sure I’d misheard.
“How
much?”
He repeated
the offer. My bank manager sat up with interest.
“That’s a very
generous salary.”
“You’ll earn
every cent of it,” he said, which sounded like a threat to me.
“Does this
kind of thing,” and I waved my hand around his ruined office,
droplets of blood spraying freely, “happen often?”
“No, this is
nothing, a little unfriendly rivalry with one of my competitors.
I’ll sort them out soon enough.” He looked me up and down
critically and I clutched my bloodied handbag to my chest
protectively. “I’ll also pay for your clothing and styling. I need
you to look absolutely professional at all times. With my
clientele, appearances are critical to my success.”
I suddenly
felt dowdy in my borrowed clothes.
“Hmm,” he
added, looking me over again unfavourably. “You really are going to
require quite a lot of styling. And some toning as well. You aren’t
as in shape as you ought to be for a young woman, though I think
there are good bones underneath there somewhere.”
Make that fat
and dowdy.
“And like most
of my office staff, I want you on call twenty-four hours a day.
That is why I pay so well.” He added casually, “It would be best if
you moved into the building.”
“Live here in
the office?” I asked in surprise.
“Yes, several
of us live here in this building.”
“You want me
to move in with you?” I squeaked. My stomach did a double-flip.
He grinned
nastily, flicking his eyes up and down me again. “If you want to,
but I was thinking rather of a small place I have on the fourth
floor. One bedroom, self-contained. No rent.”
I blushed
ferociously at my faux pas and gathered together the
remnants of my battered dignity. As if I really had any choice. It
was either working for Heller or humping the landlord.
Unsurprisingly, on remembering the landlord’s greasy hair and fat
belly, I chose Heller.
“That would be
most satisfactory, thank you, um . . . Heller. When would you like
me to start?”
He shot me a
withering glance. “I have offered you a job and you have accepted.
You have just started working for me. I’ll ask Daniel to show you
around and then you will return to your flat and pack your
belongings. You will move in today.”
And with that
imperious order, he went to his phone and summoned Daniel and Niq
back upstairs.
Chapter
5
After he
organised a glazier and a cleaning crew, Daniel led me up two
flights of stairs to my new little flat on the fourth floor. It had
the same redbrick walls and starkness as the other areas in the
building that I’d seen, but there was pale green carpet on the
floor and the furniture was white, bright and modern. The flat had
a cheerful IKEA-look about it, although I was quite sure it was
actually very posh furniture. I glanced around me happily, thinking
that with a few little personal touches it would be quite cosy. And
I would live here alone, not with three other people! Sheer luxury!
It wouldn’t be hard to turn my back on my current dingy little
flat, with its rickety and lumpy tenth-hand furniture.
The bathroom
was modern white and sparkling clean and also housed a washing
machine and dryer. The bedroom had a comfy queen bed complete with
good quality white linen and a small walk-in wardrobe. The kitchen
was very compact, but fully-equipped with utensils and cooking
implements. The combined living-dining room was pocket-sized, but
so well-designed that it still felt spacious. Lots of natural light
flooded in from the white-trimmed sash windows, and with its high
ceilings the flat had a pleasant airy feel. I couldn’t wait to move
in. Daniel watched my progress through the rooms with
enjoyment.
“Everything
looks so new!” I exclaimed. “Has it been lived in before?”
“No,” he
replied. “Heller converted it from some storage space only recently
when he decided we needed another staff member. You’re the first
tenant.” I was speechless with delight.
“How
much?”
He repeated
the offer. My bank manager sat up with interest.
“That’s a very
generous salary.”
“You’ll earn
every cent of it,” he said, which sounded like a threat to me.
“Does this
kind of thing,” and I waved my hand around his ruined office,
droplets of blood spraying freely, “happen often?”
“No, this is
nothing, a little unfriendly rivalry with one of my competitors.
I’ll sort them out soon enough.” He looked me up and down
critically and I clutched my bloodied handbag to my chest
protectively. “I’ll also pay for your clothing and styling. I need
you to look absolutely professional at all times. With my
clientele, appearances are critical to my success.”
I suddenly
felt dowdy in my borrowed clothes.
“Hmm,” he
added, looking me over again unfavourably. “You really are going to
require quite a lot of styling. And some toning as well. You aren’t
as in shape as you ought to be for a young woman, though I think
there are good bones underneath there somewhere.”
Make that fat
and dowdy.
“And like most
of my office staff, I want you on call twenty-four hours a day.
That is why I pay so well.” He added casually, “It would be best if
you moved into the building.”
“Live here in
the office?” I asked in surprise.
“Yes, several
of us live here in this building.”
“You want me
to move in with you?” I squeaked. My stomach did a double-flip.
He grinned
nastily, flicking his eyes up and down me again. “If you want to,
but I was thinking rather of a small place I have on the fourth
floor. One bedroom, self-contained. No rent.”
I blushed
ferociously at my faux pas and gathered together the
remnants of my battered dignity. As if I really had any choice. It
was either working for Heller or humping the landlord.
Unsurprisingly, on remembering the landlord’s greasy hair and fat
belly, I chose Heller.
“That would be
most satisfactory, thank you, um . . . Heller. When would you like
me to start?”
He shot me a
withering glance. “I have offered you a job and you have accepted.
You have just started working for me. I’ll ask Daniel to show you
around and then you will return to your flat and pack your
belongings. You will move in today.”
And with that
imperious order, he went to his phone and summoned Daniel and Niq
back upstairs.
Chapter
5
After he
organised a glazier and a cleaning crew, Daniel led me up two
flights of stairs to my new little flat on the fourth floor. It had
the same redbrick walls and starkness as the other areas in the
building that I’d seen, but there was pale green carpet on the
floor and the furniture was white, bright and modern. The flat had
a cheerful IKEA-look about it, although I was quite sure it was
actually very posh furniture. I glanced around me happily, thinking
that with a few little personal touches it would be quite cosy. And
I would live here alone, not with three other people! Sheer luxury!
It wouldn’t be hard to turn my back on my current dingy little
flat, with its rickety and lumpy tenth-hand furniture.
The bathroom
was modern white and sparkling clean and also housed a washing
machine and dryer. The bedroom had a comfy queen bed complete with
good quality white linen and a small walk-in wardrobe. The kitchen
was very compact, but fully-equipped with utensils and cooking
implements. The combined living-dining room was pocket-sized, but
so well-designed that it still felt spacious. Lots of natural light
flooded in from the white-trimmed sash windows, and with its high
ceilings the flat had a pleasant airy feel. I couldn’t wait to move
in. Daniel watched my progress through the rooms with
enjoyment.
“Everything
looks so new!” I exclaimed. “Has it been lived in before?”
“No,” he
replied. “Heller converted it from some storage space only recently
when he decided we needed another staff member. You’re the first
tenant.” I was speechless with delight.
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