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'You can have three days to decide,' he told her as they drank their coffee. 'Then I shall have to look for someone else; it's a matter of some urgency as my previous assistant has already left.'
Judith gave him a dry smile. 'I see.' Had Caroline resigned or was she thrown out? she wondered. The woman must be crazy to let her personal emotions ruin her career, but maybe she had got a job just as good with someone else, her experience with Luke Doulton would no doubt have made her an attractive prospect for one of his rivals.
'Ring me on Thursday morning,' he said, and she nodded. He glanced at his watch. 'I'll have to be shooting off soon; I have an appointment at three-thirty. We have time for some more coffee, though.' He turned to signal the waiter and Judith saw his eyes flash after a girl who was walking through the crowded restaurant. She was a very pretty girl, her figure swayed enticingly as she moved, and Luke Doulton observed it with interest. Judith frowned; poor Baba, she got the feeling Luke was not the faithful kind.
The waiter hurried over and Luke turned back to face Judith, catching her with her brows together in that frown.
'Something wrong?' he asked, staring.
She didn't have to answer; the waiter leaned over to refill her cup with strong black coffee, and by the time he had departed Luke had forgotten his question. A few minutes later he signed the bill and they left.
'My car's outside, can I give you a lift?' he asked. 'If you don't mind coming along to my office my driver will take you on wherever you want to go.'
She got into the long, silvery limousine and watched Luke light a thin cigar, the pale wreaths of blue smoke fragrant as they drifted to her nostrils. 'You should wear red more often, it suits you,' he said suddenly, and she looked at him with widening eyes, startled by the personal remark. 'I liked the dress you wore at the party; that's the sort of dress that suits you.' He held the cigar between finger and thumb, rolling it slightly, while he studied her coolly. 'You're much too thin; do you diet? You don't need to, you know.'
'Thanks for the advice,' said Judith, eyeing him with dislike. She saw his mouth curl up and his grey eyes slid sideways to mock her.
'If you're going to work for me I feel I have some right to an opinion on your appearance.'
'Oh, do you?' she said, making it clear she did not agree. 'I haven't made up my mind yet. I have other offers to consider.'
'You'll accept mine,' he said with what she felt was staggering complacency.
'Oh, will I?'
'Yes.'
'What makes you so sure?'
'I want you, and I always get what I want,' he said, and the limousine halted smoothly outside a block of skyscraper offices. Luke Doulton smiled at Judith and said: 'I'll hear from you by Thursday,' then he had opened the door and was gone. The car drove on a moment later and took Judith back to her new flat. When she was alone she sat on a packing case and stared around her. Some of her possessions had arrived from America, she hadn't unpacked them yet because the flat was not ready for occupation, although she didn't imagine it would take her long to finish the redecorating. She approved her new wallpaper absently while her mind was sorting through what Luke Doulton had said to her.
She was tempted; she had to admit that. The salary was one of the major attractions, but the job itself sounded fascinating. It would involve heavy responsibilities, but then that didn't worry Judith, she enjoyed work which offered her the chance to work on her own and take responsibility. There were two real drawbacks; one of them was Luke himself. Judith didn't want to like him, but she did, and that was dangerous, because he belonged to Baba and Judith didn't steal other women's men. That was a minor matter, though. The real problem was that she wasn't sure that he did not plan to use her, somehow, against her old firm. If she could be certain that that was not in her mind she would jump at the job. Her feeling of attraction to Luke really didn't matter; even if she hadn't been the sort of girl who doesn't poach she knew Luke Doulton wouldn't be interested in her.
She wasn't in his league. A woman had to be very beautiful to catch his eye.
There was a great deal about him she did not like, however. She hadn't liked the way he said: 'I want you and I always get what I want.' That had been a revelation of how his mind worked that had struck her forcibly; it hadn't surprised her, because his assurance and arrogance were visible in spite of his charm and the humour she saw in his eyes at times. For half an hour she sat on the packing case and added up Luke Doulton like a company balance sheet: he was cynical and ruthless and without hesitation in going after what he wanted, whether it was a woman like Baba or a company which he felt would make him even more money. Judith liked his directness in some ways, she liked the occasional surprise he had given her when they talked; he had treated her with more respect than she sometimes met with from the men in her world. He didn't imply that she had a drawback because she was a woman; he had taken her on her own terms, and that was very much a plus factor. She looked hard for the flaws in him, she would only take this job with her eyes wide open. But by the time she went back to have the evening meal with her grandmother she knew she wanted that job.
She had lunch with Robert next day. They discussed the job he was offering her and Judith half hoped he would suggest a salary which would make his job more attractive than the one Luke offered, but he didn't, of course, and with reluctance she had to turn him down.
'You're going back to Schewitz and Quayle, then, I suppose?' he said with flattering regret before they parted.
'I doubt it,' said Judith, not yet willing to tell him about Luke's job.
'Playing your cards close to your chest?' he suggested, smiling. 'Well, whatever you decide to do I hope you'll let me take you to the theatre next week? Are you free on Tuesday?'
Judith was and accepted. She liked Robert and wanted to see him again.
On the Wednesday evening she was listening to a record when the phone went. She answered it; her grandmother had already gone up to bed because she had a headache.
'Judith?' Baba sounded distraught, and Judith frowned.
'Hallo, Baba, something wrong?'
'I have to talk to you—can I come round to see you now?'
'I suppose so.' Judith looked at her watch, it was after nine. 'How long will it take you to get here?'
'Half an hour. It isn't inconvenient, is it? I'm sorry to be a nuisance, but…
