Learning to Fly - 27

Chapter 27 - A Day Off

The next morning Carly was in work early, Rochelle and Marta knew that there were things afoot, trouble for Carly, but the less she told them the less they could worry about. Lucas text her mid morning to confirm as per her plan that Jens was in his office, and had nothing planned until after lunch.

"Sorry Rochelle. I know I've been absent a lot this week. But I really need to go and speak to Jens. Will you manage for an hour without me?"

Rochelle nodded, "of course! But I am worried about you."

Carly smiled, "I'm trying to sort this out. And if I do, I will only ever listen to you in the future!"

Rochelle hugged her, "if I can do anything to help?"

Carly smiled, "I'm not getting anyone else involved in my war, but thank you so much honey!"

Jens' office door was partly ajar as she marched up to it with a confidence she didn't really feel. At her firm rap, he called out, "come in!" He didn't glance up until she was stood in front of him. When his eyes met hers she saw a chink of sympathy? Sadness? But then the mask of arrogance and condescension appeared and it was back to hatred and animosity.

"I want to talk to you Jens. About the room search two days ago."

He shrugged, "you were seen leaving my office, the stuff appertained to you. Why wouldn't I check out that?"

She shook her head, "I thought we were friends. We've been through a lot. How did it all get to this?"

Laughing, he twisted in his chair and got to her feet strolling around the desk to face her brazenly, "I thought that too, but you took advantage of it, as they all do!"

Carly shook her head in amazement, "I did nothing. You chose to snub me from an opportunity I was entitled to. You seemed to think that I'd just let that happen, but now that I've stood up to that, that I questioned your activity, you have thrown your toys out of the pram."

The laugh he gave would have been appropriate for a voice over in a hammer house horror story, a cackle of evil proportions.

"You doubt that?" she asked. "Are you trying to say that the two events aren't connected?"

He shook his head, "two things of note here Miss McLellan, one - I am a manager and thus I act as I deem appropriate for the best of the business, and two - you have no authority to come in here and question me!"

Carly had hoped that he'd respond differently, that he wouldn't be petty, but no such luck. But she had two hidden cards. "Well I disagree, and I think that head office, and probably your father would be interested in hearing my story. Then there's Paul Carter, he's arriving in two weeks and has specifically asked me to be here to help him again. He's a big client, and a regular one at that. Can you afford to upset him?"

His eyes were wide and she could see his white knuckles on the fists that were grasped tightly by her side. So she turned and walked away. She'd made her point, and hoped that it gave him some food for thought. But stage two of her plan was to post the complaint and document to the regional manager. She had a feeling that Jens would act soon, he wanted to dismiss her, she knew that. But she'd fight him with every breath.

After work the following day, she once again hit the slopes for an hour with her new tutor Lucas. As promised by him, she started more confidently, and by the end of ninety minutes...more time than intended at her plea, she was addicted.

They stopped in a bar on the way back from their activity for a little apres ski, and sat out on the heated veranda watching the die hard snow lovers fighting to still enjoy their sport in the decreasing light. 

"I think he's going to sack me." Carly confessed when Lucas asked her how her 'meeting' with Jens had gone.

"He can't do that!" 

She shrugged, "I can fight it, I've got good grounds for winning any legal battle with him, but I have no money to do that, and then what happens next. Either I'm kept on under extremely difficult circumstances, or I win a battle for unfair dismissal. I may get compensation, but what good is that if I'm thrown out of here. It's too late in the season to find another ski resort."

He paused for a moment, watching her with admiration, "I think you're so strong Carly, and that strength will sort things out for you, you'll see."

She shrugged, "this was my chance. Even if I got a job elsewhere I have no way of getting there." Looking up at his understanding face, she sighed, "I send a third of my salary back to my parents, they couldn't manage without it."

His eyes widened, "really? That's unbelievable, how do you survive on that amount?" 

Sipping her beer Carly drank before she replied, "my Dad lost his job when I was eighteen, he's struggled to find anything since. My mother has a job in a factory that is too much for her, she broke her leg a few years back and can't stand for that length of time. So I encouraged her to reduce her hours, I supplement that."

Lucas shook his head, "you really are amazing! I can't believe you're that selfless."

Flapping away his compliment with a hand she shook her head, "I'm only doing what any child would. I mean, if you'd made it to the Premiership, thousands of pounds a week, then you can't tell me you wouldn't be supporting your family?"

Lucas took her hand, forcing her to look at him, "that is completely different, as well you know. I just think that maybe, instead of beating yourself up over failing, you should commend yourself on being a very generous person!"

Carly found his touch a little disconcerting, she'd not considered Lucas in any way other than a friend, but his hand resting on hers was more than a little confusing...or rather her reaction to that hand. "If I get sacked I still fail. I can't help my parents, how awful would that be? I push them into a position and then sell them down the river!"

He was looking at her in a far too studious fashion as he seemed to think of an appropriate response, and Carly wanted to run away suddenly. After all, she'd made an idiot of herself over Paul, that had been embarrassing, but no where near as dangerous as her faux pas with Jens. The last thing she needed was to get misplaced romantic ideals over the only male she could call a true friend.

For two days Carly heard nothing and was able to relax into her normal working life. As each day passed with no confrontation with Jens, no threats to her job, she started to relax. Maybe Jens had heeded her warning and this was him retreating. Camilla informed her he was away on business, Markus was left in charge, but whereas she normally rarely saw him, now she was spotting the second in command watching her every move. Mainly time keeping she was convinced, so she took every opportunity to be early, for everything. 

The third day was her day off, and frankly she was glad to be away from the stress and trauma of the day. She was still lying in bed when her phone rang at nine am. it was Lucas.

"Hi Carly! I've just been asked to swap my shift today, last minute, Paulo wants my day off tomorrow. What've you got planned for today? I was thinking of Salzburg?"

Carly squinted against the bright morning light, "I've always wanted to go! But..."

He chuckled, "I've got us a lift to the station in an hour, but if we go any later there'll be no point!"

"Deal! I can be ready in ten minutes if need be."

Laughing he assured her that forty minutes would be soon enough. 

As they stepped off the luxury train into the heart of Salzburg, Carly was stunned. It was a beautiful City, ornate dome-roofed buildings, small cafes, large paved squares and dozens of small winding lanes, all below the regal hilltop castle that seemed to watch down over the city. A thick covering of snow made anywhere look more beautiful, and Salzburg was no exception. She fell in love with it immediately. Lucas smiled at her awe-filled face, he'd known that she'd love it here. It was one of the big reasons he'd stayed in the area himself. 

"It's beautiful!" Carly sighed as they rounded yet another corner and the river and the series of bridges that crossed it were spread out in front of his eyes.

Her whole day had been perfect form  coffee and croissants on the train that dissected the snow covered countryside to her companion who she was starting to appreciate more and more. He'd been waiting for her downstairs when she'd finally decided on what to wear. It was so difficult, being so cold outside, yet so warm inside. So complete with hat, scarf, gloves and snow boots, she had found him dressed similarly.  Taking her gloved hand, he'd led her out to the hotel shuttle bus, the driver Marcel had told Lucas that he was travelling to the station, and he was happy to give them a ride. 

And the whole day was worth it. She photographed everything, and Lucas humoured her as she wandered with purpose between things in an erratic fashion. She knew what she wanted to see, but there was no rational pattern to it. But whereas some men might moan, he merely smiled and tramped along the streets with her, pointing out anything she might have missed.

It was three pm when she turned to him, "let me buy you lunch. It's nowhere near enough to make up for your patience..." she smiled, "It's so much nicer seeing things with someone else. On my own I'd be like a shaken bottle of Coke, desperate to unleash my opinions on all this!" She gestured around her with her arms.

Lucas smiled, "it's been a pleasure!" And it really had. The last time he'd come here he'd been alone, and he knew exactly what she meant. He'd also been here with other people, people who'd only cared about finding a bar and getting drunk - sacrilege in such a special place! "But I don't think I'll be letting YOU pay!"

Tutting she shook her head, "what happened to being a metrosexual man? There's nothing wrong with being treated to dinner by a female you know!"

He laughed, "let's go Dutch then, ok?"

She beamed at him,  a dazzling smile, "sounds like a deal to me!"