The Deal by Tony Drury Read Free Book Online

came up.” She put the glass down and smiled. “Will I do?”
    June had started with some Mediterranean sunshine and was becoming warmer by the day. Amanda was wearing a thin white dress. Several diners had turned to look at her when she walked in.
    They decided to share a starter of cold meats and olives. Amanda selected the salmon and Oliver, having been shown the cuts of meats, went for a fillet steak. He ordered sparkling water and a French cabernet sauvignon.
    “Business first and then let’s talk about you, Oliver,” Amanda said. “Alistair was hoping to receive your contract by today.”
    “It’s on its way. I think we are agreed. But the boss wants one more document.”
    “Anything we can help with?”
    “He’s having a report on the publishing industry prepared.”
    “But there’s nothing that Alistair doesn’t know about publishing. How strange.”
    “Regulations, Amanda. The rules are that our files must demonstrate that we have undertaken stringent checks before we can offer the shares to investors. We have to do it. I sometimes think that what the regulatory authorities want is a risk market without risk for the investors.”
    “Do we represent risk?”
    “All investments are risky. The greater the potential reward the higher the risk.”
    “I don’t really understand that, but we trust you. Alistair is convinced you’ll get us the money.” She raised her glass and smiled. She then waited while their plates were cleared.
    He coughed politely. “So do you live on... with... er... do you share?”
    “I live on my own. I have a flat in St. John’s Wood. I can see the corner of the cricket ground from my living room window.”
    “You have a partner?”
    “A cat called Jingles,” she said. “He actually belongs to the people in the flat above me but he’s adopted my balcony as his second home.” She paused, looking at Oliver with a smile playing about her lips. “Why, would it make any difference if I did have somebody?”
    “Er, no, nothing to do with me,” he stuttered. “I was just wondering if... er… well...”
    “You were so confident in our first meeting,” she said. “Why are you dithering now?”
    “I’m not... er… oh... dithering as you put it,” he retorted. “Dithering,” he repeated. “I’ve never been accused of that before.”
    “But perhaps you’ve never been with somebody like me before?”
    The waiter cleared their plates and served the main courses. He then refilled their glasses with some sparkling water.
    “I’ve actually just finished with my boyfriend, Zach,” said Amanda. She paused because she was surprised she had revealed this detail. She glanced at Oliver. She couldn’t help noticing that he was very handsome.
    “Zach?”
    “Ten months together.”
    “So what did Zach do wrong?”
    “Hey, he might have ditched me.”
    “Highly unlikely.” Oliver immediately regretted his words.
    She raised her eyebrows and her glass of wine.
    “He was a lovely man and I’m missing him dreadfully.”
    Oliver cut up more of his steak and indicated to the waiter that he would like their wine glasses refilled.
    “Zach was the closest thing I’ve found to the man I might choose to spend my life with,” she continued. “But there was something I couldn’t rationalise… I don’t know.”
    He dared not speak. What had Zach, the idiot, done to lose this woman? Was he fucking mad?
    Suddenly she brightened and smiled.
    “What really frustrates me, Oliver, is that being together was so good.”
    At that moment his mobile phone rang.
    “Sorry,” he mouthed as he listened to the voice of his chief executive.
    “Oliver. Get back to the office now. The FSA are here. Fast as you can.”
    Lucy’s first day free of medical duties was on Friday.
    She started cleaning the house at five in the morning, prepared breakfast with a smile on her face and took the girls to school. Charles was pre-occupied with reading business papers and left early. Lucy collected