glad to get out of the office. I thought we could do with a change of scene.’
‘Good idea.’ This relaxed version of the Adam Palmer she knew was rather unnerving.
‘However, there’s something I want to tell you before we start.’ Not expecting to be taken into his confidence so early on, Bea nonetheless leaned forward to listen. He must have chosen this restaurant because he knew no one would be here to overhear whatever he was about to say.
‘About a month ago I met a terrific-looking woman at a party. She was in really good shape.’
That was the last thing she would have expected him to confide. Bea couldn’t imagine where this might be leading. Not an idea for a book, surely?
‘When I asked her how she kept herself looking so good, she told me that she ran twice a week and fasted for one whole day.’
‘God. I could never do that.’ Bea felt her waistband biting. Perhaps she should. But not today.
‘That’s what I thought too, but in fact it’s quite easy. I’ve been doing it for three weeks now.’
As he opened up a little, letting something of the man behind the machine slip through, Bea suddenly saw that he might be quite attractive. Vain but attractive. To some. But back to the book in question.
‘The only snag with our coming out at lunchtime,’ he went on, ‘is that today’s my fasting day. You don’t mind, do you? I just thought we could get more done here without interruption.’
‘Of course not.’ You bastard. ‘I’m not very hungry anyway. I was only going to have the melon and the salade maison.’ Whatever power game you’re playing, I am not going to be fazed by it. She waved goodbye to the cheese.
Before the food arrived, she had refused the warm crusty French bread with peppery virgin olive oil and had, at his request, passed a copy of the publishing schedule for the next two years across the table. He spread it in front of him so there was little room for her place setting, making her feel crowded and greedy. No doubt another power ploy. As he quizzed her about the titles, she had to keep her wits about her, all too conscious that whenever she had to answer a question, her mouth was full.
‘Obviously I looked at this before I took the job, but I wanted to see in more detail the books you expect to be delivered and those you plan to acquire. Some of this is speculative, has to be, of course, but it’s more impressive than I was expecting.’ He sipped his tap water.
‘Thank you,’ Bea muttered, through a mouthful of salad, acutely aware that a bit of olive (black, of course) had wedged itself between two of her front teeth. Why did this happen more and more often as she got older, and always at the most inconvenient moment?
‘When you say “major autobiography” in October in both years, have you anything in mind or is that just wishful thinking?’ Adam’s grey eyes were on her face, as she tried to manoeuvre the piece of olive out of her teeth with her tongue without it being too obvious. ‘Well?’
Success, just in time. Thank you, God. ‘I don’t have anything definite lined up but you know as well as I do that these things often come in very close to the wire. I’ll brief Stuart and Jade and ask them to make a real onslaught on the agents, literary and showbiz. Of course I’ll be doing the same so we’ll divide the work between us. I’m confident that we’ll find what we need. And that goes for the big fiction for spring in both years too.’ In fact, she was far from confident, but he didn’t need to know that. ‘They’ll be thrilled to have the extra responsibility and I’m sure they’ll rise to it.’ That was true. Under Stephen, they had been kept in the background, responding to the few manuscripts submitted to them or to those passed directly on to them by him or Bea. There was little room for initiative and their contacts were deliberately limited to the less important or fledgling agents not really dealt with by Bea or Stephen, who concentrated on the heavy hitters. ‘And, of course, I know you’ve got your own contacts.’
‘I’m glad you’re responding so well to the challenge.’
Was that real warmth she saw in his smile? In his eyes as well? Surely not.
‘When we last talked, I wasn’t sure you would.’
‘I don’t give up that easily.’ Power games might be his thing but Bea knew a few of her own. Following Adele’s advice, she had decided to play the game his way until she knew what her position was. She was not going to relinquish control of her life to him. Perhaps reorganising the way they worked and putting new demands on herself and her senior staff would reignite her enjoyment of the job.
‘Good. Now what about losing those two people from your department?’
‘Becky, our most junior assistant, could go. I’d be reluctant to let her because she’s bright and energetic. At the same time I know she’d find something else quite easily. But I simply can’t see a way to losing another member of staff and getting the job you want done. You’ll have to make the cut somewhere else.’
Adam shook his head. ‘I can’t.’
‘Then you’ll have to look at the budget again.’ She didn’t need Adele to tell her that the only way to fight a bully was to stand up to them. She knew that from school. When she was thirteen, Sally Armitage had orchestrated a campaign against her. The rest of the class were too wet to stand up on Bea’s behalf so she’d worked out what to do for herself. One day, when Sally had pushed her off balance and snatched her KitKat to accompanying gales of giggles from her admirers, Bea had shoved her, hard, and grabbed back her biscuit. From then on, she had no more trouble, and within a year, she and Sally had become firm friends. Remembering that incident had often helped cushion her way through life. She went on, ‘If we succeed in upping our turnover through the reduced but more profitable publishing programme that I’m proposing then we need the staff we have and, what’s more, we can afford them.’ Bea was not going to back down. She steeled herself for a fight.
‘I’m sorry.’ She caught a note of regret in his voice but it was tempered by certainty. ‘I’d like to give you a chance but I can’t.’
Bea’s heart sank. ‘Why not?’
‘This is part of a larger corporate plan, and if I start making exceptions, it won’t happen.’
‘Being flexible isn’t making exceptions.’
‘I’ve made up my mind, I’m afraid. Things have got to change but I want you on side. I want your talent and your experience. You could make a fantastic contribution to the new Coldharbour, I’m sure of that.’
With flattery thrown her way, Bea had to think fast. Fortunately she’d already gone over and over the possible outcomes of their conversation. She had prepared herself for his insistence. If she continued to support her team, not only would some of them get fired regardless, she would be casting the remaining members adrift. If she didn’t, she could look after those who were left as well as being part of what could be an exciting new start. She might have her reservations about Adam, but there was no doubt he’d done the business and saved Pennant. If he was going to do that again, she might enjoy being part of the effort. Her decision was made.
‘All right.’
‘You’re sure? You don’t want time to think about it?’ He seemed surprised by the speed of her change of heart.
But
