Just Business by Ber Carroll Page B

by an unsteady toddler exploring her office.
    â€˜Thanks for seeing me at such short notice,’ Scott said when they had finished making small talk about how cute Jenny was.
    â€˜No problem.’ She was matter-of-fact.
    â€˜I don’t want to sue HDD,’ Scott replied, keeping a careful eye on Jenny’s activities. ‘I would prefer to come to a mutual agreement, a settlement for what I think is a fair notice period.’
    â€˜Okay, it’s good that you’re being reasonable,’ she said approvingly. ‘Too many people come to me gunning for some court action.’
    â€˜I don’t want to end up in a courtroom over this.’ Scott was firm, adding by way of explanation, ‘I separated from my wife earlier this year. Our respective lawyers have been sparring with letters over the last few months. Something tells me we’re going to end up in an ugly courtroom brawl. I want this dispute with HDD to be resolved amicably.’
    Frances glanced at Jenny who was absorbed in the pages of a law journal. ‘Custody issues?’ she asked.
    â€˜Far from,’ he answered with a bitterness that surprised the lawyer. ‘My ex-wife would faint if she had to take custody. She never came around to the idea of motherhood and the so-called restrictions it brought to her life. Custody is the last thing she wants. It’s assets. We’re arguing about who gets what.’
    â€˜So the last thing you need right now is to lose your source of income,’ Frances commented, neatly returning to the relevant issue. Deviations yielded interesting background information but time was precious in her field. It was four in the afternoon and there were two more people she needed to see after Scott Morgan. She couldn’t afford to take her eye off the clock.
    â€˜That’s right. I would have never left my previous role if I’d known this was coming. Security means everything to me – I remember making that clear to Niamh at the interview.’
    â€˜Who is Niamh?’
    â€˜The HR director, my ex-boss.’
    â€˜Oh, the bitch who retrenched you without a second thought,’ Frances remarked, beginning to type notes on her dated Pentium. The sole purpose of her aggression was to obtain an unguarded reaction from her new client.
    â€˜Hold on a second,’ Scott jumped in. ‘She’s not a bitch. She didn’t know anything about my personal circumstances – and the restructure certainly wasn’t at her instigation.’
    â€˜Whose idea was it?’ the red-haired lawyer fired the question without a split second of thought and Scott got a glimpse of what Frances King must be like in the courtroom.
    â€˜Japan – the restructure was ordered by the owners in Japan. The CEO had to get rid of ten per cent of the staff in Australia. I was one of the last in so my role was examined straight away. They decided that they could decentralise recruitment and manage without me.’
    â€˜You sound sympathetic,’ Frances challenged, looking up at him from under her glasses. Her fingers still moved on the keyboard, taking notes.
    â€˜In one way I am,’ he confessed. ‘I understand why my role had to go. All the IT companies are finding it tough with the downturn in the economy. I just think that someone should have known this was coming and should have prevented me from being hired in the first place.’
    â€˜That’s a very good point.’ Frances nodded just as there was a thud. Jenny was the culprit, a textbook the victim.
    Scott picked her up before she could cause further damage. She squirmed in his arms, desperate to get back to the fun the bookshelf offered. ‘I’m sorry.’
    â€˜Don’t be,’ Frances smiled. ‘Now, where were we? Yes, now, how many months’ termination pay did you get?’
    â€˜Two – well, almost. Eight weeks.’
    â€˜That’s not bad.’ She looked at him.