AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“No.I mean, yes, but no.”
He’d frowned, and as if she’d felt it over the phone, she’d added, “Let’s try again.No, it’s not too keen and yes I’d love to.”
So now the end of another day full of surprises was here, and he’d started to pack his things into his bag—phone, pens, water bottle—and was about to head for the exit when a voice behind him called out, “Carter.Can I see you for a moment?”
Shite.The big boss, Clive Pearson, no less.
“Come into my office, Carter.”
Carts made his way to the other side of the eighth floor.Clive ushered him into his office and closed the door.When they were seated, Clive said, “I need to have a confidential chat with you, Carter.”
Carts’ collar tightened.Why did he still feel like there must be something he’d done wrong?
“Human resources are investigating a harassment claim against Ron,” Clive explained.“Obviously the details are confidential, but I am asking everyone in his department to come forward with any other information about Ron’s behaviour that might help us to get the full picture.”He pinned Carts with a serious look.“Do you have anything you’d like to share?If so, I need you to make a time to meet with human resources.”
Carts gave a slow nod.“I would like to speak to them.Yes.”
Clive sighed.“I had a hunch you might.You know we don’t stand for harassment at Pearson’s.The problem we face is that often staff won’t come forward and report their seniors for fear of recrimination.Thank you, Carter.I’ll tell Alicia in HR to call you and make a time.”
Carts got ready to leave.
“Another thing.”Carts sat back down.
“We like your work.You are highly competent, and very well thought of by your clients.We’ve had several of them phone us and praise you.”
“Really?”Carts blinked.
“We asked Ron to pass that on at team meetings.Am I right in thinking he didn’t?”
“I had no idea…”
Clive sat forward and steepled his fingers.“I’ve talked with the other partners, and while we’re investigating this issue, we’re in agreement we’d like you to step up.Act in the role of head of small business management.”
Carts stared at a swirling blue glass paperweight on Clive’s desk, trying to digest this information.
“Can I assume from your silence that’s a yes?”Clive asked.
Carts looked up to see that he was smiling.“God yes.Thank you.I—I’m just—surprised.”Completely gob-smacked would be more apt.
“You are one of our most valued employees,” Clive said with genuine warmth.
A slow smile dawned.It seemed in the last seven days there had been a change in the weather, a deluge, washing away all that muddy shit from his past, leaving behind it a reservoir of clear water.A pool that reflected someone back to him that he could get to like and respect.
A guy called Carter Wells.
He wanted to air punch as he got in the lift.His only problem was that he was now running seriously late for Judith.She’d be arriving at his house any moment.He had to let her know what had happened.
He took his phone out of his briefcase.Tried to key in his PIN.Nothing happened.Tried again.The screen was totally unresponsive.Frozen to fuckery.Why now?He shook it, then turned it on and off.Christ, this served him right for putting off getting his cracked screen fixed.
What a stupid idiot.
And then he noticed them.The messages.Not on his phone, but inside his head, clear as if they were a text on his screen.“This always happens to you, doesn’t it mate?Just as you think you’ve got your act together.Trouble is you’re jinxed… Loser.”
He saw that lonely kid in the playground, the constant insults scrolled on his locker, the dead stick insects hidden in his lunchbox, and the dry eucalypt leaves that replaced the ham in his sandwiches.
Enough.He closed his eyes, planted his feet wide, grounded himself and breathed deeply, in through his nostrils, out through his mouth.
He needed to let that picture go once and for all.It was redundant, broken like his phone.
