Tall Poppies (48 page)

‘Hey, what a pleasant surprise,’ Harry said wearily as he opened the door. He was wearing jeans and a faded blue

shirt and he looked great, despite the red eyes and stubble. That’s what you get, Nina thought, if you’re shackled to a .computer screen for days on end. ‘What have I done now?’

‘Nothing. Absolutely nothing,’ Nina said, squeezing past him. ‘Except work like a slave. It’s OK, Harry, I’ve come to apologise.’

He looked at her suspiciously. ‘Either this is a plot of Elizabeth’s or I’m having caffeine hallucinations.’

‘Right first time.’ Nina went into the kitchen and reached for his coffee jars. ‘See? I’ll make decaf.’

She glanced around the pretty kitchen, taking in all Harry’s chaos: drying clothes strewn everywhere, food left out on the side, running shoes kicked casually under ‘the table. It was so homely and domestic. She fought the urge to mother him, to tidy up the mess. She had no right to do that. She had no true place in Harry’s life. Elizabeth was right, this was a conversation she had to have. You couldn’t fight with your partner all the time; it was bad for business.

But Nina was scared. She was about to face things she’d long since swept under the carpet.

‘No way.’ Harry followed her into the kitchen and Nina tried not to flinch at how close he was standing. ‘You have some agenda, Roth, you’re permanently on my

case.’

‘l came over to talk about that, To … apologise,’ Nina repeated. Her mouth was drying up, this was a bad idea. She was feeling nervous. God, he shouldn’t be able to do this to her. Not still. ‘We’re partners, we shouldn’t be at each other’s throats like hyenas. I think you’re doing a great job.’

‘You think I’m doing a great job.’ Harry looked at her searchingly. ‘Jesus. Do you have any idea how clinical that sounds?’

4Iz

‘I want you to tell me the truth.’

‘Harry—’

‘No. I want you to tell me the truth. You came over to clear the air, right?’ Harry said mercilessly. ‘So clear it.’

This was it. He’s going to make me say it, Nina thought miserably. She couldn’t stave off the confrontation a moment longer. It was so hard, though, with Harry standing there, looking so handsome, his gorgeous eyes with the thick black lashes staring at her so challengingly. He would never understand why she’d done what she’d done …

‘OK.’ Nina took a deep breath. ‘I thought it was easier

to be aggressive than let you look down on me.’

‘I didn’t do that.’

She flushed. ‘Come on, Harry. I know what Tony

Savage aid to you, and - it was all true.’

Harry nodded. ‘I know that.’

‘Then you must despise me,’ Nina said, and to her horror she heard her voice break and felt her eyes film over.

‘No. It’s true, I wanted an explanation, but you made it very clear I had no right to one. You broke up with him, and I couldn’t compete with some ghost. I hoped I might win you over, once we were colleagues again, but

that hasn’t exactly worked out.’ He gave her a small grin. ‘You couldn’t compete? I hate Tony Savage.’ ‘So you must have loved him once, right?’

‘Wrong! Are you insane.’ Nina said. ‘I hate him because he told you, he took-you away from me!’

There was a moment’s dumbstruck silence. Harry just stared at her. Then he reached forwards and grabbed her two hands in his.

‘But you were having a relationship …’

Nina tugged her hands away. ‘No. I slept with him because I was young and tough, or I thought I was tough.

413

I didn’t love anybody. I was new and hungry, and everyone assumed I was sleeping with him anyway, so I

thought, what the hell? He can be of some use to me.’ ‘So why did you break up with him?’

‘Because it didn’t feel cut and dried like I thought it would. It made me feel … bad. I realised I was talented, I had promotions due me anyway.’

‘And he didn’t like it when you walked.’

‘First he threatened me. Then he told you. Then he offered me rewards. And then he fired me.’

Harry Namath looked like a man processing a lot of information, Nina thought bitterly.

‘But you did find him attractive.’

‘Yes, at first I did, but I never loved him.’

,

‘And I made you feel there could be something more to

it.’

‘Yeah, well. That was obviously another mistake. I should learn to trust my instincts. Look, Harry. I won’t snipe at you any more, but I’ll tell you right now,’ Nina said, ‘that’s the way it was. I’m not apologising for it. You can judge me when you’ve walked in my shoes, and not before—’

‘Jesus!’ Namath said. He moved closer to her, lifted one hand and clamped it over her mouth. ‘You know your trouble, honey, you never listen. I don’t judge you. You don’t love him?’

He lifted his hand. Nina muttered, ‘No.’ ‘You never did?’ ‘No.’

‘Then that’s all I give a damn about,’ Harry said, and he pushed her back against the cooker and kissed her.

414

Nina didn’t go into work the next day. Or the next. She moved her stuff into Harry’s, and every moment he wasn’t working on Home Office, they went upstairs and made love. She got that same thawing feeling she’d had in Switzerland, only this time there was no fear, no ghosts lurking in the darkness of her past. Harry filled in something missing from her life she didn’t know was gone. In his arms she felt safe and relaxed. Except for the times when safe was the last thing she was feeling. Sometimes it was tender, but mostly it was harshly sexual, animal coupling, his hands twisting in her hair as she went down on him, their naked bodies writhing in front of the mirror, Harry talking dirty in her ear until she was half-maddened, and then thrusting savagely into her until she came. But there was no shame to that, no nasty, guilty tang in the mouth afterwards. It was the difference between having sex and making love. Nina climaxed effortlessly every time.

On the Saturday EliZabeth came round for a council of war and found them curled on the couch in their dressing

gowns.

‘Hey, don’t mind me.’ She held. up a hand to block Nina’s protets. ‘It was always going to be when, not if. When’s the wedding?’

‘Whenever we have time,’ Harry said, grinning.

Elizabeth looked horrified. ‘You’re going to wait that long?’

‘So what’s the news?’ Nina asked.

415

‘Thunderbirds are go, kids. The good news is the loans went through this morning. Our asses are in hock to the banks to the tune of four million quid.’

‘I’m on schedule, despite the distractions,’ Harry said calmly, ‘if John Cobb and Tim Paris are ready.’

‘Well, if not, they haven’t said anything to me.’ Elizabeth got up to leave. ‘I hate to spoil the mood, guys, but maybe Nina should come into the office again. We need to be totally ready, and wecan’t afford to have Harry delayed.’

Elizabeth tried to analyse her feelings as she turned into Earls Court Road. She hadn’t felt so upset in a long time. She was happy for Nina and Harry, wasn’t she? They

‘were two of her dearest friends now, and the atmosphere at work would be smooth as silk. But she didn’t feel happy, she felt wretchedly miserable. It was too saintly to try and rejoice for other people when your own heart felt shattered.

She was glad the Tall Poppies situation was so urgent. It took her mind off Jack, off the dust and ashes in her mouth every morning when she woke up.

She parked the car and stepped out on to the sunny pavement. And stopped dead.

Jack Taylor was sitting on her steps.

Elizabeth’s eyes lit up like floodlights. ‘Jack!’ She rushed over and hugged him. ‘What are you doing here? I’m so glad to see you!’

He’s changed his mind! He wants me, he can’t stand it, he wants us to get married

‘You won’t be, when you know why I’ve come,’ Jack said.

Elizabeth pulled back and looked at him. He was grave. ‘What’s wrong? Is somebody dead?’

‘No. Nobody’s dead, but it’s not good, sugar,’ Jack replied. ‘You’re in big trouble. I’m real sorry.’

416

Elizabeth unlocked her door and took him inside. Jack told her everything he’d heard, and Elizabeth sat down, shakily.

‘Are you OK?’ He looked anxious. ‘Let me get you a drink, or something.’

‘No. Thank you,’ Elizabeth said, distractedly. ‘I need to call Nina, and my lawyers. Look - thanks for letting me know.’

‘Hey.’ Jack pushed the phone towards her. ‘You call who you want, but I’m not leaving. Right now, you need a friend.’

Tony Savage walked into the lobby of the Dragon tower and smiled with perfect triumph.

Though it was a Saturday, the place was buzzing. Production designers had been recalled from their weekends, sales staff were busy placing calls and faxes, and Dragon factories were unlocking .their gates for a little extra overtime.

‘Your guest is waiting in your office, my lord.’ The receptionist smiled deferentially. ‘Good morning.’

Tony nodded. ‘It is indeed.’

‘They’re going to do what?’ Nina gasped.

‘Put out a program of their own. “Executive Package.” TV advertising starts tomorrow, a huge spend, commercials during the news and Coronation Street. Billboards in the City and the West End.’

‘But that would cost millions]’ Elizabeth said. ‘It would swallow up initial profits—’

‘He’s got millions, and it don’t look like he cares about profits,’ Jack said. ‘He just wants to be first. He’s got all the machinery in place already. Factories. Sales forces hundreds of guys strong. Instant packaging expertise. And with the reputation of a big, cash-rich company behind it the analysts love it. They’ve seen the response to

4x7

your proposals, you see? They know people are waiting for this.’

‘You mean to tell me we’ve just prepared the ground for Dragon?’ Nina spat.

‘Looks that way. I’m truly sorry.’

Elizabeth pushed her hands through her hair. ‘If he takes the first wave of customers—’

‘It could become industry standard,’ Nina said dully. ‘Nobody will buy a competing product from a baby firm.’

‘But I don’t get it,’ Elizabeth said, jumping up and pacing around the room. ‘Harry knows he was way in advance of the pack on this. How could anybody have overtaken Harry’s team?’

The two women looked at each other.

‘Oh my God,’ Nina said. ‘I can’t believe it. That slimy prick. He’s poached one of our team. He’s creamed off Harry’s work. It’s the only answer.’

‘If that’s true, you got resources,’ Jack pointed out. ‘You can sue.’

“By then the horse would have bolted. And anyway, lawyers cost money,’ Elizabeth said. ‘It wouldn’t do any good.’

‘We need to call Harry. He’s in the office, working on some last-minute stuff.’ Nina punched in the number and Harry picked up right away..They talked quietly for a few minutes.

Jack looked at Elizabeth. ‘If you want to hire lawyers, you can use my money, but I guess you wouldn’t take it.’

‘You guess right,’ Elizabeth replied, ‘but thanks, Jack. You’ve been a good friend.’

He nodded. ‘I wanted to be a lot more than that.’ ‘Maybe you still will.’ Elizabeth was onthe brink of tears now. ‘If my company isn’t - if I turn into the most famous bankrupt in Britain, I wouldn’t stick around out of pride.’

48

‘But truly.’ She smiled bravely at him. ‘You must be pretty glad this has happened.’

He thought about that for a little while. ‘No. I’m not,’ Jack said finally. ‘I can’t stand to see you in pain.’

Nina hung up and turned round, shattering the moment. Her eyes as she looked at Elizabeth were bright. ‘Harry and I have had a little chat. He doesn’t think we should do anything. Just carry on as before. No statements to the press. No panic.’

‘Pretend it’s not happening?’

‘John Cobb’s gone,’ Nina said. ‘Left a message on Harry’s answerphone. Tony hired him for over a million a year.’

‘What?’ Elizabeth’s mouth dropped open. ‘A million quid? We were paying him twenty-three grand! That’s a hell of a pay rise! What does he have that’s worth a million?’

‘Experience.’ Nina looked grim. ‘He was in charge of checking Harry’s code. He had total access to Home Office.’

‘And Harry thinks we should just keep our heads down, carry on regardless?’

‘If that’s Harry’s advice, we have to trust him.’

‘You’re right there,’ Elizabeth said furiously. ‘There’s bugger all else we can do.’

It was agony to watch. The mighty Dragon sales machine swung into action with devastating effect. TV screens were bombarded with ads. The computer press ran profiles of both systems and concluded there was nothing to pick between them. Except for one key point. Dragon’s was out first.

The press Elizabeth had courted were now hounding her wherever she went. If Tall Poppies had had a share

price, trading would have been suspended. The hacks who’d loved them last week were now full of scorn. Trust two stupid bimbos to put all their eggs in one basket! Their bankers were on the phone every day, demanding clarification. When Tall Poppies’ own campaigns, modest and well targeted, started to run, people poured scorn upon them. Scenting blood, the tabloids even got in on the act. The idea of a deadly rivalry between Tony Savage and his estranged daughter was just too delicious to resist. How stupid we were to criticise the Robber Baron, the papers crawled. Letting those three losers go was a great idea.

Lord Caerhaven gave a few triumphant interviews. Dignified pieces in serious organs: the FT, The Times, 1The Economist. Everybody feared him again. Dragon’s

stock took a massive ten-point jump.

Executive Package launched on the first of August in a

blaze of publicity. Elizabeth and Nina stayed quietly in their offices, putting the final touches to Home Office. They took no calls from the press.

Sales for Dragon’s package, as predicted, went through

the roof. A super-efficient sales force was on hand to see huge piles of the beautiful box stacked everywhere from toy stores to stationers’. Initial stocks soon sold out and Tony switched two more factories to EP. More copies were rush-produced. Linguists produced interfaces in French, Spanish and German. For two weeks, Executive Package was the computer craze of the moment.