Say Hello and Wave Goodbye Page 20

  To make things worse I have a blinding headache which probably wasn’t helped by not sleeping last night and not having anything to eat or drink this morning. I felt so anxious that I just couldn’t get anything down. Come to think of it I didn’t eat my tea last night either because I felt so churned up, I pushed it around the plate for a while and then gave up and scraped most of it into the bin.

  I could probably market it as a new diet that dispenses with calorie counting and eating healthily; I could call it the get yourself in a right state diet or something like that.

  ‘Becca!’

  Trina’s voice wakes me from my daydream and I look over at her.

  ‘It’s ten o’clock!’

  So it is. So now I’m going to be late as well. I get up from my seat with a resigned sigh; it really doesn’t matter because I’m getting the sack anyway.

  ‘Good luck!’ Trina mouths.

  ‘Thanks.’ I manage a small smile.

  I put my shoulders back and hold my head high, if I’m going to the gallows, I’ll do it with dignity.

  ✽✽✽

  ‘Rebecca, please, come in, have a seat.’

  Em is seated on a chair to the side of Ed’s desk and she’s smiling; so is Ed.

  Ah, the smiling assassin, says the Beccabird, who always likes to make me feel better. Not.

  I close the door and cross to the chair placed in readiness in front of Ed’s desk and sit down carefully.

  ‘So, Becca, I expect you’re wondering what this is all about?’ Ed smiles his teddy bear smile and I find myself smiling back with my lips sticking to my teeth because my mouth is as dry as the Sahara Desert.

  ‘Yes, I am,’ I say, stating the obvious.

  ‘Well, there are quite a few matters to discuss but I think I’m going to let Em take the lead on this while I sit back and listen. For now.’

  I swallow. Is he getting Em to do his dirty work? Ed goes down a notch in my estimation.

  ‘Rebecca…’ Em gives me her tight smile. ‘…there’s going to be an announcement about the merger at lunchtime but we thought we’d let you know that the merg er is going ahead. Obviously we’d rather you kept that information to yourself until the announcement is made.’

  I nod. Not again! Stop with the nodding! Why is she telling me? Everyone will be finding out in a couple of hours so why tell me now, it doesn’t make sense. I feel a bead of sweat trickle down my back – it is so hot in this office I wonder how they can stand working in here.

  ‘Which brings me to the subject of Jonathan Sayers.’ She gives a little cough. ‘After mutual agreement, Jonathan has tendered his resignation and has left the company with immediate effect. As far as everyone is concerned Jonathan has left to further his career elsewhere.’

  I can’t keep the shock from my face. It seems very harsh that he’s lost his job over one indiscrete remark – a remark that hasn’t really done any harm as far as I can see. I feel bad now, really bad, me and my big mouth has cost him his job and he didn’t deserve that.

  I feel sick. And a bit whoozy, too. It is now extremely hot in here.

  ‘Rebecca? Are you okay?’ Em is looking at me with a frown.

  ‘Yes, I’m fine. Um, has he gone because of what I told you?’ I don’t wait for her answer but carry on. ‘It’s all my fault, isn’t it?’

  ‘Good Lord!’ Emma bursts out, ‘Of course not! No…’ She shakes her head. ‘…that had nothing to do with why he left. The reason he left – and this information doesn’t leave this room – is that Jonathan Sayers had been systematically defrauding the salesmen working for him. He’s been doing it pretty much from the day he started here.’

  My first thought is that he hasn’t changed one little bit. I’m not even surprised. My second thought – relief that it wasn’t my fault after all.

  Not everything’s about you, the Beccabird whispers nastily.

  ‘We were first alerted to the possibility of fraud when one of the more experienced saleswomen we’d employed left the company. She never finished her six months’ probation because Jonathan said she wasn’t suitable for the role. Before she left she made a complaint about him to HR which was at first viewed as sour grapes, unfortunately.’ Em looks embarrassed on HR’s behalf.

  ‘Ed was aware of the complaint as it was discussed at the quarterly meeting and we decided that we should look at our procedures to prevent any accusations from disgruntled ex-employees in the future. It was actually your spreadsheets that brought it my attention.’ Em beams me a smile, a real show your teeth smile.

  ‘Me?’

  ‘Yes, your excellent spreadsheets. The complaint against Jonathan played on my mind because I have to admit that I’d always had my doubts about him. I’d dismissed them because he was in a higher position than me and it was only a feeling; I always thought there was something slightly untrustworthy about him.’

  ‘You can’t fool Em,’ Ed says proudly. ‘She’s an excellent judge of character.’

  My God, so she didn’t fancy him at all, she was trying to find out what he was up to.

  ‘Once you’d given me the weekly spreadsheets it got me thinking and when I started looking into it and made a few of my own enquiries I could see that the salesmen weren’t getting paid the commission that they should have – it was going to Jonathan Sayers. He’d very cleverly manipulated the figures and also amended the copies of their contracts so that they only received half the commission they were entitled to. They, of course, knew no different and thought everything was as it should be. Had it not been for the very astute saleswoman who left he’d still be getting away with it now. He will, of course, be reimbursing the salesmen for all of their lost commission although on this occasion the company has decided not to take him to court.’

  No of course they won’t, because how bad would that make them look?

  ‘Which is why your spreadsheets are so important – I can’t think why these haven’t always been done.’

  Nor can I. They were always done at Westchester, every week without fail. Does Ed look a bit sheepish or is that my imagination?

  ‘So, all’s well that ends well.’ Ed beams as he leans across the desk. ‘Between you and me I think they were glad to get rid of him, bit of a blabbermouth, you know.’

  Yeah, he always was, he could never help himself when it came to bragging. Should I feel bad that my spreadsheets have played a part in him losing his job? No, he deserved it and he’s got off lightly because they could have taken him to court. No doubt he’ll land himself another nice position somewhere and behave in exactly the same way.

  It’s quite nice that they’ve told me about Jonathan because they didn’t need to, they could have kept all of the details to themselves. I feel hugely relieved and loosen the grip of my fingers which are wrapped tightly around my notebook and pen. My fingers feel wet and I look down at the notebook to see damp fingerprints all over it.

  ‘Now,’ Ed says, beaming his teddy bear smile from underneath his bushy eyebrows, ‘The real reason that we called you in here.’

  I stare at him blankly willing him to hurry up so I can get out of this baking hot office.

  ‘You may have guessed due to my many absences from the office that I have decided to retire while I’m still young enough to enjoy it.’

  ‘Congratulations,’ I mumble, not having guessed anything of the sort. Is it something to be congratulated on? I’m assuming he’s not ill and being forced into it – he doesn’t look ill.

  ‘Thank you.’ Another teddy bear smile. ‘I must say that I’m looking forward to it immensely, lots more time on the golf course. Might even manage to trim the old tum down a bit.’ He pats his stomach and I notice the buttons of his shirt straining to contain it.

  I nod and smile because I’m feeling decidedly sick and that’s all I can manage.

  ‘Em, of course will be taking over. It’ll be a gradual process over the next three months.’

  Em beams me a full-on smile.

  Am I trapp
ed in some sort of surreal dream? For the life of me I can’t understand why they’re telling me this. Em’s going to be the boss – so basically nothing is really changing because she pretty much runs the department anyway.

  ‘Which of course will leave Em’s job vacant.’

  I nod dumbly. I give up, I have no idea what’s going on.

  ‘Which is where you come in,’ I hear Ed say over the rushing noise in my ears which is getting louder and louder. ‘I know you’ve only been here a short while but with your experience at Westchester and how well you’ve done since you started here, we’d very much like to offer you Em’s job. What do you think? ’

  They both look at me expectantly.

  So what do I do? Well, I faint of course. The queasiness and heat finally becomes too much for me and I keel forward in the chair and flop onto the floor in a heap.

  Perfect timing, as usual.

  Chapter Twenty

  S omething very cold and dry is resting on my forehead and sharp cold air is billowing over my body.

  ‘I think she’s coming round. Open that window a bit wider, it’s like an absolute oven in here.’ I recognise Em’s voice and open my eyes to see her leaning over me with concern in her eyes, her hand resting on my forehead.

  ‘Er...’ seems to be all I can manage.

  ‘Just stay there,’ she says, getting up from the floor. ‘Let yourself come round properly before you try to get up. Ed’s gone to get you a glass of water.’

  I’m starting to feel a bit better now that the breeze is cooling me down and also a bit foolish; only I could pass out when I’ve just been offered a promotion. I can’t stay down on the floor feeling exposed and vulnerable and I hope to God that my knickers aren’t on display. I turn slowly onto my side and push myself up to a sitting position; the headache is still there but not quite as bad and I don’t feel sick anymore.

  I stand up, assisted by Em, and sit down gingerly onto the chair that I fell out of.

  ‘I’m feeling a bit embarrassed,’ I say with a shaky laugh. ‘I don’t know quite what happened, just that I felt really hot and I couldn’t seem to cool down. ’

  ‘I’m not surprised you fainted, it’s ridiculously hot in here. That radiator’s been welded on full for months, it’s impossible to turn it down and with the window and door shut it was like an oven. Far too hot for me but Ed’s always cold and doesn’t believe in opening windows.’

  ‘Taking my name in vain again,’ Ed says as he comes back into the office carrying a plastic cup of water in one hand and a mug of tea in the other.

  He hands me the cup of water and I gulp it down greedily.

  ‘Bit chilly in here now, isn’t it?’ Ed says as he takes the empty cup from me and passes me the mug of tea. ‘I put plenty of sugar in it, for the shock.’ Em is standing behind Ed and rolls her eyes at me and I stifle a giggle.

  ‘I think it was the heat, Ed,’ she says. ‘It was unbearably hot in here. I’ve become acclimatised to it but it’s a bit much for everyone else. Don’t you remember that Pam from HR keeled over last year when she came down for a meeting?’

  ‘Hmm, that’s right, she did. We need to get that radiator sorted out so it doesn’t happen again.’ He sits down behind his desk. ‘I thought it was the shock of being offered a promotion that did it!’

  ‘No, I think it was definitely the heat, I feel fine now.’ Not strictly true, the headache is still lurking and I feel suddenly ravenously hungry. Now that I’m not fixating on whatever terrible thing was going to happen in this meeting, I feel normal again.

  You’re not normal! shouts the Beccabird right on cue, just to remind me that I’m a mess.

  I take a sip of the tea, sickly sweet with God knows how many sugars in it, but instead of gagging on it, I find it strangely comforting .

  Em pulls the window slightly shut, as the cool breeze has turned into a bit of a gale force wind, and sits back down next to Ed’s desk.

  ‘Do you think you need to go home? We can continue with this meeting another time when you’re feeling better.’

  ‘No, I’m fine.’ I wave my hand in a flapping motion. ‘It was just the heat, I’m absolutely okay now.’

  Em nods and looks at Ed who quickly pushes the drawer shut on a packet of biscuits that he’s trying to hide and attempts to swallow the biscuit that he’s just put in his mouth. He nods while trying to chew it without us noticing.

  ‘Could I have a biscuit please, Ed?’ Honestly, I had no idea that I was actually going to say it out loud, it just came out. I hope I’m not drooling.

  ‘Of course, of course!’ He opens the drawer and pulls the packet out and offers them to me across the desk. I take a chocolate digestive and bite into it; delicious. I wonder if I’ll look a complete pig if I have another one.

  ‘Here, have another,’ he says, reading my mind, ‘They’ll perk you up a bit, give you some energy.’

  I take another and resist the urge to cram the whole thing into my mouth in one go.

  Em clears her throat and looks at Ed with a raised eyebrow.

  ‘Ah, yes, the promotion,’ he says. ‘Can we assume that you want the job or do you need some time to think it over? There will of course be a pay rise to go with it.’

  I try to act cool and as if I get offered a promotion and a pay rise every day of the week but I don’t think I succeed in keeping my face neutral; I’m over the moon and can’t stop myself from smiling .

  ‘Obviously there’ll be a lot of new things to learn but there’s no rush, Em will draw up a training schedule for you. And of course you’ll have to move into this office, but not just yet, there’s not really enough room for three desks.’

  ‘And we’ll get that radiator fixed so we don’t boil to death in here.’

  Ed chuckles and I join in, marvelling at the fact that Em’s made a joke.

  ‘So, I think that’s all for now, HR will draw up a new contract for you and Em has already prepared a new job description for you to have a look at – any queries just ask Em.’

  I look over at Em who’s now looking slightly bored; this meeting has gone on far longer than intended.

  ‘I’ll email the job description to you. You’ll see that you’re already doing quite a lot of it so I don’t foresee any problems.’ She gives me her tight-lipped smile and I beam at her. Your secret’s out, Em, you’re not an ice maiden at all, you just like to appear to be.

  Oh yeah , scoffs the Beccabird, forgotten about the no gentlemen friends and kitchen rota, have we?

  Okay, I get your point but nobody’s perfect, are they?

  I get up out of the chair and feel surprisingly okay; the chocolate biscuits have definitely done the trick. I get to the door and am about to open it when I have a sudden thought.

  ‘Um, am I allowed to tell anyone about the job or do I wait until you’ve told the rest of the office?’

  ‘I’ll be sending an email out this afternoon so you might want to wait until then to talk about it. I don’t think anyone will be surprised.’

  I think they will; I’m not sure how well the news is going to be received because I’m the newcomer and I’m sure lots of the youngsters will think they deserve this job far more than I do.

  ‘Oh, okay, fab,’ I say as I open the door and leave the office.

  Fab? Really? Why do I say such stupid things? Why can I never say the right thing at the right time? I really have no idea why Em chose me to be her successor; she obviously sees something in me that I can’t see myself.

  ✽✽✽

  The rest of the day passed in a blur; the announcement re Jonathan’s departure generated little interest although I’d sort of hoped it would so that it would detract from the announcement about me getting Em’s job because I wasn’t sure if it would be well received.

  I received a copy of the email as well because Em sent it to the whole office. Trina already knew because I’d told her at lunchtime and showing what a true friend she is she was absolutely thrilled for me.

&nb
sp; I said I felt a bit awkward because she’s been here a lot longer than me and I feel as if I’d pushed in front of her. She brayed with laughter and said that she’s more than happy where she is and the idea of doing Em’s job sounds like an absolute nightmare to her. And anyway, she reminded me, I’ve way more experienced than her because didn’t I pretty much run the department when my old boss was absent at the Westchester branch? I remembered then that I did, and I’d mentioned it in passing to Trina but I never got paid for it or promoted; it was all very informal and I’d just carried on from the person who used to do my job. So, maybe I do deserve it.

  I am definitely going to miss sitting opposite Trina; although as she helpfully pointed out it’s not as if we talk very much in the office because I’m so conscientious and always have my head down beavering away. I didn’t think I was particularly conscientious but she says I am and that it’s another reason why I was chosen for the job. I do my fair share of internet surfing, I told her, but Trina said I only do that because I do my work so quickly that I run out and I’ve nothing else to do. I think Trina knows more about me than I do.

  We’ve decided that we’re still going to have lunch together every day and we’re friends outside of work so things won’t really change at all. And there’s email, of course, we email each other all of the time now even though we sit opposite each other, so I’m sure we’ll carry that on when I’m sitting at the other end of the office.

  I asked Trina if she’d seen me faint when I was in Em’s office, it has a sort of half window around it so you can see people in there but if they’re sitting down you can only see the tops of their heads. She was shocked because she had no idea what had happened and gave me a telling off for not looking after myself properly and insisted that I have a pudding after my lunch to make-up for the meals that I’d missed. She said she never saw anything and no one else in the office had mentioned it although she did notice that Ed came out looking a bit flustered. He’d passed her on his way down to the kitchen and then trudged back again pretty quickly with a drink in each hand but she had no idea the drinks were for me.