Part 16 (1/2)

”Youre welcome,” he said sheepishly.

I was surprised at how flattered I felt. He was a good-looking lad, too young for me, but for a moment I looked at him in a l.u.s.tful way.

I got myself a cup of coffee and went through my e-mails.

Hi Penny, Is there any background information you can bring on that personnel problem you have got? May help us find out what is going on.

See you soon, John Even if I had wanted to, I couldnt take anything with me. The information was confidential. If I hired him, it would be different, but I responded by saying that the Data Protection Act prevented me sharing confidential records. We would have to discuss the issues as a series of hypothetical situations.

Next, there was an e-mail from Dave.

Subject: CIPD Pen, Thanks for booking the CIPD thing. I just dont feel like a big social evening afterwards. After the speeches, would you like a drink?

Not the most difficult executive decision I have ever had to make. A swift response winged its way back through the IT network.

Dave, That would be lovely. I look forward to it.

The other e-mails were either trivial or junk. By the time Id waded through them, the time for Daves presentation approached. I took Phil with me, a reward for his earlier flattery, and we both settled into the companys small lecture theatre. It was quite a showpiece, complete with visuals and sound. As he stood there in a new suit and tie, hair cut and groomed, his voice confidently outlined the magnificent benefits of tomorrows personal health gadgetry. I thought he cut a fine figure. He was impressive and looked cute.

”Youll go down a treat,” I rea.s.sured him. ”The preparation was worth it.”

”Are you sure? Are you really sure?” he hurriedly asked. ”You dont think that final video is slightly overlong or overdone?”

I put my hand on his arm and rea.s.sured him.

”Slicker than a New Labour political broadcast, but much less spin.”

He just beamed. As he was a dedicated New Labour supporter, he took this as a big compliment, even though I didnt intend it that way. The materials were fine, I thought, but it was Dave who gave them charm and wit.

”Thanks, Pen,” he said. ”See you tonight when the madness has died down.”

This was going to be a very long day.

John was slightly late. We arrived at Bella Marie around 11.50 and settled down for lunch. He was pleased to see me but carried a grave look that Id not seen before. He was dressed in a dark deep blue suit. It was the first time Id seen him wear a tie. He was well groomed and I quickly realised that I preferred him in casual attire. John 'the businessman just didnt seem quite right.

His behaviour was different as well and I initially attributed this to his meeting in the afternoon. He would be nervous, I felt. When we chatted on the phone yesterday, he said that this was one of the best contracts he had been offered and it would bring him about 30k for little more than a months work. He intended to use the money to support his writing for several months.

We settled down at the table, ordered drinks and looked at the menu. The banter I expected didnt materialise so I probed him to see if anything was up.

”Nervous about this afternoon?” I asked.

”A bit. Not too bad. I know the person contracting the work. Weve worked together several times so I think todays a formality. There are others to convince, however, so I thought Id dress the part.”

If it was not his interview then why was his behaviour so different? I was puzzled and tried a bit of flattery.

”You look the part. Very smart youll knock them dead.”

I looked at him directly as I said this, but his gaze remained firmly on the menu. He momentarily looked up and tried to smile, but he averted his eyes quickly. I started to feel that something had changed between us but was at a loss to understand why.

”John. You said we had to talk. No point beating about the bush. Whats on your mind?”

He looked up, slightly relieved. As he settled back in his chair, his gaze started to focus on me properly.

”Tell me about Mike....” he requested.

”Our hypothetical Mike!” I answered. John nodded and set himself in a listening pose.

”Hes one of our sales staff, 50-ish, married, personable and popular. I can see that hes good looking, and women would fall for him, but Im not sure why. Sometimes he gives me the creeps.”

John intervened at that point.

”Not sure why? Can you expand on that?”

”Well, hes good at his job. My boss Dave is suspicious of him. I find him a bit 'old school, you know, patronizing. I feel he looks down on me sometimes. We had quite a row last week. He called me a 'stupid woman. I called him a s.e.xist pig!”

John nodded, and his demeanour was attentive and serious, encouraging me to continue.

”Someone complained that he was ha.s.sling a colleague for a drink. It looked open and shut initially. I moved him to a new position. He took some of his staff with him, women mostly, and I thought thatd be the end of it.”

”So whats changed?” John asked.

”Well, my boss wanted me to find out more. I asked my a.s.sistant to keep his ear to the ground. He found that men in the department had been flirting with her. There was one lad in particular that seemed to take a fancy. Thats where the stories conflict. The young woman wont say what happened. The young lad wont co-operate, either. Mike, their former boss, says the young woman confided in him but he wont talk unless she consents. Now hes implied she might have been pursuing the young man, not the other way around. But I know her. She lives at home. Shes engaged to be married. Theres a meeting this afternoon. I intend to crack some heads.”

John nodded, looking very thoughtful.

”What do you think?” he asked.

”My instinct tells me that the lads went too far, and one in particular got quite keen. He made a pa.s.s and she rejected him. She was sufficiently upset to confide in her boss. He gave her support, they got close, he invited her for a drink and perhaps she misunderstood or maybe he was making his own play - she got upset again and now she wont talk. The boss is p.i.s.sed off with everyone because he got landed with the blame for a situation not originally of his own making. I dont buy his story, however, because hes got a reputation as a womaniser. He has a history.”

John kept nodding. I had never seen him this intense and studious before.

”Shall I try another interpretation for you?” he asked.

I was slightly taken aback. I was not looking for another interpretation.

”Err. Okay.” I said hesitantly. John started to talk.

”The young woman tell you what, lets call her Elena shes quiet, fairly pretty, and has a job as administrator to a department that has quite a few young men. In her previous job she worked with women so this is a change for her. She starts to receive more s.e.xual attention. Shes inexperienced with men, a bit embarra.s.sed, but likes one of them. Lets call him Nath, shall we?”

”Hold on!” I said. ”Where are you getting these names from?”

”This is a hypothetical example, Penny, right?”

This was too coincidental, but I nodded to indicate he should carry on.

”Okay. Nath thinks shes a bit of alright and joins in the flirting at first. But then he realises that her boyfriend is an old school friend. His mate is crazy about Elena, wants to marry her, but he sees her flirting with a whole group of lads. So he backs off. Elena is not put off and actually starts to single out Nath himself. Shes confused. He backs off some more. She confides in her boss. Well call her boss Mick, shall we?”

”You know these people. Explain!” I commanded.