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‘Hello, losers,’ I say, bouncing into the team sales meeting that Friday morning straight from the airport. I’m refreshed because Mel, as always, flew me back first class.
‘Thank you for joining us, Caleb,’ the director of sales, Mark, groans. Harrison, our co-founder, subtly gives me an encouraging thumbs-up.
‘I just landed, so I thought I’d dump the enquiries today rather than wait until Monday.’ I grab an available seat and Mark regains control of the room.
‘Let’s make this quick. Figures and headlines.’
We basically have to declare the value of the contract, the company and location. I volunteer and take the first slot. I pop three-quarters of a million pounds turnover on the table. The room is speechless.
‘How the fuck do you do it, mate?’ Harrison asks, laughing.
‘I play nice and I’m always open to suggestions.’ I smirk.
The next closest table drop is sixty grand. At the end of the meeting, I grab my suitcase and head straight out of the building. Jack and Tim will be up for a cheeky lunchtime beer, and I’m in the mood to celebrate.
‘Hello, Bev,’ I call out as I walk in.
She ignores me. Nothing’s changed there then. Shame. I commandeer a table with my jacket and the boys walk in just in time to claim their pints.
‘Who’s the knockout living with you?’ Jack asks.
‘Whoa! I didn’t say she was a knockout.’ For the first time since I have known him, I see Tim blush bright red.
‘Ariella?’ I’m stunned.
‘I said she was a lovely girl. Sweet. She didn’t know how to turn the boiler on. She thought it was broken, so she called on Sunday night.’
‘You said she was beautiful,’ Jack challenges.
‘Really?’ I scrunch up my nose. Tim must have had a few before he went over.
‘She’s nice. She wanted to pay me so you didn’t have to. Even offered me something to eat.’
‘I wouldn’t feel too special about that, she cooks for us every night…Wait. Do you fancy her?’
This is a big deal. Tim has only ever had Em-shaped eyes.
‘She cooks for you every night?’ Jack interrogates.
‘I don’t fancy her. I’m married. I have children. I love my wife.’
‘Good, because she’s weird; she folds the washing strangely and now wants to buy breakfast for people who might spend the night. I don’t need them getting comfortable in the morning and not leaving.’
‘She folds your laundry, buys your little harem breakfast, Tim wants to shag her and you don’t? Wow!’
‘I don’t want to shag her and that’s disgusting. She can’t be more than nineteen. She was sweet, that’s all. You need to put a chain and a peephole on that door, Caleb, if you’re going to keep leaving her on her own. I can fix it for you, if you like,’ Tim offers.
I know he is doing it because he is paternal and old-school, but I can’t help myself.
‘She’s only a couple of years younger than me, so you’d be in the clear. And she’s already given me the “I don’t feel safe when you come home in the middle of the night with different people” speech. I don’t come home withthatmany people,’ I complain.
‘She’s right – it’s not safe, Caleb. She was terrified when she opened the door to me, even after she made me recite my mobile phone number.’
‘That’s just overly paranoid,’ I dismiss.
‘No, it’s practical if you don’t have a chain and a peephole. I gave her a door wedge as a poor solution. Did you know she’s never lived on her own before?’
‘Of course she has. She lived with her boyfriend.’
