away from the kerb, filling the width of the narrow steel-grey street before turning out of sight. ‘That was quite a show.’
Allegra had stopped smiling now the clients were gone. She didn’t need to waste her vibrancy and energy and good cheer here. She was unapologetic and triumphant. If they won the account,
it would be her strategy they’d be following, not Sam’s – regardless of whether she fronted the meetings – and that gave her the ammunition she needed for the promotion.
‘Would you have done any different?’ she asked, finishing buttoning up her coat.
Sam watched, his face impassive, his body still. Snow was in the air, but he seemed impervious to the arctic temperatures. ‘No.’
She gave a small shrug, as if to say, ‘There you are, then,’ looking down the road for a cab. Her last-minute dash here meant Kirsty hadn’t been able to arrange a driver in
time. Sam’s was standing waiting for him, outside the car, further down the street.
‘But you can’t sabotage me every time I meet with them. You may have got away with it this time, but if you think I’m going to let you pull that stunt on me
again—’
‘What? You’ll what?’ she asked, one eyebrow arched defiantly.
He was quiet again. ‘I don’t agree with you about pulling out of China, but we have to present a united front. Zhou told me his father’s agreed to a meeting with Red
Shore.’
‘
What?
Shit!’ she tutted angrily, stamping her foot lightly on the ground and looking away.
‘We’re going to have to come up with something more.’
She looked back at him. ‘How can there be more? We’re guaranteeing him thirty-six per cent returns!’
‘And Red Shore will be going to them with something close to that too. Maybe even better. They’re bigger than us.’
‘There
isn’t
better than what I’m proposing,’ she said fiercely. ‘I’ve looked at it from every angle.’
‘We need something big, something no one else is on to yet,’ Sam said, watching her hair swaying as she moved agitatedly.
‘Yeah, well, good luck with that.’
There was a small pause. ‘Apparently there’s talk of Garrard hooking up with Harry Winston,’ he said in a quiet voice.
She whipped round. ‘A
merger
?’ They were two of the biggest names in the precious jewellery firmament: Garrard had the British pedigree and royal warrant, Harry Winston a
Beverly Hills celebrity clientele that was every bit as prestigious, especially in this day and age. ‘Why haven’t I heard about it?’
He shrugged noncommittally.
‘Where did you hear that?’ she asked, stepping closer, scrutinizing his face. This was
her
market. She knew every single one of the guys at the US private equity firm that
had bought Garrard. She was one of their go-to fund managers. No way was this information in the public domain yet.
He looked up at her through lowered lashes. ‘I know someone who knows someone.’
She raised an eyebrow. Was he kidding? She stared at him in confusion. What kind of game was he playing here? What rules did he break? Was this how he got his returns? ‘I’m sure you
don’t need me to point out to you that that’s illegal,’ she murmured, checking no one was within earshot.
‘If I acted on it, yes.’
‘I can’t act on it either!’ she hissed furiously. ‘You just basically admitted that information is privileged!’
He shrugged. ‘It could be what gives us the edge over the others. Don’t you want to nail this deal?’
‘Of course I do! But not . . . not like that.’
She turned away, but he came and stood behind her.
‘What option have you got?’ he asked, his voice brushing past her ear, and she suppressed a shiver.
‘I’ll think of something.’
She saw a taxi come round the corner and held up her arm. It headed towards her.
‘Where are you going?’ he asked.
She looked back at him. ‘Why?’
He shrugged. ‘I can give you a lift back to the office if you like. I’m on my way there myself.
Allegra had stopped smiling now the clients were gone. She didn’t need to waste her vibrancy and energy and good cheer here. She was unapologetic and triumphant. If they won the account,
it would be her strategy they’d be following, not Sam’s – regardless of whether she fronted the meetings – and that gave her the ammunition she needed for the promotion.
‘Would you have done any different?’ she asked, finishing buttoning up her coat.
Sam watched, his face impassive, his body still. Snow was in the air, but he seemed impervious to the arctic temperatures. ‘No.’
She gave a small shrug, as if to say, ‘There you are, then,’ looking down the road for a cab. Her last-minute dash here meant Kirsty hadn’t been able to arrange a driver in
time. Sam’s was standing waiting for him, outside the car, further down the street.
‘But you can’t sabotage me every time I meet with them. You may have got away with it this time, but if you think I’m going to let you pull that stunt on me
again—’
‘What? You’ll what?’ she asked, one eyebrow arched defiantly.
He was quiet again. ‘I don’t agree with you about pulling out of China, but we have to present a united front. Zhou told me his father’s agreed to a meeting with Red
Shore.’
‘
What?
Shit!’ she tutted angrily, stamping her foot lightly on the ground and looking away.
‘We’re going to have to come up with something more.’
She looked back at him. ‘How can there be more? We’re guaranteeing him thirty-six per cent returns!’
‘And Red Shore will be going to them with something close to that too. Maybe even better. They’re bigger than us.’
‘There
isn’t
better than what I’m proposing,’ she said fiercely. ‘I’ve looked at it from every angle.’
‘We need something big, something no one else is on to yet,’ Sam said, watching her hair swaying as she moved agitatedly.
‘Yeah, well, good luck with that.’
There was a small pause. ‘Apparently there’s talk of Garrard hooking up with Harry Winston,’ he said in a quiet voice.
She whipped round. ‘A
merger
?’ They were two of the biggest names in the precious jewellery firmament: Garrard had the British pedigree and royal warrant, Harry Winston a
Beverly Hills celebrity clientele that was every bit as prestigious, especially in this day and age. ‘Why haven’t I heard about it?’
He shrugged noncommittally.
‘Where did you hear that?’ she asked, stepping closer, scrutinizing his face. This was
her
market. She knew every single one of the guys at the US private equity firm that
had bought Garrard. She was one of their go-to fund managers. No way was this information in the public domain yet.
He looked up at her through lowered lashes. ‘I know someone who knows someone.’
She raised an eyebrow. Was he kidding? She stared at him in confusion. What kind of game was he playing here? What rules did he break? Was this how he got his returns? ‘I’m sure you
don’t need me to point out to you that that’s illegal,’ she murmured, checking no one was within earshot.
‘If I acted on it, yes.’
‘I can’t act on it either!’ she hissed furiously. ‘You just basically admitted that information is privileged!’
He shrugged. ‘It could be what gives us the edge over the others. Don’t you want to nail this deal?’
‘Of course I do! But not . . . not like that.’
She turned away, but he came and stood behind her.
‘What option have you got?’ he asked, his voice brushing past her ear, and she suppressed a shiver.
‘I’ll think of something.’
She saw a taxi come round the corner and held up her arm. It headed towards her.
‘Where are you going?’ he asked.
She looked back at him. ‘Why?’
He shrugged. ‘I can give you a lift back to the office if you like. I’m on my way there myself.
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