Gemma.’ He offered the girl a smile as she nervously tucked her dyed red hair behind her ear.
‘This way, Daniel.’ Jean pointed out her own office on one side and his on the other, as well as where he could find the vault, the toilets and the all-important coffee room. ‘We also have another girl, Marina, who works part-time since having her kids. We call her in if we need her.’
Dan walked into his office, a small room just large enough for an L-shaped desk. He cringed at the dingy cream walls. The feeling of confinement was broken by the ornate high ceilings. Folks would pay a fortune for period features like these now.
‘Would you like a coffee?’
‘Um, thanks, Jean. White with one would be great.’
While they drank their coffees they discussed how the branch was going and where all the files were located. Dan requested a few of the more critical reports to start with.
He had two months to get this branch into shape and to impress the company heads and, more importantly, his father. Over the years Dan had learned that a promotion was the only way to get any kind of emotional response from his father – a handshake, a slap on the back, even a night out for dinner. His father rewarded the dedicated, and Dan knew he could be just that.
There was a tap at his door.
‘Um, sorry to interrupt,’ said Gemma, poking her head into his office. ‘But Jean said you wanted these reports?’
‘Sure,’ he said, taking the pile of documents from her. He wondered whether he ought to mention Rick, make idle chitchat with her, as she seemed timid and unsure around him. But he thought better of it. He wasn’t here to make friends, and Gemma would just have to get used to him being the boss for a while, along with everyone else. ‘Thanks, Gemma.’
When the door clicked shut, Dan glanced over the papers. There were some big numbers on them, and lots of them from different clients. So many people were in way over their heads. He opened his satchel, fished out his monogrammed fountain pen and began to make notes of the most critical cases.
Dan sighed. Some of these would need some major action, and without even looking into things deeply, he could already tell that the bank would need to take over some of these farms. With no break in the drought predicted, these problems just wouldn’t, couldn’t, be easily fixed. ‘Welcome to Bundara. Home of the growing debt,’ he said to himself.
Chapter 6
IT was just about lunchtime when Renae came back from her appointment with Mrs Dardanup. Jonny had almost forgotten that Renae had wanted to talk about her weekend. When Renae had free time between her jobs, she’d often come down to the workshop to chat, mainly because Jonny listened to her ramblings.
After Daniel had left her workshop this morning, Jonny had been left feeling crappy. At first she’d been shocked to see him again, in Bundara of all places and in her workshop. God, how grubby did she look? Then the thoughts of ‘what if’ came – did she have a chance with this handsome stranger? Could this be her guy, her chance? But then to find out he was just the fill-in bank manager, well, it ruined everything. Why was it that the first new eligible guy to find his way to Bundara would turn out to be a banker? And then he’d be leaving town shortly anyway. He was so good-looking, too. Just the right jawline and chiselled features that elevated him to a Brad Pitt kind of handsome. Even with shaggy hair and stubble he’d still be striking, and in Jonny’s opinion, twice as hot.
Renae bundled past Jonny, carrying a plastic bag. ‘Okay, I brought us lunch. Let’s go,’ she said. Jonny followed her through the rear door, which opened up to her private room. It was where Coot had once lived, and Jonny divided her time between here and her old room back at the farm. At home she was so spoilt by her mum. This place gave her a sense of independence, of having left the nest, and sometimes she worked late and it was
‘This way, Daniel.’ Jean pointed out her own office on one side and his on the other, as well as where he could find the vault, the toilets and the all-important coffee room. ‘We also have another girl, Marina, who works part-time since having her kids. We call her in if we need her.’
Dan walked into his office, a small room just large enough for an L-shaped desk. He cringed at the dingy cream walls. The feeling of confinement was broken by the ornate high ceilings. Folks would pay a fortune for period features like these now.
‘Would you like a coffee?’
‘Um, thanks, Jean. White with one would be great.’
While they drank their coffees they discussed how the branch was going and where all the files were located. Dan requested a few of the more critical reports to start with.
He had two months to get this branch into shape and to impress the company heads and, more importantly, his father. Over the years Dan had learned that a promotion was the only way to get any kind of emotional response from his father – a handshake, a slap on the back, even a night out for dinner. His father rewarded the dedicated, and Dan knew he could be just that.
There was a tap at his door.
‘Um, sorry to interrupt,’ said Gemma, poking her head into his office. ‘But Jean said you wanted these reports?’
‘Sure,’ he said, taking the pile of documents from her. He wondered whether he ought to mention Rick, make idle chitchat with her, as she seemed timid and unsure around him. But he thought better of it. He wasn’t here to make friends, and Gemma would just have to get used to him being the boss for a while, along with everyone else. ‘Thanks, Gemma.’
When the door clicked shut, Dan glanced over the papers. There were some big numbers on them, and lots of them from different clients. So many people were in way over their heads. He opened his satchel, fished out his monogrammed fountain pen and began to make notes of the most critical cases.
Dan sighed. Some of these would need some major action, and without even looking into things deeply, he could already tell that the bank would need to take over some of these farms. With no break in the drought predicted, these problems just wouldn’t, couldn’t, be easily fixed. ‘Welcome to Bundara. Home of the growing debt,’ he said to himself.
Chapter 6
IT was just about lunchtime when Renae came back from her appointment with Mrs Dardanup. Jonny had almost forgotten that Renae had wanted to talk about her weekend. When Renae had free time between her jobs, she’d often come down to the workshop to chat, mainly because Jonny listened to her ramblings.
After Daniel had left her workshop this morning, Jonny had been left feeling crappy. At first she’d been shocked to see him again, in Bundara of all places and in her workshop. God, how grubby did she look? Then the thoughts of ‘what if’ came – did she have a chance with this handsome stranger? Could this be her guy, her chance? But then to find out he was just the fill-in bank manager, well, it ruined everything. Why was it that the first new eligible guy to find his way to Bundara would turn out to be a banker? And then he’d be leaving town shortly anyway. He was so good-looking, too. Just the right jawline and chiselled features that elevated him to a Brad Pitt kind of handsome. Even with shaggy hair and stubble he’d still be striking, and in Jonny’s opinion, twice as hot.
Renae bundled past Jonny, carrying a plastic bag. ‘Okay, I brought us lunch. Let’s go,’ she said. Jonny followed her through the rear door, which opened up to her private room. It was where Coot had once lived, and Jonny divided her time between here and her old room back at the farm. At home she was so spoilt by her mum. This place gave her a sense of independence, of having left the nest, and sometimes she worked late and it was
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