Jayne Bauling - Trust Too Much

But tonight, for some reason, she was restless, unable to settle, as if Simon’s visit had disturbed her in some mysterious way, and she was conscious of a return of the hot resentment that had been her most consistent reaction to Simon in past years.

Nevertheless, it would be childish to let a personal feeling prevent her accepting a position at Rhodes Properties, assuming that she was offered one, and she phoned Miss Sung-Li on the Monday morning as directed.

Fee was conscious of a slight constraint about the woman’s manner which suggested wariness, but her questions were strictly professional and the answers she received must have reassured her as to Fee’s legitimacy as a candidate for the job because she asked her to come in with Miss Betancourt’s reference for a personal interview the following morning, warning her to be prepared for a possible second interview in the afternoon.

‘The position hasn’t been advertised yet, but I should warn you that I have already been giving consideration to some of our established personnel since Miss Norman advised us that she was leaving us,’ she cautioned Fee.

The following day, Fee dressed for the interview in accordance with both the July heat and her perception of Miss Sung-Li, in a slim linen skirt of dark cream and a cool, loose matching jacket with sleeves that stopped at the elbows, the prettily coloured bands decorating the pockets which lay flat against her hips saving the outfit from severity.

The morning was so intensely humid that she gave up the idea of catching a bus and, since she didn’t want to have to deal with traffic and parking, turned down the offer of Babs’s car and took a taxi, glad that the Rhodes Properties offices were on the island and not over in Kowloon. The building was one of the most impressive this side, an elegant, graceful white spire of imposing height.

Aged about forty, Miss Sung-Li was a reserved woman and once again Fee was aware of something resembling caution in her manner, but to her relief she confined her questions to Fee’s abilities and experience. Quiet and still socially shy despite her acquired poise, Fee was nevertheless confident of her professional worth and she was gratified to observe Miss Sung-Li relaxing slightly as the interview progressed.

Finally, Miss Sung-Li seemed moved to reveal something of her thoughts.

‘Of course, in your previous position, you had a superior between you and the man at the top. That wouldn’t be the case here, but the work is well within your capability. Nevertheless, you are very young and rather quiet. Normally I think I might have reservations on those grounds, but, as Mr Rhodes informs me that you are old acquaintances, I have to assume that you have a fair idea of what you can expect and are confident that you can cope, and know him well enough to respect that, while he demands a great deal of his employees, he demands even more of himself.’

‘I didn’t realise!’ Fee’s professional guard fell abruptly. ‘Do you mean I’d be working for—for Mr Rhodes himself?’

‘Didn’t he explain?’ Miss Sung-Li’s mouth tightened as she stared at Fee, and suspicion revealed itself in her dark eyes.

‘All he said was that there might be a position for me and that I should contact you.’ Fee dropped her eyes, her thoughts in turmoil.

There was a silence, but finally Miss Sung-Li seemed to reach a decision.

‘Yes, you would be working for Mr Rhodes himself. Are you still interested in the position, Miss Garland?’

This time Fee was responsible for the silence. Miss Sung-Li believed she could do the work and, as everyone knew, Simon simply was not a kind man, so there was no question of his charitably creating a job for her. Nor could this be some elaborate tease; not in business hours when time, including Miss Sung-Li’s time, was money; besides which, this slightly formidable lady would never lend herself to any sort of hoax.

Oh, Simon probably hadn’t told her what the job entailed simply because, like so many quick, clever people whose thoughts outran speech, he had made the assumption that everyone else knew what he knew.

All she had to consider was whether she wanted the job, and such a prestigious position, in a firm like Rhodes Properties, wasn’t one to be turned down lightly. She might find Simon disturbing to tranquillity, but then again, during working hours he was probably a different man, because the shallow, social Simon Rhodes she knew could never have prospered to the extent that he had.

‘Yes.’ Fee looked up. ‘Yes, I am interested, Miss Sung-Li.’

SILENTLY, Fee counted the seconds Miss Sung-Li spent regarding her. Five. Then a receiver was lifted from one of the phones on her desk and she seemed to speak to several people, both in English and Cantonese, before saying crisply, ‘Sir? Sung-Li. I’ve just concluded the interview with Miss Garland. I propose to take my lunch-break late so my report will be on your desk when you return if you’ll be going out? Yes…yes, sir.’ She listened briefly and made a polite response before replacing the receiver and looking at Fee a little cynically. ‘Mr Rhodes is on his way down. He wants you to wait for him.’

Having little choice, Fee obediently did so, answering some casual questions about Australia until Simon arrived. Even though she had been expecting him, her pulses leapt nervously when he almost erupted into the peaceful office, and she could see his instant effect on Miss Sung-Li too. Strange man, bringing people to life like this with his blazing vitality.

‘Fee!’ He was hyper, his mood brilliant. ‘Come on, let’s go and have some lunch and I can tell you about the job. I’ll read your report when we get back, Miss Sung-Li, and conduct a proper interview if I think it’s encouraging, and I’ll get Maynah Norman to tell Fee everything she needs to know about her duties.’

By the time they were descending in a lift, Fee had managed to catch her breath.

‘I didn’t realise you meant I’d be working for you,’ she confided gravely.

‘Didn’t I say?’ Simon seemed surprised and then arrogantly dismissive. ‘Yes, we got side-tracked, I remember, when you accused me of wanting to do Charles a favour. You should enjoy it, though. You don’t mind walking, do you? There’s a great place just a few blocks away.’

Hong Kong could change so quickly, and from glittering modern buildings and complicated traffic circles they passed quickly into narrow, shadowy streets, eventually coming to an entrance decorated in the traditional bright colours, beyond which five shallow stairs led down to the restaurant, obviously a favourite with the business community as the men and women lunching there were all immaculately attired for the office. Simon was known, greeted by name and deferentially led to one of the best tables, and Fee couldn’t help a feeling of general pleasure which she expressed with a contented sigh.

‘It’s just nice to be back and get the feel of Hong Kong again,’ she explained in response to Simon’s amusedly questioning glance.

‘You were in Sydney, weren’t you? I should have looked you up the couple of times I’ve been there. Where were you living?’ Simon asked.

‘We had a flat in Manly for the first two years, and after that I shared a house with some Aussie girls at Dee Why, just above the beach,’ Fee vouchsafed, thinking how she would miss it and the local restaurants they had patronised at weekends.

‘What happened to the two girls who went with you?’

‘One is backpacking in Europe with a boyfriend, the other is married. She has just had her second baby,’ Fee added tenderly and felt an irrational sense of outrage mixed with disappointment when Simon grimaced. ‘Don’t you like children?’