Back on track, Kate. Like why he’d left her earrings on her desk for all to see—earrings he’d taken off—with that ambiguous note. Had he even given a thought as to how it could be interpreted? She’d be the latest office’s hot gossip, if she wasn’t already.
She sucked in a breath and gritted her teeth. But she couldn’t say any of those things because the rest of the staff were already filing into the room.
Damon stood behind the seat at the head of the rectangular table where he’d already placed a stack of paperwork and set up for a PowerPoint presentation. For the first time now, she met his eyes as he turned to her indicating she take the seat to his right. She saw the fleeting spark of heat, quickly banked as others took their places around the table.
‘I may need some assistance,’ he said, all business.
He hadn’t even bothered to shave, she noticed. The dark stubble made him look even more disreputable. ‘By all means, let me assist you.’ When you fall in a heap.
He nodded at the two mugs steaming next to his paperwork. ‘I got you a coffee, thought you might need it.’
‘Thanks, but I prefer tea first thing in the morning.’
His smile didn’t falter, but one eyebrow lifted ever so slightly and his eyes darkened as if he was suggesting they might share a more intimate ‘first thing in the morning’ at some point. An instant traitorous heat seared her belly.
‘I’ll try to remember,’ he said softly.
She didn’t return his smile, skirting stiffly behind him to take the requested seat at his right. If he’d just asked her for assistance in the first place, as he’d mentioned the other night, instead of trying to be the big chief, she’d have been more than happy to help. They could have worked on this together. As colleagues of course. Obviously Damon worked alone. He’d merely suggested the assistance because she’d made her antagonism clear. Condescending jerk.
He sat, spreading his hands on the table in front of him. ‘Good morning, again, and welcome everyone. Thanks for coming in early at such short notice.’ He glanced around the table, acknowledging each member of staff. ‘First up, I’d like to thank you for your support in my absence over the past couple of weeks. It’s much appreciated.’
He let the silence draw out a moment before continuing. ‘As you all know, for better or worse, Aussie Essential Travel has been passed to me through Bryce’s will. And I’ve decided not to sell at this point in time.’
Kate let that sink in. Damon was now officially her boss. She had the hots for her boss.
‘I’m looking forward to the challenge,’ he went on, ‘and hoping we can pull together as a team.’
‘It’s great to have you on board, Damon,’ Kate heard Sandy say. Others contributed similar words of welcome.
Kate stared at him, pressing her lips together to halt the words that sprang to her lips. Like what did he know about the travel industry? About running a business? Just because he’d seen the figures, didn’t mean he knew what he was doing. Except she’d also seen the figures and agreed…
He must have read her thoughts, because he looked directly at her as he said, ‘I come with a background in business. I have an executive MBA, which I gained in Australia, and have been involved in several successful business ventures both here and overseas.’ His eyes twinkled as he watched her digest the information.
She sat back in her chair. She wanted to hit him. He’d given her an altogether different impression. Deliberately? ‘Excuse me, but does that include the travel industry?’
His smiling eyes didn’t dim. ‘I have some background knowledge; perhaps you can help me fill in the gaps as we go along.’
‘Didn’t you say you’d only be in Australia temporarily?’
‘I won’t leave until I’m sure the business is running smoothly, Kate,’ he assured her. ‘At which time I’ll appoint a manager.’
She gritted her teeth. She’d told him Bryce’s plans, but he didn’t give any hint that she might be considered for the position. Didn’t even look in her direction as he said it. Instead he distributed a handout to go with the presentation he’d prepared and talked about recent low sales figures, their dwindling customer base and his vision for the business for the next six months.
Not the company’s vision, she noted. His. She doodled on the pages and half listened to a list of improvements he proposed—something about improved advertising and special deals—and tried not to let the resentment fester inside her.
‘We’re changing our name and image,’ he said, catching Kate’s attention. ‘From now on we’re the Ultimate Journey Travel Agency. It’s not only the destination we’re selling, but the whole experience,’ he explained, and clicked to the next slide; adventurers enjoying white-water rafting somewhere in New Zealand and the slogan, ‘WE try before YOU buy’. ‘In other words, we’re selling our personal expertise. Our agency isn’t picking up younger customers because we’re not promoting more of the action holidays available for the twenty to thirty-fives.