Special Relationship (25 page)

"Yes, Toronto a couple of years ago. You persuaded us to invest in your fund, and I think I speak for all of the board and our members to say that we are very pleased with the results."

"I'm so glad," Nick replied before introducing Adam Reeve and Arnaud
Betram as two of his best advisers. More importantly, Nick knew that Bertram, being French, was bound to let them know what they wanted to hear, that the grand European project was about to flourish again after what had been a difficult period. He also knew that he would be overruling him at some later date and sending the Canadian money to the far east or India.

The meeting dragged on and Nick was wondering whether Alex had seen his text. When it had finished, he thanked everyone in a big show of gratitude for their business and told them not to hesitate to call him if they had any questions in the future.

At a lower level, Alex and Kerry were trying to persuade lowly BBC executives to carry breaking updates of significant financial dealings on their business website, realising not long into the meeting that the two Corporation representatives would struggle with the authority to order morning coffee, let alone sanction their ambitious plans.

"Thanks for seeing us," Alex said as she shook their hands and left the office.

"That was hard work," she said to Kerry as they walked towards the station.

"Did Nick call yet?" she
asked, watching Alex scroll through her phone messages.

"Well, he has sent a text, says he'll call later."

"OK, since the chance of us working for the BBC in the near future looks slim, let's go and discuss past events and your future game plan. We need a strategy."

"It's not a game of chess," Alex protested.

"He's a man, isn't he? Best not leave your defence in a vulnerable position." Although she was being light-hearted Kerry felt some responsibility towards her friend, having egged her on since she first met him. Now, she was determined that she wouldn't get hurt.

They sat in the coffee shop waiting for their drinks. "Two flatties for Penelope Cruz," shouted the young barista. Kerry loved London humour and especially when it came off, as it did spectacularly today. Alex held her face in embarrassment but heard the other customers laughing loudly as Kerry went, totally unabashed, to collect them.

"You really have no shame."
"Funny, though, wasn't it? Now tell me whether Mr Hensen thought yours ample enough."

"I think he is more of a butt man," Alex replied. "In fact I think he'd like my backside made into a pillow so he can rest his head on it each night."

"You certainly do have a nice arse," Kerry said. And, erm, were his attributes up to what you might expect?"

"Kerry, please!"

"Just askin'," she said, putting on a look of innocence.

"Well, yes, his body was very nice," Alex said, lowering her voice barely above a whisper level. "And though I wouldn't claim that he is up to his horse,
Manarola's standards, I can't complain about the satisfaction that was given and gratefully received."

They laughed so uncontrollably that Kerry spilt coffee down her top. "Bugger" she exclaime
d.

"Kerry, we did not do that!" Alex
blurted out, seeing an open goal.

Tears ran down their cheeks as they burst into another fit of uncontrolled giggling.

Eventually their mood became more sober and Kerry asked how the emotional side of the relationship had progressed over the course of the weekend.

"He told me he was falling for me but he doesn't even know me, although I have to say I suppose I felt I was falling for him as well. We get on really well together. He's lovely, witty, confident, clever...what can I say? The only cloud on the horizon is that he seems far too fucking good to be true. Outside the text messages, that is."

"You didn't receive another one?"

"No, mysterious texter seems to be otherwise engaged."

They finished the coffee and grabbed a taxi back to the office where Adrian and Suzanne seemed at first to be working diligently, but not for long.

Adrian looked up. "Nice weekend, Alex?" he asked trying to keep a straight face. She looked at him and then at her office manager, who had got up and turned her back, to give the impression that she was looking for a file.

"Good thanks, Ade. And you?" she asked with her best poker face.

He nodded and decided not to risk ribbing his boss any further, hiding behind his computer screen so she couldn't see him snigger.

Alex's phones went a couple of times before lunch and her heart skipped as she heard the ring tone. But they were only business calls. Maybe now he'd bedded her he would go AWOL, she feared.

His name finally flashed on the screen late in the afternoon, just she was packing up ready to go home, and after she had checked her phone countless times to check there were no missed calls or texts.

She was pleased that her three employees had already left, allowing her some privacy, but she still had to compose herself before answering. "Hi Nick."

"Sorry, he said, wanted to call earlier but investors rather hijacked my day."

"No probs. Where are you?"

"Still in the office, be here till about nine, then I thought I'd have an early night and catch on some sleep as I didn't get much last night, thinking about, you know, the weekend."

She was worried about what he was going to say next, so played her cards early.

"Nick I had a great weekend, loved it, but I can understand that we move in different circles and maybe we should leave it with just the happy memories of Sandbanks – beautiful place by the way – and I'll always remember it."

"You are joking?"

"Well, like I've said, I'm not really sure the jet set lifestyle is for me.
And..."

He interrupted her. "Jet set lifestyle? Frank's cafe and lying on a beach and playing the horses for fifty pence in a tacky arcade?"

Alex didn't know what to say.

"And when we go to Paris we're taking the train, no
private plane or even private helicopter."

"Nick, we are not going to Paris."

"You don't like me?"

"Of course I like you, dummy."

"OK, I have a meeting there on Friday. I'm sure you'll be able to amuse yourself for an hour or two and then we can have all weekend together. And I'll book the crummiest, cheapest hotel – a pension – that I can find, just to show you."

She laughed.

"I'm on the internet now. Here's one, we have to share a dormitory and a bathroom with six others but it's only thirty euros."

"Shut up, Nick!"

"I'm booking it now."

"OK, you win, but I don't do sharing. Go just a bit more more upmarket."

He said he'd book it and they spoke for twenty minutes a bit about business – before he told her had to go to Dubai for "a couple of days" – but they mostly talked about Sandbanks.

"And have you recovered from our horse ride?"

"Before I first sat on a horse I imagined it would be easy – you know the horse doing all the work – but I have again been reminded how much work the rider has to do. I can barely walk across the office."

"I bet that's got your colleagues gossiping."

She giggled. "Oh, don't say that. They've been desperate for the details all day," omitting the fact that she had already told Kerry everything. "I don't know what they'll think when I mention next weekend."

"I can't wait," he said, sounding as though he really meant it.

When they finally broke off, she sat back and thought of him some more. She sensed again that he'd missed some fun in his youth while he built his empire, and that, in her, he saw someone with whom he could take that time back.

He seemed at his happiest delivering her chees
ecake, eating at Frank's cafe and playing the machines at the amusement arcade and at his most bored dealing with the business and the many people who relied on him to increase their already considerable wealth.

In his youthful sense of fun and the obvious enjoyment he
derived from doing simple things, she saw herself. She had forfeited years of her young life for different reasons and now maybe she too was, at long last, ready to make up for lost time.

While Nick was in Dubai,
Tavis and Alex finally met up for their long-postponed 'behaving badly' afternoon, touring the pubs and bars of Soho.

He was as charming as he was at the races but not nearly so inquisitive and Alex, having already called Nick before his Dubai trip, was prepared for any difficult questions. "He knows we went to Sandbanks together, that's all. Please, let's keep it that way," he had had told her, with surprising firmness.
Alex thought Nick must have his own reasons for keeping quiet about the behaviour of two consenting adults. In her case, she, had yet to tell Kerry about the forthcoming Paris trip, believing that the conversation between the two of them had recently centred too much on herself.

When
Tavis did ask about Sandbanks, pouring whisky into her glass, she commented only on what a nice part of the country Dorset was and nothing in detail about the events that took place there.

A more awkward question was when she was next seeing Nick. "I don't know," she lied. "He is good fun and we said we'll meet up soon," while realising that he might already know about their plans.

"So he's in Dubai now?" she asked, knowing the answer but trying to change the subject as best she could.

"Yep, him, a couple of advisors and Katherine all on a flight first thing yesterday."

The thought that Katherine was with him somehow made Alex feel uneasy. "But of course she'd be there – she was his PA," she thought, trying to be logical.

"Do they get on well together...Nick and Katherine?" she asked.

"Like chips and mayo," Tavis replied which wasn't exactly what she wanted to hear. She noticed him glancing at her as if to gauge her reaction.

And though she tried not to give away anything by her expression, she
remembered the words of his previous PA, the drunken Olivia at the after-races party, something like that she was more than a PA to him, and began to wonder whether Nick was a serial seducer who conquered women as easily as the markets. She had little doubt that Tavis would have read those thoughts.

But by the time they parted, as the swarm of office workers were making their way home, she was more upbeat. She kissed
Tavis on the cheek and told him "behave yourself", before indulging herself in another shopping spree in readiness for Paris. Who cares about a stupid credit card, she thought.

The next day, Nick arrived back in London and in the car back from the airport he told Katherine that she'd need her to look after the Mayfair office rather than accompany him to Paris.

"Are you sure?" she asked, surprised. "Are you up to date with everything?"

"Yeah, no worries. It's only scheduled for an hour and it's the French – they know as much about finance as we Brits know about cooking."

She looked at him suspiciously. "British cooking has improved," she said. "And so has French finance."

"I'll handle it."

"Is Jamie going with you?"

"No, I think it's unlikely I'll be abducted on the Eurostar."

Katherine thought some more, wondering why she hadn't even been asked her to arrange the tickets or the hotel. But she soon guessed the answer.

When he got back to his apartment, he called Alex. "How did the trip go?" she asked, pointing to her phone and mouthing 'Nick' to Kerry sitting opposite.

"Oh fine, boring business stuff and all that, but probably worthwhile. What have you been up to?"

She
told him that she had met Tavis for drinks. "He is a very bad influence, as bad as you. I've never drunk so much since I met you guys."

"We'll abstain after Paris. I booked us breakfast in,
err, the champagne bar at St Pancras tomorrow."

"Oh, great, my liver will be pleased."

"Sorry, it's going to be an early start - my meeting is at two - but shouldn't last long and after that we'll be free to explore the romantic city of lights."

"And we are staying where?"

"Well, you said you didn't want to slum it, so we're in the Shangri-La, fantastic terrace overlooking the Eiffel Tower and a beautiful swimming pool, so bring your gear. Oh, and I booked just the one room, is that alright?”

“No, Mr
Hensen, after Sandbanks I am still tired and would prefer to rest in my own room.”

“Pity, they are otherwise fully booked,” he replied. “See you tomorrow. Christos will pick you up at 7.30.”

She called Kerry into the stockroom for a conference regarding her Paris trip.

“What, he asked you
just now?”

“No, early in the week but I didn't tell you because I wanted us to spend time like we used to – in the pre-
Hensen days – talking about both of us rather than just me, me, me.”