Shifting Outlooks (Closed)

Sliding the key into the lock of her front door, Katy wearily made her way inside their apartment, followed by Matt. Their current moods contrasted; hers was tired and bordering on irritation, whereas he was elated and energised. Her Converse sneakers did not make a sound on the laminate flooring as she entered the open plan kitchen and living room to put the kettle on. “Do you not want a beer?” Matt asked, opening the fridge and retrieving the last bottle of Corona. “We can split it.” He smiled, pulling her close. “I really appreciate you being there tonight, Kay. It’s always a much better gig when I get to share it with you.”

This sentiment, although kind and compassionate, gave Katy a real twinge of guilt. She wished she could have enjoyed herself this evening- her boyfriend’s band were really great and they were a lovely group of boys- men, they were a great group of men. However, when one gets up before 6am to do battle with the morning commute in order to perform a demanding job, being kept up until after 2 o’clock is not ideal- especially when it is a common occurrence. “I know, I know, I’m your muse.” She teased, kissing his stubbled cheek. “You have the beer, I’m going to get ready for bed.” The young woman walked down the hall of their small apartment and into the bedroom. Sitting on the bed, undoing her laces she absentmindedly looked at the collection of Polaroids which hung delicately on the cream wall. For all Matt’s job could be annoying at times, her boyfriend’s occupation had allowed her to travel around the world whilst in her early 20s- a time in her life where disposable income was practically non-existent and a job did not tie her down to the same extent as it did today.

Having got ready for bed, the leggy brunette re-entered their open plan living space, wearing a non-descript t-shirt and black briefs. She prepared a mug of tea whilst watching Matt, he was engrossed some X-Box game. She appreciated his exposed forearms as he pushed the buttons a little harder than necessary, causing his ink clad muscles to flex. He cursed under his breath, as his dark eyes narrowed, obviously taking a dislike to come occurrence within the game. There had been a time, not too long ago where she would have sauntered over to the leather sofa, grabbed the black plastic toy out of his hand, before tossing it aside to straddle him. Despite having been together since university their love life had never really taken a hit, however she found herself, recently, shrugging off his late night advances. She walked over to him, informing him she was going to bed as she kissed his lips. He said he’d be there in five- they both new that wasn’t true.


Just as Katy predicted, she felt rotten the next morning. Even the force of their power shower and gale force wind she was met with on the way to work did not allow her to wake up nearly enough for the monthly sales meeting. It wasn’t until she took a sip of her very strong morning coffee that her senses awoke; the caffeine kicking her brain into action. And just in time, she had been in her managerial position for six months now and although she loved the role and the new responsibilities and challenges it brought, there were others who may disagree with her promotion. To be fair, she couldn’t really blame them, from an outsiders point of view they had seen the girl join the company at twenty one, as an inexperienced graduate, only to be given responsibility of a team, budget and region: Katy was Marketing Manager for the UK. She reported to the European Marketing Manager, Frikje Vaner who had mentored the young woman, albeit from a distance, for the past four years. Katy, who was eternally grateful for the organisation’s commitment to her career progression, felt there may be some underlying motive relating to her success. The organisation, an international manufacturing firm, really needed to up their game and move away from their current male dominated hierarchy, which Katy was pleased to see they were doing. She had embraced this change, being a very visible and approachable manager; she remained at her original work space and declined the offer of her own office, although, she sometimes regretted said decision. Her people skills were excellent, reflecting in her ability to stifle any animosity felt by her colleagues for her getting the job over them or the fact they now have to answer to someone they consider relatively inexperienced. Lastly, her strategic approach had allowed her to reposition the company’s offering in a more profitable manner.

Arriving at the office, the young woman scanned her ID pass and walked through the commercial department, wishing those who had arrived prior to her ‘Good Morning’. Reaching Marketing’s pocket of the floor she dumped her bag on her desk before asking Lucy, one of the market analysts, how she was. “Better than you, by the looks of things.” Lucy smiled, “Late night?”

“God, yes.” Katy sighed, as she hung up her black Burberry coat, revealing a crisp long-sleeved white blouse, tucked into a very fitted black high-waist pencil skirt; her Italian leather heels were a stark contrast compared with last night’s Converse. “It was really good, thanks.” She lied, “But, I can’t do with getting less than four hours sleep anymore. Anyway, there’s no point in moaning about it. Can you email me that report you compiled regarding South Africa along with a summary of the key findings, please? I need to review them before this business development meeting.”

This particular meeting was pretty important; she was yet to gain much visibility from the UK VP, Adam Nolan. She had secured her position and then a month later he had been shipped to Canada to oversee an acquisition. This was her chance to reinforce that her promotion had been a very positive decision on his part. Working closely with the sales team a strategy had been developed regarding the breaking into the South African market. It encompassed everything one would need to know about said market including the significant amount of risk, their target market and potential market share. Furthermore, she had volunteered to present it.

She walked with the Marketing Assistant, Gabby to the sales meeting. “Do you want me to book you a cab for tonight, Katy?” Gabby enquired. “It’s no trouble, honestly. I’m booking a couple of others anyway.”

“OK. Thank you, Gabby.” Truth be told the young woman had completely forgotten about tonight’s award ceremony- it was easy done. Being in London, there was practically one a week and as Marketing usually submitted the award entries her team were regular attendees. “This, one is the industry safety one isn’t it? And its plus one’s, is that right?” The assistant confirmed both questions. “Shit.” Katy muttered under her breathe, as she send a quick text to her partner, informing him thusly.

“Yes.” The assistant recalled, “There’s you, four HSEQ members, Alan, and some operations guys, too from here, and I think the four invited clients have confirmed too.”

Katy acknowledged her employees account of the evening ahead as she entered the board room. There were already several attendees already sitting around the long narrow mahogany table. “You’ve scrubbed up for your presentation, I see.” Smiled Dave, the head of sales. The pair got on pretty well- mainly because Katy could give as good as she got from the Irishman. “What do you think boss man’s gonna say about this?”

Katy shrugged, as she sat down in one of the large leather seats which surrounded the table. “I think it’s pretty good, furthermore, you’re not presenting it, so really what could go wrong?” She joked, receiving an approving smile from Dave. Redirecting her attention, when she heard the VP’s assistant entering the room, quickly followed by a rather jetlagged looking director.

This was a terrible idea, thought Adam as he marched towards the boardroom. He had flown from London to Paris to Rome to fucking Dusseldorf in the space of 48 hours. He had only arrived back in London ninety minutes ago, just enough time to shower, shave and put on a suit that wasn't crumpled.

Ninety minutes was the longest he'd spent in London - in England - for about six months. There was an extended stay in South Africa and other business trips through Australia, across the Americas and then finally back across the Atlantic. His office would have collected a fine layer of dust by now, if he still had an office. For all he knew, they might have thought he wasn't coming back.

Pauline was a slave driver, which Adam found funny, considering she was supposedly the assistant and he the employer. It seemed she forgot that occasionally; when he landed in Heathrow, she tossed him a bagel and a coffee, then bundled him into a car. He hadn't even gotten a chance to get home.

He sent Andrea a text, letting his wife know that he was back in the country. He used to hate people who couldn't take the time to make a call. These days, he saw how efficient it was. After all, he didn't have to talk to Andrea right now. They'd see each other this evening and she'd pretend to have an interest in whatever it was he'd done all weekend. That ability to pretend to care was something he admired about her.

That sounded harsh. He loved his wife, though he sometimes wondered if he loved her for the ease with which their relationship slotted into the rest of his life. Andrea had never been demanding of his attention; she had understood that he needed to travel often and sometimes great distances as part of his job. He had started simply with a Ford Escort and a map of the UK's major motorways; that had been over twenty years ago, when he scraped through a business degree and grabbed the first job they gave him. He was forty-six now, a little more grey but still full of the same energy that helped him up the ladder to the UK office's top job. The Escort was long gone; these days it was more common that he'd travel on chartered flights, with a driver waiting for him on either end.

"How was the continent?" asked Pauline. She was a thirty-five year old brunette with a long narrow nose and eyes like a hawk, her expression always hinting at a smirk.

"I'll tell you if I ever get a chance to look," he replied. "Remind me again why I thought it was a good idea to schedule this meeting so early?"

"No one ever said you had to be smart to be an executive, sir," said Pauline.

Adam responded with a hard laugh. Of course he knew why he was being shunted from the plane to this meeting; time, as ever, was of the essence. He'd spent the last two days speaking with the top brass of the company's other major European offices. The big push had been ordered from way up high months ago - apparently the old man or the old man's son had decided it was a time for expansion. They'd dipped their toes in markets across North Africa and into the Middle East, but now it seemed they wanted to set their sights elsewhere.

And so Adam had jumped onto a plane and began an odyssey around the world. Tired and frustrated as he was, the executive was still excited about the possibilities. Everyone knew business had grown stagnant. It wasn't enough to be the best in Europe, not when everyone else was striving to rule the world. He had pushed hard for the chance to oversee the South African venture and had put together a team from among the UK office's best and brightest. He had relied on Pauline's help there, as well as the managers in their particular departments. Just because he wasn't there, that didn't mean business ground to a standstill. He'd done his best to keep tabs on the best prospects but was eager to see what had been going on while he was connected to the office by little more than phone and e-mail.

He walked with his back straight and shoulders back, offering a curt nod to those he passed in the hall. He wasn't unpopular, but as he garnered more power in the company, Adam became aware of a need to distance himself just a little. He didn't want to be unapproachable, but at the end of the day he was responsible for these people and their careers. So when it didn't work out... you needed a wall of sorts, or you'd need a stiff drink or two just to get through the day.

"Don't forget, you have that award show tonight," said Pauline.

"Get me out of it," said Adam, adjusting his tie before they entered the room.

"No can do, boss," said Pauline with a grin. "Word is the old man himself wants you there. Potential clients and all."

"I thought being a VP meant I didn't have to hobnob anymore?" he said.

"Oh, sir, you never get out of that game," replied Pauline. She opened the door and stepped inside, Adam following on her heels.

"Good morning," he said, his dark eyes casting a glance over the assembled group. He had assembled a strong team, pulling them away from many of their usual duties to develop a plan for the South Africa push. He had a lot of faith in them; he had to, since it'd be his ass if they fucked it up.

"Let's not waste time, I suppose," he said, taking a seat. "I'm sure we have better ways we can spend the morning. Most of you look how I feel." He gave them a smile, then relaxed in the high-backed chair and tried not to fall asleep.

Taking a deep breathe, Katy rose from her chair. She took a deep breath, suddenly feeling a little nervous- not that she would show it. iPad in hand, she brought the preliminary slide up on the huge screen, 1 of 20. Standing at the front of the conference room she knew her VP was not going to miss a trick here and if there was a mistake she would be in the firing line. Nonetheless she introduced the team’s research, giving a clear overview of their approach and the structure of the work. As she delivered the work she maintained eye contact with her audience, her deep brown eyes constantly reviewing his reactions, was he enamoured, disappointed, interested, bored? He certainly didn’t seem the latter, which was always something. This bolstered her confidence and she began to relax; walking to her place at the table she retrieved a summarised document. “And, as you can see here, Alan today’s market report concludes these findings.” Giving the VP a moment to review the figures, she unconsciously fidgeted with her TAG watch prior to continuing; only pausing to take a sip of water here and there.

Upon reaching the penultimate slide, titled ‘Recommendations’, the tall brunette allowed herself to almost smile as she discussed the serious investment strategy the team had formulated. Finishing with, “We forecast initial market share being 4%, moving to a potential 9% in this £8.5bn market within three years. Do you require clarity on anything, Sir?” She asked, inadvertently raising a perfectly waxed eyebrow.
Her toned calves flexed as she walked back to her place at the boardroom table, she had been pretty tense whilst up presenting and sinking into the soft leather chair was like receiving a very brief massage. The group of team discussed the points which Adam wished to expand upon. This would not be plain sailing- their VP was sharp and Katy was positive that he’s soon think of some issues with their work; but on the whole the she was happy with her performance. Walking out of the room, having discussed their encounter after Adam departed Dave patted her on the back: “Well done, Kiddo, you’re playing with the boys now!”

Returning to her desk Katy sat on its hard wooden top, causing her skirt to rise up slightly as she did. Checking her phone, she read a text from Matt; he was bitching about the fact he’s have to attend the corporate event this evening, and that those things just ‘weren’t him’. Sighing heavily, the young woman hopped off her desk and headed to a spare meeting room. “So, I’m just supposed to follow you all over London during the week and get nothing back?!” She snarled down the phone. “This is bullshit, Matt!”

“Kay, babe, it’s just not me all this corporate stuff. You understand, you've known me forever.” He whined down the receiver.

“Matt, your career- “She stopped herself from what she was about to say. Her partner’s band had been quite successful in its day, when the guys were all in their early twenties. Alas, that was not the case anymore. Most of the members had realised this and settled for other lines of work to keep them going on the side. Hell, even Matt had started producing! What bugged her was that he thought she had sold out, taken the easy option, he didn’t get it, he didn’t get her, not anymore. “Look,” She sighed, running her hands through her thick glossy hair. “I appreciate you have issues with growing up.” He tried to protest, but she spoke through him. “You think that the rent gets paid by magic, that I just go to work and design a fucking poster- fine. I don’t care! But if you can’t give me support when I ask for it then we have huge problems, Matt. A taxi will be at the flat at 6pm to pick us up, if you’re there fine. If you’re not, well that’s your choice.” She hung up, noticing the shakiness in her hand as she pressed the red icon on the glass screen. They rarely fought and when they did she usually proved quite submissive, but something seemed to have changed. Not that she had too much time to think about it, the rest of her day was packed up until she left the office at 4pm to get ready for this evenings celebrations

In typical London fashion, as soon as you needed to get anywhere fast the tube grinded to a haunt; this resulted in Katy not getting home for over an hour. Arriving at her black of flats in the Capital's up and coming East End, she sprinted up the four flights of stairs and burst into her apartment. She had 45 minutes to get ready and not that the young woman intended on going all out for this evening, she did wish to make an effort.

Opening the fridge she retrieved a half empty bottle of Sauvignon Blanc and poured herself a large glass, prior to heading into their bedroom. She could hear the shower in the bathroom, signifying that Matt was home; however Katy would be damned if she was going to quiz him regarding his intentions for the evening. Stripping out of the clothes she had worn this during the day the tall brunette examined herself in the full length mirror whilst holding several potential outfits for this evening in front of her. Katy disregarded the red one- it made her shoulders look to broad; the deep purple one was no use- it made her look shapeless. The dark green- yes, that was most suitable- the colour exentuated her dark eyes and hair, hugging her where women need an item of clothing to encompass them and the neckline and length were a good combination of alluring, whilst maintaining one's modesty.

Just as Katy hooked her black lace bra in place, Matt made his way into the bedroom. She glanced sideways in his direction as he unhooked a suit from the wardrobe and laid it in the bed. She smiled to herself as she pulled her dark green dress up over her bare, lightly tanned thigh. "You should wear the other jacket- the black textured one, it looks really nice, not corporate at all." She smiled.

"Whatever you want, Kay." Her partner sighed, causing Katy's heart to sink slightly. However, she was was running very late, so letting the comment go she left the small room to touch up her hair and makeup in the bathroom. Re-emerging ten minutes later, the pair made their way the cab in silence. This behaviour continued during the half hour ride to the Hilton Park Lane where this evenings ceremony was being held. Upon arriving at the lavish setting, the couple checked their coats, picked up glasses of champagne which were being handed out and made their way towards the company's table. Upon sight of her colleagues, Katy took her boyfriend's tattooed hand in hers, and whispered in this ear, 'I don't care what kind of huff you are in, but for the next four hours, just snap out of it.' She pulled away from him and turned to her colleges, smiling as she exchanged pleasantries and introductions before finding her name and corresponding seat at the table, between Matt and Adam.

It was a smooth presentation, but Adam had expected as much. The people in the boardroom that morning hadn't been picked for their good looks. It just so happened that the brunette had the best of both worlds. He was only human, after all, though it was her outline for the initial push forecast for growth that held his attention.

Perhaps it was a little optimistic on her part, but optimism was by no means a bad thing. Perhaps he'd been in the game a little too long and seen too many other grand schemes come apart at crucial junctions. That was why he'd had to pick his team so carefully. If this went wrong, it was not going to be a minor dip in the company's upward trajectory. It would be a terrible blow to the organisation as a whole. Heads would roll, his no doubt among them. The old man might like you, but he liked his company more.

Pauline brewed him a giant mug of "coffee of the gods" and he sat behind the desk of his corner office for a few hours, going over the information booklet that he'd received that morning. He made a few cursory notes, offering some suggestions for improvements. It was busy work, mainly; the real work would come in the next couple of weeks, as Adam prepared a team to visit South Africa and talk with potential partners in person. He'd have to decide who was coming along.

"Well, I'm not going," said Pauline as she helped him on with his jacket. "Where would this office be without me?"

"That's why I like you," he replied. "Your modesty."

"Don't forget, meet and greets tonight," said his assistant, picking up her own coat and case.

"Are you going to be there?" he asked.

"Are you kidding me?" she said. "My parents have the kids tonight. I'm going home to my man, a pizza and a bottle of wine - not necessarily in that order. But don't worry, you'll survive without me."

Adam hopped into a cab and headed home as soon as possible; he had left the car at home and wasn't in any mood to endure the Tube. His friends had told him he should get himself a driver; it'd cost no more than the amount he paid for taxis. But he'd never gotten around to it and besides, he liked driving.

Andrea was waiting for him when he arrived. She gave him a quick kiss, then pushed him upstairs to change. She was almost ready, herself, dressed in a flattering little black number, her blonde locks resting atop her head in a stylish new do.

He showered, shaved and threw on a new suit. He had no plans to be at this event any longer than he had to be. Unfortunately, that could still mean hours.

"Where are the boys?" he asked as they got into the car.

"Tony's with a friend," she replied. "Micheal's got some new girl."

"That was quick," said Adam.

"He takes after his father," said Andrea.

"I was never like that when I was his age," he protested.

"Yes you were." A smirk crossed her lips. "Until I got my hands on you."

Well, that may have been true. Adam was actually dating Andrea's best friend at the time, but she spurned his advances as best friends were supposed to. That was probably what attracted him the most; back then he was already a bright young thing with a full head of steam. Most girls fell to him quickly. But not Andrea.

Just a shame that spark had been harder to find post-family.

They arrived fashionably late - or just late, as far as he was concerned. But it hardly mattered; there were so many people there that their entrance was barely remarked upon. They took their drinks and mingled, ambling arm in arm.

They finally took their seat and Adam was pleasantly surprised to see Katy sitting beside him. He made introductions.

"This is my wife, Andrea. Andrea, Katy here is one of our brightest and best. So naturally, I've dragged her kicking and screaming into the South Africa project."

Finding their table Katy exchanges brief, cheery ‘Hellos’, with its occupants, prior to taking her seat next to, Adam, greeting him with a smile, whilst being instantly introduced to his wife. “Hi, nice to meet you.” The young woman smiled, extending a toned slender arm across the CEO’s chest, to shake, Andrea’s hand. Katy glanced at, Adam as his pretty wife complemented her prior to shaking her head. “No, not me I’m afraid. I’m in strategic marketing, been heading it for 6 months now- don’t think it would be fair to say I looked after things in, Adam’s absence. But, yes, I love it!” She added quickly.

Having ordered herself a Hendricks, Katy returned her attention back to Andrea, giving the woman a well-rehearsed ‘Oh you’re pregnant? Congratulations!’ smile. Katy, at 27, was regularly being updated by friends regarding their marriages and pregnancies. The later was a phenomenon that the young woman could not comprehend and neither were high on her agenda. But nonetheless, she asked the obligatory pregnancy questions, scoffing as the skinny blonde spoke of ‘blowing up’.

“Oh, I’m sorry!” Katy exclaimed, placing a perfectly manicured hand on her boyfriend’s shoulder as he shook hands with the CEO and wife in turn. “Well, it’s more like part-time musician, full-time producer these days.”

“That’s nonsense!” Katy exclaimed. “Matt’s band is touring Europe in a few months and this time last year they were in The States.” She left out the part that the venues were getting smaller and the tickets were selling slower, and Matt seemed to be appreciative of this too as he gave her a warm smile.

“You’re always your worst critic, eh?” He smiled to the group. At this the young woman could feel her shoulders physically drop a few inches as she relaxed. He was out of his mood and his interesting career appeared to attract the attention of others at the table, providing an ideal ice breaker.

As, Matt answered numerous questions from the table regarding his career, Katy turned to Adam. Her department had coordinated the company’s attendance at the awards ceremony, including the entry itself. “I know you only just got back so I didn’t see the point in having Pauline bombarding you with any more than necessary, so I had Mike prepared to give the acceptance speech should we win.” Mike, the VP of Operations was sitting at the table behind Katy’s, “Also, the blonde gentleman sitting across from you.” Katy moved her head closer to, Adam’s so he could still hear her whisper. “He is a new VP at Samcor, and we are inches away from getting on their approved vender list, so you might want a word. Lastly, Supply Chain are very happy with what we are getting from Stork, their CEO is wearing the blue tie.”

“Us? Kids?!” Matt exclaimed “No! Katy has her a big enough job with me, never mind a baby. Right, Kay?” He smiled. He was kidding. Sort of.

The evening progressed as company personnel worked the room, flitted between their chairs to eat their meal and work the room prior to the awards beginning. It was some ex-Olympic swimmer presenting the awards for numerous industry accolades: people development, health and safety, rising star and innovation, which Katy’s company were solid contenders for.

The athlete was busy telling some joke about how innovative his technique had been prior to reading out the contenders prior to pausing for a moment, then announcing the result! She had been correct to brief, Mike on a speech- they won! There was much applause as people around the table exchanged congratulations, handshakes and kisses on the cheek. “A nice surprise to come back to.” Katy smiled to Adam, before giving Mike a nod to check he was alright to make his way to the stage.

Adam greeted Katy's words calmly, but mentally he loosened his blade in his scabbard and glanced out of the corners of his eyes. The information might mean nothing, but one didn't rise to his position by taking things at face value. The company wasn't by particularly cutthroat compared to the Americans, but neither was it little league where every player got a trophy.

One didn't achieve his position without a certain amount of standing in the spotlight. Junior executives that the clients recognized became senior executives. Adam didn't much care for hobnobbing, but he wasn't about to cede the limelight to an underling.

His eyes narrowed slightly as he regarded the shapely brunette. Was this her ploy? No, Katy was ambitious, but also smart. Foolish men no doubt had found her lack of curves unappealing, but he hadn't hired her for her physical appearance. No, Katy had the skill and verve to go far if given the opportunity to prove herself. In another decade, she could be a contender for his job. But she was also smart enough to know that undermining him now gained her nothing - she hadn't the clout or experience to benefit by it.

That left two options. Perhaps she was a pawn in someone's else's game. Mike's, perhaps? In truth, Adam thought Mike had a better chance of getting into Katy's pants than into Adam's job, but that didn't mean it couldn't happen. And Katy wasn't likely to have been unwarily manipulated into being a pawn by someone like Mike.

Second option was that Adam was seeing conspiracy that didn't exist. Perhaps Katy was just attempting to be conscientious about his heavy workload. She was, after all, new to the executive level. Perhaps kindness and sentimentality still guided her.

He glanced over at Matt. That might explain why the young professional kept the brooding musician as her significant other. No doubt he'd been dangerous and exciting for a teenage Katy, but she'd grown up, put on a suit, and became an adult. Yet still she hung on to this holdover from youth. She was not wholly unattractive; surely even she could find someone more suitable. If her heart wielded such sway, then perhaps he was wrong to suspect a hidden agenda.

"How kind of you to take my workload into consideration," Adam replied, taking the gentler option. "I appreciate your foresight." He smiled congenially.

"Still, if I'm here, then I might as well do my duty. Clients want to see the man in charge. Have Mike pass me his notes; I'm sure I can make do."

~~~~~~~~~~~
Small talk followed, which Adam gratefully left to Andrea. Katy hadn't been wrong - he was operating on too little sleep right now. Fortunately Andrea could talk to just about anyone. Though he knew for a fact that his wife's didn't have the foggiest idea about the of music Matt played, she peppered the musician with questions as if she were a diehard fan. And after 20 minutes next to Katy, she had ferreted out the young woman's hometown, family, schooling, work history, hobbies, and favorite color. Adam blithely listened, content to be momentarily forgotten.

When the award was announced, Adam arose and stepped to the podium. He made sure his path took him past some of the notables in the room - including the ones Katy had identified as potential clients - so that they could offer congratulatory handshakes. Such face-to-face contact was always good for cementing relationships.

Adam had to junk most of Mike's prepared remarks; they would have rung false coming from him. Still, he'd made most of his career on talking to people, so this was not a problem. Lead off with a joke that would amuse a room full of executives who'd been drinking for the better part of an hour. Mention key names - Mike's notes had at least gotten that part right - for recognition and thanks. Say a few words about how the company's commitment to quality was ongoing to impress potential clients. End on an upbeat note and then get the hell off the stage before the speech seemed long. Done and done.

Adam carried the glass plaque back to the table and handed it to Katy. "You were right to be confident in our success. I hope you bring that same confidence to the South Africa project. How about we meet at the start of next week to go more in depth on your thoughts?"

Now that the award was bagged and the Press Releases had been circulated, Katy could finally fully relax. She grabbed another glass of champagne and returned to mix with the room for one last time, knowing who she had to speak with both from a professional point of view and friends within the industry.

Finally, at around one am she found, Matt propping up one of the Hilton’s lavish bars. He was talking to an edgy looking bar tender, no doubt he had more in common with this guy than anyone else at this event. Pulling up an elegant bar stool, the young woman took a seat next to her significant other, her dark green dress rising a couple of inches up her toned thigh. “It was great chatting with you, Matt. And, thanks for the advice.” The young man smiled before turning to, Katy, “What can I get you?” He smiled.

Ordering a double Drambuie, Katy turned to her boyfriend. “Imparting some wisdom?”

“Something like that.” He smiled, looking around the emptying room. “I always feel like such a novelty at these things.”

“Erm, yeah. You certainly are not the typical middle aged boring man who attends these things.”

“Neither are you!”

“Aren’t you glad?” Katy smiled, raising a perfectly defined eyebrow.

Matt paused before replying, falsely pondering her question, “Well the idea of sugar daddy is quite tempting. But I suppose, if it came down to the crunch, I’d prefer you. You’re a bit easier on the eye.” He beamed, before giving her a playful nudge.

“Gee thanks!” She loved joking with him. At that moment, to Katy, he was the only guy in the world. When things with them weren’t feeling their recent strains, they were the perfect couple. Biting her bottom lip, Katy placed her hand on Matt’s knee, leaning forward and bringing her lips close to his ear. “And I bet I’m a lot better with my tongue.” She said the last three words very slowly before sitting back up straight and taking a sip of her night-cap.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Morning, Pauline.” Katy smiled as she entered the Executive Level of TCT’s premises in Canary Warf. It was a glorious autumnal day and the PA had an amazing view from her desk. “Good weekend?” The two women exchanged pleasantries whilst Katy admired the view for several minutes. “I’m actually up to schedule some time with, Adam. Maybe tomorrow morning?”

“You don’t have to come up here to do that, Katy.” Pauline smiled. “You must be so busy now.”

“Not at all. You helped me out so much in the past, I’d always have time for you.” This was the truth, as was the fact that Pauline was the gatekeeper to senior management, and keeping her onside would pay dividends.

Looking through Adam’s packed Outlook schedule, Pauline said, “He’s booked up until Thursday, however, his morning meeting with Engineering is about to be cancelled so, can you do 10am today?”

“Absolutely.” The young woman nodded. “I’ll see you in a couple hours. And thanks!”

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Checking her reflection in the elevator mirror, the young woman regarded her appearance. She looked severe, for want of a better term. Her loosely fitted black sleeveless blouse displayed her toned arms. The top was tucked into a pair of extremely fitted skinny black pants which stopped at her ankle, a couple of inches above where a pair of expensive black heels, which caused her to go from about five foot seven to 5 foot eleven. Her dark hair had been pulled back into a pony tail and pair of thick rimmed Ray Bans framed her pretty face. She was meeting with a vendor who had not delivered on a promotional video and it was, Katy that would be getting judged on that, if the issues were not rectified.

The lift pinged and she emerged back onto the Executive floor. “He’s free now, Katy- I saw him come in a couple of minutes ago.” Thanking her, Katy walked down the corridor, her heels clicked on the laminate flooring, until she reached the CEO’s office. Knocking once, she entered the spacious office.

“Morning, Adam. Good weekend?” She asked, taking a seat opposite him.

Adam returned to the conversation at the table. He turned in his chair towards Andrea. “I’ll be back shortly. I have an important matter to attend to this evening."

Andrea's blonde brows narrowed with disapproval. "Oh, heavens! Adam, you're just back in town! How can you have another meeting tonight?"

Adam leaned in close. With a mischievous twinkle in his eye, he lowered his voice. "As a matter of fact, I was thinking that after such a long time away from home, it was high time I took my beautiful wife to bed."

His wife's cheeks flared a slightly deeper shade of pink under her makeup. "Adam! Please! Someone might hear you."

Adam slid his hand higher up Andrea’s leg and squeezed his fingers into the softness of her upper inner through her dress. His pinkie stretched out trying to make contact further up.

"Adam!" she repeated, placing a warning hand on his chest. But he could see beneath her outrage, she was aroused by his indiscretion.

"I need to do a quick pass of the room to say some goodbyes. I suggest you finish your wine, and freshen up, and meet me by the elevators in fifteen minutes. We'll head straight down from there. I'll then tip the limo driver an extra hundred to take the scenic route home while we enjoy ourselves in the back. Agreed?"

Andrea permitted herself a sly smile and nodded sharply. They kissed softly, then stood and parted ways. Adam grinned as he watched his wife's curvaceous form disappear into the crowd. God, it was good to be back home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Morning, Adam. Good weekend?”

Adam glanced up from the file on his desk. He started to motion for her to sit, but saw she already was. Cheeky.

"Hello, Katy. My weekend was fine."

He paused. "No, that's actually short-changing things. I turned off my phone nearly all of Saturday and spent it with my boys. We took in a football match and had pizza afterwards. Then had a quiet dinner with the wife."

He smiled to himself. Actually, it'd hadn't really been dinner or quiet. Demure though Andrea was, she could be quite vocal in the bedroom. And in the weeks since their last coupling, they'd both been long overdue for that marital bliss. And my, had Andrea been pleased....

He refocused his attention on Katy. "I know, probably sounds dull to folks your age. But spend weeks living out of a suitcase and the comforts of home just become irresistible."

Adam grinned. "Of course, you will have an opportunity to find out for yourself pretty soon. I intend to move into the next phase of the South Africa project while we've still got the forward momentum and I think you should be part of the next trip. The work I've seen out of you thus far has been solid, but I personally think you can't fully grip the magnitude of this project until you've met the locals and breathed the air.”

Adam rose from behind his desk and sat on a front corner facing Katy. “I came in early this morning and reread your projections concerning market penetration and market share in the timeframe you presented. I think you maybe a bit optimistic given the approach suggested in the team’s report.”

Pausing for effect, Adam stared directly into Katy’s eyes looking for a reaction. He then continued, “What if we were to go in a different direction on the South Africa project? The old man is very keen on growth, expansion, and an increase to the bottom line. What if we could make your projections look pessimistic? How would you feel about that?”