After All - Part Twenty One

Chapter Twenty One

Dylan knew the instant that Matilda’s heckles rose. Could he blame her? He wasn’t sure. He hadn’t realised that Louise was coming so quickly, and her appearance here was purely a paper exercise, he needed to combine his businesses, make them transparent with his others, he had other share holders, other interested parties, mainly picked up through business deals in the past, but he still had to answer to them. No one understood him taking on this hotel, and he needed Louise’s spin on the situation. She was the best that he had at manipulating situations.

Matilda conducted the rest of the meeting in a very professional manner, but he could feel animosity towards him at every glance. He wasn’t worried. He had sound reasons for the other woman being there, and Matilda understood business, that was one thing she knew well. But he should have warned her...though he hadn’t known she was coming over quite so quickly until a little earlier in all honesty.

The other managers gathered asked a few questions, relevant to the time and place they were at, then the meeting ended, rather more abruptly than it had done on other occasions. Dylan stayed after the others, gathering his things together.

                “Matilda, can we meet to discuss things...Louise will need your assistance whilst she’s here.”

Matilda glanced at her watch, then nodded, “I’m expecting an urgent call. But after that?”

He was a little annoyed at the brush off, but put it down to her being a little angry, so he nodded, “we’ll be with you in ten minutes, I’m just going to show Louise around.”

As she disappeared he turned to Louise as she asked, “what’s her problem?”

He laughed awkwardly, “you arrived before I had time to warn her. She’s probably a little put out, that’s all.”

Louise’s eyes widened, “Dylan Wallace is being dictated to by an employee? I NEVER thought I’d see the day!”

He groaned, “it’s not like that, she’s very good. I respect her decisions, her opinion.”

Louise looked as though she didn’t believe him, and he hated that, Instead he took her on the whistle-stop tour of the complex.

                “Are you sure you’re ok with me staying here?”

They’d arrived at the room he’d had reception staff dedicate to Louise. She’d be with them for a week, maybe two of three depending how it went, and whilst the city was far more interesting, a room on site made much more sense.

                “Its fine, you can stay as long as is necessary. I’ll give you a moment to settle in, then I’ll meet you to discuss things with Matilda. Ok?”

As Louise nodded he left the room.

Mattie had a dozen emails to try for names, people who would save their big weekend. She didn’t have much time to deal with things as it was. The plumbers were starting refitting the bathrooms upstairs, there was a conference in the golf club...this was a busy week. One of the busiest in ages.

She was on the phone to the supplier of industrial bed linen when she felt the door to her office open. Looking up she saw Louise stood there.

Mattie gestured at the phone, then gave an apologetic smile. The other woman gave a curt nod, then backed out of the room. Half an hour later Dylan poked his head in, “Louise wants to talk to all the staff about the changes that are about to happen in the boardroom. Can you join us?”

She glanced at the screen of her computer, she had nine emails, all flagged as urgent on her screen, “now?”

When he nodded, she sighed, “I’m up to my eyes Dylan.”

He leaned against the door frame, “there are things I need to do here Matilda, I’m sorry I didn’t warn you.”

She laughed, “you think I’m being deliberately awkward?”

He shrugged as he stepped in to the room, “I’m sorry if I pushed you on the back foot.”

Laughing, she stood, “I’m not that pathetic, and I think that this little apology is more for your benefit than mine.”

With that she flounced past him.

In the boardroom, thirty or more staff had gathered, and instantly Matilda wondered who was manning the reception, the bars whilst the staff were here...Louise stood at the front of the room and once Matilda caught her eye, she started to speak.

                “In the US I am a trouble shooter and asset manager for Mr Wallace; I’m here in that role to bring things into line.” Was that a deliberate barb? Matilda wondered as the other woman continued. “To make some transparency across the companies, we are planning to change the way things are done here. I will be meeting with most people over the next few days to explain what that entails, for most it will just be a change in the name of who pays you on your bank statement, but our email system, banking system and even telephony will change. Don’t worry adequate training will be given to all those implicated in this. I have already emailed a lot of people to arrange direct meetings, if you can’t make, then please let me know ASAP.”

Matilda hated that she said “A-SAP” as though it was a word and not a set of initials, they smiling to herself she realised that maybe Dylan was right, she was a little resentful at this woman being brought in without her knowledge. A buzz in her pocket made her pull out her phone, ‘RECEPTION’, flashed up on the screen. As she slipped out of the boardroom, door she took the call.

                “Everything ok?”

Hermione answered, “Mattie, thank god. There’s been an accident in the car park. Someone has reversed into someone else, it’s getting nasty. Can you come and help?”

                “I’ll be one moment.”

This was a typical day at the hotel, her list of things to do was always undermined by the day to day disasters that being here brought, but that was what she was there for, and what she was good at. She was a great problem solver, an ambassador and a diplomat all in one, and as she stepped out of the hotel into the car park, she knew that her diplomacy skills were most needed at that moment.

An elderly golf member had mistaken drive for reverse on his car and smashed into the four wheel drive of a younger far more aggressive gym member. He was rightly angry, but the older man who had seemed angry and feisty when she’d arrived started to look pale and rather anxious.

                “Right, hold on.” She waved her hand of the gathered group. “Mr Edwards, you don’t look too well.” She turned to Hermione who’d followed her out, “take him into the restaurant and get some tea, don’t leave his side I’ll be there in a moment.” Then she turned to the taller, far younger man, “Mr Sayer, I am really sorry that your car has been damaged, but I am sure it was misadventure, an accident rather than malice. I understand that this is a huge inconvenience to you, but really it is an accident. You have Mr Edwards’ insurance details.” When the man nodded she sighed, “it’s no consolation, but have this free gym pass, ok? You and a friend can have a gym and spa day on a date of your choice.”

He wasn’t happy, but there was nothing else that could be done, and within moments she was relieving Hermione and sitting with the much shaken Mr Edwards.

                “Is there anyone I can call to sit with you?”

She asked, refilling his teacup, and that was met with a head shake, “I live alone, my son and daughter want me to stop driving...if they find out it’ll all play into their hands.”

                “Mr Edwards, this was a genuine accident, I’m just a little concerned that you’re in shock. I can’t just let you leave here. Let me call your daughter.”

Reluctantly he agreed and within an hour she was seeing the two out to the daughter’s car as the older man’s was towed away by his insurance repair company.

                “So what’s the score with this manager then?”

Dylan looked up from his computer to see Louise at the doorway, when he gave a non-committal shrug, she added, “you would never tolerate someone snubbing your plans, I mean she deliberately avoided me today, five times I tried to speak to her. What’s her problem and why are you cutting her so much slack?”

Sitting back in his chair he stared at Louise, “she’s conscientious, a hard worker...there is no ‘score’. I’m sure you’ll see her tomorrow.”

He noticed the recoil in her eyes, unlike Matilda, Louise only wanted to please him; she would never stand up to him or challenge his decisions. But then she was right, he was an oligarch when it came to his business, he rarely asked...or took advice. Obviously with their history, it was different with Matilda, not just because of them being ex partners, but the way in which he came to own the hotel. He’d done this for her, she as an unofficial partner in this, but Louise wouldn’t understand that. For her to see Matilda running rings around him must have come as a shock. So instead of snapping, he smiled.

                “What are you doing tonight? Do you want to meet me for dinner?” When she nodded he grinned, “I’m waiting on a call from Brandy, once I’ve had that I’ll be there. Half an hour?”

Louise beamed, “I look forward to it.”

And the two of them dining was the sight that met Mattie as she left the hotel. Should she feel threatened? She wondered as she made for the tube, she wasn’t. She was annoyed that they were interfering with her work, but honestly, that was all it was. But as she watched the other woman swooning over Dylan, she realised that there was far more to their relationship than met the eye. But that was a discovery for another day. Tonight, she was going to the cinema, to swoon over George Clooney with Sarah and Hermione, and she couldn’t wait.

Mattie was waiting when the plumbers arrived before eight the following day. The first eight rooms had been stripped, rewired, painted, and the bathrooms were going in over the next few days. They’d be finished and ready for use in a week and she was so excited to see how they’d look, she’d gambled on them, they were at the limit of the budget Dylan had given her. There was no plan to increase the room prices until the whole hotel was refitted, and hopefully increased its’ star rating. But that could take months, so last night, as she’d watched George have an emotional discussion with a lost relative, she’d had a eureka moment, and she couldn’t wait to tell Dylan. They could advertise the rooms as luxury, make them a limited option on booking, she was convinced it would work, and was amazed that she hadn’t thought of it already.

So once she had agreed the final details for the bathrooms, she headed for his office. Only to find Louise sat behind his desk.

                “Matilda! I wanted to talk to you yesterday...”

Mattie sighed, “it’s Mattie, if you don’t mind. Anyway, what can I help you with?”

Louise leaned back a little at that response, but didn’t challenge it, “I need a list of documents from you, as well as you access codes for the current email system so I can marry you up to a Wallace Corp one.”

                “Is that really wise? I mean people know to email the name of the hotel...”

Louise gave a shrill laugh, “as though we’ll keep that! Sunset? Sounds like a brothel. No, we’ll be changing that.”

Mattie took a couple of deep breaths, then nodded, “of course. Can you email me the list you need and I’ll get them sorted for you?”

When the woman nodded Mattie left, closing the office door behind her.

She spent the half an hour jotting down the proposal for Dylan, she really believed the start of luxury rooms could be both financially a good move, but also the start of them moving upmarket.  She was engrossed in the fine details when a tap preceded Sarah bursting in.

                “What are you doing on September the fourth?”

Mattie reached for her diary with a shrug, “nothing that I can think of, why?”

                “My hen weekend! We’re going to Barcelona. Say you’ll come!”

Smiling Mattie circled the blank date in her diary, “it’s free. But not sure we can both be off at the same time...I mean a whole weekend?” Mattie sighed with relief that she wouldn’t have to cry off due to lack of funds, she hadn’t holidayed for years, for that reason, by September she should be in the most stable position that she had been in years.

Sarah grinned, “it’s ages away, let’s see what Dylan says...I mean it’s ages away to plan.”

She nodded, “you are right. I’ll ask him.”

                “Ask me what?”

Sarah gasped and looked over her shoulder at Dylan who was approaching. “Hen weekend...”

She was nervous, so Mattie added, “she’s invited me to go away with her, but it would mean someone covering the hotel.”

He grinned, “sounds like you’ll have a whale of a time, I’ll cover it. I’ll work that weekend. I promise. Where are you planning to go?”

Cue Sarah gushing about the wiles of the Catalan capital as he nodded appreciatively for ten minutes.

When Sarah finally finished, disappearing back to her office, he smiled at Matilda, “that will be fun.”

She nodded, “just not sure that I’ll be able to take the excitement of planning it for the next five months!”

That caused him to chuckle, “so you met Louise properly earlier?”

Giving a brief nod Mattie glanced at the three emails that suddenly appeared flashing on her screen, “briefly.”

He sighed, “you seem distracted...”

                “I’m busy Dylan, REALLY busy. This is the craziest week we’ve had in ages. Without all this going on.”

                “I get that, and the changes Louise is implementing might seem trivial in the light of that, but can I just say that it is a really important thing for me, for the Corporation. Ok?” When she shrugged he added, “I just need your compliance so we can get things up to speed as soon as possible. You will allow that?”

Mattie dropped her pen onto the desk, “Dylan, correct me if I’m wrong, but I am here to do a job. I can’t drop my responsibilities for what amounts to a whim. I won’t block anything, and I will be as helpful as I can without compromising my primary role.”

Dylan stared at her, defiant in word and gesture. If he wasn’t so angry he’d be impressed at her tenacity, and maybe even a little interested, she cut such a dominant figure. “Linking this place up to the other parts of my business is not a whim Matilda, it’s a very important bond for me, and will make things easier to run. I can work more efficiently. Please don’t underestimate where you stand in the hierarchy here.”

Matilda’s eyes widened further, “bloody hell. You are a bastard on times. I KNOW exactly where my place is...that is exactly what I have just been explaining.”

As she took a deep breath ready to unleash another torrent he shook his head, “I am your employer, learn your place.”

She was still staring open mouthed as he left the room. Slumping back into her seat she shook her head, it wasn’t even half past nine yet, how the hell had that got so out of control?

Dylan couldn’t face his office and Louise, not after that confrontation. He was furious, angry, at Matilda, she had no right to shout at him like that, hadn’t he saved this place? Plus he was the boss - if he told her to stand in the street dressed like a Dalmatian, she’d have to do it. That was how it worked. She couldn’t talk to him like that.

But you snuck this upon her, Louise, the changes. No wonder she’s defensive.

Shaking his head he strolled through the reception towards the golf club. He could network there for a bit, socialising would help him calm down.