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go.’
    After a brief argument, Charlie allowed her to pay for lunch. ‘It’s on Mark’s business account,’ Anna assured him.
    ‘I’ve never enjoyed business as much before.’
    ‘That’s because you’re usually just sitting in front of a screen,’ she told him, leading the way out to the car.
    ‘Let’s go in mine,’ he suggested.
    ‘Okay then, where is it?’ She looked around the almost empty car park.
    ‘Right here.’ He pointed at the large Kawasaki bike parked outside the door.
    ‘You must be joking.’ Suddenly his casual white shirt, jeans and leather jacket made sense. She shook her head as he handed her a helmet. ‘I can’t go on that in
this!’ She gestured at her tight, knee-length skirt.
    He grinned. ‘Oh go on, it’ll be fun.’
    ‘Not a chance! I’ll drive. You can either come with me or follow – please yourself.’
    With a dramatic sigh, Charlie put back the helmets and followed her. ‘Are you always like this with your clients?’ he asked, climbing into the passenger seat.
    ‘I don’t have any other clients like you,’ Anna assured him.
    ‘I think that might be a compliment,’ he mused.
    ‘It is.’
    Anna drove the short distance to the first house, pulled up outside and went to the keypad on the pillar to open the imposing gates.
    ‘Very impressive,’ Charlie said as they drove in.
    ‘You ain’t seen nothing yet.’ She guided the car up the long driveway lined with fir trees until it curved sharply and the house was in front of them.
    ‘Crikey!’ Charlie stared at the large period house with three chimneys, long sash windows and steps leading up to the imposing front door. ‘I never knew this place existed. How
long has it been here? Who the hell owns it?’
    ‘Believe it or not, it’s only three years old.’ Anna drove around the house and pulled up at a side door. ‘It was built by an actress who wanted the period look without the hassle of renovating and with all mod cons.’
    ‘So why’s she selling?’
    ‘She worked on a soap but her character got killed off last year and she’s been “resting” ever since.’
    ‘I see. Well, I can tell you right now that I absolutely hate the place.’
    Anna grinned. ‘Thought so, but fancy having a look around anyway?’
    ‘Love to.’

Chapter 6
    ‘Hello, you! I was about to send out a search-party,’ Liam remarked when Anna finally arrived home at nearly seven o’clock.
    ‘Sorry.’ She bent to kiss him. ‘I was with a very important and very rich client.’
    He abandoned his paper and pulled her down on to his lap. ‘Did you make a sale?’
    ‘No. I showed him two houses and he hated both of them.’
    ‘Hard luck.’
    ‘No, it’s fine. Now I have a much better idea of what he’s looking for. How was your day?’ Anna slid down on to the sofa beside him and kicked off her shoes.
    ‘Pretty good. Patterson’s been shut up in the boardroom all day with Boylan and the accountant.’
    ‘And that means?’
    ‘Well, it’s obvious, isn’t it? I’d say they were working out his retirement package.’
    Anna gaped at him. ‘I had no idea that things were going to move this quickly.’
    ‘Well, I didn’t want to get your hopes up but I’d say Boylan will be gone by the end of the month.’
    Anna planted a kiss on his cheek. ‘And you’ll be the new General Manager! Oh Liam, this is wonderful. I’m so proud of you. You’ve worked so hard.’
    ‘It will mean more responsibility and probably longer hours,’ Liam warned her.
    Anna sighed. ‘That seems to be the price of success. Rachel’s always complaining about the hours that Gary works.’
    ‘It’s the only way to get on.’
    ‘And I suppose if you do get promoted you’ll be taking up golf,’ she groaned.
    ‘Not if, when,’ he corrected, standing up. ‘I’ll have to, won’t I?’ He did an imaginary swing. ‘Maybe I should get Gary to take me out a few times.
Don’t want to look a total novice, do I?’
    ‘God forbid,’ Anna