Dawn returned to the lounge and sat back down next to her husband Alan after placing her mobile phone down on the coffee table in front of them. He could sense her tension.
“That was Bradley,” she said quietly. “He wants to take me out lunch tomorrow.”
He didn’t respond as he turned back to the television screen. Bradley was his boss. Dawn stayed silent as well as she reflected on events a few days earlier. It was the first time she had met Bradley. He was the new Director of Operations of Alan’s company having only been ushered in two weeks before following the American buy-out of Alan’s former employers. It had all been such a mess. The former owners had expanded too quickly taking over another company in the hope of gaining a bigger market share, but publishing was such a fickle business, and the market was still quite volatile. He couldn’t really criticize their reckless too much because his own publishing business went bust only eighteen months earlier.
Alan had had such high hopes six months earlier when he had been appointed marketing director. They had only just managed to survive a year of unemployment. If it hadn’t had been for Dawn’s supply teaching job, they would have lost their home and probably their marriage in the process. There had been very dark days in that period, and now the threat of their return loomed once again.
Bradley had called a meeting of headquarters staff and senior managers from their other locations. It was supposed to be an informal get together at the hotel he was staying at to introduce the new outside management team and give an outline of their plans for the future, but they all knew that there would be redundancies. His speech had been brief and to the point, giving very little away about future staffing plans but he did say that new capital would be available to keep the business going and to move forward.
Dawn had been impressed with him. Bradley was articulate and obviously knew his job; of course, he did have an MBA so he should know it anyway. She also liked him because he was an African American. Dawn had dark fantasies about men like him she found him incredibly handsome and also what she would describe as ‘fit’. She noticed too the wedding ring on his finger as well as the fact that there was a sparkle in his eyes when talking to women while doing his rounds of speaking to everyone present.
For some reason, she had been the last one to meet him and shake his hand. His grip was firm and strong, and his eyes sparkled as he looked at her. “Bradley,” he told her as he held on to her hand for perhaps a moment longer than necessary.
“Dawn. Dawn Price,” she responded. “Alan’s wife.”
“Ah yes. Our marketing director,” he responded.
There were a few moments of small talk and then she spoke out directly. “There will be cut-backs then?” she asked catching him slightly off-guard.
“Well... yes there will be some streamlining. It’s inevitable I’m afraid.”
“Will that be on a last in first out basis?”
He smiled before answering. “I... I intend to keep people on merit and not on their length of service with the company, short or otherwise.”
“Sorry to be so direct but Alan has only been with the company for six months. He was out of work for a year after his own business went bust,” she told him. “Not much of an advert for his business acumen I know but he does know his job and he is quite talented. It was just that he couldn’t get clients to pay up on time and the banks don’t lend like they used too.”
“There’s no need to apologise,” he told her. “I admire you for sticking up for your husband. Sometimes a business failure can be a valuable experience to learn from and do better in the future. My father failed in his first business venture, but he went on to do very well. He even managed to send me to Harvard Business School.”
“Well we went through quite a hard time, and I will do anything to see that doesn’t happen again.”
Bradley smiled, and she realised just then how her words must have sounded. “I... I didn’t mean that to sound the way it did.”
He laughed. “That’s okay. I think I know what you mean though. My mother was the same.”
Their conversation changed the subject matter and he spoke about his wife and family back in New York. “I will bring them over here eventually,” he told her. “Once I get schooling sorted out.”
“We have had to put children on hold for the time being,” she told him. “Until our future is more settled.”
She noticed his gaze drop to her tummy momentarily. “Well, we do hope to complete our business review very soon to put you and everyone else at rest.”
“Thank you,” she responded. “And if there’s anything either of us can do to help just let us know.”
He smiled warmly once again at her. “I... I just might take you up on that offer.”
Dawn felt her face redden.
“Perhaps you could give me your mobile number?”
She suddenly felt flustered. “I... I don’t know it.”
He laughed. “I don’t know mine either from memory. Is your phone handy?” He asked as he took his own out of his pocket.
Dawn removed it from her handbag. “Ring this number,” he told her before reciting from his system details.
Dawn rang and moments later his mobile rang. “There, we both have each other’s number now,” he said as he ended his call and put his phone away.
His gaze fell upon her face again before looking her up and down once more. “Well, thank you for our conversation. I would like to speak further with you sometime perhaps over a coffee.”