AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Relief bubbled up inside her. He hadn't dismissed her plan. “Yes, I will. Thanks. It means a lot to me, to be able to show my appreciation.”
“That domesticated nature of yours—must please others! I’m surprised you haven’t entertained work colleagues before now. Especially Daniel.”
Another pang of guilt—why had she not invited her boss? Jason’s social commitments always seemed to take precedence. Yet, he had never told her she couldn’t. Daniel, in particular, had been a good boss to her and, having seen yesterday’s e-mail, he clearly valued her opinions more than she realised.
“Daniel. Yes. Well, there is the other issue. Daniel sent me a confidential e-mail yesterday. Not for discussion with anyone else at work. He’s been approached by a bigger US company. They want to merge the two. They would have a European outlet and Daniel’s company would benefit from the investment and experience of the other. I don’t need to explain this to you!”
Jason was well acquainted with the pros and cons of mergers—a man who had made his millions from empire building. “Not really a merger. A takeover. Big corporations generally swallow up smaller ones, unless the brand is stronger in the smaller. Daniel’s company isn’t exactly known in the US.”
“I know. We have a good reputation in the UK and some European countries, too.” Gemma sighed heavily, a lungful of air released through pursed lips.
His hand gave her waist a little squeeze. “You’re not excited by this? More opportunities, career development. It’s unlikely to result in redundancies. There isn’t much overlap, if it’s a purely territorial grab.”
He tried to reassure her, but his
soothing explanation was missing the point. The whole merger news had made her realise she wasn’t excited. She felt nothing, not even a sense of adventure burning within her. She seriously didn’t want the status quo to change because she was familiar with the work and that meant she wasn’t interested in developing her career. She didn’t want to go anywhere but tread water. Gemma pronounced herself twenty-seven years old and unambitious. Not what she had envisaged when she graduated.
“Daniel wants me to go to the US with him. Meet the key people in the other company. See what I make of them. He told me he trusts my judgement. My ability to read between the lines. Load of rubbish, because my judgement has been appalling—”
Jason’s hand clamped around her mouth.
“Don’t. Your abilities in work are excellent. Do not put yourself down. If I see you as having poor judgement, it is because I push for high standards in you and my criteria for judging you is based on your weaknesses, not your strengths. There is no point striving to improve you in an area you already excel at, is there? So, do you want to go with him?” He removed his hand.
Gemma tried to take the positive from Jason’s words, but it proved difficult. He often accused her of having poor judgement. Judgement in her trusting of strange people, of situations and her safety. Yes, she could be pretty crappy at evaluating certain things, she acknowledged. Was she a poor judge in the work environment? She didn’t think so. She knew in advance when a client was going to be good to deal with or a bad experience. She handled people with efficiency and both colleagues and clients liked her. Affable and easy to talk to, a sense of humour to break the ice and competent in her areas of expertise. She started to understand why Daniel might want to take her with him. The depressing thought was, she couldn’t be bothered.
“To be honest, Jason, I’m not interested in asset analysis anymore. Equations, formulae, charts, numbers, and bullet points. I’ve seen so much more of the world these past few weeks. My head is filled with scenery, ambience, and colours. I want to be painting, exploring what is trapped in my head, and to put it on paper or canvas. All those sights call to me. The conversation we had in Genoa about my mother. She didn’t have a chance to live out her artistic dreams and here I am doing exactly the same thing.”
Gemma turned over to face Jason. His expression was attentive and thoughtful. He ran a finger down her cheek.
“Building an atelier?”
“Yes. That was part of my plan. But I think I need to go beyond a hobby. I want more.” She bit her lip.
She had a plan in her head. Unknown to Jason, when he had been demanding of her on holiday, when he caused her pain or used her beyond her capacity to respond with her own pleasure, she took refuge in her plans. While he spanked her hard on their last night on the yacht, she had a vision in her head. A better place to be and far more fulfilling than where she would be on Monday morning.
“I was thinking, instead of trying to find an art gallery to exhibit my work, I should open my own. Not just for my stuff, but for other budding artists, too. Maybe approach the universities and colleges, the art faculties, and set up a foundation. Provide grants for the younger talent out there. I could help foster them by making use of the money you have gifted me. What do you think?” She held her breath.
“I think it is an excellent idea, Gem. Why wouldn’t I? If it makes you happier, then why would I not be supportive?” He smiled and it was all it took to rekindle a heart-melting buzz inside.
“Oh, thank you!”
Suddenly, her despondent mood lifted. “It wouldn’t make much money-”
“Gem. I never expected you to make money for me. That’s what I do. You give back to me in other ways. You know this. What do you want to do next?”
She needed his support to help her realise her dreams—her husband, the planner.
Sitting up, she tapped a finger on her leg, listing everything flying in and out of her head. “Concentrate on the atelier. The designing and construction of it. I need to build my portfolio, practise and get all of these images out of my head and into a tangible form. The gallery is going to need researching. Those fancy boutique galleries in New York have given me food for thought.”
Jason leaned back on the headboard. “This company that Daniel is in discussions with, is it New York based?”
She shook her head. “Connecticut.”
“Not far away. Why not go with Daniel? Be supportive of him—you owe him the courtesy, if he respects you. Make the most of the trip and see some more galleries in New York. Ask their advice. They’re not going to see you as a competitor all the way over here.”
“Yes, Yes!”
A surge of adrenaline coursed through her. She bounced out of her drop, springing back into a joyous state. Jason took charge in his own subtle way—pushing her, guiding her.
