The Thorn in His Side (11 page)

Somehow Libby had stood there, heard the woman blather on proudly about how this event was set to become a yearly international event—as if she cared—and not screamed or broken the furniture.

She was discovering new depths of self-control!

Libby could have stormed out of the building right there and then; she had wanted to, it was only the knowledge that this was exactly what the sadistic, twisted rat wanted her to do that had prevented her.

Genuine! Rafael Alejandro was about as genuine as the smile she had glued on her face.

Aware that the other woman was waiting for a response instead she had forced herself to say, ‘I didn’t realise.’ That makes me a total gullible idiot.

But she’d have the last laugh, Libby thought, managing not a laugh but a very creditable hoarse croak as she lifted her chin to a defiant angle and approached the door of the changing room.

Rafael had obviously expected her to throw some sort of spoiled-princess-afraid-to-get-her-hands-dirty hissy fit … and confirm his view that she was some spoilt
airhead. The wretched man was used to pulling strings and having people dance—well, not this time, boss, she thought grimly.

This was no longer about saving the firm—that had obviously always been some sort of twisted joke—this was about pride and she would be the best damned waiter he had ever seen.

If she walked it would be at his invitation and not before.

When Libby got to the big top-floor room people had already begun to arrive, singly and in groups. Some were already helping themselves to the food in the silver-topped servers.

Rafael was not there as yet, her racing heart slowed in reaction to the reprieve.

The person in charge, a silver-haired man wearing a black suit, appeared at her elbow; he did not comment on her lateness as he explained that her brief was to make sure the coffee supply did not run out.

‘Offer top-ups, but do not be intrusive.’

And she had been afraid that she would not be up to the job!

As she went about her task Libby kept an eye on the door. She was so jumpy that she messed up the simple task she had been given and slopped half a pot of coffee over the pristine white cloth that covered
the tables arranged buffet style along one wall.

Blushing and apologising profusely, she grabbed a napkin from a stack and began to dab at the spreading stain, stepping back with a grimace as the liquid dripped onto her shoes.

The brief hush that fell was not, as she first thought, because everyone was staring at her making a simple
task look like brain surgery, but because Rafael had appeared in time to witness her humiliation.

As her eyes brushed those of the tall dynamic figure framed in the doorway her shaking hand sent a half-filled cup flying.

Libby gave a cry. The sound was closely followed by an even louder smashing noise of breaking crockery and the jeering laughter of some smug junior exec whom she had given the brush-off to earlier.

If all eyes had not been on her they were now. Libby stood frozen to the spot with horror while she felt the tide of hot mortification spread across every inch of her skin.

Any hotter and she’d add to the mess on the floor.

‘If you could just step back.’

She responded to the calm invitation and watched as the soiled linen was removed and replaced. Within seconds all trace of the mess had been removed and the low buzz of conversation had started up.

‘Relax, accidents happen.’

Not to me, not today!
Libby bit back the wail and smiled in genuine gratitude at the grey-haired figure who had orchestrated the mop-up operation.

‘I’m so sorry.’

He smiled at her, nodded at someone over her shoulder and moved away.

Libby closed her eyes. She knew before she turned who she would see standing there, and her instincts had not failed her.

A serene smile painted on her face to cover the humiliation burning through her veins, she turned to face the tall, imposing figure of Rafael Alejandro. He must have enjoyed seeing her make a total fool of herself.

‘Coffee, sir?’ she said, aiming the question at a point over his shoulder.

Rafael arched a dark brow and turned to the younger man beside him whose presence Libby had not until this point even registered. Her attention had all been focused on the man she had intended to impress with her efficiency.

Well that went well, Libby.

‘What did you think, Callum—should we risk it?’ Despite the gentle jibe Rafael had not taken any pleasure from witnessing her public embarrassment. On the contrary he had been impressed by the way she had lifted her chin when the smirking idiot had laughed, after she had flinched. It was at that point that Rafael had had to restrain an uncharacteristic impulse to rush protectively to her side.

Through a miasma of misery Libby heard the other man laugh, but not unkindly. ‘I’d love a top-up,’ he said, adding, ‘We’ve all been there.’

Libby flashed him a smile of gratitude and thought, Except Rafael, as she tried and failed to imagine the elegant Spaniard messing anything up except other people’s lives.

The other man grinned, unwittingly echoing Libby’s thoughts as he added drily, ‘Not Rafael, of course.’

Irritation moved at the back of Rafael’s eyes. ‘Rumours of my infallibility have been grossly exaggerated. I’ll take a coffee.’

As she filled the cup he held out Libby’s hand shook. Rafael’s eyes travelled from her small trembling hand to her stiff frozen features and he felt like a total bastard.

The opinion was shared by the voice of his troubled conscience.

Why
troubled?
She was here voluntarily and he was treating her the same way he treated all the interns. It was a method he had used after an intern with a particularly high opinion of himself had caused a lot of bad feeling with his know-it-all attitude; now everyone’s first day was spent on the very bottom rung.

Libby was relieved when she was forced to step to one side to allow a tall woman wearing a red suit that made her stand out amongst the more sober hues approach Rafael.

That the most attractive woman in the room made a beeline for Rafael was not exactly a surprise—the surprise would have been if she hadn’t!

Libby, despite a near miss when she heard the woman in the red dress laugh throatily in response to something Rafael had said, managed to get through the rest of the service without further incident, possibly because Rafael only stayed for about five minutes after which miraculously her co-ordination returned enough to receive a word of praise from the man in charge when he came to tell her she should leave early to attend the requisite session on health and safety.

Halfway to her destination she realised that she was happy because someone had told her she was quite good at serving coffee.

She began to laugh out loud.

‘It is always good to see someone happy in their work.’

Libby, no longer laughing, stopped dead.

‘I had the feeling back there that you wanted to say something to me.’

Libby shrugged. ‘Just that you’re a total bastard.’ She closed her eyes and thought, You couldn’t keep your mouth shut, could you, Libby?

‘In that case I admire your restraint.’

She opened her eyes and thought, To hell with restraint. I’ve already blown it. ‘So do I, I admire me, and my restraint a lot—my restraint,’ she bellowed, ‘it’s just … just legendary. I was incredibly polite to a bunch of patronising idiots in suits who didn’t even notice me and I’m not even being paid for it, and for the record serving coffee is not as easy as it looks. Whatever you pay those people it is not enough!’ She paused to catch her breath. Losing it did not cover what she had done. This time, Libby girl, she told herself, you’ve really crossed over into the dark side and closed the door behind you.

‘I noticed you.’

Her startled gaze flew to his face. Of all the things she had imagined him saying in response to her slightly insane tirade, this had not featured.

Her eyes connected with his smouldering, mesmeric stare and Libby stopped breathing.

Lust licked through her body like an out-of-control forest fire, hardening her nipples to painful prominence.

She expelled a long shuddering sigh and lifted her chin, blocking the relentless flow of steamy images her treacherous mind was forming. The effort required to achieve this made beads of sweat break out along her upper lip.

‘Waiting for me to fall flat on my face, I suppose.’

‘I thought you handled yourself pretty well in there.’

Again his response was not what she had expected. ‘And in there—I have to say I don’t appreciate your sense of humour. Did you ever have any intention of giving me an internship?’

‘You expect me to treat you any differently from other interns? You require preferential treatment?’

Libby loosed an incredulous laugh. ‘Oh, sure, I’m sure you get all your interns to pour coffee.’ Hating the hurt quiver in her voice, she bit down hard on her lower lip, trapping the weak sob that ached for release in her throat.

Rafael felt horror as he watched her eyes fill with tears, but he refused to soften his attitude. No doubt her big blue eyes and tears had been making people soften her path all her life, but he was not falling into that pattern.

‘Not all.’

His attitude stoked her fury. ‘Not any!’ she contended angrily.

‘Believe it or not, it’s true. You were not singled out for special treatment. You remember Callum, the man with me that you spoke to?’
Smiled at.

Libby nodded.

Rafael forced the fists clenched at his sides to unclench. ‘He was an intern—his first day was spent in the post room.’

Libby stared, not sure if she believed him.

‘This place works as a team. Respect for what other people do is essential. I appreciate and respect what everyone here does but I have swept roads and washed windows.

‘Many of the people who come here from university have not taken that route. Some, not all, have led privileged lives,’ he said, looking at her hard. ‘They arrive with an over-inflated opinion of their place in the scheme of things and sometimes a lack of respect for people lower down the ranks than them.’

‘And you make them serve coffee.’

‘Amongst other things.’

‘So this was some sort of test?’ Had she passed?

He arched a brow. ‘You could look at it that way.’

‘So this is for real? You are giving me a chance to help my family.’ She remembered she had called him a bastard and paled.

‘Your father will receive information from my legal department telling him that the closure has been put on hold while the figures are re-examined.’

‘So it all depends on me.’

‘Yes.’

‘So no pressure, then.’ She glanced up at him. ‘You don’t think I can do it, do you?’

His brilliant eyes scanned her face. ‘Forget what I think … what do you think?’

Libby’s chin lifted and she nodded. ‘I think I’ll be the best intern you’ve ever had.’

W
HILE
she was not the best, during her first week Libby Marchant proved to be
different.

Far from behaving like the spoilt prima donna he had once accused her of being, she had, according to the reports he had received, shown a willingness to throw herself with enthusiasm into everything requested of her.

He could find no fault with her work ethic and general keenness; it was the more personal quirky touches that he had doubts about. He liked the office environment to be an emotion-free zone, he expected his employees to leave their problems at home and, had the question ever arisen, he would have felt the same about home baking.

The muffin situation was getting seriously out of hand. He could barely walk past a desk without seeing some garishly decorated home-baked goodies on display. He was struggling to keep an open mind on the subject, though he suspected a baked-goods ban would not go down well so while it only affected personal waistlines he was holding fire.

The soccer situation was not so innocent. Could anything be innocent when young testosterone-fuelled sportsmen were involved? Rafael had been startled
and not entirely pleased to learn only that morning that his new intern had been adopted as the mascot of the firm’s five-a-side soccer team after her appearance on the touchline had coincided with their first
ever win.

The team, which had in his opinion more testosterone than talent in its ranks, apparently now called her their lucky charm. He had no doubt they called her other things in the changing rooms. Did she even realise she had made herself the butt of sexist jokes and ribaldry?

Arriving on the Monday of her second week, Libby received a summons to Rafael’s office.

Standing in the outer office, this time by invitation, she was directed to a chair by Rafael’s gorgeous blonde PA. Opinion in the building was divided on whether her relationship with their boss extended as far as the bedroom.

Libby waited and felt like a naughty schoolgirl summoned to the headmaster’s office.

Or as her family would have said—that
monster’s
office. She supposed there would never have been a good time to tell them, but the strength of their reaction when she had come clean the previous night had shocked her; so, if she was honest with herself, had the degree to which her own view of the situation had shifted.

She leaned back in her seat as selected highlights of the conversation drifted through her head.

She had not entered into the discussion over the dinner table concerning the rather unexpected reprieve. Her father, happily but rather unrealistically predicting that Rafael Alejandro would come to him for advice any day now, had contended that the Spaniard had realised he had made a mistake.

‘He doesn’t have the experience, just not the man to fill Aldo’s shoes, but they were big shoes.’

Libby, listening, had had to bite her tongue to stop herself revealing the truth. A week ago she might have agreed, but now it felt quite wrong that all the blame should be laid at Rafael’s door.

‘I’d thought of taking a trip to the races on Monday.’

‘Excellent idea—we could all go,’ Kate Marchant had approved. ‘It would take your mind off things.’