Rose Blood (2 page)

He came out of the shower and cast a glance inside the room fifteen minutes later to find it empty and the bench covered in a fresh towel. He smiled to himself in satisfaction. He had an efficient and loyal team. But then again, he paid them exceptionally well to look after him.

He continued through the double doors into his bedroom where Benet was now standing in his open closet choosing his clothing for the day.

“You have a meeting in your office with DeBars management at 1 o’clock this afternoon and then an early evening cocktail party at 5 with Monsieur Brown from the London Casino. The dark grey Valentino … oui, celui-là je pense… You can wear your tie later if you prefer sir…” Benet held the suit up for approval, along with a crisp white shirt and draped a deep blue silk tie across it. “… Ca vous plait?”

“Yes that will do, thank you Benet…. And take the afternoon off, I won’t be back till late and I’ll see to myself. “

Benet hung up the outfit on a hook in the closet and left the bedroom.

His butler insisted he call him by his surname and Benet addressed him as sir… Marcus didn’t like such formality in general, but Benet was old school and French and wouldn’t have it any other way…

Chapter 3

“Morning Mike” Rose called out as she came through the door and arrived at her desk, putting her bag down on her chair. “Been here all night?”

“More or less. It’s just as well I don’t have a life…”

“How did it go, did she beat you up?” She asked standing in his doorway. He did look a little rough today, more stressed than last night even.

“It was a bit tough… I’ll tell you all about it later. Get us a coffee Ro, if you’re making one. I need a shot of caffeine right now.” He watched as her smart, short skirted, high heeled form walked away from him, up the office towards the coffee machine with her long dark hair swinging across her back. She had something special about her… something that could be put to very good use…

She turned the corner and arrived at the drinks machine to find Harrison there making his customary two morning hot chocolates.

“Hiya Harry, how was the night of passion with little Sammy?” There was that strange little feeling creeping up on her again. It was like butterflies were in her stomach, a weird churning sensation… possessiveness, jealousy, envy, anxiety…? She didn’t know quite what it was but it was a recent development when the thought of Harry and Samantha came into her mind. She had no right or reason to feel anything like that.

Harry looked up at her briefly, she’d caught him daydreaming again… Jeez! Why did she always have to look so damn sexy.  He was like a man possessed.

“Nice enough I suppose… but you know I’d rather it was you… I have constant erotic dreams about you Rose.”

“Harry please! Give me a break… It’s eight in the morning for crissakes! At least let me have a drink before you start on me.”

“I can’t help it, I’m a morning guy. Actually an all day kinda guy… well I know I would be with you anyways.” He had felt like giving up  on her many times, putting himself out of this misery… but his mind wouldn’t stop. It kept forcing him on, trying to break down her resistance somehow, anyhow. Sometimes he even imagined he could see signs of her weakening. He couldn’t understand this rule she had… what did it matter if she worked with him? It made no difference to him at all… he knew she liked him more than a little, he’d seen her looking at him quite often…

Rose had made a firm promise to herself never to get involved with her work colleagues, as she’d seen the type of problems and friction that could cause, especially in a work environment like hers. More importantly she wanted to keep her head straight whilst she was at work. But Harry was permanently stuck in her mind of late and it was getting worse and worse. Whatever the constant bombardment tactics were that he was currently using on her, they were working. She’d found herself sneaking looks at him all the time when he was on the phone or preoccupied. She was drawn to him and really enjoyed looking at him and being with him. She had to admit it.

She might have to throw out her rule book in his case.

He had the most beautiful deep blue eyes… they were like little oceans of sex in her mind… when he looked at her she felt like diving in and drowning in their blue heat. Just about everything else was sexy too – his voice, his hair, his immaculate suited body and even his expensively covered Gucci feet….  The sexy sulky boyish face was most definitely her favourite part though.

Despite the opportunities he had he didn’t even sleep around that much, nothing like the others did… Apart from IT Samantha, it didn’t seem like he dated much either, it must have been over a year ago he finished with Karyn. He was the only other single in the room apart from her too.

She was persuading herself quite nicely she thought. Actually she didn’t need any persuading at all. She’d fancied him rotten for quite a long time now… probably since she first laid eyes on him three years ago if she was to be really honest.

He was occupying her thoughts so much lately, she might as well go the whole way…

But it would be so difficult stepping over that big line, she wasn’t sure she could or should, even though she was quite sure she wanted to.

He picked up his drinks and turned to go back to his desk.

“Harry… look, I’ll think about it.” she said quietly as he passed by in front of her.

“You will?” His eyes opened in surprise as he turned his head towards her. Then he walked off in a daze with his sickly chocolate drinks in his now rather unsteady hands.

She made the two drinks, delivered Mike’s to him and sat down at her desk.

The morning started as per usual. Checking their funds, confirming their positions and prior day profits, reading emails, dealing with paper correspondence…

Mike came out of his office and suddenly shouted loudly in his booming voice. Rose started a little as he was standing right next to her at the time.

“Team announcement everyone.”

The eight of them gathered around him, next to Ro’s desk.

“Okay, listen up guys… Clara has given us a new target to meet. Our income budget has been raised somewhat, due to internal political reasons the details of which I’m not privy to as per usual… So, long story short, we need to pull up our game. All of you need to make more or we could face staff cuts and maybe even heavy investigation into our expense accounts… and we don’t want any of that kind of thing, do we? I’m going to email you the new planning figures later, so you’ll all know your revised targets. Sorry guys, I know you work hard, but you gotta work harder from now on. Okay… bad news over…. Get on with it, time’s money and all that…”

They all thoughtfully dissipated, grumbling and swearing amongst themselves as he turned and went back inside his room. He sat down and ran his hands through his short greying hair. It was a lot to ask to make that kind of extra money. They weren’t going to like it when they saw how much more! The markets were almost flat lining this time of the year. He hoped they could pull it off somehow. He wasn’t sure he could make a penny more from his own remaining few clients in truth, he was pushing it with risk levels already. He’d have to get shot of them to the others soon, he shouldn’t be trading anymore, not in his position. He needed to relieve some of the pressure on himself before his head exploded.

He hadn’t been exactly truthful with them today. The staff cuts he mentioned were entirely focused on him. Cut-throat Clara had said that he was personally in the line of fire if he failed to deliver. He couldn’t pass the buck unless someone underperformed really badly, and they hadn’t so far. Markets were flat and margins were so tight across the board nowadays… The Proprietary desk was really struggling, he didn’t know how they managed to meet their targets, if it wasn’t for the somewhat risky futures market, they’d be sunk.

He needed to sort out the other thing too. He had finally come to a decision about that. This could be a real life saver in fact, if it went off as he planned…. and he did feel he had just about all his ducks in a row…

He looked through the glass at Rose who was currently scanning her three market screens. He watched her a lot. She definitely brightened up his view.  And he wasn’t the only one who she brightened up either. Harrison’s eyes were on her all the time. In fact he wasn’t completely convinced those two weren’t screwing around as she seemed to watch him an awful lot too. He must stop his mind wandering down Rose lane yet again, he thought sighing out loud.

He stretched and drew in a deep breath. No time like the present to deliver the good news…

“Porter… Get your ass in here!”

They spoke to each other so nicely in here, Rose thought wryly. He could have said ‘Miss Porter please may I have a moment of your time’ or ‘Rose would you come into my office please…’

She got up and took her ass in his office as requested.

“Shut the door Ro.” He said quietly.

She shut it and sat down in one of the guest chairs opposite his desk. A few of the other traders were curiously looking at them through his partition window. Mike never shut his door unless it was private or serious. Usually a very bad type of serious. She was a little worried but knew she shouldn’t be. Her accounts were on target and just over income budget, in fact she knew she was doing rather better than most of the others were, so what was this all about?

“Right, let’s get on with it shall we …” Mike began brightly “We have a new client coming on board. It’s a trial period of one month. If he likes us, we are sorted. All this shit with the budget is over. This is a big dog Ro. The biggest private client yet. At first I thought this might suit the Corporate desk as they are more used to this level of fund but I don’t think they have the right structure and approach for this client so I have changed my mind.

As you and Harrison look after the privates, the ball is in your court. I was going to give this to Harry to be honest, being more experienced and a touch your senior but he has a lot on his plate; the two new Australians and that Spanish golfer last month on top of his shit load of other clients, he’d be overloaded with this one as well.  Anyhow, it’s not just that… I feel this one needs your special kind of personal touch. So I’ve decided it’s going to you.

The client is Marcus DeVere…  You know… DeVere Casinos and the DeBar chain? It’s his own personal fund… and it’s a biggie Ro. How does 1.5 billion sound?” He stared at her watching her reaction closely.

“Jeeesus Mike! Marcus DeVere and 1.5 billion… that’s a helluva lot of client!  I don’t know about taking that much on, my biggest fund is the Carmichael’s as you know. A paltry 165 million…”

“Well, it’s just a matter of scale… do everything 10 times bigger! And let’s put it this way… You
are
managing 1.5 billion Ro whether you like it or not. Now let me tell you something else. Clara has taken this client on personally, through her own connections. She has promised him a ten per cent increase in his personal fortune within one year if he stays with us. That is a massive amount of cash coming to us in commission… work it out!”

“But that’s a ridiculous promise, how can we possibly guarantee that kind of increase Mike, we usually offer new accounts 4%, don’t we? The markets are so flat lately. It’s so risky…”

“Well the fund is badly run at present. That’s why he’s been persuaded to move it away from Smith & Co. There are some immediate improvements you could make and with a little bit of luck and whatever, it could happen. If anyone around could make it happen it would be you Rose. I’ve seen you make a lot more in difficult times. I have faith in you.”

“Well I am touched by your faith Mike. But I don’t know… it’s a little daunting to be honest.” Alarming was probably a better way to describe how she felt … what a massive responsibility!

“Well get used to it fast because it’s already yours.  Now listen up, this is the part you need to take notice of most of all… Marcus DeVere is a well known ladies man… a playboy if you like. I want you to give him some attention Ro. Your best attention in fact…”

“Well of course I always make sure my clients are well looked after Mike. That’s my style. You don’t need to tell me that.”

“No, I don’t think you quite understand what I mean. When I said attention, I meant outside the office… very personal like.”

“Mike, I don’t believe you just said that…! You’re asking me to sleep with him too?” Rose was rather shocked…

“No, not asking you, telling you … and just make sure to give him exactly what he wants, all the nuts and bolts, if you get me… He’s not exactly ugly, so you might enjoy it once you get started. I want to keep this client really, really happy… it could be a great earner over a few years. More money in all our pension pots and all that.

“Mike!”  This was unreal! She was more than stunned… All the nuts and bolts…? He’ll be giving her a check list any minute…

“Anyway… let’s cut to the chase shall we… as you know it’s half year bonus time coming up soon and staff cuts are looming on the horizon and all that Clara crap… and, now how can I put it…? Things could go a little pear shaped for you if this doesn’t work out how I plan.”

“For God’s sake! I’ve just about had enough of this… this is not happening…”

“Worse things could happen Rose, there’s a shed load of money involved here. You can stop looking so fucking outraged, you’re a woman of the world, you know what goes around in our business… the guys on the Corporate desk deal with far worse than this all the time. The kinda things those company guys want on the back hand is either obscene or illegal… So Rose, you’re gonna drop your standards to rock bottom just this once to get the job done.”

“Look, just because I’m a woman you have absolutely no right to expect … ” she started to object again but he cut her off .

“I’ve set up a meeting tomorrow morning at 10.30 at his Mayfair office.  I’m sending you his address and other things.  I have all the files on his company so you know some background and then there is a mass of stuff on his current private fund that you are going to manage. You need to study everything about DeVere tonight and get an A star tomorrow when you meet him. Oh, and Ro… you could do extremely well out of this deal if you pull it off. You’ll save us all and line your pocket big time. How does triple bonus sound?”