Page 6 of Tangled Control

“Thanks for asking, but I already have plans.” I plan to go home, do an hour and a half of online editing, go for a run, and be in bed by ten. “You’re all going?” I ask as I rinse my mug.

“I’m not,” Gemma says. “It was a late one last night and I desperately need my beauty sleep.”

Mona and Trevor smirk knowingly.

“Right.” I fight my eye roll. At the same time, a cold chill pricks across my chest. It’s not the first time Rian’s gone on aso-calleddatewith Gemma. Could it be that they are getting serious? What about Alexandra?

“Besides, I’ve got plans tomorrow nightandwe have the opening of the new exhibition at the National Gallery later this week.”

“You’re such a busy girl.” Mona laughs and pats Gemma’s head. She playfully swats it away. Gemma is two heads shorter than Mona but compensates for her shortish stature with eye-catching large breasts that she loves to show off, henceCleavage Gemma. Mona, on the other hand, loves to show off her dark tanned legs that go on for miles.

Trevor shakes his head at their antics. He’s not a bad looking bloke, and he’s always friendly, and he’s thankfully never made any advances towards me. With beauties like Mona and Gemma within reach, why would he?

“Are you coming to the exhibition, Catriona?” he asks. “I think practically the whole office have put their name on the guest list.”

The company’s clients include several hotels, restaurants, bars and galleries – the National Gallery being one of them – and staff are often invited to receptions and openings. This stream of invitations is what Rian exploits when dating all my colleagues. The dick isn’t only a serial dater but also acheapserial dater, avoiding paying by bringing them to free events.

Is Rian going to the National Gallery as well? With Gemma? I take a deep breath to ease the unwelcome tightness in my chest.

“I might,” I say to avoid any further questions.

As always, I feel like the outsider, not quite part of the team. My own fault, I know. I’ve never socialised at work. I keep a very professional front and don’t really have friends among my colleagues. It’s the best way, as my mother has told me numerous times.Don’t mix private and professional – it’s doomed to get messy.Gemma and Mona don’t have such rules –they’ve become best of friends since joining my team six months ago.

“Are you at the Alton pre-meeting tomorrow morning?” Gemma changes the subject.

“I am.” I grab a paper towel and go through a mental check list of things to raise about the contract – things I didn’t have time to do today because I was forced to work on the O’Toole file. It will be a long day tomorrow finishing it all up before the signing the day after.

“Have you looked at the claims part of the contract?”

“Sure.”

Gemma nibbles on her lip. “I don’t totally get the exclusions. Would you mind talking me through them sometime?”

Why does she need to know the details? Surely, if she’s shagging the boss then she doesn’t need to put any effort into the work.

Oops, that’s bitchy…

I clear my throat. “I need to check that section before the signing. I’ll be in at seven thirty if you want to go over them together with me?”

A big white smile spreads across Gemma’s face. “Aw, thanks a million, Catriona. That would be great!”

“Right, see you then. And have a nice evening.” I take my mug and leave.

The door for Rian’s office is ajar and the room dark as I walk past it. He left long ago, only spending a couple of hours in it after his lunch. A huff finds its way past my lips as I push open the fire door for the stairs. I remember Rian’s first day in the office. He had walked in, all swagger, tall, dark and handsome, oozing confidence and raw sexuality. Tingles had run down my spine, and probably on every other woman and a few men in the office too. In a weak moment, I thought maybe it was a good thing that Ihadn’tgotten the promotion I had hoped for.

That moment didn’t last long, though.

As the most experienced member of his new team, I introduced Rian to Mona, who had just moved sideways from another division, and Gemma and Trevor, both recently promoted. I had proceeded to go through the current caseload. He didn’t look interested. And then he’d thrown a remark about one client’s unimportance, because they only had a small shoe-repair shop. Rian’s six-foot-something sexy lean frame slumped in his chair, and he grew so bored that he started passing comments to the other three about what they did in their spare time, to compensate for the lack of inspirational work. And to my utter disbelief, he somehow managed to get the three on board, gain their respect and trust. By criticising the work! Not such a genius move, in my opinion. If you want staff to perform and excel, they need to feel proud of their work, not think of it as inconsequential.

His next not-so-genius move was trying to cement the rapport he had built with the other three by giving them tasks they weren’t skilled enough to do yet. What an eejit! Of course they messed up.

Then came dick move number three: he realised his blunder, giving important tasks to inexperienced employees, and to rectify their mistakes, he gave everything to me. Oh yes, I had the work of four people those first weeks. Not so impressed.

His fourth move, although I’d only overheard someone say this, was to run todaddy, complaining about the lack of important customers. What a premium arse. Gorgeous arse, but still an arse. How is he supposed to run a bigger branch if he can’t run a small one properly?

I tried to hide my opinion of him, but as time has passed and new issues arisen, it’s become impossible. When he bothers to give a shit, he’s brilliant at his job. But those scarce instances can’t mend my judgement of him. He, on the other hand, hatesthat I’m not twisted around his little manicured finger, like everyone else. He never hesitates to express his opinion of me, despite the fact that he’s completely dependent on my work.

It’s not exactly how I pictured my career panning out at Kearney Security Solutions. The company has always been so supportive of me – offered me part-time work so I could manage evening courses for my degree and allowed me time off during exam periods.“We’re investing in you for the future.”Those words were spoken by Arthur Kearney himself. I felt so proud, and I’ve worked hard to show my gratitude. But it’s difficult when his son is afecking prick.