“Yes, of course you will have a role with us. I want you to work with the HR team and they will find a position for you there. I’m certain you’ve amassed enough experience here to be useful to us at Lonex,” I told her and the firmness and kindness of my voice seemed to put her at ease. She had started to relax a little.
“Has Bev told you anything about her plans? We know nothing. She’s rarely at the office any more and if she is, she refuses to talk to us or disclose anything,” Sasha said and I clenched my jaw.
“I know just about as much as you do. We aren’t exactly friends,” I said, trying to sound casual but the others were exchanging looks again. I could see that they didn’t exactly buy my explanation. And also, the mention of Beverley’s name made me uncomfortable again. As much as I was trying to act normal, I was aware that these were her surroundings. That I was intruding on her space. I didn’t know what I would have done or even if I would have had this conversation if she was in the office. I would have probably just turned around and walked out of the building if she was in.
“We’re just a little concerned for her. This company is like her baby,” Susan added and I turned to her and nodded my head.
“I know, and I understand, but she has made her decision to not accept a position at Lonex. So there is nothing more I can do about it,” I said and Susan licked her lips nervously. I cold see that they were all concerned, it wasn’t just Susan. Besides Beverley’s achievements at creating brilliant technology, she had also been able to connect on a personal level with her employees. They trusted and believed in her and I felt a pang of regret for buying her company. But what else could I do? She had to sell it to somebody, better me than someone else who didn’t have her best interests at heart.
Chapter 19
Beverley
I had a skip in my step when I walked to the office that day, I’d even spent some extra time getting dressed. I’d picked out my most fashionable chiffon blouse and a pair of grey pants with matching grey stilettos. My plan was to drop into the office and then call Grant and ask him out to lunch. I hadn’t exactly prepared the speech I would give him over our meal, but I was prepared to lay some of my cards on the table. I was willing to work with him and I was willing to start over. He didn’t need to know about the deep set feelings I had for him, but maybe we could start by being friends. Firstly, an apology was in order. He was trying to do a good thing and I had consistently been shooting him down.
Not to mention that I was desperate to see him again.
I walked up the stairs and pushed the office door open, not bothering to conceal the wide smile I had on my face. But my jaw fell open when the door swung into place and I stepped in.
Grant was sitting at Susan’s table, using her laptop to show something to the others. Susan, John and Sasha were crowded around him, looking at the screen over his shoulders. I had intruded on a happy comfortable scene. They were in discussion over something, and nobody seemed out of place.
When I walked in, they all looked up at me and their expressions changed because they would have noticed the look of betrayal on my face. Everyone except Grant, because his smile only grew. He looked ridiculously handsome, in a close fitting sky-blue shirt with his sleeves rolled up. His beard was thick but neatly trimmed and his blue eyes were spar
kling.
“Oh, good, Beverley, you’re here,” he said, and I noticed the twinkle in his eyes.
“What are you doing?” I demanded, slamming the door shut behind me.
“Just showing them Lonex’s software. I figured that I might as well start now,” he said and folded his arms on his chest. Susan had scrambled away, and John and Sasha stood idly by with guilty expressions on their faces.
“You’re showing them your software? I still own this company, they still work for me,” I spat the words out. I could feel the back of my neck burning up and my nostrils flaring. I couldn’t believe the freedom Grant had taken without my permission.
He seemed unaffected by the tone of my voice and instead, stood up casually from his chair.
“You signed the papers, Beverley. There’s no turning back now,” he said in the coldest voice I had ever heard him use. I was mad enough to throw something at him, and instead I only glared at him with my palms fisted.
“They still work here. And you had no right to come in here and distract them from their jobs,” I snarled and Grant arched an eyebrow.
“I was doing them the courtesy of a personal visit, acquainting them with my company,” he said and I licked my lips in anger.
“Don’t you have someone else in your company who can do that for you? You’re here only to rub my nose in it,” I said and Grant walked around Susan’s desk and stepped towards me. I took a few steps back, aware that there were three other pairs of eyes on us. On me. They had never seen me in a fit like this before.
“Okay, Beverley, you just need to calm down. The reality is that you’ve signed the company over to me, and I just came here to have a friendly chat with my future employees,” he said and it looked like he was having fun. I felt so foolish for letting my defenses down, for even entertaining the idea that he might have genuinely wanted the best for my company. When the reality was that it was still a competition for him. The sex was another one of his victory points.
“You don’t need to tell me what to do, and you need to leave my office now. I’m still the proprietor of this office space and I’m asking you to go,” I said, trying to sound calmer. I didn’t want to give everyone the impression that I was losing my mind.
“I think we should give you guys some privacy,” Sasha spoke up, while Grant and I continued to stare at each other.
“We don’t need any privacy, Sasha. Mr Jennings is just leaving,” I said and crossed my arms over my chest.
Sasha, John and Susan filed out nonetheless. They didn’t just go into one of the other rooms; they left the office. Grant was still looking at me, while I stood with my back straight and my chin jutting out. I was ashamed at myself for waking up this morning and trusting him and I was angry with him at the same time. I wasn’t exactly sure what he had done wrong, but I knew he had pissed me off.
When the office door closed, Grant let out a sigh.
“You have to leave,” I said, gritting my teeth and he shook his head.
“I don’t have to do anything. I did nothing wrong. You’ve signed over your company, your product and your employees to me, Beverley,” he said and I rolled my eyes.