Soliman, Wendy - The Name of the Game (BookStrand Publishing Romance) (15 page)

“Oh, I do hope not.” He shook his head, offering her a raffish grin that was probably meant to be sexy. Instead, it repelled her. “That would be such a waste.”

“Tell me more about the job,” she said, steering him back to safer waters. His smile slipped, and she felt the first stirrings of alarm. Matt had been right. Charlie wasn’t the type who’d easily take
no
for an answer. He clearly thought that no woman could possibly be immune to his charm and that the rules of sexual harassment didn’t apply to him. “Where do you want me to start?”

Charlie spent the next half-hour outlining the areas of common interest between the two firms.

“There’s bound to be a lot of duplication of staff, and that’s where we’ll be looking to make cost savings. I need you to organize time and motion studies here and liaise with Philip Roker at Stevenson’s. He’s doing the same thing there.”

“He’s the guy you introduced me to the other night?” she asked, pretending not to remember.

“That’s the one.”

“Isn’t he rather senior to be carrying out such a comparatively mundane task? I’d have thought that I’d be liaising with Stella. I already was on the Reigate end.”

Charlie shrugged. “Phil likes to be hands on.”

“Okay then, I’ll contact him.” Ashley paused, her suspicions on high alert. “What about systems?”

“What about them?”

“Well, if the deal goes ahead, which will we use here in Southampton, ours or Stevenson’s?”

“Probably some of both. The computer geeks are looking into that and will tell us, when they get round to it, if they’re suitable for amalgamation. We’ll probably have to run both at first, side by side, and let the programmers get their teeth into a new system.”

“But if I’m to recommend economies, I’ll need to know which departments here are to continue with our system so I—”

“Steer clear of systems,” Charlie said firmly. His languid attitude gave way to one of firm authority, causing Ashley’s antenna to twitch. She sat up a little straighter, wondering if she’d stumbled onto an area of significance already.

“I don’t know much about systems, but I don’t see how I can do a proper appraisal of staff requirements if I don’t know which programmes—”

“There’s plenty for you to be getting on with. As soon as the systems guys let me have their recommendations, I’ll share them with you.”

“Yes, okay.” She backed off before she aroused his suspicions. “It’s just that I didn’t have this problem in Reigate because it’s already been decided to stick with our system there.”

“Yeah, so I gather.” He stretched his arms above his head and offered her another killer grin. “Have you settled into the flat okay?”

“I only had time to dump my bags there this morning, but it seems fine.”

“Well, if there’s anything you need—”

“Oh, I doubt if there will be. I’ll only be there four nights a week anyway. I’ll be going back home for the weekends.”

“But I thought you wanted to steer clear of Reigate?”

“I do, but I still have a horse and a dog to think about.”

“I see.” He paused, subjecting her to close scrutiny. “I hope you don’t have intransigent plans for the nights when you are down here.”

“Not really. Why?”

“There are a number of issues still to be thrashed out with the Stevenson’s lot, and I find it easier to do that over dinner. People are less territorial when they’ve had a few jars to loosen them up. You’d be required to attend some of those dinners.”

“Oh, I didn’t know that.”

He hitched a brow. “Problem?”

She shrugged. “No, I guess not.”

“Right, well, I think that’s enough for you to be getting on with. Come on, I’ll show you your office. It’s right here, next door to mine, so if you get lonely or need any help, any help at all,” he added with a loaded glance, “then you only have to yell.”

Ashley got right down to it, trying not to think about Matt and the problems he was grappling with. The best favour she could do him was to find out how Charlie was sabotaging the claims system. She immersed herself in this latest challenge, getting to know the people she’d be working the most closely with. She wisely made a friend of Charlie’s glamorous but territorial young secretary, offering to buy her lunch later in the week so she could pick her brains. She renewed her acquaintanceship with people she’d known for years and got them on side by asking their advice about the best place to start her daunting task. She wasn’t going to be popular because everyone knew there would be redundancies if the merger went ahead. In such straightened times, no one wanted to lose their jobs.

Ashley already realized that it would be impossible, in the short time available, to look everywhere for signs of Charlie’s machinations. He was too clever to leave a trail, so she attempted to put herself in his shoes. If someone wanted to covertly sabotage several different areas of the operation simultaneously, what aspect of the business did all those operations have in common? And how could one person—even one as senior in the company as Charlie—access it without arousing suspicion? Thus far she didn’t have a clue.

By six that first evening, Ashley was exhausted and decided to call it a night. The prospect of returning to the impersonal company flat didn’t exactly fill her with joy, and she longed for the comfort of her own apartment. Chiding herself for already feeling homesick, she perked up when she recalled that once she was safely inside the flat she’d at least be able to call Matt. They’d already agreed that he couldn’t risk making contact and that any conversations between them would have to be initiated by her, using their mobiles only. They couldn’t chance leaving traces of their conversations on the company’s phone records. Ashley thought this was taking things a little too far and giggled as she walked to the flat, feeling rather like an extra in a low budget espionage film.

As soon as she opened the door, Ashley sensed she wasn’t alone. Just for a moment her heart leapt. It couldn’t be anyone other than Matt because no one else except Charlie knew where she was living. He must be missing her already and had broken his own self-imposed rules by coming to see her on her very first night.

When not Matt, but his wife, appeared in the doorway to the kitchen, a cold shiver passed down Ashley’s spine.

“Eve,” she managed to say. “What on earth are you doing here?”

“Hello, Ashley. Matt told me you’d be coming down today.”

“Did he?”

“Oh yes, we have no secrets from each other.”
You could have fooled me, lady. “
I know how lonely it can be in a strange place, so I thought I’d come and help you settle in.”

“How did you know I was in this flat? And how did you get in?”

Eve smiled and carried on talking as though she hadn’t heard the questions. “I’ve done a little shopping for you,” she said, opening the door to the fridge and displaying the neatly packed shelves. “I suspected you wouldn’t have had time to get to the shops yourself. I hope I’ve chosen the right things. Somehow I feel we share the same tastes.”

Ashley’s feelings of unease increased. They both knew Eve wasn’t referring to food. “Thank you,” she said, “that was kind of you. What do I owe you?”

“Oh, nothing, I’ll charge it to the company. And I’ve unpacked your things.”

“You what!”

“Hanging things up immediately saves getting them creased and then having to iron them. I hate ironing myself, but Matt is so fussy about his shirts. He gets into the most terrible funk if they aren’t just the way he likes them. Still,” she added with a self-conscious little laugh that made Ashley want to throttle her, “that’s what wives are for.”

“You shouldn’t have put yourself to so much trouble,” Ashley said, containing her temper with difficulty. How dare this woman pry through her personal belongings! Thank God she’d left her favourite picture of Matt at home in Reigate and always carried her address book and other personal stuff in her handbag. “Not in your condition.”

“Nonsense! Pregnancy fills me with energy. Well, that’s what Matt always says, and he should know. Now come on, why don’t you take a shower and change into something casual whilst I prepare dinner for us both. You must be exhausted. You certainly look it.”

“Thanks.”

“I didn’t mean that as an insult.”
Like hell you didn’t.
“First days in a new job are always tiring.”

“I will take that shower, but I couldn’t ask you to cook for me. You must have a hundred more pressing things to see to.”

“Not at all!” Her smile was full of steely resolve. “I’m so glad you’re here, Ashley. You and I are going to be such good friends, I just know it. Oh, and do you prefer red wine or white? I’ve got both, but somehow I think red is more your style.”

Ashley was speechless. No way did she want this woman in her flat, much less cooking dinner for her and offering her a chummy glass of wine, but she couldn’t think how to get rid of her. When Matt had described his wife as a woman of singular determination, he obviously hadn’t exaggerated. She was doing everything she possibly could to discomfort Ashley, all under the auspices of friendliness. She only answered those questions that suited her and had already made it clear that she had access to Ashley’s private space and personal possession. Ashley could scarcely complain without seeming churlish.

Ashley locked herself in the bathroom, the only place safe from Eve’s prying ears, and pulled her mobile phone from her bag. She had promised to call Matt no later than six o’clock, and it was now six-thirty. Their conversation would have to be a brief, whispered explanation, but it would put his mind, well … if not at rest, at least he’d understand her predicament. He might even have some idea as to Eve’s true purpose.

She couldn’t get a signal.

Thumping the side of the bath in frustration, feeling more than a little apprehensive, Ashley washed away the grime of the day under a hot shower. She stood there for a long time, wishing she could wash away the unease she felt at Eve’s presence as easily. Her mind worked furiously. Matt would be frantic by now. They’d agreed that she would ring him, but when he didn’t hear from her, she wouldn’t put it past him to ring anyway. That would be a disaster. Eve was so assertive that she might even grab her phone and answer it before Ashley could get to it. Ashley emerged from the shower and switched her mobile off, trusting to luck that Matt wouldn’t risk ringing the landline at the flat.

Searching for something to wear, Ashley felt a fresh wave of anger wash over her as she discovered that Eve really had unpacked her bags and hung all of her work clothes in an orderly row in the wardrobe. Her sweaters were neatly folded on a shelf, and her underwear—some of it purchased for her by Matt—had been matched up, bras and knickers folded together in drawers. Ashley never folded her lingerie, and certainly never took the time to match the respective pieces. She tended to throw them from the dryer straight back into the appropriate drawers without giving much thought to tidiness. Didn’t everyone?

The thought of Matt’s wife touching her most intimate garments was particularly unnerving. Was she trying to tell Ashley that she was one step ahead of her all the way? Damn it, what was it that she wanted? Uncomfortably aware that she was being manipulated, Ashley forced herself to return to the sitting room.

“Ah, there you are,” Eve said, poking her head round the kitchen door. “I expect you feel tons better for that. The wine’s open. Why don’t you pour us both a glass? Dinner’s almost ready.”

“Should you be drinking in your condition?”

“Oh, a glass or two won’t do any harm.” She moved into the dining niche, bearing a serving dish of vegetables. “I drank my way through my last two pregnancies and produced two strapping boys. They don’t appear to have inherited the need to get plastered at every opportunity.”

“Oh well, I suppose it’s all right then.”

But Ashley knew it was very much
not
all right. Was Eve punishing the innocent baby she was carrying just to score some obscure point with Ashley?