Page 151 of The Making of Jonty Bloom
“He was up for the idea of moving around a few of our hotels in the new year. As long as he gets to come home at the weekend and doesn’t have to be away every week, he’ll sign with us. His wife is pregnant and they already have three young kids. He needs job security.”
“Fine. I’ve seen Roger’s ideas and Clara’s figures. They’re staying up there for a week to speak to planners and get more detail into their reports. I’ve engaged a surveyor and I have our lawyers working on the contract. I thought I’d take some of the weight off you, so that you can have your break, get things…out of your system.”
Devan counted to three. Nowhere near enough. He made a superhuman effort to keep his voice level. “By things, you mean Jonty? That’s not going to happen. If you won’t put Jonty on the payroll, you can take me off it.”
“Devan! Don’t be ridiculous. You’re a large part of this company. You own a chunk of it. You know what a terrible idea it is to work alongside people you’re involved with. You have enough trouble working in the same place as your brother.”
Fuck you!But Devan kept his mouth shut.
“What happens when you tire of this man? We’d be stuck with a belligerent employee, one who could easily claim sexual harassment.”
“I won’t tire of him.”
“You’ve known him a week!”
A day was long enough to know!“He can move from hotel to hotel like the chef, maybewiththe chef and learn more about the hospitality business. I told you I’d pay his wages.”
“You can’t do that. We wouldn’t be insured. It would be too complicated.”
“Then you pay him out of a cut in my wages, and the company gets the benefit. I was serious when I told you I want to project manage the renovations and run the hotel for six months.”
Alan made a sound of exasperation. “And what happens if you’re needed elsewhere?”
“Then I’ll catch a train or fly. At least think about it.”
“Fine.”
This time Alan hung up on him.I probably deserved it.
Devan took a shaky breath. If it came to it, would he give up his job for a guy he’d only just met? Where was his rational decision making now? His logical brain? His measured response? He didn’t need the money, but that wasn’t the point. Hedidneed to be doing something, but he wanted Jonty in his life in a way that Jonty would accept. He went back into the house. The coffee had finished brewing so he poured two mugs and carried them upstairs.
Jonty was still a punctuation mark in the bed, so Devan left his drink on the side table and went onto the balcony. As he sat on the chair, he registered the door he’d just opened hadn’t been locked, and he sighed. Had Jonty been out here and heard what he’d said? Or hopefully one of them or the police had forgotten to lock it in all the drama of yesterday.
He stared out at the sea; waves were pounding the shore. If the conditions had been like this yesterday, the outcome could have been very different. If he’d been a couple of minutes later arriving, Brad might have drowned Jonty trying to save himself, then drowned anyway.Devan was all logic and numbers. He gave little credence to luck, but his heart stuttered at the thought of what might have happened.
Pressing Alan to give Jonty a job might be moot because he was sure Jonty wouldn’t want to leave Tay or Northumberland, even for six months. And while Devan liked the idea of managing a hotel for a while, he wouldn’t want to do it long-term. He and Alan might part ways. Devan was good at what he did, but no one was indispensable, even someone with part-ownership of the company.
The door slid open behind him and Jonty came out carrying his coffee. He was wearing a robe, but he hadn’t fastened it and was naked beneath. He put his coffee down, took Devan’s from his hand, then unfastened Devan’s robe and straddled his lap before pulling his own robe around them both and cuddling against him.
“How are you feeling?” Devan wrapped his arms around him.
“I’m okay.”
“Said by someone who doesn’t sound okay.”
“I had a difficult day yesterday.”
“Yeah, you did.”
“We need to talk.”
Shit.Devan felt as if he had his head on the block, waiting for the axe to fall.“I don’t think I’ve ever heard those words followed by something I wanted to hear.”
“We need to talk, I’ve won the lottery. We need to talk, I’ve had a penis extension. We—”
“Shush. Just tell me.”
“Tell me what you want!”
