Read Online No Ordinary Bloke by Mary Whitney - Free Book Online Page A

difficult to come by, but I could always get a table. The maître d' was a mate of mine. “No worries,” I said with a shrug. “We’ll find a spot to eat.”
    “I’m sure you will.” He shook my hand one more time. “Allison’s office is on the fifth floor. Tell her hi.”
    As he and Melanie left the room, there were more whispers back and forth. Too many whispers, in fact. There was something not right about that, but I wasn’t sure what. I did know that if I ever asked Elinor if she wanted to go to a place like Lark for her birthday, she’d politely decline. It just wasn’t the kind of place you took your assistant. Hell, I never took any assistant to lunch no matter what the occasion. I always assumed they’d prefer a card with a fifty quid note instead. I would.

    Ten minutes later, I’d found my way to the fifth floor. The offices were nice, though less swank than the floor Trey resided on. This space was more utilitarian, the kind of place you’d design for your HR department. I asked someone where Allison Wright’s office was, and he pointed me to the end of the hall and said her assistant sat outside.
    When I arrived at the hall’s end, Allison’s door was closed, and her assistant spoke before I could. “Excuse me,” she said in a distinct New York accent. “Can I help you?”
    I saw a twenty-something brunette with thick glasses through which she eyed me suspiciously. “Hello,” I said, approaching her cubicle in the open area. When I reached her tidy desk, I extended my hand. “My name is David Bates. I’m with Barclays. I was hoping to catch Allison Wright.”
    The assistant cocked her head as if something was unusual. Maybe people didn’t normally shake her hand, because she stared at the one I offered her. Eventually, she gave it a light shake. “Hi. I’m Paulina Reyes, Allison’s assistant. She’s on the phone right now. Is she expecting you?”
    “She’s not expecting me.” I smiled, hoping to crack Paulina’s ice. “Rather rude of me to come unannounced and without an invitation, isn’t it?”
    “I don’t think it’s rude. It’s just…risky.” She looked at her computer monitor which had to show Allison’s schedule. “I think she’s booked most of the day.”
    “Does she have lunch plans?”
    “She always has plans for lunch.”
    “She always eats out?”
    “No. She has plans whether she actually has somewhere to go or not.”
    “What do you mean?”
    “That’s the hour and a half of her workday where she controls the schedule. I can’t book a lunch for her without her telling me to do it.”
    “Is that frustrating or does it make your job easier?”
    I finally got a real smile out of Paulina. She laughed and replied, “Much easier.”
    “I would think so.”
    “So you’re from England?” ventured Paulina.
    “I am. London. I’m just in town for the day and I had a meeting with Trey and his team this morning. I was hoping to see Allison before I left this afternoon.”
    “I see.”
    She was a stern one. It appeared I needed to be blunt. “Can you help me out?”
    She gave me a slow nod before her eyes darted to Allison’s door. When they landed back on me, she said, “Let me check on something.”
    She pushed back in her chair from her desk and went to Allison’s door. With only a knock, she entered and closed the door behind her. I was left standing alone in a hallway, but I wasn’t upset. I had a feeling Paulina was being a help.
    Moments later, Paulina quietly exited Allison’s office. She smiled and said, “She’ll be out shortly.”
    “Thank you. I do appreciate it.”
    “You’re welcome,” she said, taking her seat. She gave me another curious glance and then focused on her computer monitor.
    I took the time to admire the very bad corporate art adorning the hallway. They needed my artist cousin Sylvia to come in here and curate the place. When I heard a door opening to my right, I looked over at Allison standing in the doorway. She