Page 62 of Just Do It
‘I’m doing my best although I already seem to have lost us a staff member.’
‘It was inevitable.’
‘Are you going to hold her position open?’
‘Did she tell you that’s what she wants?’ Inis asked.
‘No, she didn’t tell me anything.’
‘She didn’t say specifically one way or the other but it’s a conversation I need to have with her. I thought it was better to do that face to face. I’m hoping to be in tomorrow so I’ll do it then. OK, I’d better let you get on.’
‘Thanks, Inis. Look after yourself and the bump.’
‘I will. Speak to you later.’
I ended the call then turned my attention to the pending pile on my desk, pulled out the pertinent file and logged into Teams, ready for my meeting.
It was about a week later when I looked up from my desk to see Bella hovering in the doorway, her face bare of make-up and an unsure expression in her eyes. Finn was at his desk, headphones on, engrossed in an online meeting. I say engrossed. Five minutes ago he’d made what was obviously a deliberate act of knocking something from his desk. Whilst bent over, he’d shot me a look and then pretended to fall asleep before straightening and reassuming a serious, studious expression.
‘Hi. Did you need something?’ Bella had mostly kept her distance since we’d run into her and Friedrich at the restaurant but we worked together and it was inevitable that we’d need to interact at times. When we did, I’d kept it professional. Bella had been cool but I’d pretended not to notice. Inis was less than impressed and had made noises about speaking to Bella but I’d asked her not to and hoped things would settle in time.
Bella looked over towards Finn briefly before back at me. I shook my head.
‘He’s preoccupied with his meeting. Come in.’
Finn hadn’t actually moved in the last few minutes and I had begun to wonder if he had mastered the art of sleeping with his eyes open. If so, I needed to know the secret. I had plenty of my own calls when that would be a handy skill.
Bella gave him another quick glance but Finn didn’t react in the slightest and I encouraged her in again with a wave.
‘What’s up?’ I asked and indicated she take a seat the other side of my desk.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Finn glance up, shift a look between the two of us before returning his concentration to the screen in front of him.
‘I didn’t mean to disturb you…’ This Bella was certainly more subdued than I could ever remember seeing her. I was curious as to the reason but didn’t rush.
‘Not at all. What’s up?’
She unfolded a piece of paper she’d been holding. It was a little worse for wear where she’d been fidgeting with it.
‘It’s just that… well… I’ve…’ She cleared her throat. ‘I’ve had this and I was sort of wondering if you would be able to help.’ She slid the piece of paper across the well-worn but highly polished teak desk.
The desk had belonged to an amateur but highly skilled and unusually ethical adventurer from the golden age of archaeology. His family had donated it to us a few years ago. It was such a beautiful piece but it weighed a tonne. Probably literally. Every time I sat down at it, I felt that sense of past and couldn’t help but wonder what notes and sights had been journalled here by the original owner.
‘I wasn’t expecting it to be honest. Not at all.’ Her words were coming out in a rush now even though I hadn’t yet finished unfolding the piece of paper. ‘I went to Inis but she said that it would be best if I asked you.’
Reading the words, I nodded without looking up. Now the reason for Bella’s hesitance was plain.
A potential position on the dig team… suitable reference… competition for places on the team, as I am sure you understand…
Good old Friedrich. Wielding any little bit of power whenever he got the chance was one of his favourite pastimes. Thankfully I hadn’t been in a situation where it affected me during our time together but on the odd occasion he’d done it in my company I had, tactfully, tried to get him to tone it down. He’d alwayslaughed it off and said I’d imagined it but I hadn’t. And here was the proof in black and white.
‘It’s not what he said on the…’ Bella swallowed and shifted in her seat. ‘The evening he asked me to dinner. He said I had a place on the team. I’ve told everyone and handed in my notice! What am I supposed to do if he decides on someone else instead now?’ Her face was flushing pink with panic and distress and although I hadn’t appreciated her manner recently, it was hard not to feel sorry for her.
‘I didn’t realise you planned on leaving us entirely. Inis was prepared to keep your position open.’
Bella let out a sigh laced with misery and regret. ‘Friedrich also promised me a position as a research assistant for him when we returned from the dig. Said it would be better paid and…’ She looked back down at her lap, one thumbnail worrying the skin on the other before she raised it to her mouth and gave it a quick, nervous chew. ‘And more interesting,’ she finished.
‘Oh?’ I laid my hands on the email print-out and met Bella’s eyes. ‘Have you been bored with your work here?’
