GRAEME UNCAGED: Part One (Taming the Billionaire Book 2) (10 page)

They hoped not to be disturbed, but less than a minute after they sat down, Haillie and the other girl from the Secretarial Pool, Nadia joined them. Haillie didn’t waste any time in asking about the new Department.

“When are you finished with Currency Trading, Olivia?” she began.

“November 30th,” said Olivia. “I’d hoped to have more than a month on the trading desk, but Aunt Christine really wants me to spend a lot of time with her, meeting people, learning about the charities we support, you know...so I’ll only be on the desk about half the time, and other other half will be spent with Aunt Christine.”

“So, on Monday you will begin to set up the new office,” said Haillie, as if she was making the decisions, not Olivia.

Rose and Olivia exchanged looks.

“Exactly as you predicted,” muttered Rose quietly to Olivia.

“No, Haillie, I won’t be setting up the new office until January. Mr. Smith asked me to hold off until he’s hired staff for Glen Palmer and the Secretarial Pool. Since all our financial commitments are made for this year, Graeme and I thought it was a good idea.

“I have a lot of events to attend with Aunt Christina. I want to spend some significant time with our interior designer on the new house, and we plan to take at least two weeks off over Christmas and New Years and spend them in Ireland.”

“What are you going to do there?”

“We’ll have a real family Christmas, with Uncle David and Aunt Christine, Julia and Nick and hopefully Louisa and Rodriguez...I think we’re going to invite Amanda and her boyfriend for New Years. Michael and Linda and Rose and her boyfriend will be coming for New Years as well.”

“Sounds great,” said Haillie wistfully. “I’m spending Christmas in Brighton with my mother and step-father, going down Christmas Eve, coming back to London Boxing Day. Two days is all I can spend with my step-father without going bananas. Ralph and I are chalk and cheese.”

“I’m going to Slovakia to see my parents,” said Nadia. “Mr. Smith said I could have ten days off.  He says when Mr. Palmer comes back into London next week, I am to meet him and see if we would like to work together.”

Haillie did not hide her surprise. “I would have thought Glen Palmer would want a younger P.A.”

Nadia looked at Haillie coolly. “Age is not always a bad thing, Haillie. I have many years experience with two other banks and was only looking for a new position because my partner was relocated here from Nottingham. Mr. Palmer has indicated to Mr. Smith he would prefer a P.A. with some maturity as he will be travelling a great deal. Mr. Browning wishes to stay in London more, so Mr. Palmer will be overseas a lot and feels he wants a P.A. who is used to some autonomy. I fit the bill, so if we think we can work together I will be starting in his office January 3
rd
.”

“Humph,” grimaced Haillie. “It didn’t take Glen Palmer long to change what he wanted in a P.A.”

Rose grinned.

“I think that his new girlfriend has a lot to do with that. She let him know that she doesn’t want any competition in his office.”

“Oh, really? She’s possessive is she? How long have they been an item?”

“Not long,” said Rose vaguely.

“What does she do? Maybe she’d like to be his P.A. herself?” muttered Haillie.

“I don’t think so, Haillie,” said Rose. “I understand from Glen Palmer that Francine will be busy decorating their new home, and acting as his hostess.”

Olivia looked up sharply.

“At Bank functions?”

Rose nodded. “That’s what Glen said.”

Olivia looked angry.

Rose was surprised, she hadn’t seen Olivia angry for months, even at Haillie.

“Is something wrong with that, Olivia?” she asked.

“Yes.” Olivia was curt.

Haillie, smelling a story she could text to Amanda, stepped right in.

“What’s wrong with that, Olivia?  Surely it will take some of the pressure off you.”

Graeme chose that moment to walk in, intent on getting himself a cup of tea.  Olivia spied him and jumped up to speak to him.  He saw her distress and came toward her. God, he hoped nothing was wrong with the baby! 

“What is wrong, ‘Livi?”

Haillie spoke up. 

“She seems upset that Glen is planning for his new girlfriend to act as hostess for his official functions.”

She smiled. She couldn’t see why Olivia was bothered.

Graeme’s face fell.

“He wouldn’t dare.”

“That’s what he told me,” said Rose.

“I’ll deal with this, Olivia as soon as I’m back in my office. Don’t worry about it.”

“Thank you, Graeme,” said Olivia. “I think I’ll get back to work, got a lot to do before my reporting deadline and only two days to do it. Belfast has a problem again and John’s thrown it in my lap.”

She got up and left.  Graeme followed her out.

“Well,” said Haillie, “Obviously Glen’s plans don’t meet Graeme Browning’s approval either. Is it because Olivia doesn’t like them?”

Rose didn’t reply.

“Time for me to get back to work,” was all she said.

Haillie whipped out her mobile and texted Amanda.

Why would Olivia get bent out of shape about Glen Palmer’s new girlfriend Francine acting as hostess at Bank functions?

The reply came within a minute.

No? Really?If Glen is going out with Francine, that would explain it. She used to be Graeme’s girlfriend for two years. I heard she was in London a couple of weeks ago from my brother who bumped into her in Soh
o
.

Haillie smiled. Maybe Olivia wasn’t as secure in her marriage as everybody thought. Here she was, just back from her honeymoon and worrying about an ex-girlfriend.  Maybe this marriage wouldn’t last forever. Maybe Graeme Browning would be back on the market sooner rather than later. She thought a minute and then texted Amanda again.

Thanks for the info. If it was me, I wouldn’t be worried. Talk to you this weekend, bye.

Graeme reached his office and dialed his cousin.

“Glen?”

“Hello, Graeme, what can I do for you?”

“I just heard you plan to have Francine act as your hostess.”

“Yes, I do.”

“No.”

“What do you mean,
no
?”

“No. There is too much water under the bridge. She can do as you please in your private life, but she will have no role at all at Browning’s. I mean it. You will not bring her to any Bank functions. You will not bring her to any family functions. I will not tolerate it.”

“I don’t understand.”

“She was with me for two years, it makes my wife uncomfortable and I will not tolerate any situation that makes my wife stressed in any way. Understand?”

Glen laughed. “Henpecked already, Graeme? Carrie never achieved that in all the years you were married.”

“Just showing consideration for my bride’s feelings, Glen. This is my decision, not hers.”

“Oh.”

“See you Tuesday.”

Graeme hung up, not happy with his future Vice-Chairman. He leaned back and thought for a few minutes.

Glen’s blatant disregard for the niceties of the situation did not bode well.  He picked up the telephone again.

“Uncle David, can I come in and see you for a few minutes?”

“I’ll come to you, Graeme. I’ve a need to stretch my legs.

EIGHT

The Chairman opened the connecting door between their offices and sat down in front of his nephew.  “What’s the problem, Graeme?”

“I have a feeling that perhaps I was hasty giving Glen the position as Vice-Chairman.”

“Ah...”

“That’s an interesting response, Uncle.”

“I’ve been having second thoughts myself, Graeme. I mean, he’s brilliant, but he’s a bit of a loose cannon. He’s been fine working for us on specific contracts, but he may not be as amenable when he’s sitting in this office.”

“My sentiments exactly, Uncle.”

“I had dinner with Sir Richard Silver Sunday evening. You remember that Glen worked for him for a couple of years?”

“Yes, about five or six years ago, wasn’t it?”

“Mmmm. Well, Richard feels that you’ll have your hands full reining Glen in. He said unless the man has matured greatly, he’s very head strong and doesn’t stop to consider the nuances of the situation or the possible effect of his decisions on his colleagues. He just bulldozes through…”

“That’s just what reared up. He was planning to use Francine as his hostess for Bank functions.”

Sir David snorted.

“The idiot. That’s so wrong on all levels, isn’t it? She was with you for two years, and wants you back and while she is beautiful, she isn’t very astute, except when it comes to maintaining a nice lifestyle at the expense of whichever man she’s with at the moment. She usually says the wrong thing at the wrong time, doesn’t she?”

“She does. Remember how undiplomatic she was at our Spring Ball?”

“Yes, she insulted the Chairman of the Bank of England, and then giggled as if being French and attractive forgave all sins,” said Sir David.

“It confirmed in my mind that I’d made the right decision not to bring her to London and perhaps marry her,” agreed Graeme. “Olivia would not like her being at every Bank function.”

“Olivia would not like that at all, and I will not permit anything to upset your wife. I’m very fond of your wife.”

“I’ve already telephoned Glen and told him it isn’t happening.”

“What did he say?”

“
Henpecked already?”

The older man laughed. “He knows better. He just wanted to annoy you because you’ve curtailed his autonomy. But I’ll bet he doesn’t keep Francine around long, if she can’t be on his arm at official functions.”

“I think he’ll keep her around just to prove his independence. And I think he’ll disobey my instructions and have Francine on his arm.”

“What are we going to do about it? Is the final contract with him signed?”

“He’s coming Tuesday to do that. We didn’t get it done before my wedding and I was too busy this week.”

“What are our alternatives?”

“We did announce it to the press...”

“We did...”

“It would cost us a packet to terminate the contract.”

“How long is the contract?”

“Three years.”

“What about shortening to one year, with renewal options?”

“Possibility. That would put him on warning that I won’t tolerate a renegade.”

“Perhaps he would refuse to sign for one year and the problem would disappear?”

“Don’t think that would happen. It’s a very fat contract, so he will sign and he will be sure to make my life difficult for his tenure...”

Sir David and Graeme sat for five minutes in silence, each considering all the options.

Finally, The Chairman spoke.

“Well, do we have any other candidates you prefer for the position? I know we considered promoting from within...”

“We still have the two department heads we could promote, and I would be comfortable with either of them, Uncle. There are capable young men we could bring up to replace them as Department Head, either of them...

“The problem is the amount they would have to travel, and they’re both married men. I just don’t want to be away as much over the next year, with the new baby.”

“Either of our two internal favourites could take on
some
of the travel.”

“Yes, Uncle, some of it...”

“Graeme, both you and I aren’t looking at how to make it work with Glen, both of us are looking at how to gracefully make it
not
work with Glen, without upsetting the family dynamic too much...”

The door opened, and Olivia stepped in.

“Oh, I’m sorry, Rose thought you were alone.”

The men smiled at her.

“I came in through the connecting door, ‘Livi,” said Sir David. “Sit down, we have a problem, and perhaps you can help us with it.”

Olivia sat and looked at them. They didn’t speak, just enjoyed looking at her with fond smiles.

“Well?” she said. “Tell me the problem.”

“We don’t want Glen for Vice-Chairman,” smiled Sir David, “but we can’t think of a face-saving way to take the appointment away from him.”

“Is this because of Francine, because if it is, I’ll bear it...” Olivia began.

“No, baby,” interjected Graeme. “It’s because he even thought of using her as his hostess knowing the history, and told Rose it was happening without any consultation, as if he didn’t have to consider our feelings. No way do I want Francine in our lives, even on the periphery.”