Blank Slate Kate

Chapter 21

Would she want to be with him if she knew about the date rape charge? Before I left Jake's place on Friday I'd asked if Hannah knew and he said, "Definitely not. I didn't tell anyone. I was too embarrassed."

Embarrassed or guilty?

Once we've cleaned up and Jake has brought Hannah her new drink, she says, "So, Kate, Ryan, can I show you my plan? I showed Jake and he thinks it's okay, but I thought I'd ask you two high-flying business types."

"Because you can't trust me, right?"

Jake's voice is colder than it should be since Hannah was clearly joking, but I know why even though her confusion says she doesn't. Anything to do with trust and belief is tough for Jake at the moment.

Ryan says calmly, "It's not about trust. It's always good to get extra opinions."

Hannah smiles at him, relieved. "Exactly." She hands us both a few sheets of paper. "Kate, I made the changes you suggested, and a few more besides. I hope I've got it right this time." She nudges me and gives us both a pen. "Since last time you needed to make so many notes."

Ryan chuckles. "She's brilliant at plans. My boss tries to hire her every time she sees him but she always turns him down."

"What do you do, Ryan?"

He tells her what small firm acquisitions are all about, and Jake mutters something that sounds like, "Bleed them dry."

I turn to him, frowning, but Ryan's there first. "We give them fair deals, actually, and encourage them to have their own accountants and lawyers check them out. We wouldn't last long in this business if we ripped them off."

I look back at Ryan, ignoring Jake's reluctant, "I guess," and say, "Your boss wants me to work there?"

He smiles at me. "He'd hire you in a second."

Maybe not now, given the gaping hole in my memory.

Ryan's smile fades. He's probably thought the same thing. We give each other a rueful look then set to reading Hannah's plan. I feel the same "how should I know?" sensation I had last time but again my brain analyzes the plan on a level I don't remember learning how to reach. I go through the whole thing, making only a few notes, then wait for Ryan to finish.

He does, then looks to me. "Go ahead."

I shake my head. "I want to hear what you think first."

"Okay." He turns to Hannah and tells her exactly what I was going to say: the plan is solid but has a few shaky details.

"And what do you think, Kate?" Hannah says when he's done listing the flaws.

I smile at her. "Ditto. Those were the only details I thought needed work too."

She grins, clearly relieved. "Those are easy to fix. And now that I've got one client I can get tons more."

"For sure," I say. "All the best-dressed women in Toronto will owe all their style to you."

She lights up. "And then I'll expand to other cities. Ottawa, Vancouver, Montreal... and then maybe into the States. And Europe! Maybe the Queen will hire me."

We laugh, and even Jake chuckles at this and says, "She could use a new stylist. She's looked the same forever."

"Has to look like her portrait on the coins, I guess," Ryan says. "Anyhow, good job, Hannah. It sounds like you've really improved the plan since Donna saw it last."

Jake stiffens when Ryan calls me Donna, then turns to me and says, "It was amazing, what you did with it that first time. I just kept thinking, 'Kate must be a CEO'."