Curvaceous Heart (2 page)
Authors: Terri Pray
Chapter Two
“So, where do we stand?” His father’s gaze narrowed on the files scattered across the desk.
Business.
Right now, Alan wanted to just shut the files and walk away. “It doesn’t make sense except in one way. We have a mole. Just -- well, the information that’s leaking out doesn’t fit with the standard plant situation we’ve dealt with before.”
“In what way?”
“The information that’s being leaked is almost random. It’s been ranging from bland coffee meetings to full-fledged deals. Shit, when I have someone asking me what type of paper we’ve decided to use for the official letters now, or someone asking me if I’ve hit on the new girl in the office yet because they hear she’s a good lay, then I wonder if its coming from someone on the pay of one of our rivals.”
“Great, just what we need right now.”
“I’ll get to the bottom of it sooner or later. I just don’t know where to start. If the leaks made sense then it would be easier.” Who wanted to know what weight paper they used? Or what flavor coffee he preferred to drink? It just didn’t make sense, yet some of the information that had filtered back to him appeared to cover trivial matters that no professional office mole would have bothered with.
“So maybe it’s nothing more than someone just trying to start trouble for kicks instead of an actual problem.”
“It went beyond that the minute they soured the Harper deal for us.” Fifty thousand pounds down the drain.
Wonderful.
Not something he wanted to have to deal with every day. Sure it wasn’t huge compared to some projects but it was still enough that he winced every time he thought about it.
“We earned that back within a week.”
“That’s not the point, Dad! We can’t keep brushing off losses like that. How long will it be before this leak blows everything for us?” Alan grabbed one of the papers from his desk. “Look at this! We have three complaints from women who used to work for us about someone stalking them, harassing them via anonymous emails. They claimed it had to tie in with us. I’ve not been able to find a damn thing that traces back to us.”
Neil rubbed his thumb along the edge of his jaw. “And there’s nothing conclusive?”
“Just hints, rumors that it could be one of a dozen people currently working for us.
I’ve implemented a new policy though, to be on the safe side. Any visitors are to be escorted in and out of the building from now on. They can sit in the lounge, that’s not a problem, but walking through the building will be done with an escort or not at all. It won’t stop what’s going on, but might help us rule out any outside elements, such as people going into the file rooms, or hanging out in the break room when they have no right to be there.”
“It’s a start but I don’t think you’re on the right track, it can’t be an outsider.”
“I never said it was, Dad. This is just a way of making sure that whoever is behind this is working for us. The first thing any solicitor is going to say is that we didn’t check all the options before firing the jerk. So I don’t want to end up facing those types of allegations just because we were trying to protect the company.”
“Oh, I see.” Neil leaned back in the chair and nodded. “Makes sense now you’ve explained it fully. So what are you doing to stop the rumors flying?”
“I’m keeping information to those who need to know and no one else, as much as possible that is; the problem is that every time I write a memo it passes through a dozen hands. Then it ends up in the file room. Even via email there’s no way of knowing for certain just who else sees it. We installed the keystroke program, but that doesn’t stop someone calling a friend over to read it on their screen.”
“Keystroke?”
“Dad, when are you going to join the digital age? Keystroke records every stroke of a key, or command on a computer and keeps a track of it for us, so we know whose using our time, connection, and computer system to goof off.”
“Damn, I remember the days when we had to track who was using the phone system to make overseas and long distance calls; that was hard enough to deal with until that new exchange system came in. System X I think they called it. Something BT brought in a good few years ago now.”
A slight smile tugged at the corners of Alan’s lips. “Keystroke is something like that but for a computer.” All right, it wasn’t quite the same thing, but his father’s knowledge of computers, servers, and programs could have been written on the back of a postage stamp. Not that he was unintelligent but for the most part computers didn’t interest him, beyond the capability of using them for email and the occasional web search.
“Good, but everyone knows about this program?”
“Yes, Dad.
First time we caught someone out with it the word got around. Still,
it’s
cut down the wasted online time and productivity has increased.” And now this problem had appeared, less than a year after Keystroke had been installed; he couldn’t help but wonder what would have happened if he had held off on using it. Would it have caught the person behind their current troubles?
No, he couldn’t think like that. It wouldn’t help him sort things out now.
“All right, then, I’d best get myself back home.” Neil Martin pushed to his feet and straightened his jacket.
“Sure, Dad.
I’ll take care of things here.” Or he’d at least make a damn good attempt to. If he ever got his hands on the person behind their latest round of troubles he’d squeeze the life from their scrawny necks.
“And I’ll see you on Friday night?”
“The cocktail party, sure.”
“With
“Dad…”
“You can’t blame an old man for trying.” A wicked grin flashed across his father’s face. “Besides, she’d
liven
the place up a little.”
“Dad, for the last time.
Stop trying to fix me up. I’m fine. If I want to date someone I’ll choose them, is that clear?”
“Sure, son.
For now at least.
I’ll find a way to see you married to a good woman sooner or later. You know I will.” Neil smiled and straightened the tie he wore.
“No, I don’t. I won’t date someone just because you want me to. And the sooner you learn that the easier things will be between us.”
“Now, Alan. There’s no need to…”
“Yes, there is.” Alan rose slowly and walked around from behind his desk. When was his father going to learn? Trying to coerce him into a date wasn’t the sort of thing he tolerated.
“Now, Alan. Listen to me for a minute. I’m not going to put up with this from you.”
“Dad, this isn’t going to work.” Alan frowned and watched his father pace across the office. “I don’t care how many wealthy women you try to pair me up with I’m not going to go out with someone based on your thinking that -- shit, I don’t know what you were thinking. Vicky just isn’t my style.”
“Victoria Shelby comes from a good family and has more than enough money behind her that she wouldn’t be looking to leach from the company.” Neil Martin scowled and sat down. “I don’t know what’s wrong with you, Alan. Most men would give their right arm to be seen with
Alan tried not to laugh. His father’s temper was showing through his otherwise cultured veneer. Though his father would have denied it, the signs were all too clear to Alan. The carefully practiced B.B.C. English had slipped in places, granting life to a hint of the
Scouse
accent his father had grown up with. The older man put his feet up on the table and crossed his ankles.
He’d come a long way from the narrow houses of
Bootle
with their cobbled back alley ways. Strange, it was the twenty-first century and those little places still existed. Had they changed much since his dad was a young man? Or had the basics remained the same? It wasn’t the type of place Alan had any desire to go and explore for himself, but at times like this he had to wonder just what it had been like to grow up in such a place.
“I’m not most men, Dad. Never have been, never will be.” Alan looked down at the waiting files on his desk. “Oddly enough the work here, getting things back on track, is more important to me than finding some attractive and empty headed bimbo to have on my arm for the right functions.”
“Alan!”
“Well, if she’s anything like the last three women you’ve tried to pair me up with then she doesn’t have an original thought in her head. First there was Caroline, who had a hard time deciding what color shoes to wear with her latest outfits. Then Naomi, who had the meanest temper I’ve ever seen. And let’s not forget Ginny who thought the world revolved around her spa appointments.”
“So I want to see my son settled down and married to a woman of good breeding. Isn’t it about time you did something about giving us grandchildren?”
“Shit, Dad. This isn’t the nineteenth century any more. It’s the twenty-first. You can’t go around trying to match me up with every woman you stumble across. I’m twenty-five for pity’s sake. I’ve got my whole life ahead of me. Why would I want to go looking for a wife right now? I can’t even imagine myself as a father.”
“Because you need to settle down.
Besides, don’t you want to still be young enough to raise your children?” Neil brushed a nonexistent piece of fluff off his trouser leg.
“I’m not even sure I want kids.” There it was, out there, open on the table. It wasn’t exactly the way he’d wanted to tell the old man, but once said it couldn’t be taken back.
Maybe when the time was right, when he was settled and finally found someone who -- who understood him.
Who wanted to explore the type of relationship Alan already knew he needed, then it would be a different matter entirely.
“What!” Neil sat bolt upright, the color draining from his face. “You can’t be serious about that. How could you think of not wanting kids? It’s a natural part of life, men want heirs.”
“I didn’t say that, I said I wasn’t sure I wanted them. There’s a difference.
Dad.
I’m too young to be worrying about all that.”
“You’ve no idea just how fast life can catch up with you. And when it finally hits you, then you’ll regret not finding a wife earlier.”
Well, he hadn’t wanted it to go this far but there was one threat the old man would have to listen to.
“Dad.
I am not going to be pushed into a date and the next time you try to fix me up with someone I’ll quit the company. Is that clear?”
“Now, Alan, there’s no need to make irrational threats like that. We both know you wouldn’t walk out on the company.” His father cracked a half smile.
“That’s where you’re very much mistaken. I can and I will. If walking out on you, this place, and the company as a whole is the only way to get you to see sense and quit your matchmaking schemes then you bet I’ll leave the lot
behind.
”
The color drained from his father’s face as the senior Martin turned and half paced the room, muttering beneath his breath. Alan tried not to smile, but kept his face, with effort, under control. Walking away from the company, or his father, wouldn’t be that easy, but he’d follow through with his threat if that’s what it took. If nothing else he’d learned one thing all too well. Never use a threat unless you were willing to see it through to the bitter end.
“Fine.
I’ll stop asking you to bring a date. But I can’t be held responsible for any women approaching you at events. You’re a wealthy young man, Alan. That does draw interest.”
“And no handing my number on to them either.”
“I never did -- all right I did it once but only once. It won’t happen again.” Neil offered a sheepish smile. “Besides I thought you two would make a cute…”
“Dad!”
“Yes, you’re right.
Bad idea.”
Neil glanced up at the clock on the wall. “Shit, I’m going to be late and your Mum will never forgive me.”
“Understandable. Give my love to her, will you?”
“Of course; she’ll be expecting you there on Friday night, so don’t forget.”
“I won’t.”
How could he. Half the local businesses were going to be there, and if all went well with the meeting earlier that day then there would be some good news to announce. Just as long as the idiot behind the information leaks was caught before then.
* * * * *
“Mr. Martin?” A slightly balding man
peeked
his head around the corner of the door. “
Steph
said you wanted to see me?”
Alan frowned, his gaze narrowing on the doorway. Had he told his secretary to let anyone in? The meeting with his father had left him unsettled and it took him a moment to put his thoughts in order. “Charlie? Ah, yes. Sorry I’d forgotten you were -- never mind, come in.”
The middle-aged man slipped into the room, closing the door behind him. With an overly confident stride Charlie straightened his hair, hiding the bald spot before speaking. “If it’s about the sales reports I know I’m running a day or so late, but I’ll have them ready for Friday.”
“That won’t be good enough. I’ll need them no later than Wednesday night and you should have had them on my desk last week, at the very latest. I don’t like the way you’ve been getting sloppy about these things.” Charlie Welch, the man had become a thorn in his side of late, but in nothing that he could actually fire the idiot for. When pushed he did do the work, but it was seldom on time.
Of course there were always excuses.
His computer at home crashed, which was where he was doing the extra work, without billing the company for it, of course. Or the email didn’t go through. He’d thought he’d already sent it, or it was the copier machine’s fault for playing up at the wrong moment. He’d used every excuse short of the dog eating his homework, and still expected people to believe him.
“I’m not sure that will be possible without putting in some extra hours, Mr. Martin.” Charlie smiled and slipped his hands into his pockets. “I’ve been running into a few problems with the accounting software and…”
