Chapter 9

The next few months were hectic as I tried to restart my life. Putting women on long term hold, I set about finding a new job. I went to numerous interviews, in some of which I was successful but turned down the chance if I didn't think it was just right for me. One of the people that I'd contacted when I was contemplating setting up myself suggested that I meet John Harvey, who I was vaguely familiar with, as he was forming a new engineering company. I did so and after a few meetings I was offered the position of Sales Director. The grand title was a balance against a small investment from me and the meagre starting salary. It was also a slight misnomer as I would be doing very little actual sales. That would be handled by the three young men and one young woman that I subsequently hired. My function was to guide and support them, as well as preparing all quotations and tender documents. I had made the decision to invest what little savings I had in the new venture so that when I started I owned about 15% of the company.

All the directors, but especially me, were very impressed that a number of Thomas Engineering's clients gave us the chance to bid for new work. Speaking to them it seemed that Amanda had been right in her assessment, with the new large contract Thomas' had little time or inclination for smaller jobs. My knowledge of these customers and their specific requirements meant that our bids were easy for me to do and were mainly successful. By the second month we were already hitting month six targets of turnover and profitability. If things continued that way then my income would gain from a nice dividend.

One evening, not long after I'd started at my new job, Amanda turned up at my house. She was again wearing my ring and seemed amazed that we couldn't just pick up from where we left off. She simply couldn't understand why I had problems with her actions. By this time I'd had plenty of time to cool off, so I was polite but firm as I explained that no matter what her beliefs were, mine were that she had behaved unacceptably and thus the engagement and relationship were over. Eventually she realised that I was sincere and stormed off telling me that her mother was right all along and that I didn't know what I was throwing away. Uncharacteristically I kept quiet as a brief, but very significant, period of my life ended.

Whilst my working life began to improve in leaps and bounds over the next year, my personal life stagnated, although the latter was a deliberate choice. I turned down every well-meaning friend or relative who tried to introduce me to eligible women or even just available ones.

Natalie, our female sales representative, had made it pretty clear that she was available if I was interested. Although she was just my type of woman, slim and dark haired, and had that bubbly 'sales' personality, I had little interest in starting another office romance. That was one place I absolutely refused to revisit. Surprisingly, considering my pre Amanda 'love em & leave em' lifestyle I found that my ex fiancée had scuppered that by showing me just how much better sex was with someone for whom you actually cared. It was longest period of celibacy since my mid teens.

The grapevine kept me informed about my previous company and what at times felt like a previous life. Mark came back in contention to take over from his father, closely followed by his sister's exit and her subsequent disappearance from the local radar. This was good for us as it soon brought fresh clients, unhappy with dealing with Mark and just as important, a well trained workforce suddenly looking for a better working environment. The former gave us much welcomed new business whilst the latter, the ability to satisfy that need. Amanda's disappearance did make me consider a little. I thought that her parents made a major mistake in virtually pushing her out by bringing Mark back in and I still felt enough for her to wish her well in whatever she was doing. I admit to wondering if she'd moved up to Scotland. Amanda's departure from Thomas Engineering did had one positive effect on me and that was to remove any guilt I felt when we took business from them. I knew that they had won the major contract that had brought everything to a head and that it would secure jobs for the short-term future assuming they had not all left to join us. However, with Mark back I hoped that he would not jeopardise those remaining by interfering with the specs as I still had friends amongst the workforce.

When the annual returns came, they were far better than expected and way superior to the original plans. At a specially convened board meeting, held in the local pub of course, the directors decided to take a minimal dividend and to reinvest the rest. The majority of this money going on a new press and an additional lathe. Although the directors were all working flat out, we decided against adding a layer of management between us and the workforce. This was done for several reasons the main one was that we still needed to keep our hands on the pulse.

Once the business was out of the way, John Harvey, the Managing Director, suggested we have a small celebration of some sorts. After numerous witty and impractical suggestions it was decided on visiting our local vintner who was holding a Whisky Evening. As I can't stand the stuff I initially backed out but was talked into going as the designated driver for the group. I am well into my wines so it would provide me with an opportunity to appraise their stock. It was also promised that we would attend the next wine tasting and John himself would drive. Knowing his love of Claret I told him I'd believe it when I saw it.

The following Friday saw all four directors at the vintners awaiting the start of the whisky tasting. Well at least the other three were. None of us had been to a Whisky Evening before but I had the slight advantage as I had, at least, been to a few Wine Evenings at the same place.

"Usually very informal." I told my colleagues. "If it's anything like the wine nights then it starts with a brief talk by Andrew, the owner, followed by a sample of each of the six whiskies on show."

"I hope they are generous samples." Stated Greg, only partially in jest. Greg Dewer was the Financial Director, with the eye for value that goes with that position. He was also a Scot and had informed us that he was more than partial to a wee dram. Greg and John were both in their late forties and where the driving force behind the new company. They had both previously worked for the same company, albeit in more junior roles. That company had failed, according to them at least, due to greedy and poor management. The shareholders had wanted dividends to be as high as possible and thus the workers were forced to make do with obsolete and inefficient machinery to say nothing of pretty poor pay. The latter ensured that there were few good engineers and that churn was high. Tolerances slipped, as did delivery times usually down to correcting or even remaking a failed component.

Tony Proctor, the other director was in charge of production. A time served engineer who learned his craft in the military, Tony was in his mid thirties and like me he was single. His attitude to women was similar to what mine had been before Amanda. He was the rugged, rough edged man that women seemed to prefer, and he sure made the most of it. At first he had often invited me out 'on the pull' always appearing amazed when I turned him down. A dozen or so attempts later, he shrugged his shoulders and gave up, not understanding yet accepting my choice of lifestyle.

I was therefore not in the least surprised when he was the first to notice a stunning young woman enter the room. She was tall, easily matching Tony's 6' 0" in her high heels, with long blonde and wavy hair. Her elegant attire with its ample cleavage showed that she was well endowed but it also displayed a pair of fabulous legs. If I was going to be tempted again, then she seemed the woman to do the job. However, I wasn't going to be tempted and turned back to John and Greg laughing as Tony drooled over the new arrival.

A few moments later I heard.

"David!" Shouted excitedly in a vaguely familiar voice.

I turned and saw Jill Cope approaching me, dragging with her the beauty I had just been admiring, along with another young woman. The latter was tiny in comparison to her friends, with short black hair and wearing just jeans and a oversize denim jacket. 'Butch' was my description of her look, not that I spent too much time studying her.

"Fancy seeing you here." Jill exclaimed giving me a big hug, before turning to her tall friend and said. "This is Tabitha."

Before I could even reply, Tabitha having given me the once over turned to Jill and said very caustically. "I told you I'm not into men at the moment and NOT to try and fix me up. You weren't even very selective." She then deigned to talk to me.

"Sorry, but you are out of your league with me. Jill should have known better. You might as well go home now." That sentence and the way it was delivered could have been used to define the term condescending. It also destroyed any positive thoughts her entrance had provoked.