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He huffs like it’s nothing.
“You seem to get on pretty well with her so far. Think you’ll have a problem with each other? I’d hope not.”
“No,” I say. “Of course not.”
“Excellent, then,” Ant replies. “It’s a great development all round. Cass is looking forward to getting to know you, so I’m sure it’ll be a winner for everyone involved. And a lot of our business will be based in London, just like it used to be. You can stay in Canary Wharf all you want if you get sick of hanging out on the Malvern hills. G.A.T.A. can have you every evening. Whoopty-fucking-doo, hey? Maybe you’ll make six hundred grand for them next year, Gerwyn the fundraising superstar.”
I’m still so pissed off I’d want to shove him across the balcony if he was here with me, but he’s such an expert at manipulating his words that there’s no fucking argument to be made. That’s why he’s so good at what he does. He’s as slick as an eel in a wetsuit when he gets on a roll.
“You should have told me,” I say again. “Seriously. I don’t know why the fuck you didn’t.”
“Like I said, it was an impromptu decision. I hadn’t confirmed I was going to take the change of position.”
“Yeah, sure, whatever.”
“Plus, there was the confidentiality angle. You think the executive board didn’t express their non-disclosure requirements? There’s no way they’d have allowed me to share it with anyone in my team, second in command or not.”
“I’m not just your second in command though, Ant. I’m your fucking friend.”
I know what’s coming before he says it. Just like always.
“Even more reason not to tell you.” He laughs. “Business is business, not personal. You should know that by now.”
I should know that from him by now, but fuck it. I focus on another drag of my cigarette, since my temples are thumping.
“I’ve got to go,” he says. “Got a call coming in soon from Andrew Webster.”
“I’m sure he’ll want to give you his congratulations.”
“Yes, well, it would be nice to hear them from you too, to be honest.”
I should tell him to piss off and hang up on him, but the warmth in his tone comes back. The Ant I give a shit about more than anyone else.
“Come on, Ger, please. I was hoping you’d be happy to come along with me. I’d have thought you’d be right by my side.”
“Jesus, Ant, I am,” I say to him. “You should have just bloody told me, rather than letting me find out about it on the team calendar via Finn, without so much as having a clue.”
“And I’ve given you my reasons why I didn’t.”
Yes, he has, and on the surface there’s no reason I can disagree with him, since he’s got his cards lined up nice and neatly on that score, as always.
“You’re going to take the position, then?” he pushes. “I’ll be confirming it to Andrew Webster in a minute.”
I sigh before I answer him, even though he already knows how I’m going to reply. He can be an utter prick sometimes, but he’s still Ant, and I’ll still be by his side.
“Yes, of course I’ll be coming with you.”
“Great news. I’ll let Andrew know you’re grateful for the position and the opportunity, and I hope you are.”
He hangs up, and I’m torn in two. There’s a side of me that can’t stand Ant when he’s a slick-mouthed, manipulative asshole like this, and another side that can’t deny he’s right on all fronts.
I should be grateful for the position, because it’s a good relocation, and will have a great pay rise to match. He’s right in that I’ll be closer to G.A.T.A. and able to do more presentations in person as well as online, and he’s also fucking correct in that I have nothing to stay in Berlin for – besides a group of work friends that I barely hang out with outside the office.
The team are waiting for me when I step back inside, all of them poised to hear the verdict. Vickie’s eyebrows are high, and Georgina’s hands are on her cheeks, and Melvin looks pale as a ghost.
“It’s true,” I tell them. “I’ll be going back to the UK with Ant. I’ll be second in command of both locations alongside him.”
“Holy shit, congratulations!” Finn says, and slaps me on the back.
The tide turns in that heartbeat, and I’m at the centre of happy exclamations, everyone cheering at how cool a move it is for me. All except Vickie and Georgina, that is, who look surprisingly sad that I’m going to be leaving them behind.
Ant’s right. It’s a great opportunity, no matter how much of a cock he is for the way he went about it. I’ll be looking forward to G.A.T.A. meetings, and heading up both teams at once alongside him, and to long walks across the Malvern Hills.
