Executive Affair (11 page)

‘When can I come out to see you?'

‘Now's not a good time, Julia,' he responded, his voice kind to take the hurt from his words. ‘I've only been here a few days and there's a lot to do.'

‘I'm very lonely without you, Robert.' She sounded miserable.

‘I know you are. Why don't we talk about a trip in a few weeks, when I've settled in and have less on my mind?' He felt bad about giving her false hope but he knew that this was the wrong time for the confrontation they needed to have.

‘A few weeks is a long time to me right now,' she whispered.

‘You'll be surprised how fast it will pass … I have to go now. Take care, I'll call you soon.'

Robert pulled up at a red light. His thoughts moved to Claire. She had seemed upset in the lift. Had something happened at work or was it personal? He was surprised at his need to know.

The senior management team made a more serious effort at keeping their commitment for the July meeting. After all, the form and frequency of the meeting itself was the first item on the agenda. And Robert Pozos was going to be there, a senior vice-president who had the ability to wipe out the entire team if he wasn't impressed by the standard of their performance.

Robert had asked Claire to attend the meeting with him as she was closer to the numbers than he was. Samantha was there to take the minutes, another change in Robert's honour.

‘Good morning, everyone,' Steve began, clearing his throat. ‘I believe that we're all present. Before I move to the first item, I would like to take this opportunity to welcome Robert to the team. Robert will assume the finance director's role for the next six months as our external search was not successful. Needless to say, Robert will continue to perform his vice-president's role from Sydney … so make sure you all take advantage of the fast track that Robert can offer to Donald Skates.'

The directors laughed politely at Steve's effort at humour.

‘Okay, moving right along … David, this first item is the issue you raised last month so I'll hand over to you.'

‘Thanks, Steve,' David said, leaning forward in his seat. ‘Over the last twelve months we've met a total of seven times. Of those seven meetings, there were only two where we were all present. Those statistics tell me that this meeting doesn't make it onto the priority list of the members of this team.'

‘I think that's a bit harsh,' Steve interrupted, looking in Robert's direction to gauge his reaction to the potentially dangerous accusation.

‘I don't believe so, Steve. We have no other avenue to execute strategic planning. We have no other means of sharing what's happening across the business with the other team members. If we don't meet once a month, for at least a few hours, how can we possibly expect to successfully run this company?'

David sat back and waited for the others to comment. There was silence. Nobody was prepared to disagree with him in front of Robert Pozos. He smiled because he could tell there would be no absentees as long as the vice-president was around.

The next item on the agenda was the financial results and Claire began to talk through the divisional profit and loss.

‘I want to know about this “exceptional item” that you're showing in my numbers. What is it?' Frank asked, staring at her from across the table. He was smarting from his inability to challenge David on the management meetings. Claire was an easier target.

‘It's a bad debt, Frank. We've taken a provision against a debt that's been outstanding since last March,' she explained.

‘Why wasn't I consulted before my bottom line was hit?'

She ensured her response was even, reasonable. ‘It's corporate
policy to reserve against debts that are over three months old – it's an automatic process.'

He threw his hands up in frustration. ‘It's – not – the – corporate – policy – that I'm questioning,' he emphasised each word with contempt. ‘It's why I wasn't informed about it.'

Tension drenched the room. She could see the others watching her, expecting her to crack.

‘Frank, can we take this offline?' Robert asked, glancing at Claire as he spoke.

‘It's okay, Robert,' she said calmly. ‘Frank, you're right. I should have let you know in advance that this adjustment would be made in June. I apologise for surprising you.'

The meeting went for five hours. It was intense and exhausting. When they finished, Claire left without delay to begin the walk from the hotel to the office. It was raining when she went outside.

‘Claire, hold on.' It was Robert.

She stopped and waited without turning around.

‘I'm sorry that happened,' he said, out of breath when he caught up.

‘You've nothing to be sorry about. Frank was right to pull me up,' she answered, starting to walk.

‘He wasn't right to talk to you like that. It was way out of line. I'm sure Steve will speak to him about his behaviour.'

‘Robert … I'm not some little girl that needs to be protected. I can handle Frank myself. I don't need you, or Steve, to fight my battles.'

He looked at her – her face was wet from the rain. He could tell she was more upset about the incident than she would admit. They walked the rest of the way in silence.

Mark called Claire later that evening.

‘Hello, stranger, we miss you over here.'

She recognised his upper-class Dublin accent immediately.

‘Mark … hello,' she said in surprise. ‘Long time no hear. How are you?'

‘Busy, very busy … and how are you? Enjoying your new role, I hope?'

‘I was until today.' She grimaced. ‘I got a bit of a hammering this morning but I'm sure I'll get over it.'

‘There's nothing like a good hammering – it makes you a better, stronger person. Right?'

‘Right,' she agreed with a laugh.

‘Now, back to business – this is not merely a social call. We're nearing the end of the Irish rollout for the payables upgrade.'

‘That went by quickly. How did it work out?'

‘Surprisingly smooth,' Mark answered. ‘A few glitches but nothing major. Australia is now firmly in our sights and I wanted to talk to you about a rough timetable.'

‘The sooner the better, as far as I'm concerned. Our payables processes are quite weak and we're looking forward to the improvements that the upgrade will bring.'

‘Good. I'll forward you a timetable later today. Now, there was one other thing.' He paused.

‘Yes?'

‘I just wanted to give you a heads-up that Michael will be the liaison for your rollout.'

‘Yes,' she said slowly. ‘I expected that he would be.'

Paul went off to Brisbane for two weeks before Claire had the chance to speak to him. Digicom was responding to a multimillion dollar tender with the Queensland government. Claire
didn't tell Paul that Amtech was bidding on the same deal or that Frank Williams was also in Queensland. In fact, Amtech had an existing relationship with the client and everyone felt quite confident they would win.

Paul called her every day while he was away and by the second week she had nothing left to say to him. She had call display on her phone and didn't pick it up when she recognised the Queensland number coming through. She had a week's worth of voicemails that she hadn't listened to when he returned to Sydney.

She went around to see him after work Friday evening. As she rang the bell, she hoped he would be home now that she had psyched herself up for the long overdue confrontation. He opened the door before the bell stopped ringing. She didn't have the opportunity to avoid his embrace.

‘Hi, stranger! I've been trying to call you all week. You've obviously been too busy to call me back!' His tone was free from accusation.

‘Yeah, I had a lot of meetings and worked late most nights. That's why I kept missing your calls,' she answered, hating herself for lying.

‘I left you some voicemails.'

‘I know.'

‘Okay, I forgive you. Have you had dinner? Do you want to go out for something to eat?'

‘No, I need to talk to you.'

‘That sounds ominous,' he said lightly. ‘Don't you want to come in? The doorway doesn't seem to be a good place to have an ominous discussion.'

She didn't want to go into his living room, sit on his sofa, drink his tea, lose her nerve.

She stepped inside the door and stood firmly in the hallway.

‘Paul, I think we should stop seeing each other,' she said, her words tumbling out in a rush.

‘Please come in and sit down so we can at least talk it through,' he said calmly. He started to walk towards the living room. He stopped when she didn't follow.

‘No, I'll lose my resolve. I've been wanting to say this for a few weeks and I'm sorry if I seem abrupt and heartless but it's the only way I can do it. I can't handle how intense you are. It's not what I want in my life right now.'

‘If you want me to back off, then that's fine. But we don't need to break up to achieve that.' His voice was confident, convincing. It was the first time she had seen the ‘sales' side of his personality.

‘Paul … it's not working out. Yes, I feel smothered … but there are other things that are wrong as well. It's just not working out …'

‘Okay, then. If that's what you want.' He was surprisingly detached and his lack of emotion confirmed her instinct that there was no special spark between them.

‘I guess I'll see you around because of Fiona and James. Keep in touch,' she said before letting herself out.

As she hailed down a taxi, she wondered what Paul had got out of their relationship. For someone who had been so attentive, he didn't seem very bothered that she had finished it. She felt oddly miffed at his lukewarm reaction. Fiona wasn't there when she got home. Like most people with a life, she was out on the town, having fun. Claire wondered at what point her adventure to the other side of the world had settled into the ups and downs of real life. It was Friday night and
she was sitting at home with the exciting prospect of work tomorrow.

Robert was tired. He'd had a long day, and it wasn't over yet.

His phone rang and he knew it was Julia.

‘Hello.' He was unable to summon up any affection.

‘You haven't called me since Sunday.' Her voice was suspiciously uneven.

‘I apologise, Julia. When I'm working hard, I forget everything else. You should know me by now.' He gave a placatory laugh.

‘That's no excuse, Robert. You're thousands of miles away from me. I don't wake up beside you, I don't see you at night, I feel as if we aren't married any more.' She was drunk – there was no way she would be so confrontational if she was sober.

‘Hey, calm down – there's no need to get upset.'

‘Don't tell me to calm down! I need to see you … I need to see my husband.' Her angry words were slurred.

‘Julia, I can't talk to you when you're like this. I'll call you over the weekend.'

He hung up, depressed. He was married to an alcoholic and he didn't yet know the emotional or financial price of extracting himself from the marriage. He could delay the inevitable no further. He rang Tom Healy, his lawyer and old friend.

‘Hello, Tom, Robert here.'

‘Robert, man, I thought you had fallen off the side of the world.'

‘I'm sorry, Tom, I should have called you to let you know what was happening. I needed some time to think after our last discussion.' Robert's voice was subdued. The last time he had talked to Tom was the night before he left for Sydney. The topic
of conversation had been divorce and Robert had taken a rain-check on the final decision.

‘Have you decided what you want to do?'

Robert hesitated before responding. ‘Yes, I've just come off the phone from Julia … our relationship is totally beyond repair … I want you to go ahead.'

Tom was sympathetic. ‘I'm sorry, Robert, I truly am.'

‘So am I,' Robert sighed. ‘Julia is not in a good place right now. I'm hoping that she'll at least be in some form of counselling by the time this process is done.'

‘I'll get started on the paperwork straight away.'

‘I guess it will be the same as it was with Dianne,' said Robert bleakly.

Julia called Cherie straight after her disturbing conversation with Robert. Wayne answered but she didn't bother to make small talk with him.

‘I've talked to Robert,' she said when Cherie came on the line.

‘How is he?' Cherie asked, sitting on the stairs with the phone. Phone calls with Julia were often lengthy.

‘He won't commit to me coming to see him in Sydney, says he'll call me over the weekend … but I know he'll put it off again.'

Cherie could hear the click of Julia's lighter and her sharp intake as she inhaled.

‘It's not surprising that Rob is preoccupied – he's busy. He's doing two jobs, for goodness sakes.'

‘You're always defending him.' Julia's tone was accusatory.

‘No, I'm not. I'm giving you an independent view. Rob's a hard worker. He has to be at his level in the company. He doesn't have a nine-to-five job.'

‘That's absolutely true. But I
want
him to have a nine-to-five job! I want him to
leave
Amtech.'

Cherie was taken aback by Julia's vehemence. ‘Now you're being ridiculous.'

‘No, I'm not. Everything would be okay if Amtech wasn't in the picture.'

‘Julia, take a reality check. Look at the house you live in. Look at the clothes you're wearing – you have a lot to be thankful to Amtech for.' Cherie was losing her patience.

‘What's the point in having all these material possessions if we don't even get to see each other?' Julia was like a dog with a bone.