world.
‘Are you gagging, Annie?’ asked Susannah, somewhat impatiently.
Annie shook her head violently.
‘Would you like to leave the room?’
Yes please, thought Annie. Do you have a stretcher?
She shook her head and Susannah continued.
‘Jake Mead Associates are internationally renowned for their ability to turn around troubled companies. There is a staggeringly high demand for them, so we’re extremely lucky to get them at such short notice. Jake Mead, the chief exec, is proposing to give us his ten top consultants in the UK and ten in New York.’ She sighed. ‘At £3,000 a day per consultant we have about three months at the very most for this to work. Put it this way – if there aren’t signs by the New Year that we’re going to be saved, we’ll just have to try and find a buyer.’
Annie forced her frozen fingers to flick through the proposal.
Bloody stupid font, she thought. Girly font. Typical.
‘Jake Mead and co will be living and sleeping with the company for the next few weeks,’ continued Susannah.
Annie’s heart stopped. Oh my God, she thought. I’m having a cardiac arrest.
‘We plan to negotiate that as many consultants who need to will move into what are now the two bottom floors of the family home – now that George will be in New York,’Susannah went on, nodding graciously to George. ‘This year those floors will become a smart business apartment. When Victoria and Charles sell their place, they will be living above the consultants in what is at the moment Katherine’s penthouse apartment. And, of course, so will Annie.’
Annie’s ears started whistling.
‘We decided on this,’ continued Susannah, ‘rather than keeping those floors empty and paying for various consultants’ accommodation expenses. And that way, the whole house stays in the family once they’ve gone. It all makes perfect financial sense.’
Oh yes, it all makes perfect sense, thought Annie. We’re going to hand over all our money to a twat in baggy trousers. Excellent.
‘The owner of the company, Jake Mead, is most impressive,’ continued Susannah.
Oh you’ve seen his trousers then? thought Annie. Even better.
‘I’m sure you’ll all like him.’ Susannah looked at her watch. ‘He’ll be here any minute.’
There was a dull thud from the corner.
When Annie woke up, two seconds later, no one had even noticed she’d passed out.
She was vaguely aware that Susannah was still talking.
‘His reputation, his previous results,’ continued Susannah.
His vanishing act, thought Annie …
‘His discretion and his grasp of what we needed made him the only possible choice. It’s nothing short of a miracle that we’ve been able to secure him so quickly. I’m sure you’ll all be very pleased with what you see.’
Why? Is he bringing a friend?
Just then Susannah’s mobile went.
‘Excuse me,’ she said and took the call.
She looked over at Annie.
‘Oh dear,’ she said.
You can say that again, nodded Annie, her eyes wide.
‘Apparently you were meant to meet Cassie half an hour ago at the Tate Modern.’ Susannah looked over at George. ‘Will you allow her to go George? Cassie’s been there for forty minutes.’
George glanced at Annie. ‘Don’t see why not, I’m sure this Jack Meads—’
‘ Jake Mead,’ helped Susannah.
He squinted at the name on his copy of the proposal while Annie’s heart rate shot up so fast it almost took her with it.
‘Quite so, quite so. Jake Mead. Don’t see why Annie would want to stay to meet him. Can’t see as she’d miss him.’
Miss him? thought Annie fiercely. I’d get a bloody bullseye.
Annie didn’t risk giving herself away by trying to speak, and for the first time in her life she was grateful that her family wouldn’t show any interest in whether she stayed or left. She simply got up, pushed her chair slowly out from under the desk, and moved her deadened limbs past everyone and out of the door.
Once outside the office, she
‘Are you gagging, Annie?’ asked Susannah, somewhat impatiently.
Annie shook her head violently.
‘Would you like to leave the room?’
Yes please, thought Annie. Do you have a stretcher?
She shook her head and Susannah continued.
‘Jake Mead Associates are internationally renowned for their ability to turn around troubled companies. There is a staggeringly high demand for them, so we’re extremely lucky to get them at such short notice. Jake Mead, the chief exec, is proposing to give us his ten top consultants in the UK and ten in New York.’ She sighed. ‘At £3,000 a day per consultant we have about three months at the very most for this to work. Put it this way – if there aren’t signs by the New Year that we’re going to be saved, we’ll just have to try and find a buyer.’
Annie forced her frozen fingers to flick through the proposal.
Bloody stupid font, she thought. Girly font. Typical.
‘Jake Mead and co will be living and sleeping with the company for the next few weeks,’ continued Susannah.
Annie’s heart stopped. Oh my God, she thought. I’m having a cardiac arrest.
‘We plan to negotiate that as many consultants who need to will move into what are now the two bottom floors of the family home – now that George will be in New York,’Susannah went on, nodding graciously to George. ‘This year those floors will become a smart business apartment. When Victoria and Charles sell their place, they will be living above the consultants in what is at the moment Katherine’s penthouse apartment. And, of course, so will Annie.’
Annie’s ears started whistling.
‘We decided on this,’ continued Susannah, ‘rather than keeping those floors empty and paying for various consultants’ accommodation expenses. And that way, the whole house stays in the family once they’ve gone. It all makes perfect financial sense.’
Oh yes, it all makes perfect sense, thought Annie. We’re going to hand over all our money to a twat in baggy trousers. Excellent.
‘The owner of the company, Jake Mead, is most impressive,’ continued Susannah.
Oh you’ve seen his trousers then? thought Annie. Even better.
‘I’m sure you’ll all like him.’ Susannah looked at her watch. ‘He’ll be here any minute.’
There was a dull thud from the corner.
When Annie woke up, two seconds later, no one had even noticed she’d passed out.
She was vaguely aware that Susannah was still talking.
‘His reputation, his previous results,’ continued Susannah.
His vanishing act, thought Annie …
‘His discretion and his grasp of what we needed made him the only possible choice. It’s nothing short of a miracle that we’ve been able to secure him so quickly. I’m sure you’ll all be very pleased with what you see.’
Why? Is he bringing a friend?
Just then Susannah’s mobile went.
‘Excuse me,’ she said and took the call.
She looked over at Annie.
‘Oh dear,’ she said.
You can say that again, nodded Annie, her eyes wide.
‘Apparently you were meant to meet Cassie half an hour ago at the Tate Modern.’ Susannah looked over at George. ‘Will you allow her to go George? Cassie’s been there for forty minutes.’
George glanced at Annie. ‘Don’t see why not, I’m sure this Jack Meads—’
‘ Jake Mead,’ helped Susannah.
He squinted at the name on his copy of the proposal while Annie’s heart rate shot up so fast it almost took her with it.
‘Quite so, quite so. Jake Mead. Don’t see why Annie would want to stay to meet him. Can’t see as she’d miss him.’
Miss him? thought Annie fiercely. I’d get a bloody bullseye.
Annie didn’t risk giving herself away by trying to speak, and for the first time in her life she was grateful that her family wouldn’t show any interest in whether she stayed or left. She simply got up, pushed her chair slowly out from under the desk, and moved her deadened limbs past everyone and out of the door.
Once outside the office, she
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