yes.’ Eva’s eyes lit up. ‘She works across the road in PricewaterhouseCoopers.’
‘Did you hear she got a promotion in January?’
‘Yes, I heard. I was delighted for her.’
‘Her boss must really have liked that gift you got for him.’
Eva immediately closed up. Kitty could see the transformation right before her, like an insect going into a cocoon. George could sense it too.
‘I think she deserved it. It appeared to me that she worked extremely hard,’ was all Eva said.
‘I think your gift helped,’ he laughed.
Kitty was surprised at him. He was clever enough to leave it alone but he couldn’t, he was desperate to find out and his desperation showed. Knowing Eva’s philosophy on client confidentiality, Kitty feared this did not bode well for the charming George.
Eva just smiled.
‘So what was it?’ he asked, and looked at Kitty. ‘I bet you want to know.’
Kitty held her hands up as if to back out of it. ‘I’m merely an observer here.’
A gift that could get someone a promotion? Of course she wanted to know, and she wanted to know where she could buy it too. The sound was so light she could have imagined it but she was sure she heard a light snort as Nigel put the coffee cup down before her.
Nigel stepped in to explain. ‘What Mr Webb brought you here for today was to discuss his upcoming family gathering. They’re having a big reunion. Lots of people coming together, it’s very exciting for them all,’ he said drily and Eva, Kitty and George couldn’t help but laugh. ‘His sister is also getting married, it’s his grandfather’s eightieth birthday and they’ve decided to put it all into the same wonderful celebration day. Mr Webb quite simply needs your help.’
‘Thanks, Nigel,’ George said, and on that note Nigel left the room. George looked at his watch and seemed concerned.
Kitty sensed their time was up. Nigel had done what he was supposed to do, George had politely made time for the woman and now it was over. She drank her coffee quickly.
George looked at Eva. ‘What do you think?’
‘I’m sorry, what do I think about what?’
‘About taking the job.’
‘Where are your family based?’
George seemed confused. ‘Cork.’
‘When is the event?’
‘Here’s the thing, I haven’t been terribly organised. It’s next week. Friday. But Nigel – or I – can give you all the details you’re looking for.’ He leaned forward, his face intent. If Eva was any less beautiful, Kitty suspected George would have left the room a long time ago.
‘That’s very close. I usually take a few weeks at the very least.’
‘Weeks?’ George’s surprise reflected Kitty’s feelings exactly.
‘How many gifts are you thinking of?’
‘Oh, let’s see, Nigel has all these details but … one for my grandfather’s birthday, and one for my sister and her husband-to-be.’ He concentrated on a bit of invisible fluff on his trouser leg and picked at it and flicked it to the ground before finding another. ‘Oh, and there’s one other for another person.’
Kitty felt genuine disappointment at that, not for herself – George had barely looked her way since he’d entered the room, his attention had been entirely on Eva – and not just for business reasons. Kitty had to bite the inside of her cheeks to stop herself from saying anything. It was obvious who the other person was, but he had been so charming, and though Eva was professional and a woman of few words she had clearly been responsive to him. Kitty could see that, and now there was a nice little connection between the two, which just made him saying what he had to say all the more awkward.
‘For your girlfriend?’ Eva asked, professionally.
‘Yes.’ He cleared his throat. ‘It’s a one-year thing,’ he practically mumbled.
One final-year thing, Kitty thought to herself.
‘An anniversary,’ Eva said, making a note in her book. ‘Let me just explain how I work, Mr Webb—’
‘Call me George, please.’
‘George,’ she smiled. The connection was back and Kitty was invisible again. ‘I like to spend time with the people I’m buying gifts for. I like to see who they really are, what it is they really want and I choose items designed solely for them. I’m not sure if your assistant explained that to you.’
‘No he didn’t.’ George seemed uncomfortable with that. ‘I could just give you a budget of say, three thousand? And you could find something for them within that budget. Do you work on an hourly basis? I’m not sure how this works, because if you do, it really doesn’t matter about spending time with them, I’m willing to pay you a fee that makes it worth your while.’
‘I’m probably not the person you need for this,’ Eva said, which surprised Kitty. He was willing to pay her anything and she was turning it down. She wanted to throw her notebook at Eva’s head. ‘I think what you’re looking for is more of a personal shopper. You describe the person, they find the gift. A nice perfume for your mother, perhaps matching luggage tickets and passport holders for your sister and her husband, that kind of thing?’
‘Brilliant, that’s brilliant,’ he said, lighting up. Then he looked at his watch again and that frown returned; he was even later now.
‘I’m sorry, George, this job isn’t for me.’ Eva smiled and stood.
He sat on the couch and looked up at her in confusion. Then he realised what was going on and stood too. ‘Okay.’ He shook her hand, a bit put out, a bit annoyed. ‘Thanks for coming. I’ll make sure Nigel shows you out. I’m late for a meeting,’ he said. He took one last look at her, an intrigued one, he nodded at Kitty, said goodbye and left the room.
Nigel reappeared immediately and he, Kitty and Eva rode the elevator in silence.
‘Why did you suggest Eva for George?’ Kitty asked Nigel.
‘Is this for your piece?’ He said the word ‘piece’ as if it were a dirty word.
‘If you want it to be.’
‘I don’t.’
‘Fine, then, it’s off the record.’
He gave her a sarky look, then looked at Eva to answer the question. ‘I’ve worked for him for six years and for six years I’ve had to do all his lists. Birthdays, Christmas, christenings, you name it. I think it’s time his grandfather stopped receiving handkerchiefs and ties, though they were of the finest quality, of course,’ he said, complimenting himself.
‘Does he have a nice family?’ Eva asked, which Kitty thought was a rather unusual question.
