Dating Her Boss

Must there? ‘Any number of park benches,’ she offered. ‘And there’s Waterloo Bridge if I provide my own cardboard box—’

‘Don’t be ridiculous!’ he said angrily. The very thought of her sleeping rough sent a shiver up his spine. But there had to be some solution. He’d call Amanda; having found the perfect secretary for him, she would surely do anything to help him to keep her, if only to keep him off her back. ‘Sit down.’

‘What about this report?’

He didn’t answer, simply fixed her with his eyes and waited for her to obey him. She returned to the chair in front of his desk and sat down without another word. Only then did he reach for the telephone. ‘Amanda? I need another favour.’

‘Please tell me that you haven’t given that poor girl such a hard time that she’s left already? I did warn you—’

‘That “poor girl” needs none of your sympathy. What she needs is a roof over her head for the next two weeks.’

‘So?’

‘Can you find her somewhere?’

‘I run an employment agency, darling, not an accommodation bureau.’ He waited. ‘I don’t understand why you need my help,’ she added unhelpfully.

‘Who else would I ask?’

‘Darling, look around you. You’ve got enough room in that barn of a house for twenty secretaries. Put her in one of them. She’ll be handy when you get some brilliant idea in the middle of night.’

‘I can’t do that—’

‘Why not? Really, Max, if you’re worried that she’ll think you’re lusting after her luscious young body tell her that you’re gay.’

‘Mandy!’

‘No? Macho pride couldn’t stand it? Well, in that case you’ll just have to convince her that Harriet will make a perfectly adequate chaperon, won’t you?’ And with that she hung up.

CHAPTER THREE

MAX replaced the receiver and looked at the girl sitting opposite him. Amanda’s solution to the problem was so obvious that he should have thought of it himself. He just wished she hadn’t put ideas into his head. It reminded him of his mistaken belief that Jilly had been a kissogram, that she had the kind of figure that would have made a nineteen-forties pin-up envious.

Jilly was looking at him expectantly and he swallowed hard. ‘My sister always sees thing so clearly,’ he said. ‘The answer is obvious. You must stay here.’

‘Here!’ The blood rushed to Jilly’s cheeks. ‘In your house?’ she added, eyes wide. ‘But that’s—’

It hadn’t occurred to Max to take his sister seriously, but his offer appeared to confirm everything Jilly’s mother had ever warned her about London in general and men in particular and he rapidly revised his plan to install her in the guest suite. ‘There’s a self-contained flat above the garage block,’ he said quickly. ‘It’s not fancy, but it’s a lot better than a cardboard box under Waterloo Bridge.’

Jilly couldn’t believe it. How dared his sister call him a monster? Max Fleming was an absolute darling and she wanted to leap out of her chair and fling her arms around him and tell him that he was her knight in shining armour. His expression, however, and the stiffness with which he held himself, suggested that he would not welcome that kind of response.

‘Well?’ he said as she hesitated, dithering awkwardly in front of his desk. ‘What are you waiting for? I want that report on the Minister’s desk today.’

‘I’ll go and sort out that courier,’ she said. Then, at the door, she looked back. ‘Thank you, Max.’

He waved her away impatiently, head already bent over a column of figures.

The flat was small but, as promised, self-contained. There was a stone staircase leading up the side of the garage block to a door that opened into a tiny vestibule and then directly into the living room.

‘This is lovely,’ Jilly said when, at last, Max had cleared his in-tray and Harriet was able to take her across to show her around. Max Fleming was right, it wasn’t fancy, but it was comfortable and it had to be worth ten times anything she could afford. ‘Why is it empty?’

‘It was the chauffeur’s flat in the old days. Max’s father refused to learn to drive. Amanda and Laura wanted Max to take someone on after his accident but he wouldn’t, said he’d rather hire a car and driver when he needed one—not that he goes out much these days.’ Jilly would have liked to ask Harriet why, but she wasn’t given the chance as the woman went on, ‘I’ve brought across some basic necessities for you—tea, milk, that sort of thing—and the telephone is connected. Max said to tell you that phoning home is one of the perks of the job.’

‘Oh, that’s kind.’

Harriet gave her a sideways look and said, ‘I’m sure you’ll earn it. He works day and night and he’ll have you doing the same if you let him.’ She handed her a keyring. ‘Here’s the door key. The other key opens the side gate. Settle in and then come across to the house. Dinner is at eight.’ Dinner? The flash of panic must have been visible on her face, because Harriet smiled reassuringly. ‘Don’t worry. Max won’t expect you to dress up, just don’t wear jeans—the dining room chairs are antique and denim is murder on the fabric.’

‘Actually—’ Harriet waited. ‘Do you think Mr Fleming would mind if I skipped dinner? I didn’t get much sleep last night and I’m fit to drop.’

‘And he kept you working until nearly seven.’ Harriet was sympathetic. ‘You’ll have to be tough with him, Jilly.’

‘He said I could start late in the morning to make up for it. He’ll be out until lunchtime.’

‘Make sure you do that. And don’t worry about dinner, he always works through it so I doubt if he’ll even notice you’re missing. Can I bring you something to eat here? You won’t feel like cooking.’

‘I’ll just make myself a cup of tea and a slice of toast and fall into bed, thanks all the same.’

‘Well, come across in the morning and I’ll cook you some breakfast—you’ll be hungry by then.’ She didn’t wait for an answer, but said goodnight and left.

Jilly closed the door and leaned on it, looking around her, scarcely able to believe her luck. Then a huge yawn caught her by surprise. It was, she decided, quite possible that she wouldn’t get as far as making toast. But she had to have a bath. And phone her mother. That would take careful handling. What was she going to say?

I’m such a great secretary that Max has given me the flat above his garage rather than lose me? She could just imagine her mother’s reaction to that news. She’d struggled to bring up three young children on her own and her opinion of men was not good at the best of times.

It was utterly ridiculous, of course—a man like Max Fleming wouldn’t look twice at a girl like her. But perhaps it would be a good idea if she continued to refer to him as Mr Fleming…The geriatric Mr Fleming. The thought provoked a giggle as she rang home.

‘Jilly! What on earth is happening? I’ve been sitting here all afternoon waiting, worrying—’

Jilly brought the giggle under control and quickly said, ‘Everything’s fine, Mum. Mr Fleming has offered me the use of the chauffeur’s flat until Gemma gets back. If you’ve got a pen there, I’ll give you the telephone number.’

‘Where’s the chauffeur?’ her mother demanded suspiciously.

‘He hasn’t got one. The place was empty. I’ll give you the phone number now, if you’re ready.’

‘Oh. Right. Just a minute, I’ll have to find something to write with.’ Disappointment oozed down the line and Jilly suddenly realised that her mother must have thought it was her lucky day when she’d discovered Gemma was away. Well, she wasn’t about to give her time to think of some other reason why she simply had to come straight home.

She read the number off the dial. Then, before her mother asked any awkward questions—like, What kind of office block has a chauffeur’s flat?—she said, ‘Look, I’ll have to go, Mum. This is long distance.’ And she didn’t feel in the least bit wicked for using her mother’s excuses for her own ends. ‘I’ll call you tomorrow evening. Don’t worry, now. Bye.’ She put the phone down quickly. That had been easier than she’d thought.

It rang again almost immediately, making her jump, and she smiled a little grimly. She’d congratulated herself a fraction too soon. She picked up the receiver somewhat gingerly.

‘Jilly Prescott.’

‘I was just checking that I’d got the number right,’ her mother said.

Just checking up on her, more like. ‘Good idea, Mum.’

‘And what’s the address?’

She told her and then quickly said goodbye and hung up before her mother thought of any more questions.