Lost and Found

Chapter 3

Chapter three

Monday 15th October 2007

The weekend had passed in a blur; Amelia was still very confused about Sol. There were so many things she wanted to know, but equally the thought of standing him up was warming. All day she deliberated.

She worked as a junior hedge fund manager at a small independent company based in the Docklands area of London. Martin her boss had took a risk employing her straight from Oxford, but since then he had been her greatest fan. She’d been promoted on almost a fast track basis and was now the bordering on a full senior post at twenty five. It was potentially a lucrative job, but it took long days to manage the accounts in her charge. That was why she appreciated Li, who was the yin to her yang, for every pin stripe skirt or tailored trouser suit, Li had a gypsy top, a pair of sexy shoes or funky jeans. Amelia had a hugely intense working life, and loved the freshness and relaxation that her best friend brought to her life. But she couldn’t share Sol with her. Not yet. Firstly she was too close, Sol was about to be Li’s new employer for want of a better term, she couldn’t land this on her doorstep. Yet it was the only thing she’d never shared with her since they’d been best friends.

To finish and have time to meet Sol she couldn’t take a full lunch. Martin stuck his head into her office at just after one.

                “Not lunching?”

She shook her head, leaning back from her computer and rubbing her eyes, “I want to try and get out of here on time,” she glanced at the clock, “though even skipping lunch it’s still looking unlikely!”

He grinned, “You’ll be rewarded in accountant heaven...and your annual bonus! Can I get you a sandwich when I’m out?”

She nodded, “anything would be good!”

Amelia liked Martin, he was a fair boss and he’d been good to her, respecting her loyalty and diligence. When he returned with a chicken and bacon baguette she snatched at it gratefully. Not noticing him perch on the edge of her desk, his voice surprised her.

                “We’ve got a new potential client in Milan. A young fashion designer with more money than sense, his agent wants it managed.” Her eyes had lifted to his in question, “I want you to go out there.”

Her heart skipped a beat, leading a case like this, snaring a client was definitely a senior manager role; she just had things passed to her second hand. This opportunity was huge. Martin chuckled and she realised that she was opening and shutting her mouth like a human sized guppy.

                “I’ll email you the details, can you call into my office before you go and we can discuss the final details?”

She was still speechless when he closed the door behind him.

Eating her sandwich she quickly opened her email, flicking through the inbox until she spotted Martin’s address. She would need to fly to Milan this week, mentally she thought of any commitments, nothing she couldn’t manage via her laptop or Blackberry.  Finishing her days work, it was just after four when she headed to Martin’s office.

Judy his elderly secretary smiled, “he’s on a conference to New York, grab a seat and tell me what’s going on!”

Amelia hadn’t had chance to think about Sol all day, other than knowing that the rush, the urgency with her work was due to him. If she left now she’d get across in time, but she couldn’t. This opportunity was her big chance; this was for her, what Friday had been to Li. She knew she couldn’t leave before confirming to Martin that she was ready to take this step.