Chapter V

Marcus’ POV

Jake’s investigations have turned up very little about the mysterious woman who brought me home from Cosmo Club last Saturday night.  I’m not surprised.  How do you go about tracking down a nameless woman from the crowd of a London nightclub?  This incessant nagging in my brain to find out who this woman is, is becoming somewhat of an obsession.  I find myself losing focus several times a day, trying to recall more details.  Bits of conversations have come back, but only a vague outline of her face and features.

“Your 12.30 is here Mr Mowbray” says my secretary, Linda, interrupting my thoughts.

“Thank you Linda, please show her in”.

I’ve scanned the basic details of the personnel file on our top sales rep this year, but my mind isn’t on the details as it would usually be.  I turn from the window in readiness to greet her, as I’m met with a radiant smile and bouncy auburn curls styled into a bob.  The auburn matches the tones of cream and camel of her svelte attire.  I can see how her sales are so high, there’s an aura about her that engages you as soon as she walks in the door.  Well, let’s see if her personality matches the exterior.  She has a rather wistful smile on her face, and before I can say anything, she says

“Oh gosh, how are you?!”

Her tone is familiar, and I’m a bit taken aback by her unusual greeting “Have we met before Miss. Davies?”

She seems confused by my response and quickly recovers to say

“Oh no, I’m sorry, you just remind me of someone, it caught me off guard.  Anyway, please call me Lowri, Miss Davies makes me feel like an old spinster” she laughs “I’m delighted to meet you Mr.Mowbray”.

I don’t usually allow company employees to call me by my first name, but I get caught up in this Lowri Davies’ enthusiasm

“In that case, please call me Marcus. Please sit down.  I’ve been looking forward to meeting you Lowri, having seen your impressive sales figures.  I wanted to meet the woman behind those figures.  I have a table booked for 1pm in one of my favourite restaurants, I hope you’re hungry?”

“Oh yes, ravenous!” she exclaims.

“We have a little time before then, can I get you something to drink?  I’m going to have a coffee myself, would you like one?” I ask.

“Could I have a tea?  I must confess that with the adrenaline pumping for this meeting, adding coffee is likely to make me present like someone who’s on cocaine”

I explode with laughter, because this is true for me also – I always refrain from coffee before a board meeting as it’s a bad combo with adrenaline, but I’ve never heard it described so perfectly, or so hilariously as that before.

“Oh gosh, I am so sorry, I forget that I’m speaking to the CEO of the company, I really shouldn’t joke about illicit substances so flippantly” she laughs nervously.

“No no please, I needed a laugh today, and that was more funny than you realise”.

“Oh phewph, haah”. She exchales

Silence falls and we smile at each other.

I press the telecom “Linda, could we have one coffee, and one tea please”.