The Bonus Page 8

  “In my chipmunk uniform. And naturally, you thought she's PA. material.”

  “No, I thought—wow!”

  “You offered me the job on the strength of wow?”

  “Yeah, I guess so.”

  “How fucked up is that?”

  Wow's not a bad thing. Wow's a good thing.”

  “It's not a reason to offer someone the position of PA. Was this all a big joke to you?”

  “No. It was never a joke. It might have been a stupid thing to do, but I was royally pissed off with HR.”

  “But now you need someone who can actually do the job. It's okay—I get it.”

  “That's not what I meant. Look, it was a stupid move, but you're smart and well organised—you've proven that today.”

  “So why are we having this conversation? If you want me to quit, it's okay. I'll quit. But I'll need my old job back, and I don't want to lose the flat.”

  “No.” He put his hand on hers. “That's not what I want.”

  She tried to focus, but the touch of his hand was distracting. “I don't understand.”

  “You signed on to be a PA.—not to have to deal with all my family stuff. It isn't fair to drag you into the middle of this. I'll understand if you want out.”

  “If I want out? You're not sacking me?”

  “No, of course not.” He squeezed her hand. “I want you to stay.”

  “So you can get one over on HR?”

  “I won't deny that's part of it. But it's not the main reason. I really do believe you can do the job, and we seem to get along okay. I spend a lot of time with my PA—I don't want to be with someone who bores me. What do you say? Do you still want the job now that you know the facts?”

  “Yes, I still want the job.”

  “Great. That's decided then.”

  “Not quite.”

  “What now?”

  “I'd like to re-negotiate the contract.”

  “Re-negotiate—?”

  “According to you, I have the 'wow' factor. I think that must be worth a little more than we originally agreed.”

  “You do?” He smiled.

  “I'm not greedy though. The salary is just fine. It's the bonus.”

  “What about it?”

  “I want it doubled to forty per cent.”

  “That's a no-brainer. Make it fifty per cent if you like. Hell, make it one hundred per cent. It doesn't really matter because you'll never see any of it. Twelve months is an awfully long time.”

  “You still think I'm going to sleep with you?”

  “It's not a matter of if. Just when.”

  Lacey held his gaze. She did her best to look confident, but it was hard to remain resolute with his hand still squeezing hers.

  “I'm not greedy,” she said. “Forty per cent will be just fine.”

  Chapter 12

  They were in a private jet, on the runway, waiting to fly to Barcelona.

  “I've only ever been on a plane twice before,” Lacey said. “The tickets were so cheap I had to pay extra if I wanted to use the loo during the flight.”

  He laughed.

  “You think I'm joking, don't you?” She'd never seen anything quite as luxurious as the interior of the private jet. “How come you don't have a chipmunk painted on the side? I know you have a fetish for them.”

  “Are you always this insolent to your employers?”

  “No, only to you.”

  “I feel so special.”

  “You're very attached to the pizza business aren't you?”

  “Too much so. I get a lot of grief from the board about it. They're right of course. It doesn't warrant so much of my time, but it's where I started. That's why I ordered pizzas on the night when I first saw you—just to piss off the others. They'd expected to eat in the Commodore restaurant. Most of them can't stand pizza.”

  The engines burst into life, and the plane began its take-off.

  “Are you okay?” Raw looked over at Lacey.

  “I forgot to mention. I don't like the take-off. Or the landing. Or the bit in-between.”

  “It's only a three hour flight. You'll be fine.”

  She did her best to smile, as her fingers dug into the seat arms.

  “You can unfasten your seat belt now,” Raw said, after they'd been in the air for some fifteen minutes.

  Lacey shook her head.

  “You really don't like flying do you? It's a good job you didn't mention that at the interview.”

  “What interview? I seem to recall you offered me the job because I had the 'wow' factor. Have you forgotten?”

  “How could I?” He smiled. “Do you want breakfast?” He walked over to the bar in one corner of the cabin.

  “Eat? Are you crazy?”

  “It'll take your mind off the flight.”

  Lacey was all fingers and thumbs, but eventually managed to undo the seat belt. She ignored the grin that played across his face, as she walked gingerly over to join him.

  “Coffee?” The flight attendant asked.

  “Please. White no sugar.”

  “Carol is going to meet us at the airport,” Raw said. “She and I have a meeting with the local solicitor. I want you to go straight to the prison.”

  “Excuse me? To the prison?”

  “Yes. We'll join you there in an hour or so. I need you to take this to Todd.”

  “What is it?” She studied the brown envelope.

  “It's okay. Nothing illegal. Just some paperwork he needs to see before we arrive.”

  “Will they let me see him? I'm not family.”

  “It's all been cleared by our legal people. There'll be a pass waiting for you at the prison. A car will take you straight there. We'll be with you as soon as we can.”

  “Okay—I guess. I've never been inside a prison before.”

  “You surprise me.”

  She gave him a playful thump on the shoulder.

  Just then, the jet caught a pocket of turbulence. Lacey put out a hand to steady herself, but still caught her head on the edge of the window.

  “Are you okay?” Raw said.

  “Yeah. It's nothing.” She touched her forehead.

  “Here, let me see.” He lifted her fingers away. “It's only a small graze.” He stooped and planted a gentle kiss on her forehead.

  Lacey flinched involuntarily.

  “Sorry,” he said.

  “It's okay.” She turned and walked back to her seat. She didn't want him to see the huge smile on her face.

  **********

  Carol was waiting for them at the airport in Barcelona. She and Raw climbed into one of the two black Lexus; Lacey climbed into the other. The driver already had his instructions, and set off at speed as soon as she'd fastened her seat belt. She had no idea if the driver spoke English; he made no attempt to speak to her. She was grateful for that; she was too nervous for small talk. When Lacey had taken the job, she'd expected her work to be varied, but she'd never expected to be visiting a prison—and certainly not one in Spain.

  Twenty minutes later, he dropped her off outside the prison gates. It was a grey, imposing building—not somewhere you'd visit by choice. She'd had visions of full body searches or interrogation under bright lights, but she needn't have worried. Except for a brief frisk from a friendly, female warder, the whole process was harmless and took no more than a few minutes. Once inside, the brown envelope was taken from her before she was escorted to a room in which there were four chairs placed in front of a small window. The warder said something to her in Spanish, and then pointed to the chairs. Through the window, she could see a room which was a mirror image of the one she was in.

  Fifteen minutes later, the door in the other room opened, and in walked Todd, accompanied by a male warder. Todd grinned at Lacey, and gestured to the handset on the wall next to the window.

  “Todd,” Lacey said.

  “Hi, sweet pie.”

  “Are you okay?”

  “I am now you're here. Are you tired of R
aw already? Ready for a real man?”

  If she'd expected prison to dampen Todd's spirit, she was very much mistaken. He spent the next five minutes flirting outrageously with her.

  “Raw sent some papers for you.”

  “These?” He dug them out of his back pocket. Lacey could see that someone had stamped the brown envelope to show the contents had been checked.

  “Have you read them?” Lacey asked.

  “Give me chance, sweet pie. I only got them a couple of minutes ago, and I've been too busy feasting my eyes on your pretty face.”

  “Why do you insist on talking like that?”

  “Like what?”

  “Like you just fell out of a bad cowboy movie. It's stupid.”

  He looked crestfallen for a moment, but it didn't last long.

  “So what do you say, sweet pie? Are you going to ditch my loser of a brother for me?”

  “Read the damn papers. You need to be up to speed by the time Raw gets here.”

  “Is Carol here?”

  “Yes, she's with him.”

  “Just my luck. She'll be giving me earache too.”

  “You're the one who got yourself into this mess.” Lacey's mouth was running away with her again. “Just read the damn papers.”

  He grumbled under his breath, but did at least take out the papers, and begin to study them.

  “He's bloody smart, that brother of mine. I have to give him that.” Todd said. “But he doesn't know how to treat a lady. Me, on the other hand, I know just how to keep my ladies wanting more. Know what I mean, sweet pie?”

  Were they really brothers? How was it possible? Maybe one of them was adopted.

  The door behind her opened, and in walked Raw, Carol and a bald headed man who Lacey assumed to be the solicitor.

  “Thanks, Lacey,” Raw said, as he put a hand on her shoulder.

  “She's going to dump you for me,” Todd shouted through the glass.

  “Take the car back to the airport,” Raw said. “Grab yourself something to eat. We should be done here in a couple of hours.”

  “Okay.” Lacey wasn't about to argue. She couldn't wait to get out of there.

  “Later, sweet pie,” Todd shouted after her.

  Lacey picked up a snack from the main airport building, and then made her way back to the jet, which had been chartered for the day. Once on board, she checked to make sure the flight attendants weren't around before phoning Suzy.

  “You'll never guess what I'm doing?” Lacey said.

  “Giving Raw a blow job? No—it can't be that because you wouldn't be able to talk. Unless he's got a really small—”

  “Shut up! You've got a sewer for a mind.”

  “Why thank you. So what are you doing?”

  “I'm only sitting in a private jet.”

  “Nice.”

  “It's unbelievable. You should see it.”

  “Take a selfie and send it to me.”

  “Someone might come.”

  “Go on! Quick!”

  “Hang on then.”

  Lacey sat in one of the large, luxurious leather seats, and took the first photo. The next, she took in front of the bar. Finally, she stood in the doorway, and snapped another.

  “Is everything okay, madam?” The flight attendant was staring at her from the bottom of the small flight of steps.

  “Fine.” Lacey stuffed the phone into her pocket. “Everything's fine, thanks.”

  As Lacey took her seat, the muffled sound of Suzy's voice could be heard. “Lacey? Are you there?”

  Lacey smiled at the flight attendant, and pretended she hadn't heard the voice which was coming from her pocket. As soon as the attendant had disappeared into the cockpit, Lacey grabbed the phone.

  “I'll send the photos now. Got to go. I'll tell you all about it later.”

  “Okay.”

  “Oh, and by the way. I've just been inside a prison.”

  “What? A prison?”

  Lacey ended the call. That would keep Suzy guessing for a few hours.

  **********

  It was almost three hours later that she spotted them walking across the tarmac. To her surprise, Todd was with Raw and Carol. Had they dropped the charges? She didn't even know what the charges were.

  “Sweet pie. We can't go on meeting like this.”

  “Sit down, Todd.” Raw did not look amused.

  “I need a drink.” Todd headed straight for the bar.

  “Just one.”

  “You're not my bloody keeper,” Todd said, as he poured the largest Scotch Lacey had ever seen.

  “No, but I am the idiot who just got your arse out of jail,” Raw shouted.

  Lacey hadn't seen Raw this angry before. He looked ready to go for Todd.

  “That's enough,” Carol stepped in between the two brothers. “Both of you. I've had enough of this shit!”

  “It's big brother you should be telling,” Todd protested.

  “Shut up!” Carol was in Todd's face now. For a moment, he looked as though he was going to continue, but then he shrugged and let it go.

  This was going to be a fun journey home.

  An hour into the flight, Raw gestured for Lacey to join him at the bar.

  “I need you to take Todd back to your flat,” he whispered.

  “Why?”

  The press have already got wind of this. They'll be outside the airport and the Commodore. Todd has a short fuse. I don't want him to make things any worse by assaulting a photographer. Do you mind?”

  “No. I guess not.”

  “Carol and I will take the Jag. You take Todd in the Golf. It should all have blown over by tomorrow. I'll call you in the morning and let you know what do with him.”

  “What if he doesn't co-operate?”

  “Kick him in the nuts until he does.”

  “Or I could set Suzy onto him.”

  “Better still.”

  “Guess I'm coming home with you, sweet pie,” Todd said, once Raw and Carol had disembarked. “Are you ready to find out what a real man is like?”

  “Oh shut up, you arse hole.”

  “Charming.” Todd looked truly offended.

  Raw had told her to wait for twenty minutes before leaving the plane. She checked her watch.

  “Time to go.”

  Todd was still sulking, but he followed her anyway.

  The Golf was parked a few hundred metres from the plane.

  “I'll drive,” Todd offered.

  “Like hell you will. Get in there.” She pushed him towards the passenger side.

  “Where do you live?” Todd asked.

  “Fifteen shit-hole avenue.”

  “Sounds nice.”

  “It'll suit you down to the ground.”

  “I can see why Raw likes you. Have you fucked him yet?”

  “Just keep quiet.”

  He didn't keep quiet. In fact, he never stopped talking all the way back to her flat, but after a while Lacey found she was able to tune him out.

  “Are you listening to me?” He poked her arm.

  “No.”

  “I'm going off you.”

  “Good. We're nearly there. When we get to my place, I expect you to behave. I have a flat mate, Suzy. I don't want you to upset her.”

  “Is she pretty?”

  “Did you hear what I said?”

  “I got it. Don't upset Suzy. Has she got big breasts? I like big breasted women.”

  “Give me strength.”

  “Suzy, this is Todd. Todd, this is Suzy. Don't forget what I said.” Lacey glared a warning at Todd.

  “Hi Suzy. Is your flatmate always such a pain in the arse?” he said.

  “Oh yes. All the time.” Suzy said. “Do you want a drink, Todd?”

  Chapter 13

  When Lacey had agreed to take Todd back to the flat, she'd been expecting the night from hell. She found it hard enough to be in the same room as that man for a few minutes—let alone for a whole night. As it turned out, she needn't have wo
rried. Todd and Suzy got along like a house on fire. Lacey had been exhausted, so had called it a night at nine-thirty. Todd and Suzy hadn't even noticed her go to bed.

  When Lacey got up the next morning, she half-expected to find Todd in Suzy's bed, but he was flat out on the sofa. There wasn't much chance of her waking him by the looks of it. When Lacey had gone to bed the previous evening, the two of them had been putting away beer like it was going out of fashion.

  Raw had sent her a text early that morning. He'd said she should come to the penthouse for nine o' clock, but that Todd should stay in the flat for now. Apparently there were still a few reporters hanging around outside the Commodore. Lacey thought about trying to wake Suzy, but it would have been like trying to wake the dead. Instead, she scribbled a brief note:

  Gone to work.

  Don't let Todd leave the flat under any circumstances.

  Call me if there are any problems.

  Lacey

  Lacey knew it was unfair to expect Suzy to baby-sit Todd, but given the state they were in there was a good chance they'd both still be asleep when she got home that evening. Besides, the pair had hit it off, so it shouldn't be any hardship for them to spend another day together.

  **********

  “Morning, Lacey.” If ever a man was born to wear a suit and tie, it was Raw. “Lacey, are you with us?”

  She realised she'd been staring at him. “Sorry. I was miles away. Good morning.”

  “How's Todd?”

  “Hung-over.”

  “Why did you let him get drunk?”

  “How exactly was I meant to stop him? He's a grown man.”

  “You wouldn't think so sometimes. Sorry, it's not your fault.”