sounding me out, making sure I wasn’t going to make a play for him myself.’
‘And what does he make of it?’
‘Laps it up, naturally. He’s starting to give her jobs that mean reporting back to him directly. Every time she comes in he sends me out on some errand.’
‘Do you think they’re at it in the office?’
‘Parallel parking? I wouldn’t put it past them. There’s some fooling around for sure, but that isn’t here nor there. What really upsets me, Jo, is that I think he’s grooming her for my job.’
‘Really?’ For all her efforts, Jo wasn’t sounding as outraged as the story demanded.
Fortunately Gemma didn’t seem to notice. ‘Yesterday she was told to take a spess—that’s a specification—from a client. That’s what I do. I should have done that.’
Jo rallied a bit. ‘Bloody cheek. Did you tell him he’s out of order?’
‘No. I’m a coward basically.’
‘You’ve got to stand up for yourself or she’ll trample all over you. If it happens again, you march into that office of his and tell him you won’t stand for it.’
Gemma shook her head. ‘I know what’ll happen if I do. My office experience up against her pulling power? No contest.’
‘The place can’t run without you.’
‘I wish that was true. I was talking to Rick and he said no one is indispensable.’
‘You’ve discussed it with Rick?’
‘We had a drink last night.’
‘And he wasn’t much comfort by the sound of it.’
‘He said the writing is on the wall. I’d better see what’s on offer at the job centre.’
‘Oh great!’ Jo’s fighting spirit surfaced. ‘Listen, Gem. Rick is way off message here. You’ve done nothing wrong. You’re practically running that firm on your own. If you want out, okay, but if you want to keep the job you’ve got to hit back.’
‘What can I do? Call in the Headhunters?’
‘Let’s think. Like you say, she’s played the sex card, and that’s got him all fired up. We give him the cold shower treatment.’
‘How?’
‘You say he’s giving her the chance to meet clients. What if she makes a mistake that costs the firm a lot of money?’
‘I’m sure she will, given time, but I can’t afford to wait for it to happen.’
‘Exactly. You help it along. I don’t know how your office works, but if, say, an order comes in for three hundred booklets it won’t look good for the fair Fiona if her paperwork says thirty thousand.’
‘I add some zeros? She’d notice. She’s trained in accounts.’
‘It’s a matter of when it’s done. You intercept the order after it’s left her and before it goes to the printer. You can find a way of doing that, can’t you?’
‘I guess I can . . . but it’s sneaky.’
‘Gem, I don’t get you. Don’t you think she’s being sneaky, doing you out of your job?’
Gemma looked as if the sun had come out. ‘Back of the net. Yes, I could use her computer and alter the figures at source and reprint the order. It would be simple to do.’
‘Remember, for this to work it has to be several zeros, not just one.’
‘A major boo-boo?’ Gemma’s eyes shone again.
‘Precisely. And the beauty is, she won’t know for certain that she didn’t make the mistake herself. We’ve all done that, pressed one key too hard and made a row of letters.’ Jo was surprising herself with her relish for this underhand plot.
‘Do you think I’ll get away with it?’ Gemma said. ‘I’ll be the obvious suspect.’
‘If she points the finger at you, she’s admitting she’s made an enemy of you by targeting your job. She won’t want to do that.’
‘What about Mr Cartwright? He’s going to think it was me.’
‘Let him. He won’t be able to prove a thing. And he can’t be certain it wasn’t Fiona who screwed up. The main thing is he won’t dare put any more of your work her way.’
‘I’m going to do it,’ Gemma raised a clenched fist. ‘I feel heaps better now.’
Jo, too, was much recovered.
‘I
‘And what does he make of it?’
‘Laps it up, naturally. He’s starting to give her jobs that mean reporting back to him directly. Every time she comes in he sends me out on some errand.’
‘Do you think they’re at it in the office?’
‘Parallel parking? I wouldn’t put it past them. There’s some fooling around for sure, but that isn’t here nor there. What really upsets me, Jo, is that I think he’s grooming her for my job.’
‘Really?’ For all her efforts, Jo wasn’t sounding as outraged as the story demanded.
Fortunately Gemma didn’t seem to notice. ‘Yesterday she was told to take a spess—that’s a specification—from a client. That’s what I do. I should have done that.’
Jo rallied a bit. ‘Bloody cheek. Did you tell him he’s out of order?’
‘No. I’m a coward basically.’
‘You’ve got to stand up for yourself or she’ll trample all over you. If it happens again, you march into that office of his and tell him you won’t stand for it.’
Gemma shook her head. ‘I know what’ll happen if I do. My office experience up against her pulling power? No contest.’
‘The place can’t run without you.’
‘I wish that was true. I was talking to Rick and he said no one is indispensable.’
‘You’ve discussed it with Rick?’
‘We had a drink last night.’
‘And he wasn’t much comfort by the sound of it.’
‘He said the writing is on the wall. I’d better see what’s on offer at the job centre.’
‘Oh great!’ Jo’s fighting spirit surfaced. ‘Listen, Gem. Rick is way off message here. You’ve done nothing wrong. You’re practically running that firm on your own. If you want out, okay, but if you want to keep the job you’ve got to hit back.’
‘What can I do? Call in the Headhunters?’
‘Let’s think. Like you say, she’s played the sex card, and that’s got him all fired up. We give him the cold shower treatment.’
‘How?’
‘You say he’s giving her the chance to meet clients. What if she makes a mistake that costs the firm a lot of money?’
‘I’m sure she will, given time, but I can’t afford to wait for it to happen.’
‘Exactly. You help it along. I don’t know how your office works, but if, say, an order comes in for three hundred booklets it won’t look good for the fair Fiona if her paperwork says thirty thousand.’
‘I add some zeros? She’d notice. She’s trained in accounts.’
‘It’s a matter of when it’s done. You intercept the order after it’s left her and before it goes to the printer. You can find a way of doing that, can’t you?’
‘I guess I can . . . but it’s sneaky.’
‘Gem, I don’t get you. Don’t you think she’s being sneaky, doing you out of your job?’
Gemma looked as if the sun had come out. ‘Back of the net. Yes, I could use her computer and alter the figures at source and reprint the order. It would be simple to do.’
‘Remember, for this to work it has to be several zeros, not just one.’
‘A major boo-boo?’ Gemma’s eyes shone again.
‘Precisely. And the beauty is, she won’t know for certain that she didn’t make the mistake herself. We’ve all done that, pressed one key too hard and made a row of letters.’ Jo was surprising herself with her relish for this underhand plot.
‘Do you think I’ll get away with it?’ Gemma said. ‘I’ll be the obvious suspect.’
‘If she points the finger at you, she’s admitting she’s made an enemy of you by targeting your job. She won’t want to do that.’
‘What about Mr Cartwright? He’s going to think it was me.’
‘Let him. He won’t be able to prove a thing. And he can’t be certain it wasn’t Fiona who screwed up. The main thing is he won’t dare put any more of your work her way.’
‘I’m going to do it,’ Gemma raised a clenched fist. ‘I feel heaps better now.’
Jo, too, was much recovered.
‘I
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