Doukakis's Apprentice

‘Isn’t it great?’ The woman was beaming. ‘I can’t tell you how tired I was of moving from one desk to another. I had to keep my books in the boot of my car. Ridiculous. I don’t know who got him to change his mind but they’re a genius.’

Polly managed a smile. ‘Right. Great.’

What was going on?

Puzzled, she looked around, trying to absorb the magnitude of the change, but before she could ask any more questions her phone buzzed. It was Jenny, Damon’s PA.

Cautiously, she answered it. ‘Hi, Jenny.’

‘The boss wants to talk to you, Polly. His office. Five minutes.’

Her hand shaking, Polly put the phone back in her pocket and the woman looked at her expectantly.

‘Was there someone you wanted to see?’

Polly took a last look at the transformed office. ‘No,’ she croaked. ‘I think I just saw it.’

But she didn’t understand it.

Smoothing her dress, she stepped in the lift and felt sicker and sicker as it rose smoothly to the executive floor. As soon as she walked out Jenny waved her towards the office, a huge smile on her face.

‘He’s waiting for you. I have orders to make sure you’re not disturbed.’

‘That sounds ominous.’ Slowly, Polly walked forward and tapped on the door. Hearing his voice, she took a deep breath and walked into the room.

Damon sat behind his desk, talking on the phone. When he saw her he beckoned her in and gestured to the chair.

Feeling ridiculously self-conscious, she slid into the chair—and then noticed the fish tank on his desk.

Her mouth fell open.

Fish?

Wondering if she were seeing things, she blinked, but the fish remained.

Damon ended the call. ‘You’re wearing your flamingo-pink tights. Good. They suit you.’

Polly was still staring at the tank on his desk. ‘You bought fish.’

A faint smile touched his mouth. ‘Someone told me they were an excellent addition to the office environment. Relaxing. I’m feeling tense at the moment so I thought I’d give it a try.’

Her heart started to pound and she wanted to ask why he was feeling tense. ‘I saw your memo.’

‘Apparently I’ve gone up ten points in the popularity stakes,’ he drawled. ‘You were right. People do like personal things around them in the office. It’s just one of lots of changes I’ll be making.’

She licked her lips. ‘Oh.’

‘Now you’re supposed to ask me what the others are.’

The comment was so typical of Damon that normally she would have laughed, but today she just couldn’t make the sound. ‘What are the others?’

‘I’m making pink tights compulsory.’

Polly flushed, and he watched her for a long moment and then rose to his feet.

‘The fact that you can’t even raise a smile tells me that you’re as miserably unhappy about this whole situation as I am. That’s all I wanted to know.’ He walked round his desk and hauled her to her feet in a decisive movement that left no room for protest. ‘I owe you an apology. I lost my temper with your father and I shouldn’t have done.’

‘I don’t blame you for that,’ Polly muttered. ‘In fact I lost it with him myself.’