Learning to Fly - 24

Chapter 24 - Plotting revenge

Carly burst into the building via the staff entrance and almost collided with Lucas and two other men who were chatting in the hallway.

        "Sorry," she breathed as she pulled back slightly, then with an apologetic smile, she ran upstairs to the sanctity of her room. It was empty, Carly wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing, but she knew sleep would elude her, she was wired. Glancing at the clock she realised it was ten pm at home, not too late to call her folks, and suddenly she needed the safety and reassurance of her parents. 

Opening her laptop, she connected to first the Internet and then Skype. Within a few seconds her mother answered.

"Carly?" As always the relief was immense. Within a few moments, they'd converted their calls to a video version, and she watched her two parents sat side by side on her screen. She tried not to show the tears threatening to well or the waves of homesick feelings that washed over. It had all been so simple back then, it was hard to believe that she'd only been away for four months. 

"Are you going to get chance to come back at all?" Her mother asked after updating her on the comings and goings of her hometown. "We were hoping that we could visit you, but at the moment I can't get all holiday from work as Mrs Simmons has fallen and broken her hip, and Mrs Paul who has only just started by the way, has been sick for the last month...apparently I can't have any time off until they're back in work!"

Carly groaned, "that doesn't sound fair!"

Her mother nodded, "we're consulting with the union...anyway, that's too much to go into. Tell us all about Austria!"

It was so easy to ignore the last twenty four hours and talk about the people, the weather, her limited ski lessons, and her friends. Her parents were sat enthralled listening to her every word, she could only imagine how exotic her rather mundane life sounded to a wet and cold small Scottish town.

She was reluctant to hang up, but the call had been cathartic, and she finally fell asleep. 

Carly opened the creche the following day, starting the day. Half a dozen kids had checked in and they were making clown hats when Rochelle and Marta arrived. Very soon the place was in full usual chaos, and it wasn't until her mid morning break that she had chance to escape to talk to Danica. she'd decided overnight that she wasn't going to let this lie.

When she arrived at the management suite, Danica was engrossed in her office, through the frosted glass, Carly could make out several other people in their too. She hung around for a little while, but there was no sign of any movement. Cutting out to reception, she groaned to see Lucas was the person working there. At the moment he seemed to be everywhere witnessing her downfall. 

"Lucas, do you know how long Danica's meeting is going to take?"

He looked up from his position across the desk and smiled, "nice to see you too Carly!" he stood and came towards her, "I don't hold the schedule for the managers, it's in the general office, you know that. Have you asked there?"

She grimaced, "they don't like me in there...I think Camilla poisoned them against me when I first arrived."

Lucas rested an elbow on the counter and looked up at her, "if it's not that, sleeping with the boss probably hasn't done you any favours!"

Grimacing Carly slumped holding her head in her hands.

Lucas suddenly felt sorry for her, he didn't know what was happening with her, but for the last couple of days she'd looked pale and worried. Even though she was snippy with him far too often, something in him made him want to help her.

"OK, OK, I'll get the diary!"

A few moments later he opened a large A3 size ledger on the desk and pointed to a ten am time slot. 

"Danica had a last minute entry meeting with Jens and Markus. It's going to run until midday at least."

Carly was suddenly worried, the three major players in this resort were meeting together, was it paranoia to think that it wasn't a coincidence that she had made a veiled threat towards Jens the previous day.  

"You OK?" Lucas stooped to make eye contact. "You look like you have the world on your shoulders."

Carly shrugged, "something like that. I'll call back just before twelve if I can, that seems my best plan."

Unfortunately, they were really busy in the creche for the rest of the day, and Carly had no chance of escaping, it was after one when she had the opportunity to take a break. Grabbing a sandwich from the canteen she ran up to the management level and bounded to Danica's office. Knocking the door, she was stood in the open doorway watching Danica as the older woman looked up. Instantly Carly recognised despair on her face.

"Carly, have a seat."

Carly nodded, moving to sit opposite her, "I wanted to speak to you earlier, but I see you were...held up."

She  nodded, "yes, we needed to discuss some staffing issues."

It was the first sign to Carly that she wasn't about to get the support she hoped for from Danica. 

"Well it's my management trainee application. I have been told that it was discarded before even being considered for the post. I was hoping for your help in looking into this."

Danica looked awkwardly at the younger woman, "I've been told that application form was never received Carly, I'm sorry."

Carly shook her head, "no, no, no. Jens office is less than twenty metres from yours. And aren't we in an electronic era? Don't you do emails? You can't blame this on a mis-delivery of mail Danica. This is a gross injustice and I'm not happy to take this lying down."

"Carly look, there'll be other opportunities, other chances to take trainee positions. After this confusion you'll be top of the list next time."

This wasn't an answer. "I don't want priority treatment, I want to be accepted or rejected on my own merit. Mr Konig has not done that Danica, he has excluded me for personal reasons. And I will not let this slide."

The apologetic nature of her smile told Carly that Danica was in a difficult situation. "Unless there's evidence that the memo stating your interest got to Mr Konig's office, then I'm afraid there's nothing anyone can do!" 

Camilla was finishing work at nine and as Carly cut through the management level, she peered out of her office, "you OK for beers later? I fancy cheering us both up?"

Carly shrugged what did she have to lose.

In fact straight from work she made for the small bar near the hotel, aware that there were a few hours until Camilla would join her. Ordering steak and a beer, she moved to a booth in the fr corner, sat alone with a foolscap pad trying to work out her plan. Danica's words were echoing in her brain, she had more than hinted that if Carly could find proof that Jens had received her application. 

She figured she needed to get into his office and look around. She was willing to take this as far as she had to, but would getting caught rifling through his office help in anyway? As she sat there she started to laugh, she was no detective and every bad cop film flashed through her head. 

"Something looks funny!"

Carly's head snapped up as she heard a voice, it was Lucas.

Shrugging she gestured to the seat opposite.

"So what's going on Carly? You are so preoccupied the last few days, I've been worried."

It was more than time for her to get advice on this issue, so she sipped her drink, then started with, "I've been denied the chance to be interviewed for a trainee manager post because Jens thinks it would show nepotism!"

Lucas nearly sprayed his own mouthful of beer over the table in his surprise, "you what? the bastard!"

So then the whole sorry story came out. Lucas was more incredulous by the moment, and when she finished with Danica's hint he slammed his fist on the table.

"I told you the man was a bastard, didn't I? Why the hell did you give in to his smarmy ways?"

Carly sighed, "don't go overboard with sympathy Lucas, please!"

He laughed, "how are you going to get that evidence?" Carly liked that he didn't doubt her, didn't question whether she should forget it all. He was as incensed as she was.

"That bit I haven't worked out, but I do know I'll have to be quick."

Lucas nodded, "if he knows you, he'll guess that you'll act."

Carly sipped her beer for a few moments, "I'm torn between doing that and actually going above him. I met someone from HR on my first day. I've got their details in the Cologne headquarters. I'm thinking of calling them anyway."

Lucas sipped his beer trying to hide his admiration that she wasn't taking this lying down. Though he had no better plan to offer her.

"I think the evidence will help, that's what you need."

She nodded, "the question is how do I find it. If he received it he'd have destroyed it by now, surely?"

"Destroyed what?" Camilla bounced across the bar and slid intot he booth next to Lucas. Within seconds she was brought up to speed. Her anger was greater than Lucas and Carly's, partly Carly knew because it could so easily have happened to her.

"Well there's an wasy solution to your problem. One of my jobs is to open all Jens' mail, anything related to new jobs gets copied for HR, I probably have that copy in my files."

They both looked at her with amazement, "really?" Carly offered. 

Camilla smiled, "Oh yes, it's one of my most hated jobs, but if it brings Jens down a peg or two then every tedious moment was worth it. Shall I go back and look for it now?" 

Carly smiled, this was the first real sign that she could do this, she could win this battle.

Camilla disappeared and Carly turned to Lucas and burst out laughing, "she's wild!"

He nodded, "she is. Are you ok? This is a lot to deal with."

Carly hadn't had the chance to think about what this meant to her. She'd resisted Jens for so long, but he'd gone all out to seduce her. Giving in had been the worst thing she'd ever done.

"I'm not good with sefl criticism Lucas, since getting here, I've made a series of bad choices. I'm not exactly proud of myself, but I think I'm in self preservation at the moment. There'll be the big downer at some point when I have to admit all the things I did to create this mess. But at the moment I'm running on adrenaline. So..."

He cut her off, "I didn't mean that. Jens is a powerful force. If he wants you he'll go out of his way to get you. You were nothing but a pawn to him. Don't beat yourself up, he had no intention of letting you get away. If it's any consolation I've known him a long time, and this is the most..." he paused as he tried to think of the word, "...enthralled I've seen him with anyone. You should take that as a compliment."

Carly looked up at his kind face, warm eyes, and that quite endearing buzzcut, he had no obligation to her, no need to be so nice, especially after all she'd done to him. The only right choice she'd made had been doing the right thing by Camilla. It had opened up a friendship with her, and indirectly with Lucas. And now they were both helping her beyond belief.

Smiling she stood and moved to the bar, buying him a beer. She was still smiling when she placed it in front of him.

Within half an hour, Camilla was back, a beaming smile on her face and a buff coloured envelope tucked under her arm.

"Got him!"  She trapped her nose, "it's my copy which is stamped and dated by the management suite. It's proof that it made it to him!" Dropping the envelope onto the table, she turned to Carly. "I think you'll find I'm drinking beer...and you're buying!"

Carly was still chuckling when she returned from the bar, "I can't thank you guys enough!!

"What are you planning?" Camilla asked once she'd calmed down from the high her investigative actions had elevated her to.

"I'm not sure, I was thinking about HR, then I was thinking about confronting Jens. He doesn't scare me..."

Lucas leaned forward, "if I were you I'd hold your cards close to your chest, you never know hwo this might go. Jens is a loose cannon in this business, if his father got wind of this he'd be furious."

Carly nodded, "I really need to think this through!"