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‘So am I,’ he murmured reasonably, and immediately came back to business. ‘The delegation desperately want the licence to manufacture, but they’ll try to work the price down by finding faults in our design.’
‘I know this deal is important to you,’ Caitlin added, reassuring him of her complete co-operation. It made her happy to think he was genuinely sorry for their earlier contretemps.
His brows lowered. His eyes sharply probed hers. ‘Are you concentrating on what I’m saying?’
‘Every word. All the
unsaid ones, too.’ She smiled again to show there were absolutely no hard feelings left on her side.
His face took on a wary expression. He rapped out his instructions as though testing her shorthand speed. ‘Arrange for Paul Jordan to come in and announce that we have the Sutherland contract. That’s to be half an hour after we start. Make sure his timing is perfect. When I want you to come and sit in on the meeting and take notes, I’ll buzz you on the phone.’
‘Fine,’ she said, her pen flashing over her notepad.
He seemed bemused momentarily. ‘Is the boardroom fully prepared?’
‘I haven’t checked it yet. I’ll do that immediately.’
Caitlin rose to her feet with crisp efficiency. She was in such buoyant spirits that her walk to the door was unconsciously jaunty.
‘Wait!’
She swung around, her eyes brightly expectant. Anything David asked her to do she would carry out to the very best of her ability. She would most certainly be an assistant he would be proud to present in front of the German del-egation.
He appeared to be wrestling with some private dilemma. She could feel tension flowing from him, swirling around her. His penetrating blue eyes were intensely concentrated on hers, as though trying to read her mind.
‘I want to say...’ He paused, cleared his throat. ‘How much I appreciate...’ Again he stopped, seeming lost for words.
‘Understood,’ Caitlin responded, realising he was trying to bridge the awkward gap left by their previous parting. ‘I do, too.’
‘What?’
‘Appreciate the...uh...what you’re trying to say.’
He weighed that for a moment, then looked relieved. ‘Well, as long as everything’s working out all right...’
‘Yes. I hope it is.’ A new dance was definitely in progress, although where it would lead was by no means settled yet.
‘Good!’ He nodded his approval. The apples were back on his cart.
Caitlin had a moment’s disquiet. She recollected his cynical taunt, ‘Barter-time, is it?’ Were the roses simply a timely gift to keep her sweet? Caitlin didn’t like the thought at all. She brushed it aside, not wanting to spoil her pleasure in the gift. Besides, David had returned his attention to the papers on his desk and it behoved her to get about her busi-ness immediately.
CHAPTER THREE
CAITLIN set out everything that might be required on the boardroom table, then zipped back to her office to put in a call to Paul Jordan before heading to the kitchen to load up a traymobile with the usual refreshments.
The call to Jordan was deferred by the arrival of a delivery boy with another gift basket for her.
Caitlin was stunned by the contents. Nestled in a froth of red ribbons were a heart-shaped box of hand-made Swiss chocolates, and an enormously expensive set of Beautiful toiletries by Estee Lauder. These included perfume, skin lotion, bath oil and talcum powder. Most amazingly and endearingly of all, there was also a soft toy puppy.
Of all the soft toy animals David might have chosen, that was the second-best. The perfect choice for her would have been a pony, but Caitlin couldn’t remember having ever talked about Dobbin to him. Therefore he wouldn’t, couldn’t, know any better.
Surprises were certainly coming thick and fast this morning! Caitlin’s head was spinning with them. It was the way David did things, turning situations around so quickly. He was leaving her breathless and utterly enthralled by what he could do when he set his mind to it.
She suddenly realised time was slipping by. She postponed the call to Paul Jordan and raced to the office kitchen. Coffee, tea, milk, cream, plain and fancy biscuits and mixed sandwiches from catering were mandatory. By five minutes to ten it was all in the boardroom, ready for her to serve when needed. She had barely returned to her office when Jenny called to announce the arrival of the German delegation. Caitlin buzzed David, then went to meet the visitors at reception and escort them to the boardroom.
She carried out her duties with the charm David expected of her. Once everyone was settled around the table, she was free to prime Paul Jordan with what was expected of him. She would drag the Sutherland contract out of the filing system. Paul might as well take that with him.
David smiled at her as she left the boardroom. She hugged the smile to her heart, drifting back to her office on a cloud of happiness.
