Page 63 of Love at First Site

‘It’s really not a problem, Ross,’ I tell him in my sweetest voice. ‘I’ve found an alternative source, so I’m cancelling the order.’

There’s a long pause before he comes back. ‘I’m sorry, I don’t think I heard correctly.’

‘I said I’m cancelling the order, Ross. I’ve found a local supplier who can get the bricks to me tomorrow.’

‘That’s impossible!’ He’s sounding rattled now. ‘The only factory that produces that brick is the one I spoke to. If you’re thinking of using some sort of substitute, I need to warn you that the planning department will never allow it. Does Deborah know about this?’

‘Not yet, but Christopher Atkinson approved the change, and it’s the same brick, so I think the planners will be OK. You have a good evening now, won’t you?’

As soon as I hang up, I grab Noah’s hands and drag him on a little victory dance around the site office, singing ‘Ding Dong, the Witch is Dead’ fromThe Wizard of Ozat the top of my lungs.

28

I’m barely through the door of the site office the next morning when my phone rings. It’s Deborah.

‘Good morning, Deborah,’ I answer cheerfully. ‘Did you have a nice day off?’

‘Cut the crap.’ Her voice is pure ice. ‘I’ve just come in to a message from Ross at Williamsons, saying you’ve cancelled the brick order and placed it with another supplier?’

‘That’s right. He told me a load of bullshit about how the factory had lost the order, but when I called the factory to check, they told me that Williamsons had asked for a delay. If I’m to hit my milestone, I need those bricks, so I talked to Christopher and he said it was OK to get them direct.’

‘Christopher isn’t in charge of the Ashford site, as you well know,’ she hisses. ‘I am, and I take an extremely dim view of you going behind my back in this underhand manner. You should have waited and talked to me. Anyway, luckily for you, we can still put it right. I need you to cancel your new order and reinstate the one with Williamsons. In the meantime, I’ll have a chat with Ross and see whether we can get the bricks to you a bit quicker than he said yesterday.’

‘I can’t do that,’ I lie. ‘They’re already on their way.’

Her voice is low and dangerous. ‘You find a way to cancel that order, or else.’

‘Or else what?’ The blood is pumping through my veins now. I’m determined not to back down.

‘Or else you’ll regret it.’

‘I’m not cancelling the order, Deborah. Williamsons clearly told me they couldn’t get the bricks, but Ross was lying. You weren’t available so I went to Christopher, who gave me the OK to get them direct from the factory. I’ve done nothing wrong, and I need these bricks to arrive today to hit my milestone.’

‘You stupid little bitch!’ Her voice has now risen by about an octave and she’s practically screaming at me. ‘Can’t you see that there are more important things in the world than your bloody milestone? I have a delicate contractual relationship with Williamsons that goes way beyond your site, and you’re putting that at risk. Cancel the order.’

‘Frankly, Deborah, I don’t really give a shit about your delicate contractual relationship. It’s bollocks. They’re taking you for a ride. Did you know that they’re charging you haulage from Leeds on bricks that only come from Sittingbourne?’

I’ve obviously landed a blow, because there’s a pause before she replies, and her voice sounds a little less sure of itself.

‘You clearly know nothing about business,’ she blusters. ‘There are swings and roundabouts, and ways of presenting accounts that are more advantageous than others. I’m fully aware of what Williamsons are charging, and there’s nothing underhand going on. Now, are you going to cancel the order or not?’

‘I’ve told you. I can’t cancel it as it’s already on its way.’

‘In that case, you leave me no choice. I’m terminating your contract with Atkinson Construction with immediate effect on the grounds of gross insubordination. Please hand your keys in to the site foreman and ask him to contact me to confirm that you’ve done so. I’ll expect you to have vacated your accommodation by the end of the day.’

‘You can’t sack me!’ I exclaim. ‘I’ve done nothing wrong!’

‘You’ve done plenty wrong. Your insubordination is grounds enough, but you’ve also jeopardised the whole company.’

‘Hang on a minute, Deborah…’

‘Goodbye, Ella.’ The phone goes dead.

I’m speechless. I knew she’d call, and I knew she’d be pissed off, but I never considered that she might actually sack me. I sink into the chair behind the desk in a daze.

‘Carol, I know we’ve got the morning meeting in a minute, but I wanted to catch you quickly before,’ John tells me as he comes into the site office a few minutes later. ‘The architrave for the dining room in number thirteen is five mil too short. Dave reckons he can get around it with a bit of filler in the gap, and the punters will never know, but I wanted to check with you first.’

‘Honestly, John? I have no idea. Apparently, I don’t work here any more.’

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