‘Open the box,’ he said, looking serious.
She pulled open the pale green lid. Surrounded by pale pink and sherbet-lemon macaroons was a small black velvet box.
Oh no, she thought, suddenly understanding what all this effort had been for.
‘Take it out,’ he urged.
‘Phil ...’ she said gently.
He came round the table and knelt down next to her, his face filled with hope.
‘I love you, Sasha,’ he said softly. ‘I know you’ve been nervous about moving in with me, but commitment can be scary. The thi
ng is, though, there’s nothing to be frightened of. We’re a team. We belong together.’
‘Phil, I—’
‘Sasha Sinclair,’ he said, grasping her hands, ‘will you marry me?’
She knew what she was supposed to do. She was supposed to shriek with delight and fall into his arms. She was supposed to say ‘Yes, yes, yes!’ She was supposed to feel like the happiest woman on earth. But Sasha rarely did what she was supposed to do. She bent down and picked up her leather document folder. Without saying a word, she unzipped it and pulled out a set of contracts.
‘What’s this?’ he said, frowning.
‘An offer has been made for the company,’ she said coolly. ‘A fifty-five-million-pound offer.’
Philip looked incredulous. ‘Sasha, I am asking you to marry me and all you can talk about is the bloody business!’
‘Hear me out, Phil. This is important.’
‘And so is this!’ he snapped. He stood up quickly, his face a scowl. ‘Fine. You want to talk business? Then my first question is why is this the first I have heard about an offer for the company?’
‘Because the approach came to me.’
‘Oh yes,’ he said sarcastically. ‘As ambassador for the brand?’
‘Listen to me, Phil,’ she said. ‘Absolute Capital are one of the most exciting investment vehicles in London and they are interested in Rivera. This could be good for all of us.’
‘All of us?’ he said cynically.
She paused for a moment. ‘Well, yes, they would want to bring in their own management team,’ she said carefully.
‘The COO would be Lucian Grey, a co-investor in the fund. He has considerable experience in the luxury sector. I’ve known him for years; he’s a good man.’
‘I’m sorry?’ said Philip. ‘You’re saying he would replace me?’
‘Philip, you fell into this business. It was never what you really wanted.’
‘I gave up my career for you, Sasha,’ he said, banging his hand on the table. ‘I gave up everything to help you build your dream and now you’re selling me down the bloody river.’
‘Philip, you have a six per cent shareholding,’ she said tersely. ‘This sale will make you a rich man.’
‘It was never about the money,’ he said. ‘Don’t you understand that? It was always about you.’
‘Well I want this to happen,’ replied Sasha.
Philip walked over to the window, looking out into the darkness, then turned back suddenly. ‘You need a majority shareholder vote for a sale,’ he said. ‘You only have forty-five per cent. You need me to make this happen, don’t you? Just like always. You’ve always needed me to push decisions through.’
She pitied the note of desperation in his voice.