Take a Chance on Me (25 page)

Mac leaned forwards to get a better view through the bushes and saw Galloway play with the ends of one of Sadie's blonde locks. His gut wrenched.

‘I do hope you're not talking about mixing business with pleasure, are you Peter?' Sadie said, her tone neutral, unreadable.

‘Would that be so bad?' Galloway said, with a mock pout.

‘Oh, yes. Yes, very bad. Best to keep business and pleasure separate. Always.' Her voice was flat, uncompassionate.

Now it was Mac's turn to glance downward. He bit his lip.

‘We shall see. And now, Miss Turner, I have the offer for you.'

Mac pushed himself into the bush as far as he could and stopped breathing.

‘Sadie,' Peter Galloway was saying, ‘Tremain has said if I can persuade you to work for his team, it will be … ah … lucrative … for me too. It will be, shall I say, big.' He handed Sadie something.

She gasped.

‘And who knows, you and I may have some fun along the way.' He twirled Sadie's hair towards his face and smelt it.

Mac nearly jumped out of the bush at him.
The smarmy, double-crossing …
But he had to hear Sadie's reply.

‘This is what they're proposing to give me? Me? Now?'

‘Yes, right now, as soon as you agree to jump ship.'

‘Let me think about it, Peter. This is a lot of money.'

Mac's jaw dropped.

‘And double that will go immediately to your university friends to begin their work.'

Sadie looked up at him, as if in shock. She bit her lip. Mac held his breath.

‘This is sudden,' she said.

‘Anderson is not the only one who can act fast.'

‘I don't know what to say.'

‘Say you'll accept.'

‘Tremain does drive a hard bargain. It's a tempting offer, for sure.'

Mac's blood ran cold and he froze in his tracks.
What the …?

‘It is, and you're right to take it. Don't fret over Anderson. He's a big boy. It's not like you have any strong allegiances already. He's rich, sure. But he's a fly-by-night. Chancer's blood, by all accounts – too much time with the ladies. Not a serious businessman like Tremain is. Like I will be when I get to take over the company.'

‘Hmm,' said Sadie and turned away.

Hmmm? thought Mac? Is that all she can say?

‘What if it's Tremain who isn't true to his word?'

‘Sadie, we are people of the world, you and I.'

Mac winced as he squinted through the bushes and saw Peter make Sadie turn around to face him once more, bringing his body near hers. But they had moved further away from the bush and Mac felt twig marks creasing his face.

‘You might not get another chance like this. Anderson's team are straight down-the-line venture capitalists. They would never offer you what Tremain is willing to offer us – to offer you.' He held her hand up, brandishing the note in it.

‘This is all so unethical, Peter.'

‘That is why I am coming forward in secret right now. Bu-u-u-t, it has to be said, Tremain is not a patient man. He knows Anderson will bite back.'

Sadie was standing still, nodding.

‘So Tremain will not wait around to be beaten. I need – you need – to give him a decision soon. It is essential. I have a contract waiting.'

Sadie stood staring at the note in her hand. Mac willed her with every ounce of his being to do the right thing.
Give it back, give it back.

‘Sadie, imagine the freedom it will buy you. Freedom for – who is it – Georgia and Abi, yes? Think of them if not of yourself.'

I don't believe it,
thought Mac. Sadie faltered.

‘Sadie, take my advice, take the money now. The offer would cease to be valid if, shall we say, my father no longer ran the company. He will one day hand over the reins to me, and tell me the patented formula for the secret ingredient. My own version of Frish – Red Frish – will be unbeatable once I have them both. Then I will have no chains around my neck, no obstacles to my own plans.'

‘But that won't be any time soon, surely?'

‘Ahh, he has his good days and bad days. And I have to tell you, sweet Sadie,' he said, lifting Sadie's hands to his mouth and kissing her fingers. ‘There are already other university researchers who can be more easily bought than your team in the UK. Your value may not be a window that's open for long, you see.' Mac watched Sadie recover her composure and smile sweetly, pulling her hands away from his and stepping slightly backwards.

‘I appreciate your offer, Peter, really I do. That amount of cash—'

‘Tax-free bonus up front …'

‘Would help my shop and my family, of course. That can buy a lot of school trips. But I have to do it the right way, using the science to our advantage, not being slaughtered by the scientific cynics and buried before we can truly take-off. I'd be a laughing stock in my industry. You understand, I have to do things correctly?'

‘Of course.'

‘Of course?'

‘Of course.'

‘But if I accept – if Tremain wants me on board that badly – it means his team have to stop their current marketing tactics. Till we can make the claims officially, on the back of the new studies.'

Mac's heart dropped through his stomach. He swallowed heavily and his shoulders slumped.
No.

‘Look, if that is the deal breaker you need, let me go talk to him. He may choose to do as you wish, in order to cut the bullshit and get you on board. He will also almost certainly want to meet you. Soon. And in return for this boost to your family's fortunes, he will tie your sweet little ass up in a contract immediately.'

Sadie smiled limply.

‘And it is a sweet little ass.' He moved towards Sadie and pulled her to him, grasping her backside. Much to Mac's dismay, she didn't slap him, just pulled away gracefully.

‘I will still have to think about it,' she said. ‘But if I choose to go ahead, yes I will happily meet with him. It may be interesting to see what he has to say. But you need to go and tell him that tonight before he meets with Bill.'

Oh my God,
thought Mac.

‘Good, Sadie, good,' said Peter Galloway. ‘And till then, don't trust Anderson.'

‘Peter, have you thought that Tremain may be using you too? Just like he could use me for my contacts and then cast me aside. I know as much of him as I do of Mac.'

‘You are right, but much of what you have heard about Tremain has come from what source, huh? Anderson himself.'

‘Hmmm,' she acknowledged.

There it is again,
Mac fumed.

‘There will be a contract between us, one that will give you what you want, or no deal. Have you got one with Anderson? A full one?'

Sadie just chewed her cheek. Mac strained to hear more clearly, they had moved a little further away.

‘If I can make that happen, like I can make so many things happen, what then?' Galloway asked her. ‘Can we seal it with a kiss?'

Mac closed his eyes and sat holding his breath, willing Sadie to give the answer he so needed to hear – or the sound of a hefty slap. But it never came. He waited and waited some more, then realised they had both moved out of earshot over the other side of the pathway.

Panicked, he took off around the side of the bushes and set off stealthily in search of Sadie and Galloway. He tried to pick up her scent on the breeze, he tried to listen out for voices, but the wind was getting stronger and the gardens were full of fragrance. He picked a path and took off down it.

He had to find out what she had said. Would she stay with him and his team?

Or would he lose her forever?

Sadie let go of Peter Galloway's arm as they made their way back to the main reception. She was more confused than she'd ever been. But deep in her heart, she knew what she had to do. When they reached the entrance, Sadie held out the note for him to take back.

‘I'm sorry you choose to take this route,' Galloway said.

‘Peter, I'm not saying no. I'm just not saying yes. Yet.'

‘It's a shame as I was looking forward to our first celebratory kiss.'

‘I'm not sure that would have been part of any deal I'd want to do with you, Peter, I'm afraid.'

‘Come now, Sadie, I've seen the way you look at me, the way you flirt with me. Anderson may have the hots for you but I know his ethics – you will never have him all the while you are in business with him. Now come over to Tremain's side and you'll find that I
won't have that problem. Then maybe we could do a little double dealing of our own – and if you're not in business with him after all, maybe you would still be free to have your Mac.'

His words were making her skin crawl, but she had to play him along for a bit longer. And the temptation was huge to pay off her mum and her mortgage, pay for all the school trips and holidays and more for the rest of the girls' student lives, and have enough left over for a substantial trust fund for them all in one fell swoop.

But who are you, Sadie? Are you losing sight of who you are?

She was thinking of her girls and their faces if she'd brought that much money home in one go, when all of a sudden Galloway was kissing her.

‘No!' She broke away immediately. Pushing him away slightly, she refused his further advances, but as she turned around, all she saw was Mac getting into the waiting limo and taking off.

‘Mac!' she called, and waved. But he'd already gone.

‘Hah. I'll see you later. You know where to find me when you change your mind.' Galloway beamed, and left, strutting like a peacock, even though the woman he'd just stolen a triumphant kiss from, was wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

No sooner had Galloway gone, than Alexis sidled up, looking like the cat that got the cream. ‘Oh, Sadie, Mac was looking for you to accompany him,' she said, waving towards the departing limo. ‘Something about an urgent meeting. But it seems as though he's decided to leave by himself, since I pointed out you were … otherwise engaged.'

‘Oh, shut up, Alexis,' said Sadie. And she stomped off back to her room.

Behind her, she did not see a new arrival pulling up at the hotel entrance in a black Mercedes with darkened windows. Inside was the same person who had been watching them on the hillside in Monaco. And had followed them out to Hawaii. If she had known what had been happening, everything Sadie did from then on might have been different.

To say Sadie was disgruntled would have been an understatement. She made several calls, left express instructions with Derek and Graham to get Mac to contact her at the hotel. He wasn't answering her calls or texts.
Mac, I need to see you, urgent.

This was unbearable.

She needed to find out what he'd seen in the gardens – and hopefully it wasn't much. Then face to face she'd explain what had happened, then find out if there was any truth in what Galloway said. Whatever Mac's reaction was to her news would help make up her mind what to do next.

Half an hour and a hot shower later, there was a knock on Sadie's hotel room door.

Mac!
She thought, hopefully.

‘Ahh, Sadie,' said a smarmy looking Peter, trying to push into her room.

‘What do you want, Peter. I haven't made my decision yet,' said Sadie, blocking his way, but he still managed to lodge himself just inside the room. She kept the door open.

‘I wanted to offer you dinner tonight, by way of apology.'

‘I'm afraid I don't yet know my plans for dinner.'

‘If you mean you are awaiting news from Mac, I have to tell you the hotel staff have informed me he hasn't returned since he took off in the limo some time ago, and sadly they don't have anything on their schedule for bringing him back again tonight.'

Sadie blinked hard and her shoulders dropped.
Where has he gone? And why isn't he answering me. I don't even want to contemplate that Peter is right.

‘So, allow me to take you to dinner. We can talk further about your studies and you can explain to me how they will change everything.'

It was tempting.

But it was Mac whom she really needed to talk to. Plus, she still had to be wary of rejecting Peter too strongly, in case it hampered the deal. Whatever deal ended up being done. All that mattered was her children's future. Wasn't it?

‘If I am free, then perhaps.'

‘Well, I will call on you in an hour then. Until then let me ask you something.' He produced a bag and took out two half-litre Frish bottles but they had a red sticker covering over the usual blue label. Brandishing them as though he'd caught a ten-foot fish, he offered them to her.

‘What are these?'

‘Prototypes for a new upgraded version of Frish,' he replied. ‘
My
version of Frish.'

Sadie sighed. ‘Upgraded, how?'

‘More effective than standard Frish.'

He was giving nothing away, anticipating more questions about his marvellous new invention, but Sadie wasn't in the mood for games. So instead she brushed him aside and indicated the door.

‘Okay, leave them there.'

‘But … well, try some and perhaps we can discuss your thoughts on it later when we meet for dinner?'

‘
If
we meet for dinner … I'll see what I can do. See you later, Peter.' She closed the door behind him and found that curiosity was getting the better of her. She picked up one of the bottles and opened it, sniffed it, then sipped it.

Just as ‘thin' and easy to drink … nothing special.
After half a bottle, Sadie made a ‘so what' face, put the lid back on and headed into the bathroom to freshen up.

Almost as soon as she turned on the tap there was another knock on the door.

‘Peter, what do you … Mac!'

Mac stood at the door looking troubled.

‘A robe? And you're expecting Peter, clearly.' He looked at her suspiciously and walked past her into the room. ‘And you got me instead. Sorry if that disappoints you.'

‘Great. I've been trying to contact you,' she said, ignoring his little dig. ‘I needed to let you know what's been going on.'

‘There's no need to explain,' said Mac coldly. ‘I made it clear to you that there could be nothing between us, so you're free to invite whomever you like into your hotel room – even low-life like Peter Galloway. Kiss whom you like, too, for that matter.'

‘He wasn't “in my hotel room”. He was just delivering those bottles over there. And if you saw what actually happened earlier on, surely you'd know that
he
kissed
me
, Mac? You're being totally unfair.'

‘Am I?'

‘Yes. I would never want Peter Galloway. I want …' The words were so nearly out of her mouth. She stopped mid-sentence, biting her tongue.

She may want Mac, but Mac didn't want her.

And now she came to think about it, what
did
he want? She knew so little about him. Peter Galloway's words resounded in her head.

‘I want to know the truth,' she finished.

‘About what.'

‘Everything. About you. You don't know what he told me.'

‘Actually, I think I
do
know.'

‘How?'

‘I have sources.'

Sadie was incredulous. ‘What is it with you businessmen! You're all secretly watching one another. It's so unethical. Can't anyone just be straight with each other any more?'

‘You tell me! Because you and I haven't been straight with each other since the start. You never told me who you were – nor me you. I didn't know about your children, you didn't know about my money. I'd say we're both able to withhold the truth.'

That hurt.

‘What are you saying, Mac. That you think I'm just in this for your money?'

‘Not necessarily, but—'

‘Not necessarily?'

‘Sadie, let's be honest, we don't know anything much about each other, do we? A one sheet resume is little more than useless.'

‘Especially when you don't read it.'

He winced. ‘And given the note you slipped under my door, it's unlikely we
will
get to know much more.'

‘Especially given your stance on mixing business with pleasure.'

‘One that's worked for me for a long time. It pays not to sleep with my colleagues.'

‘Apart from Alexis.'

‘That was
before
she was a colleague.'

‘So you
did
sleep with her … Oh!'

Mac was silent and looked down.

Sadie flushed.

She turned away and felt like she'd been kicked in the stomach. The pain stopped her speaking for a second.

God she was so stupid to believe him about his ‘small print'.

Mac reached out for Sadie's arm. ‘Sadie, it was
before
she was a colleague.'

Sadie gently shook away from him and turned her back, then took a deep breath. He was still the boss.

‘Anyway,' she said, finally, ‘it's none of my business if you did or didn't, is it?'

‘Well, actually, if we do this deal, no it's not.'

‘Well, “actually”, even if we
don't
do this deal, it will still be absolutely none of my business. Ever. Will it.'

The implications of what Sadie was saying hung in the air like a storm cloud about to crack open.

Mac nodded his head slowly.

‘Business
or
pleasure, you see?' Sadie said, cynically. ‘So I'm right, about our … options? You and me?' She turned to face him.

It was obvious what she was asking.

He took a breath, and looked at her, but his face had become that impenetrable mask – a practised face. One he used post-coitally when dealing with his many clingy females, no doubt.

Damn Peter Galloway for putting doubts in her mind.

‘Why would we not do the deal?' He sidestepped the issue. ‘You wouldn't have had a better offer by any chance, would you?'

Sadie couldn't believe her ears. Were they all spying on her?

‘Who have you been …? How did you know …?'

‘Because I followed you, Sadie.'

‘What?'

‘I'd come back to get you, as it happens, to come with me to a crunch emergency meeting – to find Bill Galloway and get him on his own. But you'd already gone off arm in arm with his son, as soon as I was out of the room.'

‘You spied on me?'

‘I'm not proud of it, but I'm glad I did, considering what I heard.'

‘Yet you didn't have the decency to come and ask
me
about it? You didn't give me the benefit of the doubt? You obviously think
very
highly of me.'

‘Actually, I do. But that's precisely why I came
back
here, to ask you just what had happened with the slimy toerag. Just in time to find he's been to your room!'

‘I told you he was just—'

‘Save your breath, Sadie.'

She flushed. This was a full-scale lovers' tiff. And they weren't even lovers. Not any more. She picked up the nearest bottle of water and walked across the room, glugging it back. Almost trembling, she closed the open door Mac had flounced through. She rested her back against it and wrapped her robe around her body defensively.

‘I thought—'

‘Sadie, it doesn't matter. I've got to be honest with you. I heard and saw quite enough today. There's no doubt in my mind
what
you thought. What were your words again? “
It's a tempting offer, Peter … no, I don't really know Mac at all, do I, Peter?
” I heard it all, Sadie.'

‘There was … a reason for that.'

‘What reason could there possibly be for being tempted by that scumbag? So you could play him along? Just in case my deal didn't work out for you after all?'

‘No, Mac,' she said softly. ‘I did it for us – for you. In case there was any chance I could make some difference that would maybe persuade him that ours was the best option. That
you
were the best option.'

‘Sure. You say that now. From what I heard it sure didn't sound like it.'

‘Well, eavesdrop correctly next time and you'll know I didn't accept.' Sadie was flushed but calmer now, the full heat of the argument had passed. She was mortified he'd overheard her – it removed any chance of a proper explanation. But she felt aghast that he'd been spying on her. And angry he hadn't come to find out her side – what was one of her favourite sayings?

‘Seek first to understand then be understood,' she told him.

‘You didn't accept?' he said, quietly.

‘You're not much good at stealth work, are you? Next time get the professionals in.'

‘I do only have your word.'

‘Are you calling me a liar, Mac?'

‘A liar? You?' His eyes narrowed. ‘“
Sam
”?'

Sadie went red, and said nothing. Counting elephants wouldn't help now.

‘And sure, maybe you didn't say yes. But did you tell him “
no
”?' he pressed.

She hesitated and bit her lip.

‘Did you tell him where he could stick his offer? Did you tell him no?'

Ouch.

Now it was Sadie's turn to squirm. No, she hadn't told him no.

‘Not yet. I told him “not yet”—'

‘Not
yet
?'

She froze and felt like a rabbit in the headlights. Sadie hated confrontation. She'd known why she'd played Peter along, but now it just came out like she was betraying Mac. How could she convince him? She opened her mouth but nothing came out.

‘Your silence says it all.'

‘Well, what it
doesn't
say is that I was only trying to convince Peter about the implications of the early trials – it's even got a slightly different
boiling
point, for goodness sake! And that we need to do it right. If we do, we could change the face of hydration around the world.'

‘Very noble. Spoken like the scientist you are. So?'

Sadie could feel the angst rising up like bile in her throat, she was making such a hash of this. She knew she had to get him to understand. She went over and took his hand. He didn't move.

‘Mac, I was trying to get him on our side – to explain how important my studies will be in all this.' Sadie stood in front of him and looked pleadingly into his eyes. So close, the energy between them rose up again like the elephant in the room. He took her hand and pointedly removed it from his.

‘How important
you
are in all this.' Mac turned and walked away from her.

‘I … I didn't know that. It's not my fault he offered me that bonus.' She was downcast now.

‘It's a bribe, Sadie, not a bonus.' He almost spat the words out.

Again his vehemence cut through her like a knife.

‘I didn't take it,' she said in a small voice, and sat on the edge of her bed, sipping some more water. Mac strode over and kneeled down in front of her. For a split second her hopes rose. Then he opened his mouth and spoke.

‘Look, I can't stop you. If you choose to go over to Tremain's side on this deal, that's completely up to you. I'll lose out, but there will be others. Like there always are.'

‘Deals? Or women like me?'

He paused. Went to reply then stopped. Then he spoke. ‘Either.'

Her eyes welled up and she turned away, gathering her thoughts. She began to feel just a little bit sick.

Dammit.
Why were the words so quickly out of his mouth? Habit. Mistrust of beautiful women. The need not to commit? The need not to seem too keen? Or was it just being around this particular beautiful woman that made him act completely out of character.

A woman whom, if he opened up his heart and was truly honest with himself, he just wanted to scoop up into his arms and reassure it would all be okay. The burgeoning bubble of heat in his heart threatened to swamp him, to stop his breathing, to make his head burst. He hated this, hated it. Wanted to just hold her. Despite the fact that she'd nearly betrayed him
. If she had
. God, he wasn't used to being this indecisive.

But he didn't know her, not really, so how could he be certain? There were others in the past he'd been adamant about. So sure they wouldn't hurt him, despite warnings from friends. But still he'd been burned.

Now this one comes along and turns his certainty upside down. Looking into her green eyes, welling up with tears and anguish, he felt so bad. It shouldn't be like this. Not with her. Of
course
he knew her. Deep down, he felt like he had known her all his life. That they should be together.
Wow, where did that come from!

Mac stood and walked to the window, thinking. It was simple really. If he did the deal, being together would be impossible – because of his own stupid rules
.