Even After All

Part Six

Chapter Six

Dylan wasn’t sleeping well, as luxurious as the suite he had was, it wasn’t his home or his bed, and he missed both. Saying that he couldn’t see him being there much longer. It wasn’t a hard task; Paul hadn’t made some key decisions with regard to the hotel. He had a day and a half of interviewing the staff and then he could conclude to the older man. He already knew what the outcome was likely to be, the place was desperate for modernisation, that and a few key issues he could confidently predict would escalate its popularity. Paul just needed to take his advice on board.

Straightening his tie, he checked his reflection, he was passable. He could do with a haircut, his eyes reflected the lack of sleep, but he was there. That was all he could promise, all anyone could ask. Breakfast, fruit and coffee, that was what he needed. With a deep breath, he marched out in to the world.

By mid afternoon he’d interviewed half of the available staff. As one of the chefs left he hung his head, would anyone say anything OTHER than how wonderful Mattie was. It was like a half day of tributes. The chef who’d just left had repeatedly told him that Mattie had helped him with work problems and personal problems, and then asked if he was aware of what an asset she was. He groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose, since he’d announced rather uncaringly that they had once been married it seemed that the whole of the team had voted with their feet, and were now judging him as a real outsider, some sort of threat. Not the most conducive way to work.

Jumping to his feet he paced a little, he was feeling out of his depth for the first time in years, and it was all due to her. Bloody Matilda Wallace...but she wasn’t that anymore, she was Mattie Davies. He’d never called her Mattie in all the years he’d known her.

Storming out of his office he entered hers after the briefest knock on the door. She was at her desk on the phone and glanced up with a questioning look.

                “Yes, we need the delivery by four or we’ll cancel. That’s the deal Mr Roberts, we can’t negotiate on that.”

Dylan hated that he started to feel admiration for her business manner, he was here to change things, not to sit back and admire.

                “Thank you, that’s wonderful...ALWAYS a pleasure doing business with you too!”

As she hung up, Matilda looked at him with those huge blue eyes and he shook his head, “why are you called Mattie these days? You hated having your name shortened when we were together.”

She sighed, “Matilda Wallace was declared bankrupt, Mattie Davies is my kind of rebirth. Clean start.”

That stumped him, “bankrupt?”

She laughed, “Who do you think paid the hundreds of thousands of pound debts you left me with? Your fairy godmother?”

                “Uh...I...” he floundered. When he’d left he knew he left debt, but he presumed over the years it had sat waiting for him to return...he had no idea she’d had that.

Matilda stood, “Matilda was a dreamer, Mattie’s a realist. That works. Now you’ve booked a tee for three according to Tony our resident pro, and he’s hoping to meet you.” She gestured at the clock, you need to get going.”

With that she stormed past him and opened her office door, dismissing him. As he hovered undecided as to what to do, he heard a booming voice call out to him.

                “Wallace! There you are. What about this game you’ve promised me?”

God sometimes he could murder his friend Patrick for his dreadful timing. As he turned to excuse himself he wanted to get to the bottom of this with Matilda, the door to the office he’d just left slammed shut, and the click confirmed she’d locked him out too.