Page 31 of My Lord
“I haven’t got a fucking clue why I’m down here. I wanted to walk back to my own office, but I didn’t want to pass her,” Mackenzie said.
I checked my watch. “Well, I guess we could grab a glass of wine somewhere.” It was pretty much the time I’d leave the office anyway.
“Lead the way,” he said eagerly.
We spent a couple of hours drinking wine at a bar not far from the offices. It was crowded, as it often was, but we’d managed to find a booth furthest from the bar.
“I can tell you something, your life is going to be so much easier with Mary,” I said, chuckling at the memory.
“I think it will be. Or she’ll murder me. I’m not used to having to tell someone what I’m doing,” he said.
I nodded, understanding totally. “Lonely being in business sometimes, isn’t it?”
“Sure is. Which is why I think we’ll make a good team.” I raised my glass to him, and he changed the subject. “I spoke to Gabriella today,” he said. “She’s coming home tomorrow.”
I hadn’t spoken to her and was delighted to hear that news. “I’m due to call her later. She said she wasn’t overly happy with how the factory was operating.”
“She has it tough there. I want to intervene, but I won’t. They don’t take too much notice of her sometimes and I’ve told her to start firing people. That will buck them up.”
“How has she found it being in her position here overall?” I asked. In the money markets women rarely got on and it disappointed me greatly.
“It’s been hard. She misses home but she won’t leave me,” he said, laughing. He then jumped in with, “You know we’re just friends, yes?”
“Of course I know. I just wondered, that’s all. I’d hate to think she finds it tough and I already want to step in but know I can’t. Frustrating, isn’t it?” I said.
When she had explained about the factory, I wanted to jump into my car and roar on down there to support her. I highly doubted she would have appreciated that, however.
We left the wine bar shortly after and went our separate ways. I caught a taxi back to my apartment. As much as I had a pool car with a driver at my disposal, I wasn’t used to that luxury at that time. A good old-fashioned taxi kept me grounded. The cabby and I talked about the football and the weather, the upcoming elections, and what the rest of the world was doing. There was nothing better than a taxi driver for catching up with current affairs.
I walked into my apartment and made a call. “Mother, I’m just calling to see if there’s any news?” I said, once she’d answered.
“No, nothing. I’ve spoken to the insurance company and they are being arses about it all. I think you might need to speak to them,” she said.
“What have they said?” I asked, fully expecting a fight with them.
“They wanted to know what security I had, particularly around the painting, what locks, all those things.”
“Okay, I’ll call them. You need to forward me a copy of your insurance policy, I want to check the small print.”
As she hadn’t the facility to scan and email she agreed to pop it in the post. I asked after her health, hoping that this incident wouldn’t cause her to slide into depression again. She seemed perky enough, enquiring after Gabriella and making me promise to bring her over for dinner next time. I then sat with a microwave meal, wincing with every bite at not just the heat, but the tastelessness of it. I cursed myself at having never learned to cook.
When I’d cleaned the dish and fork I’d used, I settled down to call Gabriella.
“Hey, you, I was just thinking about your mom. How is she?” she asked when she answered.
“I’ve just spoken to her and promised that I’d take you there for dinner soon.”
“I’d like that. Tell me, how has your day been?” she asked. I could hear noise in the background.
“Interesting. I met Mary…rather, I wasinterviewedby Mary. So was Mackenzie. She wanted to know our inside leg measurements.”
Gabriella laughed and that flip in my stomach occurred. “She’s just a hoot, isn’t she? I love her. I had to give my bra size in addition to my shirt size, so count yourselves lucky! Mackenzie so needs someone like her, managing him is a full-time job and one I can kick off my list now.”
“Where are you? Am I disturbing you?” I asked.
“No, I’m walking back to the hotel, that’s all. It’s too nice to sit in a taxi, and I think I could…HEY!”
“Gabriella?” There was no reply. I shouted into my phone. “GABRIELLA?”
