He?s looking all excited. I look at my watch. I?ve really got to go.
?Why don?t you send them a pink envelope, too?? I venture. ?Then they can sort it all out.? I?m not too sure about all this ?we? business. I mean, I don?t mind printing out Web pages and stuff, but to be honest I?ve got more important things on my mind than the possibility that Leary?s accounting products could be shut down. I mean, I?d hate for us to lose our jobs and everything, but right now I?ve got a Zip disk to get hold of.
?We could do . . .? says Nigel. ?But they aren?t majority shareholders anymore. If the rest of the board votes for the merger, they?ll be outnumbered. And anyway, HG will no doubt be offering a superb deal to the board. They?ll be making some serious money out of this.?
?Maybe we should sleep on it,? I suggest. I?ve really got to go now.
?Maybe we should.?
Nigel is looking at his computer screen again. I?m about to go, but something makes me look at Nigel more closely. He looks really down and stressed out. I realize that he?s worked at Leary for, well, forever pretty much. And if he loses his job, I don?t know what he?ll do. I certainly can?t see anyone else employing him.
Squinting at some figures on the screen, Nigel takes his glasses off to clean them and for the first time ever I see his eyes properly. Actually, Nigel looks quite vulnerable without his glasses on?kind of like a mole or something. If he went out like that, he might have more luck with women; some girls have a real mothering instinct, and he could definitely take advantage. I consider suggesting this to him but before I can he puts his glasses back on and says ?I believe you were on your way home??
?Yes, yes I am. Look, Nigel, you?ll be okay, you know.?
?Course I will,? says Nigel with absolutely no feeling. ?Look, it?s fine. I?m just going to look into this Taylor guy before I go home. I want something good to show Guy, not just overheard conversations.?
I look at my watch and it?s five to six. I?m going to be seriously late for David. Promising myself that I?m going to do everything I can to help Nigel keep his job, I grab my bag and turn to go.
But for a second time that evening I don?t make it past the door to the stairwell. I knew the name Taylor was familiar to me, and I think I?ve just remembered why.
?Nigel,? I breathe as I race back to his desk, ?do a search under the AMG Group. I?m sure Duncan Taylor is involved in a scandal in the U.S.? It was on the news before ?Top Gear? when I was in Italy. I?m sure it?s the same name.
Nigel quickly brings up pages and pages on the story. Sure enough, the picture of Duncan Taylor on the AMG site is the same as the one on the Tryton site.
?Georgie, I think you might have just done it,? Nigel grins as he begins to type a memo to Guy. ?I think this might just get Guy?s attention.?
I try to feel as excited as Nigel, but I can?t help thinking that sorting things out with David is going to be a lot more difficult.
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David?s wearing jeans. I only mention this because it?s very rare for David to wear jeans at the weekend, let alone on a Tuesday evening.
He sees me staring and grins sheepishly. ?Just something I?m trying,? he says by way of explanation.
There are delicious smells emanating from the kitchen. When he leans down to kiss me I put my arms around him and give him a bear hug. I want to feel all wrapped up and safe, instead of wondering where the disk is.
?Sorry I?m late.? I look at David?s face. He has such a strong, open, honest face. I wonder if he?s been working on Mike?s ?case? today.
?No problem. The food?s going to take a while anyway?I wanted to cook something nice. I thought trout might be just the ticket??
?Sounds lovely.? I feel nervous. My eyes are flicking around the hallway as if looking for clues. Usually I just walk straight into the sitting room and watch TV while David cooks, and he brings me wine and olives. Now I?m standing here awkwardly and haven?t even taken off my coat.
?Actually, now that you?re here, would you mind keeping an eye on the fish while I nip out quickly? I forgot to buy some wine on my way home.?
?Of course not.? Grateful for something to do, I take off my coat and go through to the kitchen. A sauce is bubbling on the stove. I can?t exactly do much with the fish because they?re in the oven. The front door bangs as David leaves.
This is my chance. If I can find the disk now, I can forget about it for the rest of the evening, otherwise I?m not going to be able to enjoy a minute. Estimating that I?ve got around five minutes, possibly ten, I run round the flat looking everywhere for the disk?I check his bedroom, the spare bedroom, the study, and the sitting room. Nothing. I open his briefcase and go through every pocket, but it?s nowhere to be found. I can?t believe it. It?s got to be somewhere. I rummage through his desk again, opening up all the drawers, but they just have boring stuff on tax returns and contracts from builders and stuff. I notice an invoice and stare at it. Oh my God, did David really spend ?40K on his kitchen?
Suddenly I remember his laptop. Of course! The disk is probably inside it! I remember seeing it on his bed, so I run to David?s bedroom. I look to see if there?s a disk inside it but it?s one of those computers that won?t do anything, even allow you to open the disk drive, until it?s on. I boot it up and sit swearing at it to hurry up as icon after icon appears on the screen. There?s no way I?m going to have time to get the disk. I hear the door bang downstairs and I jump. If it?s David I?ve got next to no time. Finally it springs into action. With a huge sigh of relief I press the button to the disk drive just as I hear David?s key in the door. The drive opens and . . . nothing. Nothing! I haven?t got time to shut the laptop down properly so I just slam it shut and run to the kitchen to find the sauce boiling over. David comes in and kisses me on the neck.
?Smells lovely,? he says, giving me a hug. I manage a smile. Two things keep going through my mind: where is
