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  He went to his desk and sat back down as she slumped into her seat trying to hide behind her laptop before getting a shock as the lid was slammed down.

  Not wanting to cause an immediate rift Sylvie looked up and smiled.

  ‘Can I help you?’ she asked sweetly and sat up.

  ‘We need to talk.’

  ‘Talk away.’

  ‘Not here.’

  ‘I see. Where’d you suggest?’ she replied, seeing he was ticking something over.

  Stephen walked past and half smiled at her before flashing a glare at Finlay.

  ‘What time do you have to pick up your child today?’ he asked as she realised he wasn’t going to let it go.

  ‘That’s go nothing to do with you.’

  ‘One o’clock in the hotel at the corner of Power Road. Lunch? Okay?’

  ‘Not okay,’ she replied and stood up. ‘I have things to do and-.’

  ‘Ms Mather, you will meet me as we need to talk quite frankly about this company. I expect nothing less than one hundred per cent co-operation.’

  ‘Expect nothing.’

  Finlay was waiting for her in the restaurant and noticed she was dressed in something different on her arrival. It looked like she’d been to the gym as her cheeks were red and there was a faint sheen on her face. Sylvie was carrying her case and when she spotted him, she frowned initially before using her false smile while walking up to the table.

  ‘Have you had lunch?’ he asked checking his watch realising she was three minutes early.

  ‘No,’ she replied and sat down, opening her case and taking out her laptop.

  ‘Do you want something to eat?’

  ‘Fine,’ came the arsey reply and he instantly thought he couldn’t stomach eating with her as it was obvious she wasn’t going to be pleasant. ‘Can I also point out that you’re in no position to cancel meetings that have been set up because of control issues?’

  ‘Pardon me?’ Finlay sat up and realised she was spooling for a fight and he was more than willing to oblige.

  ‘In the past two and a half years your company has not taken any interest in this one. Yes, Piers is married to your mother and your company help set it up but it kept on running on profit without any extra help from you.’ She let out a breath. ‘I don’t want to fight but you’re sudden interest is quite alarming considering you knew nothing about it until, what? Seven weeks ago?’

  ‘Do you have any understanding of business at all?’ he asked in bewilderment and pissed off by her rudeness. ‘Because I don’t think you do.’

  ‘What do you think?’

  He watched her sit back and stare. Finlay was in two minds whether to tell her what he really thought then wondered if diverting away from the truth would suffice. From the intense dark brown eyes focussing on him he knew he’d have to tell her how it is.

  ‘I think my mother gave Piers the money to humour him. He probably came up with the idea when he was stoned and probably having a wank. She wants to keep him happy. If at all she had taken it seriously, then I would have been told. That money she gave him belongs to the main company and I see it hasn’t been paid back, so effectively, I do have a say. You work for me Ms Mather, as does Piers, because he cannot be independent when he owes, let me just take a look…’ Finlay pressed a button on his tablet while sipping a glass of water. ‘… nearly three hundred and fifty thousand pounds for renting the building plus the initial set up costs. How do you think you got paid when you started off doing ten items a day?’

  ‘And what about the fact we’ve paid some of the money back?’

  ‘Again you use the magical ‘we’.’ Finlay smiled and knew she was beginning to get angry. ‘For those small moments you’ve been around I don’t know what you really do. Yes human resources and health and safety but it doesn’t really warrant a role with only a dozen people.’

  ‘Then fire me.’

  ‘I’m seriously thinking about it.’

  Finlay noticed she half smiled, before getting her laptop and putting it in her case then stood up.

  ‘Then there’s nothing further to discuss Mr Chambers.’

  Sylvie walked away and out of the hotel restaurant as he sat there a bit baffled and wondered if she had just walked out or if he had let her go.

  He rang his mother.

  ‘I think I just fired Sylvie Mather,’ he said, watching her speak to some people at reception before heading off.

  ‘You can’t do that!’ exclaimed his mother. ‘Piers will go mad! Get her back!’

  ‘I can run the company and anyway, I think we should close it down.’

  ‘Finlay, are you being destructive because your angry?’ his mother asked gently which pissed him off immediately.

  ‘I’m looking after the business!’ he hissed and was instantly appalled she wasn’t being supportive. ‘Let’s get rid of it, pull back any money we have outlaid and call it a day. I know that’s what you really want to do.’

  ‘Oh god, sometimes you’re more of a hindrance than a help! I can’t go upsetting Piers just yet. Could I ask you to be a little bit more discreet about your actions?’

  His mother hung up.

  Walking back into the office, he sat down at the desk and decided he was going to find out more about Sylvie Mather. He began by contacting the company dealing with the computer system, wanting a detailed log of all people accessing emails and company information, which they were happy to oblige. Then he emailed Stephen requesting a detailed breakdown of all expenditure, including expenses and other incidentals being offset against the profit.

  He wasn’t going to play ball and to stop thinking about his troubled marriage, Finlay would now concentrate on finding out every single detail about the company including the bitch widow.

  Nineteen

  Sitting at her computer the following night, Sylvie made sure all was in order, checking through the orders and then the timesheets before updating the website with new information. She was oblivious to time as she’d spent the previous day and most of the current one, fuming over Finlay. There was no way he could get rid of her but she didn’t want to reveal all just in case he had another plan.

  And the last thing she wanted to do was upset Piers.

  Just as she was about to close down the internet connection for the company email, she noticed something came through.

  It was from Alice Caplin.

  Hovering around the arrow to open it, she pressed it and waited to see the email. It read:

  ‘Sylvie. I know you’re not seeing eye to eye with Finlay but do not leave. Piers will be devastated and I would appreciate it if you could be co-operative with my son as he has the best interests of the company at heart.’

  ‘Utter bollocks,’ Sylvie said, not bothering to reply to the email and going to bed.

  The following morning she sat at her desk and at quarter past seven Finlay came in and looked at her before continuing to sit down.

  He didn’t say a word and she decided to say even less by getting up and going into Toby’s studio to look at the product packages. When she went to sit down she noticed there was nothing on the hard drive for that week and wondered if he’d forgotten or they’d been deleted.

  ‘I signed them off yesterday,’ she heard Finlay say as he’d opened the door and stood behind her. ‘They were fine.’

  ‘I see.’

  Sylvie stood up and walked back to her desk, deciding not to make eye contact with him knowing she was being followed. Then she walked down the stairs aware she was being watched like a hawk. Once checking over the timesheets, she went back up and looked at her laptop. When she started to check the orders, she realised she couldn’t get to the link as it said she was denied access. Trying again, thinking she’d typed in the wrong password, she still couldn’t get in.

  Then it clicked.

  He’d changed everything over.

  Knowing he was goading her into some sort of quarrel, she smiled for a moment, wondering if he realised what he’d ta
ken on, before sitting back and looking at him.

  Dressed in a white shirt and jeans, she noticed he was cleanly shaven and seemed alert. There was no doubt he was avoiding making eye contact so she decided to see what else she couldn’t access.

  He’d blocked her out of everything to do with the company except HR and H&S. Taking a deep breath she shook her head.

  ‘Unbelievable,’ she muttered before standing up, taking her lap top and walking out of the building towards the café across the road.

  She sent an email to Alice and it just said.

  ‘Your son has decided to block me out of certain documents I need to see. Reverse it by 8.00am or I walk and if that’s the case, I will have to tell Piers that Finlay and you have sabotaged his company and sue for constructive dismissal accordingly.’

  Sylvie waited and within minutes Alice replied.

  ‘You can get access now. I will advise Finlay not to do it again.’

  As she walked back in, after having a fried egg sandwich and a cup of tea to celebrate her small victory, Matthew and Dan were having a chat as Pria was starting to get ready to go through the returns from the day before. Knowing to avoid a confrontation, Sylvie set up her laptop on a space near the packing section and started to work, checking she could get into the documents.

  Within minutes she heard the stomping of feet down the stairs and tried not to smile.

  ‘Sylvie,’ she heard him say loudly.

  ‘Mornin’ Finlay!’ Matthew said cheerfully as the others joined in.

  ‘Morning,’ he replied as Sylvie picked up a package and started to open it, immediately deciding she was going to help Pria.

  ‘What you doin’?’ Pria asked as Sylvie noticed the item was an egg shaped vibrator with the words written on the box ‘used and not working’. Immediately she pushed it away before checking the paper work. ‘Sylvie? You up to somethin’, innit?’

  ‘Helping out,’ she whispered then flashed a glance towards the angry man coming towards her and receiving a knowing smile from Pria.

  ‘Sylvie, can I talk to you now?’ he said sharply as she turned her head to glare at him for a moment. ‘Please?’

  ‘I’m afraid I have to roll up my sleeves and help out today,’ she replied quietly. ‘I want to get the returns and refunds sorted as soon as possible.’

  ‘I need to speak to you urgently,’ Finlay said and Sylvie sat up for a moment before getting off her seat and walking back up to the office.

  ‘I’ll be back in five minutes,’ she said to Pria and noticed Matthew frown at her for a moment as Marianne walked in.

  ‘Are you coming to the pub tomorrow?’ Marianne asked loudly. ‘Finlay says he’s coming too, to get to know everyone.’

  ‘No thank you!’ replied Sylvie, having forgotten about it and most certainly not wanting to go because he was turning up. ‘My mum can’t babysit as it’s a quiz night round hers. Sorry!’ Before mumbling, ‘and I’m extremely fussy who I spend my time with.’

  He was holding the door open for her as she walked back in and sat at her desk. Finlay pulled up his chair to sit closer as she avoided eye contact.

  ‘How did you manage that?’ he asked quietly as she made sure her eyes were now looking down at her boots.

  Sylvie noticed her right foot as it was slightly wider than the other one. She wondered if it was very noticeable.

  ‘Are you listening to me?’ Finlay asked.

  ‘I’m not a child so don’t speak to me as if I am,’ she replied and looked up at him, noticing his very clear eyes focussing hard on her.

  He didn’t look angry but more surprised.

  ‘I’m sorry,’ he gently replied. ‘It’s just I think, if I’m brutally honest, you’ve got something to do with this company and well… you’re not an employee and it disturbs me.’

  ‘I told you before, I help Piers with things. I don’t have an ulterior motive for doing this. I owe him. You don’t seem to be listening, that’s all.’ Sylvie gulped hard for a moment as he sat back in the chair. ‘We’re going to clash over this, I know we will, but I won’t let you close this place down. You’ve not looked at it properly or done the research. We have, we know.’ She noticed his mouth was going to open. ‘And when I mean ‘we’ it’s said because I feel very much part of this as so do the others.’

  He got up and walked towards the window before standing there for a few minutes. Sylvie examined his physique. Finlay was tall and slim, his shoulders weren’t exceptionally wide but they were square and his hair had kinks through it. From behind he looked attractive. She focussed on his positive points before he turned and flashed a filthy look.

  The negative seemed to be outweighing the positive at that moment.

  Holding back his tongue, he walked back and sat down. There was defiance written across her face and he wanted to slap it. Somehow his mother felt obliged to agree to Sylvie’s demands and he had been bypassed regarding blocking her out. Finlay didn’t want to speak to her as he knew he was getting angrier by the second and she wasn’t helping.

  The night before he’d spoken to Juliette and amid her tearful begging, he asked her how many times she’d slept with the chef. He was still in shock when she’d revealed it was more than once. In his mind, he’d presumed it was a one off but now, all of a sudden, it could have been an affair. It could be still going on for all he knew.

  That morning, when he woke up, he was angry and knew he was venting it on the wrong person but he didn’t care. Sylvie at that moment represented everything he hated.

  She was female, a liar and a similar colouring to the man who was apparently still screwing his wife and might be the father of his child.

  He was livid.

  Taking time to compose himself, he spoke.

  ‘Sylvie, for whatever reason you need to protect yourself I sympathise. I will get down to the bottom of a few things that don’t make sense, more importantly why you seem to have sign off on many things. Can we be honest?’

  ‘He likes to get things cross checked and I do the final sign off.’

  He noticed her blank stare and as much as he tried, every second he was feeling a silent rage burning inside.

  ‘Does Piers actually do any work?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘How can he trust you to have the final say?’

  ‘Why don’t you ask him?’ she said, sitting forward and smiling at him, defiantly. ‘He’s ill but still has his mental faculties. Have you told him of your plans? Did you converse with him about blocking me out for…how long? Eight hours probably as more than likely you did it at midnight, didn’t you? I expect you’re trying to find a trail of all the things I’m involved with, isn’t that so?’

  ‘You’re fucking impossible!’ he shouted, jumping to his feet. ‘Why can’t you just answer a question?’

  ‘Why should I?’ Her reply was low and succinct. ‘I know what you want to do and I’m not going to tell him but I’ll try my hardest to stop you, believe me. I don’t care how important you are in your own head, you’re not important in mine. And so you know, I’ll be checking on things every day to make sure you don’t try and sabotage this company.’

  ‘A challenge Ms Mather?’

  ‘A promise Mr Chambers.’

  ‘Tea?’ he heard Samina say as she poked her head around the door before smiling. ‘Nice you get on well.’

  Finlay walked out and went into Toby’s room before going into the studio and shouting.

  ‘Fucking, fucking, fucking bitch! That fucking sly bitch!’

  Sylvie heard what he was saying as she stood by her office door. She wanted to laugh but her immediate reaction was to worry as she knew the man would want to win. He was the sort who always had to have the last laugh, the last say.

  After returning from a toilet break, she went back to the office. Finlay was seated behind his desk. Sitting down, she looked closely at his flustered face and wondered if it was because he was having trouble with the wife, the man was venting his frustrati
ons at the company and mostly her.

  The moment was perfect to wind him up.

  ‘Tea!’ Samina announced and also walked in with two samosas. ‘Eat, I made fresh last night.’ She watched him frown at the food before glancing away. ‘You not like Indian food?’

  ‘It’s a bit too early for spicy things,’ Finlay replied and Sylvie forced a bite, knowing she was full from her impromptu celebration breakfast but she would force it down for the sake of it. ‘I’ll give it a miss.’

  ‘I offer you food and it insult not to take,’ persisted Samina who Sylvie knew wouldn’t budge until he had taken a bite. ‘I made this from heart.’

  ‘And this heart doesn’t want indigestion,’ he said under his breath.

  ‘You say my food is bad!’ exclaimed Samina. ‘It very good! All over Hounslow they say I am best cook!’

  ‘I don’t mean to be rude but I’m really busy so do you mind?’

  ‘I do mind!’ shouted Samina even louder as Sylvie watched his face contort into anger.

  ‘What the fuck is wrong with you people in this company? Why don’t you ever listen to what you’re being told! Just go away!’

  Sylvie had to look away as she knew what was coming next.

  And like clockwork it did.

  ‘You not like ‘you people’? You are racialism? Is that why you so stuck up? You think you better than ‘you people’? Let me tell you, my family fought in war when you English say you beat German. It was us Indians who win it and you call us ‘you people’?’ Samina looked like she had steam coming out of her ears. ‘And you abuser! Sylvie, he abuse me!’

  ‘I am not a racist and apologise for being rude,’ he said calmly and Sylvie swore he looked like he was going to combust because his face was getting redder and redder. ‘I just want to be left alone.’

  ‘Sylvie! I want to take grievance against man! Do you hear? He abuse me! I not stand for it!’

  Samina then turned and marched out of the office slamming the door shut as Sylvie tried not to laugh at his furious face.

  ‘I think I can deal with it,’ she said quietly, noticing him slamming things around before realising he looked rather cute when angry, which only made her want to laugh out loudly thinking lack of sex for the past three years was making her deranged.