Read Christmas Kiss for Free Online Page B

about to call a taxi so you caught me at the right moment.’ He indicated a seat and she sat down.
    ‘I’ve been working on everyone’s targets, today. We need to revise the whole system if we are to keep all the administrative staff. Business rates are rising and well, frankly, there just isn’t enough income being generated.’ He handed her a sheet of paper. ‘This is what I’ve set for you, based on the client base you had over the past six months and your own fee hours.’ She glanced down at the words and figures and gasped. She looked back at him.
    ‘You are surely joking? I can’t achieve this. For one thing, it depends on who walks in through the door. You’ve seen the sort of cases I work on. As I said the other day, these are all people with little or no income. They’ve been through divorces and family break up. Some of them are struggling to pay unrealistic fees set by the support agency. How can I suddenly start charging them fees like this?’
    The cool grey eyes stared back at her, unblinking. He was silent. The mouth she had thought generous and attractive was set in a firm line. He drew in his breath at last, he spoke.
    ‘I’m sorry you see it that way. I’m really not trying to be unreasonable but we have to face reality. It’s a case of this or sack two or more of the admin staff. I know none of you would be happy with that. We all rely on them for many things and you’d end up doing things like your own photocopying and typing letters. That strikes me as being a waste of expensive time and inevitably would mean longer hours. Give it a try and we’ll review it in a few weeks. Now, I mustn’t keep you any longer. You’ll be wanting to get home.’
    ‘Right. Thanks. Erm ... would it be convenient for a lift in tomorrow?’
    ‘Certainly. Same time as this morning?’
    ‘Thanks. That’s fine.’ She hesitated, wondering when he’d have time to see to Major and his own horse. It didn’t look as though he was ready to leave yet and it was already dark outside. Her horse would need his feed and to be put inside the stable.
    ‘Is there something else? I’m afraid I’m not finished yet so I can’t offer you a lift home.’
    ‘No, it wasn’t that. I was ...’
    ‘Oh. You’re worried about Major? It’s fine. Mrs Harper was putting them both in the stables and seeing to the feed for both of them. They’ll be well looked after. No worries.’
    ‘Thank you,’ she murmured. Good old Mrs Harper, she thought sarcastically. The woman was obviously making herself indispensable. So what? she thought. She should be grateful someone was looking after her dear Major. Why should she feel any sort of silly resentment, or could it be jealousy, about the woman? Alex may have been friendly enough outside work but he certainly wasn’t showing her any favours in the office. In fact, she would be interested to see if everyone had such unrealistic targets set or whether he was actually making sure he wasn’t seen to be showing her any favouritism. She tried to convince herself that he was nothing to her on a personal level. It was kind of him to take in her horse and to have given her a meal the other night but whatever her idiotic thoughts might have been the previous evening, they didn’t have a future and it wasn’t the start of something . She dialled the taxi firm and went into the reception area to wait. Alex Weston was an enigma.
    ‘T-G-I-F,’ called Charles Talbot as he breezed through reception the next day. ‘I do love Fridays. My, you are getting in early these days,’ he said as he leaned on the door post of Sarah’s office. She and Alex had driven in with very few words again. He wasn’t a man who liked to chatter when driving, she had realised. He didn’t want to discuss anything much at that time of day. It was fine with her. Gave her time to reflect on the coming workload.
    ‘Lots to catch up on.’ She could smell his aftershave from the other side of the room. Someone