Consequences

Part 29

Isabelle ignored his swearing. It was obvious that having firms approach him because of his recently acquired connection, provoked him. "If they aren't interested don't go with them." She said coolly.

Doug huffed out an exasperated sigh. It was alright for her to sit there, smug and cool. He had the livelihood of various people to consider. "They offer the best deal for our employees. It's the best pension package around. But it's a closed shop. I don't play golf with the right people, and I didn't go to the right schools." That's what riled him. The fact that he was being judged not on what he was and could do, but on who he knew and how well. He'd been irate for most of the morning.

"I see." She murmured quietly.

"No you don't." He grated. But then he paused. It was her tone that had him gathering his thoughts. Doug saw that she had withdrawn, understandable given he had basically suggested that he didn't want her name. It wasn't that he didn't want her, but he didn't need her name.

"Ok, look..."

Doug interrupted her quietly, "I don't mean to be rude and interrupt." He began and waited to see how she handled that. When she simply waited for him to continue he expelled a long breath of air. Then he looked at her and said simply, "This isn't about me. Or my pride. Or even you for that matter!"

"Ok." There was a slight bob to her head as she acknowledged his point.

"This is about the livelihoods of just under a hundred people. If I trade on your name I get them a good deal. If I don't I won't. I'm not willing to mislead anyone. And trading on your name is misleading. But if I have three months, I can show them we are worth it. I won't sign any deals until the engagement is off. That way, if they take us on, they take us, not your name. However, neither will I put in a notice in the next day or two, or week or two to say this engagement was a farce, for the simple reason I will not have my company tarnished with a brush accusing us of trying to acquire business links by using your name an connections! God knows most of them probably think you are bank rolling us." Doug stopped, looked straight at her, then said bluntly, "I know your family were broke. My brother is a damn good hacker."

"I figured as much." She sipped her wine and said nothing more for a minute. "How did you break your nose?"

"What?"

She smiled, "If we are to be engaged for three months, I imagine people will expect me to know something about you."

"Boxing."

"Boxing?" She pushed the pizza toward him, "You don't fit my image of a boxer."

"I was in a fight with another kid from the neighbourhood." He owned before he munched into the Pizza slice.

"Ah, fight." She tipped her head to the side, "You do fit my image of a fighter." She reached for another slice of pizza, "What did the other guy look like?" She asked, giving him and indication that she did after all possess a sense of humour.

"Split lip. A couple of bruises. He won." He reached for his glass, "Your turn. Tell me something about you."

"We aren't rich." Isabelle replied with candidness.

He swallowed the wine, then said, "You know I know that. And that's about your family not you."

"I'm terribly stubborn."

He grinned.

"I am."

"Why did you tell me that?"

"You said..."

"You could have told me you don't drink coffee, or something equally inane." And the fact she had told him something more personal suggested someone with an intrinsic moral core. You could trust this woman. You could rely on her.

"And telling you I'm stubborn isn't."

He shook his head, his lips curved into a smile, and his eyes locked on hers, as he replied, "It's on a par with me being a fighter."

"The strange thing is," She tilted her head and studied him for a second, "I don't think you fight for your self." He raised his eyebrows, she shrugged then added with a sheepish smile, "You do it for other people."

He narrowed his eyes, "You some sort of psychic?" He teased, wondering how she knew the fight he'd got into was to protect his family.

"It's obvious."

"Obvious?" How could his reasons for fighting be obvious. Everyone who wasn't a family member or someone he'd known for years thought of him as being inscrutable. Yet this woman had already deduced that he fought for others.

"You fight to protect your employees. You fight to protect what you've established and the reputation you've built. I'd say you probably got into a fight to protect someone close to you."

"You're spooky you know that." The tension from the meeting earlier that day all but eased out of him as he took a moment and grinned at her.

"Close huh?"

He finished munching. "Too close."