Starr Fated

the reference I need, and I’ll be gone in
another week, so what have I got to lose? But for them it’s their
livelihood, their careers. Rob’s had enough so he’s moving on; he’s
leaving at the end of the month. Tom sticks it out and works really
hard because his wife’s having a baby, so he’s now their sole
provider, and Simon thinks he’s too old to get another job at the
same level, and is scared of losing his pension. So they kowtow to
you and try their best to please you. They give you exactly what
you say you want to avoid confrontation.”
    I sat and
stared at Seraphina Jones. I had a team of yes men, she was telling
me.
    “So what the
hell am I going to do about the revamp? I’ve set up a whole raft of
meetings in the States on the basis of having a new image to work
with and now I've got nothing. I’ll have to cancel the whole lot
and start again. It’s taken me months to build up these contacts
too.”
    “There is
another possibility, Mr Starr,” a man’s voice said, and we both
turned to see Rob Lewis standing in the doorway.
    “So kind of
you to join us,” I said witheringly, as I pointedly looked at my
watch.
    “It’s been a
little tricky getting into work today, in case you hadn’t noticed,
Mr. Starr. So, it’s a case of better late than never. I did ring to
say I was on my way, but no one answered the phone. Anyway, I’m
here now,” he replied.
    I let his
insolent attitude pass, intrigued to discover what he could
possibly be offering by way of a solution.
    “So what’s
this other possibility?”
    “Sera’s been
working on her own designs, as part of a project for her university
coursework. Some of the ideas she’s mentioned sounded pretty good,
actually. They might be worth your consideration. If you’d be open
minded enough to consider other options, that is.”
    “No, Rob, I
really don’t think Mr Starr would be interested…” Seraphina
protested.
    “Show me,” I
demanded. So far this young girl had surprised me at every turn, so
who knew? She might just be the answer to my prayers.
    “Go on, Sera.
What have you got to lose?” Rob urged, seeing her reluctant
attitude.
    “I…I...haven’t
got anything here. I only work on them in the evenings at home. And
anyway, they don't conform to your brief, Mr Starr. In the
slightest, actually.”
    “From what
you’ve been telling me, that sounds like a very good thing,
wouldn’t you say?” I asked her wryly.
    “I suppose you
have a point there,” she conceded with a small smile.
    I stood up,
and headed for the door.
    “Well, come on
then, get your coat. I haven't got all day.”
    “I’m sorry?
What do you mean?”
    “Let’s go and
look at these designs of yours. Rob can hold the fort for the team
here. I need to make a decision one way or another today, whether
to cancel the whole project or push it through. Joy told me earlier
all my meetings for today have been cancelled, so come on, let’s
go.”
    ~*~
    Of course I
knew the way to my brother’s house. The roads were only slightly
busier than usual as the morning rush hour had cleared, and we were
going against it anyway. I’d driven in to the office this morning
in my everyday runabout BMW X5 rather than risk my new Aston Martin
Vanquish in any potential traffic jams, but as I’d ensured I left
even earlier than usual, I really hadn’t encountered too many
delays.
    I glanced over
at Miss Jones, sitting in the passenger seat. She hadn’t bothered
to try and make irritating small talk, which pleased me, as I can't
abide inane chatter.
    “So, you have
just a week left of your placement with us?”
    “That’s
correct.”
    “And then
what?”
    “Back to uni
to complete my final course work.”
    “I think my
brother mentioned something about an exchange program you’d applied
for?” I wanted to get a clearer idea of when she’d be gone and when
he was likely to get her out of his system to get back to his
normal self.
    “Yes, I’ve
been short listed, but