‘To have a career is paramount to me,’ she agreed. ‘My first priority.’
‘You have a second priority?’
‘I could do with finding somewhere to live.’
‘Where do you normally live when you’re not here in Knights Bromley?’
‘At home. In London.’
‘With your parents?’
‘My parents are divorced.’
‘You live with your mother?’
‘Honestly!’ she gasped. ‘Is there no end to your questions?’ He smiled, totally unperturbed. And, to her own surprise, she found she was telling him, ‘My mother lives in Africa. I live with my father and stepmother, actually.’
‘Ah!’
‘Ah?’ she queried.
‘I take it your stepmother is of the wicked variety?’
Her lips twitched again. What was it about this man that even when she was annoyed with him he could make her want to laugh? ‘So?’ she queried, determined again not to smile.
‘So,’ he replied, ‘while I’ll leave you to deal with the second of your problems, I might be able to help with your first.’
Keep up, Taryn, she urged, and realised he must be referring to her first and her second priority. Second was fresh accommodation; first was a PA career job.
She looked at him, seeking more of a clue. He looked back, saying nothing. ‘You’re saying you have PA vacancies at the Nash Corporation?’ she asked, bringing out slowly the only thing she could think he must be meaning.
‘From time to time,’ he replied, accepting that his great-uncle had told her of his company. ‘Though as secretaries are upgraded they are more usually filled internally.’
Taryn was not at all certain that she wanted to work for the Nash Corporation. Even if it was true that, as career moves went, she would be hard put to it to do better. ‘But you have one vacancy that you can’t fill internally?’ she guessed, while at the same time she could hardly credit that Jake Nash, the head of the whole shoot, should be talking to her about it—if indeed this was the case—when it went without saying that he must have a very efficient Human Resources department within his organisation who took care of all that.
He did not answer her question but instead asked her, ‘Tell me, Taryn, how long were you working for Mellor Engineering?’
He was interviewing her for a job! She stared at him wide-eyed, and not a little disbelieving. But she saw no harm in answering. ‘Five years.’
‘Has it been your only job?’ he wanted to know.
Apart from her waitressing stint, she had on rare occasions typed out a report or something or other for her aunt or one of her aunt’s clients. But Taryn hardly thought he would be interested in that. ‘I did an extensive business and secretarial course until I was eighteen, and from there went straight to Mellor Engineering.’
‘You were a PA there?’
‘Not straight away. I had all the theory I could possibly want. But after three years’ actual work in that field, I was promoted to PA to Brian Mellor.’ She experienced a moment of surprise that Brian’s name had left her lips without the slightest falter.
But there was no time for her to wonder about that, because Jake Nash was going on, ‘You worked for Brian Mellor himself? Impressive. You must be good.’
It seemed immodest to retort, I am, but Taryn had had enough. ‘Look here,’ she erupted—a touch arrogantly, it had to be said. ‘If you’re interviewing me, and I can’t see what else this is about, then—while I’m not sure I’m applying for the job anyway—I wouldn’t mind hearing what this job actually is. Or even if there is a job.’
He did not care for her uppity tone. She could tell that from the slight narrowing of his eyes. But, whatever he was thinking or feeling, he covered it well to inform her, ‘There is a job…’
‘A PA’s job?’ She might be interested, she might not be. But, since this was her career she was thinking of, it had to be PA or nothing.
‘Yes,’ he agreed, but warned, ‘It may only be temporary.’
‘I’m not interested in temporary,’ she said straight away. ‘I’m not even sure I’m interested anyway.’
‘Of course you are!’ he countered bluntly, causing her to think he needed a slap.
‘Why “of course”?’ Her tone was belligerent—she’d never had a job interview like it!
‘The experience you’d gain alone would stand you in very good stead when you’re ready to move on. As my PA you’d—’
‘Your PA!’ she gasped. Oh, no, not on your life! But her head was instantly abuzz. They didn’t come any higher than Jake Nash—and he was suggesting she might be his PA!
‘The vacancy isn’t common knowledge yet,’ he replied.
‘You’re getting rid of your present PA?’ Taryn exclaimed, her dark blue eyes saucer-wide.
‘I wouldn’t dream of it; she’s far too valuable.’
‘I’ve lost you somewhere,’ Taryn owned, feeling in quite a fog.
He took pity on her. ‘Kate Lambert has worked for me for the last seven years. I confess I’d be totally lost without her.’
‘But you’re thinking of letting her go—temporarily?’ Taryn had stayed with him so far.
He threw some light into her darkness. ‘Kate, in confidence, is newly pregnant.’
‘Ah!’ Taryn breathed. ‘You want maternity cover for her?’
‘A bit more than that. To put it mildly, Kate is having a pretty torrid time of it. And while in normal times she copes excellently with what I appreciate is a very exacting job, her pregnancy seems to be taking a lot out of her. Poor Kate—she is quite drained at times.’
‘She is easily tired?’ Taryn put in.
‘I’m afraid so. And while, in order to have longer with the baby when it arrives, she wants to carry on working as long as she possibly can, I think she is already finding it quite a struggle.’
By the sound of it he wasn’t thinking of taking on someone for cover only while Kate Lambert was away, but someone sooner. ‘It’s temporary, this job?’ Taryn questioned.
‘Kate says she wants to return at the end of her maternity leave. I’d be more than pleased if she does.’
‘But you don’t think she will come back?’
‘Kate’s a perfectionist. She’ll want to do both jobs, being a mother and being a PA, in perfect
