Fight to the Top Read online

  “Well that may just well be two of us,” she said softly.

  “What? You and Dan have split up? What do you mean? You can’t be single,” she said leaning over taking Erika’s hand.

  “Oh, Tay, I just don’t know what to do anymore,” she sniffed, shaking her head. “We don’t even see each other. We don’t speak. I can’t remember the last time we shared a bed. And don’t get me started on any form of intimacy. I…I got up this morning and went to wake Dulcie and Dan was in the spare bed. After fifteen years, really?” she gulped her drink heavily.

  “Well, maybe the drink wasn’t such a good idea. What are you going to do?” Taylor asked.

  “The drinks fine, I’m not going to do anything stupid. Honestly, I don’t know. I lay in bed last night and tried to remember the last time anything in our marriage slightly represented that of a happy marriage and I couldn’t even remember. What does that say? We both have busy and successful careers, I get that. I’m not sure if I should have been a stay at home mom, like it was planned? But you know the promotion came up and things just went from strength to strength and why should I be the one to give up on my career? I provide a loving, stable, comfortable life for my daughter, the problem is how will she be if that becomes a 2-way relationship and no longer the 3-way relationship?” she sighed.

  “Okay, I’m kinda intrigued by one thing? At no point have you mentioned how you actually deep down feel about this? You are being a total loving and committed mom, but how do you actually feel? You wanna divorce? You wanna break up?” she said seriously.

  “Honest answer, I don’t know? I am trying to channel my inner thoughts to work that out. Honestly, I guess I’m starting to feel…,” she stopped, and stared out distantly. “I guess I’m afraid, it will be more difficult to become three again. Because I sincerely think that my baby and I have just become a perfect little twosome. And I don’t know how or when that happened? I can’t really remember the last time it was the three of us,” she said sadly.

  Manchester, UK

  Chapter Sixteen

  “Come on. Seriously, what the hell is your problem? Please just do this for us? It’s a given, George. He said it in the bloody board meeting for Christ sake. People want to celebrate, congratulate you. And well, obviously brown nose. I mean it’s classic; they are actually sucking up to me too. Yesterday, that red head from accounts, I mean I don’t even know her name, she cracked on to me, she actually cracked on to me. She was pretty much asking where I’m going when you become MD. I thought I’d have a little fun and said I was potentially being made redundant; you know what she did? She walked out, she literally walked out of the printing room, just like that,” Paul said seriously.

  “I’m completely unable to tell if that’s bullshit or not,” Georgia said. “Seriously, I don’t have time for this.”

  “Well just commit to being sociable for bloody once when everyone is bugging me for this. It’s dinner and a couple of beers, stop being such a mard arse.”

  “Fine, Paul. Fine. Get out, I don’t have time for this, I have to brief for this meeting. When I’m done with Derek, I’ll come and meet you for dinner and a couple of beers,” she sighed.

  “Thanks boss,” he said, smirking at the win as he left her office.

  ***

  “Hey, good luck, yeah. You’ll be fine. How are you feeling?” Julia said, bringing her a coffee.

  “Not great. Still can’t shake it. I’m really nervous. I just don’t know why it’s all so secretive. I don’t know why there’s no movement on the time because it ties in with something else. Seriously, Jules, I’m shitting it, honestly,” she said, cringing at her own terminology.

  “Hey, come on, you’re just being nervous. Be systematic about your approach. You had a plan. You had objectives and you have achieved all of those. It will be about processes, you know what this place is like. And they have processes to follow, you will learn this more than anybody in the coming months. You will be working so closely with HR after this, processes will be your middle name. Calm down though, yeah. Just relax you’ll be fine, okay? And when you’re out, I have, ummm, a super special way to help you celebrate,” she said, leaning forward over Georgia’s desk.

  Georgia knew she couldn’t continue with this. Someone would get hurt. But she was so sexy and had such intense sex appeal. Especially right now, as she leaned over, and allowed Georgia a full view down her blouse. Her black lace bra in sight. Yes, she was right. This most definitely took her mind off the meeting. “You need to stop being naughty, and I need to go”

  “Yes, boss,” Julia smirked as she oozed the word, knowing what it did to Georgia.

  Georgia stood up, walking to the door. “You are in very big trouble tonight. You know what calling me boss does to me,” she smirked.

  “Oh, I’ll be ready and waiting to be disciplined, boss,” Julia laughed, checking Georgia’s ass out in her fitted, ivory trouser suit.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Georgia felt like she had been punched in the chest. Hard. She couldn’t seem to remember how to breathe, and had no idea of how to deal with what she was hearing.

  “Georgia, this is incredible news. You look like somebody’s died. This is everything you’ve worked for,” Derek said.

  “This is not everything I’ve worked for,” Georgia shouted to her CEO. She wasn’t a cryer, never had been. She grew up in a well to do family, and her mother had taught her you don’t cry in public. You don’t let your defences down. You don’t allow people to see your weaknesses. It resulted in Georgia feeling that she was a disappointment if she cried. She couldn’t remember the last time she had. But at this moment, she was starting to feel like she had no control over her emotions as she acknowledged the last hour of her life. “I can’t, Derek. I’m sorry, I can’t do this now,” she said and stood up, taking the A4 envelope that had been provided to her.

  “Georgia? Georgia, you’re looking at this all wrong. Take this opportunity and grab it with both hands. You will be the best MD we have, just do this?” he called behind her.

  Georgia stopped, she was fuming. And knew that blowing up would potentially get her sacked. But fuck it, like it even mattered anymore? “The best MD, the BEST MD? Are you joking right now? Why set objectives, to go backwards when I achieved them? You get me to work like a sodding lunatic for twelve months. Batter my team. For this? Seriously, Derek. Don’t, just don’t. You have never ever insulted my intelligence as much as you have done today,” she said and slammed the door behind her. “Well, there goes your career, George!” she said to herself, feeling and hearing the eyes and whispers of the receptionists.

  ***

  Georgia looked at the message from Paul, sighing. She had sat in her office for the last 2 hours crying, and she knew what it would say.

  Where are you, I look a fool? What’s going on with you? Still negotiating zeros to the contract?

  Nope, not coming. Speak Monday!!

  Wtf?!? Did you not get promoted? You can’t do this to me. You promised. It can’t be that bad. Come on, I’ll talk you through stuff, quick bite and then we can go home. Please?

  Yes, I did, no I don’t want to.

  Don’t do this please? I want to help you to celebrate, it’s the least I can do.

  No, I don’t feel like it!

  Fine, just leave it then! Thanks for making me sit in a restaurant alone for the last 2 hours. See you Monday!

  God, he was like a bloody petulant child at times, but she couldn’t deal with the guilt, or the hissy fits when he didn’t get his own way. “For fucks sake!” she sighed loudly and left her office, heading to the restaurant in the northern quarter.

  ***

  She really wasn’t in the mood for this. She would have a starter only and a scotch and then that was it, she was going.

  “Hi, I’m looking for a table for Paul?” she said to the maître D, not spotting him, excellent he may have left already.

  “Yes, he
’s over in the back, he’s been waiting for you,” he smiled widely. He walked her around the divider and pointed her into the room.

  “Congratulations!” was all Georgia heard as she spotted all the people. Work people, her parents, a couple of her friends, she had very few these days due to the work she’d put in. She saw the smiles, the drinks, the offers of glasses and the next thing she remembered was everything going black...

  Houston, USA

  Chapter Eighteen

  “Good luck, sweetie,” Vanessa whispered as Erika headed to the board room.

  She smiled lightly and walked inside. “Hi Mike, are you ready?” she said, shutting the door behind her.

  “Erika, come in please,” He smiled.

  She was nervous. He looked nervous. He always sat next to her at the end of the oval table. Now he sat opposite and had everything set out for her in a place on the other side. She took a seat, and waited for his fidgeting to stop, and for him to begin.

  “So, I just want you to listen to what I have to say, because we have a conference set up. Firstly, I want to thank you for the exceptional work y’all have done, the launch went… incredibly. The office is fantastic. The work generated because of you and your team, namely you, is far more exceptional than we could’ve ever imagined, and that is all down to you. Now. As you know, we were striving for this additional business. Whilst we never doubted your abilities and your excellent work ethics, we, well I guess as a business in a somewhat difficult climate, we anticipated this was not doable. That’s not saying we were setting you up to fail. That certainly wasn’t the case. But you over excelled. And, well…,” he stopped and started fidgeting again. “Look, Erika, the group isn’t sure at this very moment in time you are ready to be the managing director. I’ve assured them that isn’t the case, but it’s the feedback they have given me. Don’t panic, they do see it. It’s imminent, they know you’re the one and we can all see it in our sights, I can assure you of this, Erika. You will be Managing Director, and then one day be in my seat. I know this to be true, because you are far more driven than I ever was, and I want you to go the whole nine yards. But just not right now,” he said sadly.

  Erika’s head was spinning. She had worked her butt off and he didn’t think she was ready? She couldn’t hide the disappointment. She couldn’t contain the incredible sense of disappointment of every part of her life. Why had everything come crashing down on her?

  “Erika, Erika? Please, this isn’t a negative, you need to take this for what it is. Just a small area and then we feel you will be in a perfect position to undertake and excel in this role, this is a big office and we have big plans for you.”

  “Okay, so tell me. Tell me what I suck at, Mike. Tell me what I need to achieve further than the doubling of the business? Doubling the profit? Achieving EBITDA? Keeping in the confines of the capital expenditure? So, what? What exactly did I not achieve? What the hell more could I have done, Mike?” she snapped.

  “Erika, you are taking this completely out of context. Look, we can have a chat after the conference,” he said, rubbing his temple.

  Jesus for the positions these guys are in and all the dollars they have, none of them have the balls to deal with a difficult task or conflict! Seriously?! She was ready to walk the hell out of there. Screw Mike. Screw them all. She was knocked out of her thoughts as the international dial tone began.

  “Hi, Mike. Hi, Erika,” she heard an English voice say.

  “Hey, Derek, you wanna go?” Mike said.

  “Sure, Erika my name is Derek Danson. I am the CEO of the European region. Here with me I have my Area Director of the Manchester region, Georgia Carson. Like you, she has been striving to achieve a number of objectives to become the new MD of this region. Whilst Georgia is more than competent like yourself, myself and Mike have been speaking with the group board and we just feel that there is a small element missing from each of you. We have discussed you both at length and think whilst you are both at the stages we set for you. With a gentle push, you could both be far better resources. You would work incredibly well together. So, whilst you have both achieved and exceeded said objectives, we feel you need a little further steer. Now, I know this may be frustrating. Concerning. Even nerve-wracking for both of you. But I must stress this is not. I repeat, not a negative thing. This is going to take you to a whole other level. Above just being what we require of our MD’s. Additionally, we appreciate that by us not standing by our words in achieving the targets set to you both. You will be incredibly reluctant to trust that we offer you the MD roles when you have done this. So, contracts of employment have been drawn up by Global HR and legal to confirm the new roles and plans. Additionally, that in twelve months’ time you will both be offered the positions of Managing Directors in the regions that you were both expecting to be offered in these here meetings today. So, the proposal is that you work on a project of opening the Fort Worth, Texas office. This will be our flagship of the Americas office and we hope that it will provide ample opportunity to create kindred offices throughout the world. Erika, we would like to promote you to senior operational Director. Assisting Georgia in overseeing the office in Houston and working closely with Georgia, so you are each co-leader on Fort Worth. George, we would like you to be the managing director of the Houston office, and again work closely together for exceptional grandiose plans and opportunities. No two people are going to be able to achieve this better than you two are. I know this isn’t what you wanted, nor expected. But we have to find a way to achieve this. The stakeholders and international board are pushing for this. And we have to make sure we can achieve it. I’m proud to say you two were heads and shoulders above others around the world.”

  Erika’s head was hurting, so much. “So, you are telling me after achieving everything, you are not giving me my promotion to MD??” What. “I have worked my ass off for the last 8 months and you’re giving it to some English woman? That’s never even visited this office? What the hell does she know about this place?” Erika snarled.

  “Excuse me. Erika, is that your name? This isn’t exactly my idea of fun. I’ve worked for the biggest office in the UK for years, and equally, like you I’ve also worked my arse off for years. I have spent, not the last eight months, but the last twelve months working to nearly treble the revenue on the basis that today I would get MD. I also, was not expecting to hear that the only way I get that is to get shipped off to the other side of the bloody world. To where I’m going to take the job of someone who has likewise achieved everything. You’re taking it out on the wrong person!” Georgia spat.

  Erika angrily retaliated “Oh I’m so sor...”

  “Ladies, ladies? This is not productive. Derek, I will leave you to discuss your end, and I will call you this evening to confer. Like Derek mentioned, Georgia, this is a positive. And I hope you will come over to bring some of your vast experience and gain more from this end. And Erika, I agree with Derek. This will be an incredible opportunity for both of you, and I believe you will make an unsurpassable duo.”

  And just like that, not only is my marriage in ruins, but now, so is my career, Erika thought.

  Manchester, UK

  Chapter Nineteen

  Georgia sat on her couch, her head still spinning from the evening’s meeting, being made worse as she listened to her mother going on, and on, and on… ever the disappointment she thought to herself.

  “Seriously, this is obscene, surely they can’t just do this?” her mother said, before allowing anybody an opportunity to respond. “Well of course they can, this is exactly what these high-powered execs of these big corporate chains do. Chew them up and spit them out. Make them work ridiculously, so their personal lives are in tatters, to then choose someone else better to come and pick it up. I told you, I told you this would happen one day. Didn’t I? Didn’t I, William, I told her? You should have gone down the route I told you. You should have gotten married and had children like everyone else your age. Now
you have nothing. No marriage, no kids. Chances are it will be too late now…and...” Her mother was pacing.

  “For Christ’s sake, Mum. I get it okay? I’m a disappointment. I’m not like Alexandra or Joshua,” she said pointing to her brother and sister standing by the floor to ceiling windows. “Okay? You’re right, I should have just married and had kids. And been a stay at home mum. Had no life, no career, because hell, that’s what everyone’s kids at the golf club did, hey? I get it, alright. I screwed up. I screwed up everything. My life, your life…Yes, I’m a disappointment. I am gay, and can’t have kids the real way. Anything else, or have we covered it all?” Georgia snapped at her mum, who looked as though she had seen a ghost.

  Her mother sniffed. “I have never, ever had an issue with you being gay. I have never for one moment thought you were a disappointment. You have always been driven and successful. But I’m your mother. I watch you show up every year for Christmas alone and hear you discuss nothing but work, and I just worry for you. You deserve what we all have. And that’s all I’ve ever wanted for you, Georgia. Your father worked incredibly hard to provide the best upbringing for you all. And it was our decision that whilst we would instil values in our children, we would also ensure that they would grow up ‘comfortable’. Your father put everything into his work for that reason, so our children wouldn’t have to,” she said solemnly.

  “Yes, wel...,” Georgia started.

  “Whoa, George, stop,” Josh said. “Mum, don’t get upset. This is not so good for Georgia. You say you and dad did everything you did for us. Well Georgia has obviously got dad’s work ethic. So, can you imagine,” he said, sitting down next to his mother, lowering his voice and taking her hand. “Well, imagine that one day, all those plans, all that preparation you put into play for your children’s future. Can you imagine what would have happened if the company went in to liquidation? Or dad broke both of his legs? So he couldn’t work and you guys had to rely on that money? Plans don’t always go in our favour. And when that happens it’s devastating. Georgia knows you don’t think she’s a disappointment and we all know you have never had an issue with her sexuality. But equally, this is about her right now, and today has turned her world upside down, okay? Look, why don’t you and dad go home. Alexandra and I will stay here with Georgia, we will have some time together, just the three of us,” he said quietly. He smiled the smile that always won their parents over, even at forty-four he still had it.