mid-distance as if he was concentrating so hard, he couldn’t possibly focus as well. Annie was about to greet everyone, but realised they were all fiercely watching Tony.

Suddenly Tony took the phone away from his ear, pressed a digit on it and placed it back to his ear. Sophie and Fi held their breath. No one said a word. He did it again. And again. Now he closed his eyes in thought and did it again. Suddenly, he started clicking his fingers furiously at Fi and in a flurry of activity, she picked up a credit card on the coffee table and, almost dropping it, passed it to him. Frowning in concentration, he pressed a large number of digits into the phone, his shoulders hunched and the tip of his tongue protruding from his lips. Silence.

And then finally, a serene beam burst on to his face and he breathed a deep sigh of relief. Everyone joined
him and with a flourish, he put the phone down and said proudly,

‘Six tickets to see tomorrow’s screening of
At Home With My Llama
.’

The others grinned and calmness descended on the room. Tony turned to Annie, seeing her for the first time.

‘Hi, Annie,’ he said. ‘You are coming to see the film with us tomorrow, aren’t you? Of course, I can always cancel – I’ve got a spare hour tomorrow to call the cinema …’

Annie shook her head quickly. She didn’t want to see a grown man cry.

‘Sounds great,’ she lied.

‘How was the date?’ asked Fi.

‘Awful. I’d have sent up a flare, but it was a non-smoking restaurant.’

‘Oh dear.’

‘Anyone else interested in Available Angus? Body the size of a brick shithouse, brain the size of a split atom.’

‘What’s his number?’ asked Fi.

‘I’ll ask him. He’s still paying the bill.’

Tony coughed loudly.

‘Well, we’re meeting at the cinema tomorrow at eight,’ he told Annie. ‘Don’t be late.’

‘I’m never late,’ said Annie.

It was Jake’s turn to cough.

‘Won’t be long!’ came Sophie’s voice from her bedroom.

‘I’ll go and get the boys’ stuff,’ whispered Fi and she left the room, followed swiftly by Tony.

Suddenly Jake and Annie were alone in the room with only the sleeping boys as distraction. Annie glanced over at Jake, but he was determined to act as if she was invisible. She
was beginning to find his immaturity infuriating. She paced the flat.