Adrian approved, clasping his hands together. ‘How soon would you like us to get started?’ I felt the burn of Bywater’s glare, boring into my face. I tried to remain facing him, avoiding his eyes obviously, instead fixing mine on the silky pigeon-blue stripes of his tie.
‘Do you like a challenge, Miss Alwood?’ Bywater ran his fingers over the tie, stealing it back from me, new grazes gracing a couple of his knuckles.
‘Excuse me?’ The feebleness in my voice was not lost on anyone.
Bywater’s tawny eyes were heavy on me now, daring me to delve into them for the reasons he could possibly want me anywhere near his house.
‘Challenges are good, don’t you think? It’s healthy to push yourself out of your comfort zone, exhilarating even. You strike me as someone who could deal with a few ups and downs and push the mill on for me.’ Bywater was almost smiling. For some unsettling reason, I was starting to suspect that his willingness to have me work for him was actually down to the fact that
he
liked a challenge. Worse still, he seemed to like challenging me.
For a second, his smile got the better of him. If he waslooking for a sparring partner, he was going to be disappointed. I wasn’t even up to a staring contest.
‘I’d like to get the ball rolling as soon as possible, if we can, Adrian?’
‘Sure, sure.’ Adrian nodded in agreement. ‘Amy? How soon can we get up and running?’ I was supposed to be starting on a new restaurant next week. I knew then Adrian had seen the fees I’d quoted for this job.
Through a gap in the blinds behind Bywater, I caught sight of James walking resolutely through the office. Sadie glanced up at him as he passed her desk. I shifted in my seat.
Adrian cleared his throat. I reeled my concentration back inside the room. ‘Well, ah … when would you like to sit down and work through your needs, Mr Bywater?’
‘Monday morning works for me,’ he said, looking to his wristwatch.
I glanced sideways. James was hanging over Phil. Phil began pointing over this way.
‘Super.’ Adrian beamed. ‘I’m sure we can get Dana to shift around anything else you’ve got booked in, Amy.’
I watched James lean in towards Phil, closer than was advisable. She’d been waiting for a chance to let rip but she was listening to him, albeit reluctantly.
‘Amy?’ Adrian called.
Rohan Bywater’s eyes narrowed under darker serious brows. Adrian had adopted a more serious expression too.
‘Sorry?’
‘Monday,’ Adrian repeated. ‘You’ll be starting at the mill on Monday.’ I nodded.
‘It’s good of you to accommodate me so quickly,’ Bywater said, glancing out towards James and Phil. ‘I don’t want to take up any more of Miss Alwood’s time now, though, I’m sure she has other challenges to deal with before we get started next week.’ A knot began to form in my stomach. Rohan Bywater set me on edge, but I still owed him a grovelling apology. Something else to dread on an ever-growing list.
‘She is a busy girl,’ Adrian agreed. ‘We can finish up here, Amy. You get on if you wish.’ Bywater got up from his chair to shake my hand before I left. I didn’t look at him at all now. I left the boardroom to the sound of Adrian asking whether or not Bywater was a rugby man, while I traded one anxiety for another.
*
‘What’s going on?’ I asked James, acutely aware of two things. The first, he had promised to give me space at work, and the second, Sadie was watching the show.
‘Anna just called. She wants to make an appointment to come over, to the house.’
‘What did you say?’ I yelped. ‘We can’t see her yet!’ Social workers were like bloodhounds. She’d know. She’d smell it on us – relationship failure.
‘I told her that we’re away until next week, to buy us some time. I didn’t know what to say, Ame, so she’s suggestedcalling us the week after. I thought she might ring your phone too so I just wanted to make sure we had our stories
‘Do you like a challenge, Miss Alwood?’ Bywater ran his fingers over the tie, stealing it back from me, new grazes gracing a couple of his knuckles.
‘Excuse me?’ The feebleness in my voice was not lost on anyone.
Bywater’s tawny eyes were heavy on me now, daring me to delve into them for the reasons he could possibly want me anywhere near his house.
‘Challenges are good, don’t you think? It’s healthy to push yourself out of your comfort zone, exhilarating even. You strike me as someone who could deal with a few ups and downs and push the mill on for me.’ Bywater was almost smiling. For some unsettling reason, I was starting to suspect that his willingness to have me work for him was actually down to the fact that
he
liked a challenge. Worse still, he seemed to like challenging me.
For a second, his smile got the better of him. If he waslooking for a sparring partner, he was going to be disappointed. I wasn’t even up to a staring contest.
‘I’d like to get the ball rolling as soon as possible, if we can, Adrian?’
‘Sure, sure.’ Adrian nodded in agreement. ‘Amy? How soon can we get up and running?’ I was supposed to be starting on a new restaurant next week. I knew then Adrian had seen the fees I’d quoted for this job.
Through a gap in the blinds behind Bywater, I caught sight of James walking resolutely through the office. Sadie glanced up at him as he passed her desk. I shifted in my seat.
Adrian cleared his throat. I reeled my concentration back inside the room. ‘Well, ah … when would you like to sit down and work through your needs, Mr Bywater?’
‘Monday morning works for me,’ he said, looking to his wristwatch.
I glanced sideways. James was hanging over Phil. Phil began pointing over this way.
‘Super.’ Adrian beamed. ‘I’m sure we can get Dana to shift around anything else you’ve got booked in, Amy.’
I watched James lean in towards Phil, closer than was advisable. She’d been waiting for a chance to let rip but she was listening to him, albeit reluctantly.
‘Amy?’ Adrian called.
Rohan Bywater’s eyes narrowed under darker serious brows. Adrian had adopted a more serious expression too.
‘Sorry?’
‘Monday,’ Adrian repeated. ‘You’ll be starting at the mill on Monday.’ I nodded.
‘It’s good of you to accommodate me so quickly,’ Bywater said, glancing out towards James and Phil. ‘I don’t want to take up any more of Miss Alwood’s time now, though, I’m sure she has other challenges to deal with before we get started next week.’ A knot began to form in my stomach. Rohan Bywater set me on edge, but I still owed him a grovelling apology. Something else to dread on an ever-growing list.
‘She is a busy girl,’ Adrian agreed. ‘We can finish up here, Amy. You get on if you wish.’ Bywater got up from his chair to shake my hand before I left. I didn’t look at him at all now. I left the boardroom to the sound of Adrian asking whether or not Bywater was a rugby man, while I traded one anxiety for another.
*
‘What’s going on?’ I asked James, acutely aware of two things. The first, he had promised to give me space at work, and the second, Sadie was watching the show.
‘Anna just called. She wants to make an appointment to come over, to the house.’
‘What did you say?’ I yelped. ‘We can’t see her yet!’ Social workers were like bloodhounds. She’d know. She’d smell it on us – relationship failure.
‘I told her that we’re away until next week, to buy us some time. I didn’t know what to say, Ame, so she’s suggestedcalling us the week after. I thought she might ring your phone too so I just wanted to make sure we had our stories
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