Chapter 7

The next couple of weeks were spent dealing with the aftermath of Stafford. Plans had to be made for the relocation or sale of the equipment. Staff who had accepted a new position had to be appraised and found the best available positions. As expected Stephen Kenny was more than happy to take Karen on but wanted to get her some proper training before deciding on a role. Fortunately I was only on the perimeter of most of this, although I was required to be in an inordinate amount of meetings, to some of which I actually contributed something. The rest of my time was spent trying to get to grips with my new job.

Showing that I was correct in her business nous, the way that I'd identified an area to investigate was swiftly picked up by Natasha and that led to the first of the new IT upgrades. This was to be a relatively easy one as, apart from a little additional data gathering, it was all report generation. Of course, exactly what was in the report, who got to see it and how it was presented took up even more meetings. The amusing, from IT's side, or disappointing, from the business side, thing was many of the reports were produced using existing SQL procedures we'd created for testing data integrity.

The Friday of that week I was invited to another party at my friends' house and despite some reservations, decided to go as I thought I needed to relax a little more. I'd only been there less than an hour before I realised I'd made a mistake. Either I was maturing faster than my friends or they were slipping into a different lifestyle. I could see little sign, in either Tony or Phil, of the reasons for our original friendship. Whereas during the house-warming, drugs had been around, but surreptitiously, now they were on open display. I could see a few openly snorting coke, and the guests, if that isn't too polite a word, were more aggressive, more belligerent, in fact an argument had already started between one couple, neither of whom I recognised.

I was listening to Phil rambling on about some inane anecdote and thinking about how to make my apologies and leave when I heard one of those ridiculous air-horns playing its tune outside.

'Shit, god is here, ' Phil moaned. Seeing my blank face, he explained with a name. 'Justin Taylor-Smythe.'

Although I didn't know him personally, I was well aware of him via his reputation. He was extremely rich in wealth and looks but lived in poverty when it came to brains, charm and everything else. He assumed the world revolved around him, which I guess where the nickname came from, but as I never moved in the same circles, I hadn't heard it before.

A few minutes later my heart sank a little when this flash, brash loud-mouth strolled in with Natasha on his arm. I recognised my disappointment immediately but it took a few seconds to acknowledge why it was there. Since becoming our M.D., Natasha had appeared to mature. She wasn't quite so as acerbic as before and although still not likeable, was tolerable. Seeing her with a dick-head like Justin made me remember the real Natasha, the one I'd known for the last ten years. Leopards and spots and all that.

Natasha saw me a moment later and the disdain and superiority that she put into the look she gave me was so typical, I wondered how I could ever have thought she could change.

I didn't even bother to say goodbye to anyone, but just walked past the condescending stare of my boss and out the front door.

'I don't suppose you know where the nearest bus stop is?' A strong, feminine voice asked almost as soon as I was through the door.

I turned to see a pretty woman looking confidently at me, one who seemed remotely familiar.

I laughed before realising that that was rude. 'Sorry about the laugh, but you forget where we are. Buses don't run in this part of town. Can you imagine any of this lot deigning to ride on public transport.'

She laughed. 'Nope!'

'Where are you headed?' I asked, liking the sound of her laughter.

'Penkhull, ' she answered.

'Oh!, ' I thought for a brief moment. It was only brief because she was attractive. 'Have you been drinking ... or anything?'

'No time for drink and the anything is why I'm out here. My date neglected to mention the type of party this was, which was why we argued and I'm out here rather than in there.'

The couple I'd noticed arguing, that's where I'd seen her before. 'Great, I assume that you can drive?'

She nodded looking puzzled.

I reached in my pocket and pulled out my car keys and chucked them to her. 'I have been drinking, and Penkhull is a damn sight closer to my place that here. Drive us to your place and I'll leave the car there, that way you don't need a bus or an expensive taxi.'

'I don't think so, ' she said with a look of almost horror.

'I'm sorry, that didn't come out the way I meant. What I mean is, like you I have no interest in that type of party. Sadly two of the three hosts are old friends of mine and I didn't realise that they were on a different path. I've had too much to drink for driving and had planned on walking home. As I live in Hartshill, less than half a mile from Penkhull I thought that we could solve your transport dilemma and get my car a lot nearer to my place. I'll tell you what, if you drive back, then you can park wherever you want, maybe in one of the pub car-parks. That way, there will be plenty of people around and I don't get to see where you live.'