Take a Chance on Me (31 page)

‘The rest, as they say, is history,' Simon chimed in.

‘So the deal is on?' Sadie asked.

‘Yes, Sadie, the deal is on. A new deal. A good deal. We did it. But I made him guarantee that the new contract would look after you. Simon and I will make sure of it.'

‘Thank you,' said Sadie. ‘My goodness, you so nearly walked away.'

‘But thanks to you, I didn't need to. You got to Bill in time. It was fate …'

‘… and destiny,' Sadie finished.

They both looked at Simon who was peering cynically over the top of his spectacles at them. They both coughed and shifted in their chairs.

‘Well, anyway,' said Mac. ‘I got my new direction. And you got your deal. All in the nick of time.'

‘Not quite soon enough, however, to prevent Tremain being relieved of about one hundred thousand dollars by one Peter Galloway,' added Simon, unable to suppress his glee.

‘How come?' asked Sadie.

‘Tremain wasn't a happy man when he found that Peter had purposely endangered Bill's health in order to take over the company, but the bribe money had already been handed over,' Mac said.

‘The last we heard, Galloway was en route to Mexico,' added Simon. ‘In fact, I'm off now to dot some i's and cross some t's on that new contract. It will be interesting to see Mr Tremain again. I'm very much overflowing with anticipation at the encounter. I will see you both later. Don't get into too much trouble while I'm gone,' he said and winked at Sadie, then he stood, kissed Sadie on the head, patted Mac's shoulder, and left.

‘He's a good guy, isn't he, your CFO?' Sadie said to Mac, suddenly aware of being alone with him once more. She began toying with the spoon in her half-finished coffee. Mac moved his chair a tiny bit closer to Sadie's.

‘Yes, he's one of the best. Always looking out for me. Always did, always will. More than anyone would know.'

‘I'm glad. It's good to have someone to look out for you.'

‘Very true. Like you've got your mum. And Abi and Georgia. And your sister, Helen.'

‘Ahhh – someone's been doing his research.'

‘Better late than never.'

Mac looked at this beautiful woman in front of him. She was listening intently, and a smile lit up her face as she lifted her sunglasses on top of her head. He held her gaze, pausing only briefly and then continued speaking. ‘And you'd be proud of me. I read up on Peter's notes at the lab. Now at least they know why Bill kept getting those funny turns. Peter must have been planning it for a while, he's very sly. Upping the dose gradually and trying different formulas.'

‘Formulae,' she said. And then laughed. Mac realised she was teasing and joined in the laughter. He pushed her elbow off the table playfully and she prodded him in the arm.

‘Anyway, I'm so glad Bill's on the mend,' Sadie said. ‘He's a good man.'

‘He's actually on the warpath, not just on the mend. And Bill's stuck to his guns about you. He always wanted you involved, Sadie.'

‘And I wanted you,' she said. He paused and looked at her intently, waiting for the next word. ‘Involved. I – I mean, your deal. I wanted to work with you. On your deal.' She pulled her sunglasses back down over her eyes, poured some water from the Red Frish into a glass then popped a wilted flower stem into it

Mac hesitated. He looked pensively out across the lawns.

Sadie marvelled at the sight before her. His hair was recently showered and it fell naturally over his eyebrows, youthful, fresh. Every now and then the breeze caught it and he looked for all the world like the father from one of those ‘happy family' holiday adverts. Then he looked at her suddenly and spoke.

‘Do you still?' asked Mac. ‘Do you still want … to do business with me?'

Sadie beamed. ‘Absolutely!'

At that, Sadie held out her hand as if to shake Mac's.
Deal?
He looked at it strangely.

‘It doesn't seem right – shaking hands. Not with you,' he said and left her hand hanging there. Sadie's fingers began to go numb and she felt herself begin to shiver slightly, even though the sun was warm overhead.

‘Oh,' she said, and tucked her hand into her lap and looked away.

‘No, I mean it feels too formal,' Mac added.

Sadie exhaled. She looked up at Mac and he looked awkward, like he was about to hug her. Then stopped, then took her hand from her lap and shook it anyway.

‘Doesn't feel right, does it? Maybe we should hug.'

‘But we can't, Mac. Can we?' she stated, simply. ‘If I hear you right, we're about to go into business together. So we … just can't.' Her resolve was being tested, but she stuck to her guns – stuck to what she'd told him as he left the room last night.
Speak now …

‘Anyway, you must have a reason for not ever wanting to mix business with pleasure and I'm sure when you're ready, you'll tell me what it is.'

Mac looked thoughtful and finished his coffee. ‘Come with me,' he said, taking her hand and leaving a handful of dollars for the waiter. They left the table behind, along with the little wilted flower which had already begun to stand erect in the glass.

Mac led Sadie back in the direction of his room. He let go of her hand as they entered the hotel, and she trotted along behind him trying to keep pace while not appear too out of breath. For someone who hadn't slept all night, he was certainly full of beans. They didn't speak all the way to Mac's room.

Entering his luxurious suite, Mac once again reached out for her hand, and led her over to the massive vertical trunk in the corner of the room. He sat her down in a chair and opened the trunk, pulling out the old wooden chest and the framed photo of the guys on the
Nomad
. He removed the tiny picture from inside the back of the frame and gave it to Sadie to look at.

‘That was Ryan,' he said, as Sadie gazed upon a slightly younger Mac holding a small dark-haired boy. She looked up at him expectantly.

‘When?'

‘Several years ago. Ryan's mum was a solicitor acting for the other side in a high-powered deal we were closing. Late nights, long hours, high-pressure meetings – and I … I got too close.'

‘To her?'

‘To the boy. She and I would have probably been a fling, but for Ryan. Once she let me into their lives it was hard not to become attached to the little lad.' Mac played once again with the St Christopher around his neck. ‘You see I had a brother once who … died. Ryan reminded me very much of him. I thought, with me in his life, he might come out of his shell. I'd get a chance to be there for him – I was determined to do it right. To be a good dad. Stepdad.'

‘I'm so sorry, Mac.' Sadie reached out and touched his arm. He didn't move it away. ‘And what happened to Ryan?'

‘His dad came back on the scene – a devious character. Shortly afterwards Ryan's mother left town. But not before she'd fleeced me of as much as she could in the process of our split.' Sadie stayed silent. ‘The father helped her – they disappeared and took Ryan with them. I never saw him again. It was my own fault – I shouldn't have got involved.'

‘So from then on, you didn't?'

‘It was just easier to close myself down completely and keep my two worlds apart. I began living the bachelor life with a vengeance. My life became all about me.'

‘You're not really that person though, are you, Mac?'

He shook his head slightly. ‘It's a hollow way to live. It was just an excuse – an excuse that suited me for a long time. Until you came along.'

‘Yes, I understand now,' she said, leaning closer to him.

‘You do?'

She nodded.

‘I just thought it would be better to avoid anyone who already had kids – but not 'cos I don't like them,' he said.

‘Quite the opposite. I get it. It was in case you lost them, too?'

He looked away, and Sadie saw again that tender persona – the glimpse of a compassionate side of him she'd only seen once before.

‘Well, no wonder you didn't want to get involved with me, then. Not that you'd have found
my
girls so “adorable”. But I knew you weren't a child-hater, Mac. When I saw you at the children's home. The way you are with those little ones, so understanding.'

He nodded, looked thoughtful and then opened the jewellery chest. At the bottom lay the crusty old photos and papers, and he pulled them out and separated them.

‘First time I've looked at some of these in years.'

‘What are they, Mac?'

‘This is where I grew up,' he said, handing her the group shot and pointing to the small ginger boy on the end, leaning against a very young Mac. ‘That's Shauny, my brother. And that was St Wilfred's Children's Home. They did the best they could with us – with all of us – but it was a rough place. Shauny had asthma and wasn't very good at sport. Always being bullied. I got into several fights with the local lads, trying to protect him. Including one where they had knives.' He rubbed his face. She reached over instinctively and touched his cheek. He looked up at her and an understanding passed between them. Sadie felt closer to him now than when they were in the throes of passion.

‘Go on.'

‘I couldn't protect him enough. I should have been able to protect my only brother. But I lost him.'

‘Oh, Mac, I'm so sorry.'

‘Lost a brother and gained these scars. I deserved them. My own private memoriam. They always remind me of him every time I look in the mirror at them.'

‘And this?' she asked, touching his neck chain.

‘The St Christopher was his. The chain was all we had left from our mother.'

She reached over and kissed his cheek. He rubbed his eyes and stretched.

‘It was a long time ago. A lot has happened since then. You see, they have to learn how to defend themselves, these kids. It's never enough, but I do what I can. I run a programme for them – funding classes in children's homes all round the world.'

‘Self-defence classes? That's what your charity is, isn't it?'

‘Most valuable lesson – better than donations that might be squandered on new furniture for the staff, when the kids were left sleeping on broken beds and dirty mattresses …' He tailed off.

Memories, obviously hurtful memories –
no wonder he didn't talk about it much,
thought Sadie. She just rubbed his forearm gently. He didn't react, so she stopped it.

‘Tell me about your brother,' she said.

‘Shauny was a shy kid. Had a stutter. His childhood name for me was “Mac”, 'cos he couldn't say “Michael”. Then it kind of stuck.'

‘That's nice,' she said.

‘He loved boats and we always used to dream about travelling the world when we were rich,' he said. ‘That's what drove me in the first place, my promise to Shauny. But it couldn't bring him back. I'd let him down, Sadie. I couldn't protect him, and I felt my heart would break when he died. Part of me died with him.'

Mac seemed lost in thought. Sadie stayed quiet, allowing him his memories. After a minute he spoke. ‘That was the reason I buried myself in work, made my millions, and why I kept making them. Then I could run the programme, help kids like Shauny to protect themselves. And meanwhile I traded up and traded up until one day I could buy my dream “boat”, as you would say.' Mac was pensive again for a moment. ‘For a long while I loved living the way I did – a nomad.'

‘The way you
did
?'

‘The way I do. But who knows, maybe one day soon it'll be time for a change.'

‘Change where you live?' she asked.

‘Change everything.'

He looked into the distance, lost in thought and Sadie felt a burning question making its way to her lips.

‘Well, it may be a bit inappropriate for me to say this, but … Mac, if things do change, and you're no longer my boss, will you … keep me informed? I mean, if we're not working together any more, then … everything would be different … wouldn't it?'

‘And why would that be, Sadie Samantha?'

‘Wouldn't it? Oh gosh, sorry, there I go jumping to conclusions again!'

‘Well, I'm not sure it would be that different.' His voice was small, and Sadie mentally chastised herself.

‘Oh.' She wished the ground would open up and swallow her.
Serves you right for getting the wrong end of the stick again, idiot.

‘Sadie, tell me something. If we were no longer working together what
would
you like to happen?'

‘You're not dropping me from the project are you?' Now she was really not thinking straight. She panicked a little.

‘No, it's okay, stay calm, I don't mean that at all. I just mean, if I wasn't your boss, if we weren't involved in
business
, then what would
you
want to happen?'

‘You mean …?' Incredulously she gazed into his eyes. Finally the penny dropped. ‘If not business, then …?'

‘Would you still want me, like you said you did?' he asked, and he raised her sunglasses to look deep into her eyes. She felt herself melt in the middle as his fingers stroked her cheek.

Sadie felt an overwhelming relief course through her veins and she took his palm and guided it through her hair, pushing her head against his hand, closing her eyes. He took it from there, and when she opened them again, he was inches from her face. He pulled her head towards him and she inhaled as their lips almost met again.
Almost.

‘I hope that doesn't mean only pleasure and no business?' she said. Always the pragmatic one.
Can't you resist being sensible, just for once?

Mac drew back and held out his hand. Sadie's heart was pounding out of her chest again.

‘Shaking my hand?' she said breathlessly. Then perked herself up. ‘Okay, then it's business?' she asked, as she accepted his gesture and he shook her hand firmly. ‘That's good,' she said. But her words disagreed with the way her heart was feeling and the way her shoulders were drooping.