No Ordinary Bloke (9 page)

“She always eats out?”

“No. She has plans whether she actually has somewhere to go or not.”

“What do you mean?”

“That’s the hour and a half of her workday where she controls the schedule. I can’t book a lunch for her without her telling me to do it.”

“Is that frustrating or does it make your job easier?”

I finally got a real smile out of Paulina. She laughed and replied, “Much easier.”

“I would think so.”

“So you’re from England?” ventured Paulina.

“I am. London. I’m just in town for the day and I had a meeting with Trey and his team this morning. I was hoping to see Allison before I left this afternoon.”

“I see.”

She was a stern one. It appeared I needed to be blunt. “Can you help me out?”

She gave me a slow nod before her eyes darted to Allison’s door. When they landed back on me, she said, “Let me check on something.”

She pushed back in her chair from her desk and went to Allison’s door. With only a knock, she entered and closed the door behind her. I was left standing alone in a hallway, but I wasn’t upset. I had a feeling Paulina was being a help.

Moments later, Paulina quietly exited Allison’s office. She smiled and said, “She’ll be out shortly.”

“Thank you. I do appreciate it.”

“You’re welcome,” she said, taking her seat. She gave me another curious glance and then focused on her computer monitor.

I took the time to admire the very bad corporate art adorning the hallway. They needed my artist cousin Sylvia to come in here and curate the place. When I heard a door opening to my right, I looked over at Allison standing in the doorway. She gave me a little wave. “Hello, David.”

“Hello, Allison,” I said, walking toward my beautiful redhead. She wore a dark grey suit with trousers that made her look so professional I swore I’d do whatever she commanded. I smiled at the thought. “Thank you for seeing me.”

“Thanks for stopping by. Paulina said you were here for an earlier meeting.”

“Yes, with Trey. It went well.”

“Come into my office,” she said without any movement to actually enter her office. She sounded like a robot.

It seemed like I’d frozen her with anxiety, so I quickly told her the information she needed to relax. “I asked Trey if it would be alright to pay you a visit. Maybe take you to lunch for saving me from that bad bet at blackjack. He said it was fine.”

Her expression loosened, and she even chuckled as she ushered me into her office. “So now you just had to ask me.”

“Exactly,” I said, entering the large, sunny room. Asking a man’s permission to see his girlfriend without knowing if the girlfriend even wanted to see you was arse-backwards, but it was unfortunately required in my predicament.

I heard the door shut behind me, and when I turned around, she offered me a seat. Her office was set up like a triangle with each area having an obvious purpose. At the top, near the corner windows was her desk with two chairs in front of it. Most likely, that was where she did her work and short business conversations were conducted. In another corner of the triangle, there was a small table with a few chairs at it. That had to be the spot for more involved meetings with employees. There was a box of tissues in the center of the table, no doubt for the weepy ones.

Then in the triangle’s final corner there was a small sofa and chair. Another tissue box rested on an end table between them. That area had to be for more casual meetings or when an employee’s performance review turned into a therapy session. She’d offered me the sofa while she took the chair. Hopefully, this wouldn’t turn into a shrink session.

“You have a lovely office,” I said, taking my assigned seat on the sofa.

“Thank you. I’m lucky that it has such great light.”

“Paulina was very nice.”

“Was she? She scares a lot of people. That’s why I like her.”

“I wouldn’t say she was scary to me. She was doing her job.”

“So she didn’t immediately fall for your charms like most women.”

A true smile escaped from Allison’s tight lips after she said it, and I was thankful to be teased. It was going to make everything easier. I shook my head and sighed. “She didn’t. I’d say she takes after her boss in that regard.”

Allison’s eyes widened, and I continued with fake reproach, “Leaving me high and dry like that…Abandoning me at a bar…how could you?”

Her sweet smile turned into a giggle. “It was the right thing to do, and you know it.”

“Right for whom? Not me.”

“Yes for you, and more importantly, for me.”

“Bollocks.” Then I raised my hands in surrender. “But I’ll accept defeat, and I’ll stay in my place.”

“Good boy.”

“Yes, something like that,” I muttered.

“So what else did Trey have to say?”

“He said for me to tell you hi.”

“Thank you.”

“I don’t know why he couldn’t pick up the phone and tell you himself, but there it is.”

“He’s busy. Right now, I know he’s taking Melanie out to lunch for her birthday.”

“That’s right.” I pointed to her. “So let me take you out to lunch. He said they were going to Lark. Let’s go there.”

“Well, thank you for lunch. I’d like that, but we can’t go to Lark.”

“Why not?”

“We’ll never get a table.”

“How did Trey get one?”

“He has a standing reservation.”

“We should go.”

“We can’t. They’re not going to just let anyone in. That place is too popular and too exclusive.”

“Let me see what I can do.” I winked and stood up. “Meet me in your building lobby in ten minutes, all right, love?”

“Okay…”

I
shut the door behind me and began reaching into my suit jacket for my mobile when I saw Paulina at her desk. I walked over and said, “Thank you for helping me out. I do appreciate it.”

“No problem.” She glanced at Allison’s closed door. “Is she busy for lunch?”

“No.” I smiled. “We’re meeting downstairs in a few minutes.”

“Great,” she said, approvingly.

I was just about to walk on when a question came to mind. “Say, Paulina. Here’s a question I’m curious about. It’s just a little survey. If I gave you the choice of a birthday present of either lunch at Lark or a hundred dollars, which would you prefer?”

“I’d take that cash.” She laughed. “Lunch is nice, but cash is…”

“Cash, right?” I grinned. “That’s what I thought. Thanks again. You’ve been a great help.”

As soon as I was out of earshot, I rang Angus. We’d met years ago, playing a pick-up game of football when I was in New York on business. Since then, we’d become good friends. He grew up in a council flat in Glasgow, and when he spoke normally, he had the thickest Scottish accent I’d ever heard outside of the UK. Like me, though, he’d learned to moderate his accent. Now he was the maître d' at one of the best New York restaurants, and his Scottish lilt attracted enough American birds that he’d never leave Manhattan. But when he spoke with me you’d think he’d just wandered out of Glasgow pub. I think one of the reasons why he liked me so much was that I was one of the few people who could understand what the fuck he was saying.

“David!” he answered. “Good to hear from you mate. Bit busy at the moment, but how the fuck are ye?”

“I’m good. I’m in town in fact.”

“Shame. I can’t play footie tonight. I’ve got a date with this little Puerto Rican beauty I’ve been working on for a while.”

“No worries. I’m not staying the night either. We’ll play ball some other time.”

“What can I do for you then?”

“Can you get me a table?”

“Of course. When?”

“In fifteen minutes.”

“It’s yours.”

“Thanks, mate.” I smiled, thinking of Allison’s reaction and even better, Trey’s. That made me wonder. “One more thing. Do you know Trey Chabot?”

“Trey? Or is he Warner Garrett Chabot the Third to you?”

“That’s his full name? Jesus Christ. Who does he think he is?”

“That’s what’s on his credit card. The tosser.”

“Trey must be his nickname because he’s a third.”

“Trey or Warner? I don’t know which is worse. Just like the English posh types. They can’t just have a normal fucking name.”

“So why is he a tosser?”

“He thinks because he eats here all the time he can be demanding as hell and stingy with the tips. We all hate the arse. Not that he knows it. He’s always trying to chat me up about Scottish football. The twat calls Celtic ‘The Celtics’ all the time. Doesn’t know how much of a fool he sounds like, and I’m not going to tell him.”

“Do you know his girlfriend?”

Angus snorted. “Girlfriend? Which one?”

“So he has more than one…” I smiled and raised my fist up in the air in victory. “Tell me about them all.”

“Sorry, mate. Don’t have time right now. Ring me after the lunch crowd.”

“Will do. But I need to warn you about one thing.”

“What’s that?”

“I’m bringing one of Trey Chabot’s girlfriends with me.”

“Really? Which one?”

“Allison Wright.”

“I don’t know their names. What does she look like?”

“Red hair.”

“Oh, that lovely lass. She’s the public girlfriend. I see her the least often, but don’t tell her that.”

“Don’t worry. I won’t. I’ll see you in thirteen minutes.”

Ten minutes later Allison and I were making small talk as we walked down Park Avenue. When she realized we were heading straight to Lark, she stopped in the middle of the pavement. “How on earth did you get a reservation?”

“I told you I would handle it.”

She wrinkled her nose. “Did you ask Trey to get you a reservation?”

“Good God no.” I sneered in complete offense. “Absolutely fucking not. I don’t need
him
just to get a table at a—”

“Okay. I’m sorry for asking. I’m just really surprised. I didn’t realize you were that connected in New York.”

Her apology didn’t even register with me because I was too busy fuming. “As if I would ever ask
him
to—”

“David, please. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you.”

I shook my head. “Really…how could you even—”

“David.” She placed her hand on my arm and gently stroked it. “Calm down.”

Her green eyes searched for mine, and I soon became distracted by them. “Okay. I’ll calm down.”

“Thank you.” She smiled. “Now let’s go to lunch and you tell me how you did the impossible, and I’ll be impressed.”

We began walking again, and I said, “I don’t need to tell you. You’ll see for yourself. And you shouldn’t really be impressed.”

“Why not?”

“You’ll see.”

When we walked into Lark there was a small crowd of people, who most likely all had reservations, yet they still had to wait for their table to be ready. I led Allison toward the maître d' stand, expecting to give my name to the hostess standing there and then wait for my table. Right after I said, “David Bates”, I heard Angus mutter from behind, “Cockney arsehole with two left feet is more like it.”

“You’re the fucking crappy player,” I said, turning to him. We both smiled and gave each other a hug. Afterward, I gestured to Allison. “Angus Fletcher. Please meet Allison Wright.”

Angus extended his hand and grinned. “Pleasure to meet you Allison. I’m sorry you have to eat lunch with this wanker. If you wait just a wee bit, I can get you a table by yourself.”

I pretended I was going to slug him in the arm, and Allison laughed. “So you two know each other well.”

“Too well,” I said.

“Exactly my thoughts,” said Angus. He patted both of our arms. “Let me take you to your table.”

After Angus seated us, Allison waited for him to leave before she said, “I can’t believe you know him.”

“Why not?”

“Because everyone wants to know him.”