The Dating Game Page 25

  Angus agreed that being portable certainly helped. After Gill ran through further instructions, and advised him that she wanted him to sit with Janice for a part of that morning, so she could show him the systems they used, she asked him if he had any questions.

  ‘No, that all seems clear. I did want to point out that I have some clients that you haven’t mentioned. Now, perhaps you do already have relationships with them, but I made a list of my clients so that I could compare them against yours. There are bound to be a couple you haven’t dealt with.’

  Gill took the sheet of paper which Angus withdrew from his briefcase. It contained a list of some thirty names, most of them known to her, but also five new ones.

  ‘OK, in addition to the existing clients I’ve transferred to you, I’d like you to see who you can convert from your list.’ She made a few markings on his sheet and returned it to him. They left the conference room and Gill entrusted Angus to Janice’s care. She had a good feeling about this young man. He was bright, articulate, showed initiative, and she thought they might all have a laugh together – essential in such a small workplace.

  Gill spent a great part of the time Janice was training Angus on the systems, arranging appointments with the clients she intended to pass to him. It was very important to highlight the agency’s professionalism. Yes, it would be time-consuming, but she wanted to make a proper, formal introduction to her clients, rather than a perfunctory e-mail or phone call to confirm the handover.

  Around one o’clock, Janice came through to ask Gill what she wanted for lunch. Was that the time? Angus volunteered to nip across to the café to get lunch. Once he had gone, Janice and Gill exchanged a look of approval.

  ‘How’s the systems training going?’ Gill asked.

  ‘Fine, we’re nearly finished. Just have invoicing to show him.’

  Although the recruitment consultants wouldn’t deal with all aspects of admin, Gill felt it important they know every facet of the business. In a small company, everyone needed to be hands-on.

  ‘Great. Amanda, after lunch, can you come in to my office for a second?’

  Gill had received an e-mail from Janice, advising that Amanda’s work ethic and enthusiasm were exemplary and that they’d got on like a house on fire. Janice had recommended they keep her on, if possible.

  Knowing that two recruitment consultants would create more work and having Janice’s buy-in, Gill had done her sums and decided that the agency could afford it.

  The four sat companionably in the conference room eating lunch together, with Janice or Amanda getting the phone whenever it rang.

  Angus told them that he lived in the west end in a flat he had been in since his student days. As Amanda and he started talking about pubs and clubs, Gill assessed her new hire. At five feet seven or so, you couldn’t call him tall; ginger hair, freckly faced and with open body language. He had a belly laugh, which made Gill smile. Some comment Amanda had made had set him off. It was a warm, rich laugh and again, Gill had the sensation of having made the right decision. The platinum wedding ring he wore glinted in the sunlight, and Gill wondered why she hadn’t realised he was married before now. Did he have kids? It didn’t matter. She felt sure he would give her agency one hundred percent and that was all that she cared about.

  Amanda was delighted with the news that she was being kept on, subject to acceptance of the contract Gill would draw up for her. At one stage Gill feared Amanda might hug her, so she had been glad of the desk separating them.

  Towards the end of the day, Gill spent a bit more time with Angus in the conference room, as they planned out the next few weeks. She had already received a couple of meeting confirmations. One client had been a tad bolshie, but she knew how to handle him. She’d go and meet him alone first, and arrange to have a meeting with both her and Angus a few days later. It had been a productive day and Gill couldn’t help feeling excited that her agency was entering a new era.

  A quick trip to the supermarket for some essentials on the way and Gill was home by seven thirty. She was determined to learn to cook. Pasta was the only thing she knew how to make and that was because often it just meant pouring a sauce over it. It was time to turn over a new leaf. Today she would prepare grilled chicken breast. Even she couldn’t go wrong with that.

  For a first attempt, Gill thought she had done pretty well. OK, some of the floury coating was probably thicker in some places than in others, but it didn’t taste too bad and it was cooked properly.

  Satisfied with her culinary efforts, she sat back, replete, and began checking her messages and e-mails. There were a few more replies to her meeting requests. She responded to these and then checked her personal e-mail, hoping to see a message from Anton. Nothing. Gill felt a twinge of unease. Wouldn’t it be normal for a man to get in touch after sharing what they had? It hadn’t just been sex, she’d felt sure of it. She couldn’t believe that’s all it had been to him. She’d give it a few more days. Yet she couldn’t help feeling an overwhelming sadness, at the sensation of something lost.

  There was a message from Charlie. Charlie. She’d almost forgotten about him, with all that had been going on. But who could forget the few passionate moments they had shared.

  ‘Hi Gill. Hope you enjoyed yourself in Barcelona. Keen to hear all about it. I’ve been thinking about you…a lot. Are you free on Saturday? Charlie x’

  Gill debated for about ten minutes, then deciding if Anton wasn’t going to make more of an effort, she may as well go out with Charlie, she bashed out a reply.

  ‘Hi Charlie, had a great time, thanks. Hope you are well. Unfortunately not free Saturday. What about the following Saturday? Gill.’ No kiss. In many ways it was lucky she was already meeting Gary on Saturday, as she felt less threatened by him, more sure that nothing would happen between them. She gave herself a shake. So why go out with him then? Because he’s a nice guy, her inner voice told her.

  Putting a ten day hold on Charlie would give her more time to sort her head out.

  In her heart, she knew she wouldn’t sleep with Charlie, although it was certainly tempting. He’d be dynamite in bed. His skilled seduction of her that night had proven that. She had felt as if she were in a dream, and it had taken her a while to snap back to reality and put a stop to proceedings, before things got out of hand.

  Charlie was sitting on the sofa, drinking a glass of wine and watching the news, when his phone buzzed. He read Gill’s e-mail and almost gave a jump for joy. She hadn’t got away from him just yet. He was a little annoyed that he couldn’t see her this week. He’d have to make some arrangements for next weekend now, with regard to his daughter, who was meant to be staying with him. But nothing was going to get in the way of him spending time with Gill. Charlie quickly e-mailed back, saying that was fine, but could they meet around five o’clock, as he wanted to take her to a place about an hour’s drive from the city.

  Charlie cast his mind back to that night in his flat, when he had almost had her. He had been so hard and she had been so ready for him. But then something within her changed, the shutters came down and soon afterwards, she’d gone, leaving him with a raging erection and nothing he could do about it. He wanted to screw her so badly, wanted to taste her, kiss her breasts, feel himself inside her. Just thinking about it now made him really horny.

  A voice disturbed his musings, ‘Darling, would you like another glass of wine?’

  Charlie looked up at his wife, who had just entered the living room. He stood up, walked over to her and said, ‘No, but I know what I do want,’ as he unzipped her dress.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Thursday 29th September

  ‘Everything’s going well,’ Gill told Christopher when he called that night. ‘Work in particular. I made the temp permanent. She’s a student, so isn’t costing me that much right now, and I think, Angus, my new recruitment consultant, was sent from Heaven.’

  ‘That’s praise indeed, sis. Particularly coming from you,’ he joked.

>   ‘Thanks for that, Chris. I love you, too. So how are my beloved nephews? Misbehaving as usual?’

  ‘Are you suggesting my adorable children are anything less than perfect?’ Chris feigned outrage.

  ‘Would I? Such angelic cherubs have never before graced this earth.’

  ‘OK, don’t overdo it. So what about the love life?’

  Neglecting to mention Anton, Gill told Christopher she was going out with Gary on Saturday, and the following Saturday with Charlie.

  ‘You are busy. Well, it’s about time. You deserve someone great.’

  ‘Thanks.’ Gill knew that what Christopher really meant was that she deserved someone as amazing as Sarah. She thought Christopher and Sarah were really lucky to have found each other and even luckier to still be together.

  What Gill couldn’t tell him was that she had received another profile from the agency. She was glad he hadn’t asked her how she had met Gary and Charlie, and the subject of the agency hadn’t come up.

  She replaced her phone in its cradle and picked up her mobile. She read Caroline Morgan’s e-mail and then concentrated on the profile she’d received.

  Candidate Profile

  Name – Todd Grainger

  Age – 39

  Lives – East Kilbride

  Occupation – Sales Director

  Qualifications – MSc Marketing – University of Strathclyde

  Height – 5’ 11”

  Marital status – Single

  Children – None

  Smoker – No

  Interests: Golf, go-karting, books, music, films, dining out, keeping fit, comedy.

  Further information: Originally from Edinburgh, now live in East Kilbride and have lived on the west coast for five years. In my spare time I’m a stand-up comedian and I like to go to comedy festivals and clubs. I’m scared of flying.

  Looking to meet: Someone to share couple stuff with. Must have a sense of humour.

  Gill stared at his photograph. It was always difficult to tell how attractive someone really was from a photo. Often the camera didn’t do justice, but just as frequently the person didn’t match up to their photo – especially if it had been taken five years previously. His jet black hair curled around his ears. His smile seemed a little unnatural, but not creepy. Difficult to determine eye colour – grey, green? She knew she liked pale and interesting, but Todd seemed almost cadaver like. But he did look like he’d be a lot of fun, and what girl didn’t want to be with a man who indicated a sense of humour as a requirement? Unless, of course, he was going to enforce his stand-up routine on her - that could be fatal, particularly if he wasn’t any good. She noted that Todd liked books. At least they had that in common, since she didn’t know one end of a fairway from the other.

  Gill couldn’t quite make out his build, but if he liked working out and played golf, surely he would be relatively fit. She thought briefly of Anton’s body entwined with hers and then shook her head, as if to dislodge the memory. It still smarted that he hadn’t been in touch. On impulse, she hit Reply and advised Caroline that she could go ahead and pass her details to Todd.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Saturday 1st October

  As it was the only relatively formal item she owned which fitted her properly at the moment, Gill donned the green silk dress she had bought for her date with Anton. Perhaps wearing it on a non-romantic date, how odd that sounded, would dispel visions of Anton unzipping it. Hair up or down? Down, she decided, the opposite of on her date with Anton. Would he ever get out of her head? She was annoyed with herself - so many men, causing her grief. Only Gary had been sweet, no pressure. She wondered what his surprise was. She really needed something nice to happen to her, as she was feeling a bit low. Yesterday, she had felt on the verge of tears. No message from Anton. He’d be back in a few days, and still not a dicky-bird. To compound her misery, last night, just as she was leaving work, after a fruitful day, her phone had pinged to alert her to a new e-mail. Caroline Morgan.

  ‘Dear Gill, I’m sorry to say that Todd Grainger does not wish to proceed. I will be in touch again when we have someone more suitable. Regards. Caroline.’

  Gill could have thrown the mobile across the room. Was there a surer way to make you feel unattractive and of no interest to the opposite sex, than being turned down before the person even met you, based solely on a photo and a profile? If so, she was yet to come across it. Angrily and before she could stop to think rationally, she replied saying, ‘Caroline, in future, can you please only send me profiles of people that you have already verified are interested in meeting me? Regards, Gill.’

  At that moment, she hadn’t cared if she came across as abrupt, but perhaps her response had been a tad hasty.

  Gary had arranged to meet her at the main entrance to Central Station at seven o’clock. Gill got off the bus in Hope St, and walked around to the main entrance. At first she didn’t see him. Eventually he spotted her. ‘Gill, Gill,’ he called, waving at her.

  The man wearing a green tartan kilt, Bonnie Prince Charlie jacket and white wing collar shirt approached her, as Gill stared at him in astonishment.

  ‘Well, what do you think?’ he gave a little twirl and the pleats of his kilt fanned out as he spun.

  ‘You look incredible,’ and she meant it. He wore the kilt well. And Gill had always liked Bonnie Prince Charlie jackets. The question was, why was Gary wearing a kilt?

  ‘Not as incredible as you,’ Gary smiled at her as he took hold of her hands. ‘That dress looks amazing on you.’

  ‘Thanks,’ said Gill. She noted he hadn’t said ‘That’s an amazing dress,’ but had personalised it, paying her a bigger compliment.

  ‘So, what’s this surprise then?’ Gill finally managed.

  Gary smiled at her, eyes shining with excitement. ‘We’re going to One Devonshire. You’ll find out soon enough,’ and he took her hand as they walked across the street to the taxi rank.

  Gary wouldn’t be drawn when Gill tried to quiz him en route. She wondered if there was a ceilidh or maybe some other event on at the hotel. Sometimes One Devonshire held special events. The hotel was supposed to be a cut above. Whatever, it thrilled her that he had gone to such lengths to make their date special.

  Once deposited outside the hotel, Gary led the way, nodding once at the member of staff they met on the way up the steps. Gill was busy lapping up the hotel’s luxurious interior, when Gary turned a corner and they entered the Glenlivet room.

  Immediately Gill’s expression turned from one of anticipation to one of consternation. It was a wedding reception. Oh my God! She didn’t know anyone, she hadn’t been invited. How could Gary think this would be OK? She hesitated on the threshold, but soon had no choice but to enter the room, as a couple of girls were trying to squeeze past her.

  Gary turned around to speak to her and realised she wasn’t there. Confused he glanced back towards the entrance, and seeing Gill’s stricken face, rushed back over to her.

  ‘Is everything OK? I thought it would be a nice surprise.’

  ‘Gary, I know you meant well, but I don’t know anyone here,’ Gill whispered to him.

  ‘Relax. They’re a great bunch. They’ll be more than happy to meet you and so they should be,’ he smiled warmly at her. ‘Here, let me get you a glass of champagne and then we can mingle.’

  Gill nodded mutely. She stood to one side, as Gary approached the table at the end of the room, where waiters poured champagne into flutes.

  ‘Hi, you must be Gill. I’m Stephanie,’ the woman who appeared to be in her early forties, held out her hand to Gill.

  ‘Nice to meet you,’ Gill said for want of anything to say.

  ‘You’ve made quite an impression on our Gary,’ the woman touched Gill’s shoulder gently.

  ‘Have I?’ a dumbfounded Gill asked. This was only their second date.

  ‘Oh yes,’ Stephanie’s gaze was warm as she surveyed Gill.

  ‘Ah, I see you’ve met Steph,’ Gary held Gill’s
flute out to her, meanwhile throwing a warning glance at Steph, which Gill didn’t see.

  ‘Yes, so how do you two know each other?’

  Steph choked on her champagne. ‘Sorry, I think Teresa is calling me. I’ll see you both later,’ and with that she was gone.

  Wondering what all that was about, Gill turned to Gary, hoping for enlightenment, but he was waving to an elderly woman over in the far corner. When he turned back to her, he said, ‘C’mon, let me show you around. Have you eaten?’

  Gill hadn’t, so Gary suggested they hit the buffet first. ‘The food is amazing. It’s all locally sourced. Have you ever eaten here before?’

  Gill explained this was the first time she had ever set foot in the hotel. As they reached the buffet, she noticed several other people arrive.

  ‘Evening guests,’ Gary explained, ‘seven for seven thirty.’ Turning his attention back to the buffet, he said, ‘I’ve been reliably informed the lemon sole tempura is out of this world.’

  From the duck teriyaki, haggis balls, vegetable tartines and tempura that were on offer, as well as a vast selection of sandwiches, Gill avoided the sandwiches and the haggis balls and took one each of the others.

  Gary piled his plate high then said, ‘I can’t believe I’m eating this. You ought to see the amount of food we put away at the meal.’

  As they walked back from the buffet, and sat down at a table, Gary regaled Gill with the delights of the wedding meal. It did sound delicious. Part of Gill wished she’d been here then – the part that wasn’t already uncomfortable about being at a wedding, uninvited and with people she didn’t know. She didn’t even know whose wedding it was. She was just about to ask, but she had already bitten into the vegetable tartine, and was busy chewing it – oh, it was lovely and fresh, light and fluffy.