Page 5 of Fool's Desire

"But?" Desirae prompted, sensing that Laurel wanted to say more but already felt she'd overstepped the mark with her previous comment.

Laurel clenched her jaw and bulldozed ahead, as was her way. "But he's a jerk!" she huffed, scowling at Desirae's raised eyebrows. "Well, you did ask!"

Desirae shuffled the candidate paperwork, rummaging for the sheets on the man who had elicited such a negative reaction from her PA. "What's his name?" she asked distractedly as she searched.

"Eric Oliver," Laurel answered with obvious distaste.

Desirae stilled, silently absorbing the shock of hearing that name after so many years, despite the ice that felt like it was leaching insidiously through her veins. Her PA was spot on; Eric Oliver was most definitely a jerk.

Desirae's inter-office telephone broke the unnerving silence that had descended, and giving Desirae an odd look at her unusual lack of attention, Laurel rushed to answer it herself.

"She's just started scheduling interviews for the finance manager's post." Laurel excused her lapse and Desirae was vaguely aware of her PA's conversation as she fought to extract herself from the unexpected tide of disconcerting memories.

Suddenly, Laurel jerked upright and started waving a hand in front of Desirae's face to gain her attention. "I understand, sir!" she clipped out. "I'll let her know right away and alter the schedule as necessary."

The urgency in Laurel's voice pierced the haze trying to blanket Desirae's mind and she forcibly shoved the debilitating thoughts of her latter teenage years back inside the emotional strong box she kept them sealed in and gave herself a firm, mental slap.

Laurel was all business as she replaced the receiver. "That was John Williams." She referred to Universal Holdings' CEO. "He's calling an immediate emergency director's meeting. No exceptions!"

Desirae visibly started, all other thoughts flying from her head at the shocking news. "Did he say what for?" she pressed as she rushed to gather what she needed.

"No, just that all key personnel were required to drop everything and report to the boardroom straightaway, no excuses. He sounded…panicked!" Laurel whispered hesitantly.

Everyone knew that John Williams was the most unruffled man in their building.

Chapter Two

The very air was tense when Desirae arrived in the boardroom. No one knew what was going on yet, but not one of them had failed to pick up on the strained atmosphere that had been created by the unprecedented request and their boss's uncharacteristic agitation.

The directors settled quickly, compelled by the sense of urgency that pervaded the room.

John Williams rapped on the table, bringing to order the few muted exchanges being heatedly whispered around her. "I'll get straight to the point," he declared gravely, looking around the room, acknowledging the hushed expectancy. "We are being subject to a takeover!"

Silence greeted the shocking words he spoke for one beat, then two, and then the table erupted in a cacophony of gasps and exclamations and expletives.

The CEO spent the next little while trying to restore order and calm the stunned executives while Desirae's mind whirled. Takeovers were her business and she knew better than anyone the implications of such a move against Universal Holdings, but even her mind groped at the enormity of the situation.

Time and again, she came back to the same question; who would mount such an offensive? Her mind recoiled from the certainty that there was only one organisation big enough to instigate such an assault against them—the Blackwood Corporation.

As Desirae made her way back to her office later that day, she felt kind of numb. She wearily pulled on a mask of professional detachment as she stepped into the elevator amidst curious employees who were agog at the rumours flying around the building. None were brave enough to ask. It would never be said of Desirae Harper that she was approachable, and at the moment, her 'don't talk to me' vibe was screaming.

Her worst fears had been established and with the confirmation that it was indeed the Blackwood Corporation who had instigated takeover proceedings, Desirae felt emotionally disjointed.

As CFO and with her superior experience of takeovers, she was the indisputable choice to spearhead the opposition. It was her job, her livelihood, her life's work. Not just hers, but the entire organisation and every person in it was depending on her ability to head this takeover off. At any other time, or rather with any other protagonist, Desirae would be a veritable 'Boadicea', leading the battle against the invading forces. But the thought of dealing with Blackwood left her with the overwhelming urge to run screaming, find herself a cozy padded cell and cower in a fetal position with her arms around her head and her eyes screwed shut. On top of all that, she still had to interview for a finance manager; and that meant dealing with Eric Oliver.

Desirae gazed out at the spectacular cityscape from her top floor office and purposefully detached her mind from the turmoil of the day, catching her reflection in the full-length picture windows. Eleven years ago, she had re-invented herself and few, if any, would recognise the impassive woman she had become from the capricious girl she had once been. Neither in looks, nor in character. She had traded her colourful gypsy style for formal, muted, suits. Careful makeup covered her freckles and concealed the air of innocence that had plagued her in those first few years. Now it had become her mask. Her corkscrew curls were longer and harshly tamed in a severe twist and high heels gave her height and minimised her curves. It all embodied a suit of armour that she was never seen without. A disguise which had hidden the broken Daisy Kidde. A personification which had finally, irrevocably, become Desirae Harper.

The day she had changed universities, given up her art, and enrolled herself in a business class was the day she had reverted to her given name instead of its pet form. It was the day she had overjoyed her stepfather, a man who had been in her life for longer than she could remember, and taken his name as her own. It was the day that Daisy Kidde was buried. Joel Blackwood had unwittingly moulded her alter ego. He had taught her control, patience, detachment and restraint. The lessons he had imparted at the club had encouraged her to be emotionless, reactionless, ideal qualities in the big business corporate takeover market. It may not have been his intention, but Joel Blackwood had established her pokerfaced personality.

His tuition in the bedroom, she had utilised in the boardroom.

Now, it seemed, her past was coming back to haunt her and on more than one front.

Desirae tapped an elegant, French manicured finger against her pursed bottom lip as she contemplated in which direction to move first. There wasn't much more she could do about Blackwood right now. The board of directors had vetoed an outright takeover, so they just had to wait and see what the fallout from that decision was.

That left the finance manager's position to fill, and with Blackwood bearing down on them, Desirae couldn't afford to be understaffed, so there was her priority. That and Eric Oliver.

"Laurel, get those interviews scheduled for as soon as humanly possible," she instructed her PA. "And give me thirty minutes without any interruptions to make a call."

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