Black Rose

Black Rose

By Emma Daniels

Copyright 2011 Emma Daniels

Smashwords Edition

CHAPTER ONE

You have got to be joking! Laura Brant gasped in dismay. Him! Vince Black got the job?

Her colleagues stared as her pale chubby features coloured with a mixture of shock, horror, and yes, a strong tinge of hatred.

They had all gathered in the conference room for their fortnightly section meeting, at which their supervisor Jenny Wu, a petite, five foot nothing Asian dynamo of twenty-eight, was informing them about some upcoming staff changes on the floor.

All right, Laura, what have you heard? Jenny asked, raising well manicured hands to quell the disquiet.

Heard? I worked with the creep… about three years ago in the Review Section when we were still in the old building… she stammered. This wasn’t like her either. Laura was never backward in coming forward with her opinions, however misguided some of them might be. My God, I feel sorry for the case officers with him in charge… she trained off, shaking her head.

Angela Summers sighed. She had aspirations of becoming a case officer one day. Having completed a diploma in welfare studies over two years ago, she thought it would stand her in good stead once a case officer’s position was advertised. But if this man really was as awful as Laura made him out to be, she’d either have to remain where she was in the Admin Team or look for work elsewhere, because Angela couldn’t stand injustice of any kind. She might appear demure and unassuming, but had a righteous streak her father often said would one day get her into a whole heap of trouble, a righteous streak she’d inherited from him.

Well, he won the job fair and square, and they’ll both be starting on Monday, so I want you to put your differences aside, Laura. Even though he might be in a different section, they rely on what we do, and vica-versa, so let’s all try and get along, Jenny concluded, ending the meeting.

There is no way anyone can get on with that dreadful man, Laura muttered under her breath.

Miranda Scott, the other member of Jenny’s team, leaned towards Angela, and whispered; Looks like fun and games on Monday morning.

Angela pulled a face. Wonder what he did to get on Laura’s nerves, she whispered back.

Probably told her to do some work.

Angela gave a little giggle. Yep, that’d do it.

Come on you two, Jenny urged. I know it’s almost the weekend, but I want you stats before you go home.

The two women got out of their seats and headed back to their desks. Jenny was a fair supervisor and Angela didn’t want to offend her by talking about others behind their backs. That was Laura’s prerogative. Laura was a plump mousy brown-haired woman in her early thirties who seemed to be putting on more weight each day. She resented Miranda’s slim figure and pretty face, so she was always trying to find fault with the willowy blonde’s work. Miranda took it in her stride, but Angela could see it was getting to her.

Laura pretty much left Angela alone, probably because she didn’t see her as a threat. Even though Angela was almost as tall as Miranda, she always wore lose tops, long flowing skirts and comfortable shoes that hid her slender but top-heavy frame. Her elfin heart shaped face rarely saw make up, and she usually wore her long auburn curls tied back with a plain elastic or clip. Angela had donned a vee-neck top to work once and Laura had the audacity to ask if she’d had a boob job.

Do I look like that kind of girl to you? she’d retorted, and her outspoken colleague had actually apologised. Angela hadn’t had much to do with men, having gone to an all girls’ school, and studied a course that attracted mostly females. This had never worried her. She only had to listen to Miranda’s laments to know how much of a roller coaster falling in love could be.

Angela preferred her life the way it was; quiet, sedate, and hassle-free. Occasionally she wondered if there was something wrong with her, because just about every girl in her class had been interested in boys, but Angela was too much of a daydreamer to show an interest in real men with all their faults and foibles. She preferred those she made up in her imagination.

Angela, being a book worm, loved nothing more than to bury her head in a fantasy saga. She was certain she’d worked her way through ninety percent of the Galaxy Bookshop. Still living at home with her parents’ she could afford to spend most of her earnings on books and CDs. She could save too, and had squirreled away quite a tidy sum for an overseas holiday. She wanted to see more of the world, but she also wanted to get ahead in the workforce.

Her older sister, Sandra, had married young, and was expecting her first child. Even though her husband, Brian, was a nice man, good looking too, having a baby under thirty struck Angela as too much like hard work.

One day she planned on writing her own fantasy trilogy. Angela was busy contemplating a fight sequence between her main character, Alexis, a muscle bound blonde knight, and his nemesis, the evil Pirate Dimarko, when she got into the lift on Monday morning. As the doors closed she bumped into the man who stepped in behind her.

Sorry, she mumbled, realising it was time to shift from daydream mode into work mode. He didn’t acknowledge her apology and Angela glanced around to see if someone had pressed the button to her floor. A few numbers were lit up but number ten remained blank. Angela realised that the man she’d bumped into was in the way, but then she saw his hand go out, and he pressed his index finger against number ten.

This made her glance up at him. She was startled by the intense blue eyes that met her own. To see such a deep shade of violet on a wintry overcast Monday morning took her by surprise. The rest of his face was also worth a second look; high cheekbones, straight Roman nose, a strong jaw and fine sculptured lips. His wavy honey blonde hair was long enough to curl over his collar, and she noticed that he was wearing a suit jacket and a tie. None of the men she worked with ever bothered wearing a tie.

Conscious that she’d let her eyes linger on him longer than was polite, Angela looked away. The cool way he returned her stare also had something to do with it. He was probably fed up with women gawking at him.

Since she’d never seen him before, she assumed he had to be one of the new people. As Angela stepped aside to let someone alight at level four, she made sure it was in the opposite direction from the cold eyed man.

She was starting to have a pretty good idea which of the new-starters he was, but had assumed he’d be older, in his forties at least, someone with experience in managing a section of over fifteen staff. This man couldn’t be any more than thirty. With the surname of Black, she’d envisaged someone more like the sinister, dark pirate in her novel. In fact, he looked too much like Alexis for her liking.

More people got off at level seven and eight. Finally the lift arrived at ten and Angela quickly stepped out. She wasn’t sticking around to introduce this rude individual to anyone. Let him find his own way to the manager, Kevin Pope’s office. She hurried past all the desks of the assessments team to her section at the other end of the floor.

Miranda and Laura were already there. Angela greeted them as she passed them and dropped her handbag on her desk.

How was your weekend? Miranda asked, turning around in her seat. She was wearing a clinging dark top, a short black skirt and high heels, not unusual for her. But today she also had on the biggest pair of hoop earrings Angela had ever seen. Laura, as usual, had on one of her dowdy floral old woman’s dresses. Angela knew she was little better, garbed in a black and white smock top and a pair of fitted black pants. Comfortable black boots donned her feet and she wore absolutely no jewellery whatsoever. Angela did own make-up and jewellery but since she rarely went out most of it just sat in the drawer collecting dust.

The usual. You know; reading, dance class, sister and hubby over for dinner on Saturday night, she replied. What did you and George the Greek get up to?

George was Miranda’s current boyfriend. She had a picture of him on her desk. Miranda was head over heals in love with him. Angela couldn’t even begin to imagine how anyone could get so emotionally entwined with another person, but Miranda was always impatient for their next romantic outing, probably tonight, if her gypsy hoops were anything to go by.

Sorry Angie this weekend was a bit R rated.

Say no more, Angela replied, holding up a silencing hand, tipped with short neat unpolished nails, the complete opposite to Miranda’s long garish talons.

I could swing off those earrings of yours, Laura remarked.

Miranda bobbed her head making them sway and sparkle.

Hey Laura, does that charming Vince Black of yours have blonde hair and blue eyes? Angela asked as she turned on her computer.

"He’s not my Vince Black, she snapped. Yeah, why do you ask?"

I think I just bumped into him in the lift, and I mean bumped. Even though I apologized, he gave me this cold, hard stare like I was something icky he’d stepped in.

Laura’s face fell. That sounds like him.

I just love your analogies Angie. Do you ever write them down? Miranda sniggered.

Well you know about my story about Alexis and the pirate.

Oh yeah your knight in shining armour. What your story needs is a love interest. How about we add Miranda the Maiden?

Angela had to laugh. You know I just might do that. Run your weekend by me and I’ll write it down.

No way.

What’s all the noise about girls? Jenny interrupted. I could hear you halfway down the office.

Sorry Jenny, just settling in, Miranda muttered as she too turned on her computer.

It must have been about an hour later when Miranda swivelled around in her chair and rolled it towards Angela’s desk. Kevin’s bringing around the new boys. She motioned towards three men standing near one of the case officer’s work stations in the middle of the office. Neither of you told me he was so good looking.

Who? Angela asked absently, returning her attention to the data she was entering into the computer.

Oh, who do you think? The tall good looking hunk, the one Laura doesn’t like.

If you like cold wintery eyes and hard chiselled features, Angela retorted without even looking up. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Miranda push her chair back to her own desk. Angela kept working, even when she knew the three men had reached her section.

This is Jenny’s team, Laura, Miranda and Angela. Kevin announced, motioning to each of them in turn. When Angela looked up she focussed her attention on Chris Campbell, a short corpulent man of about fifty with receding grey hair, exactly the kind of man she’d envisaged as manager of the assessments team.

Laura told us on Friday that you two worked together a few years ago, Jenny remarked and Angela couldn’t help but turn her attention to the tall blonde man. Under the glare of the fluorescent light she could see the golden highlights in his hair, but if she’d thought he’d given her a cold look in the lift, the way he regarded Laura was positively Arctic. He gave a small curt nod, and Laura glowered at her supervisor. Realising her mistake, Jenny changed the subject and started telling the two men how they prepared the cases for the assessments team.

No love lost between those two, Angela thought, wondering what kind of fireworks she was now going to witness. So far her office had been a quiet and uneventful place, but she suspected things were going to be vastly different from now on. She’d heard stories of bitter staff conflicts and rocky office romances, but so far had never come across anything more stressful than Laura’s Mondayitis and Miranda’s relationship woes.

So if you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask, Jenny concluded and the three men finally moved away.

Brrr, Angela said, giving a mock shiver. I think the temperature just dropped about ten degrees in here.

You know for once I have to agree with you, Miranda said over her shoulder. I think it’s time for a cuppa. Want to go downstairs and buy a cappuccino?

Sure, why not? As the two woman headed through the office Angela noticed the two new men had been allocated work stations and that she would have to walk past Vince Black’s desk every time she wanted to get to the lift. Miranda sashayed past, hips swaying. She turned slightly, looking over her shoulder, and as Angela drew level he looked up. She grabbed Miranda’s arm and hurried her away.

You are absolutely incorrigible, she muttered under her breath once they had reached the lift.

Made him look though. He’s not a complete block of ice.

What about George? Remember him, the love of your life, Angela said as the lift doors opened. They stepped inside.

I reckon you could get him to notice you too if you dressed up a bit.

Angela snorted. Why the heck would I want to do that?

Because he’s cute as hell.

And I’m not interested.

Give him a horse and a sword and I reckon he could pose as Alexis for you.

Angela was about to issue another retort when the image of Vince’s harsh face flashed before her eyes, making her realise that he really would make a perfect stand in for her main character when he was powered up and angry. Who’s got the imagination now? I almost wish I’d never told you about my book.

Just kidding. But I reckon you should buy yourself some new clothes. I’m getting sick of seeing you in that top. It was in fashion two years ago. Come shopping with me after work on Thursday and we’ll both have a bit of a splurge.

All right, I don’t think it’s going to survive too many more washes anyway, Angela relented. She was sick of waring the same clothes too. Besides, it was fun going shopping with Miranda. She always turned it into a great day out.

The Iceman strikes again, Louisa Langi muttered crossly as she stomped into the tearoom. A tall solid Samoan woman in her mid-thirties, she worked part time on account of having two small children under five. Miranda and Angela were eating their lunches as the older woman flopped down in the chair opposite.

Two weeks had passed since Vince and Chris had started working with them, but the former had created such a chill in the office he’d earned himself the venerable title of ‘the Iceman.’

Oh dear, what’s the iceberg done now? Miranda asked, setting down her half-eaten sandwich.

It took a lot to upset Louisa. She was usually a calm easy-gong person. Angela liked her and they often discussed world affairs over lunch. So far Angela had managed to avoid having anything to do with the Iceman. Whenever she passed his desk and he was at it, she looked the other way. But she’d heard snippets of gossip and come to the conclusion that for once in her life Laura had been right. He worked his team hard, not a bad thing, but there was no joking or laughter as there had been under Gavin Flannigan. The Iceman only spoke to people if it was work related. He wasn’t rude exactly, just cold, aloof and prickly.

Miranda must have rocks in her head to think Angela would want him to take notice of her. She was quite happy to slip under his radar, because she doubted he even knew she existed. He might look like Alexis, but he was no knight in shining armour. Black by mane, black by nature, she couldn’t help thinking to herself.

He’s gone through my entire caseload and told me that I shouldn’t be hanging onto them so long. He took them off me, saying he’d finish them himself, that we’d start over again, and if I couldn’t finalise them in a day I was to talk to him about it. Gavin never went through anyone’s work, but Vince is sticking his nose into every one’s caseload finding fault with just about everything we do… I’m sorry. I know it’s not your problem, but I’m so damn mad. The guy sweeps in here like he owns the place, not even asking how Gavin did things, just taking over… I mean some of his ideas are great, but there are such things as diplomacy, negotiation, people skills which he seems to have none of…

Maybe you should call an all staff meeting, include Kevin, and read Vince the riot act, Angela suggested. Bring up all the stuff that’s bothering you as a team about him. Use your people skills and get him to ease off a bit.

Louisa regarded Angela for a moment, the anger finally sliding from her swarthy features. "That’s an excellent idea Angie. That’s exactly what I’m going to do. And maybe you should put your welfare skills to good use and thaw the Iceman out a bit, Miss Summers."

Hardy har har. I don’t want to deal with him any more than you do, Angela replied.

But one day the confrontation came, and it was of her own engineering. The fact that an applicant she knew well had been rejected by him made Angela see red. She was absolutely furious when she marched up to his desk, clasping the file to her chest.

Why did you refuse Suzie Countouris’ application? she demanded loudly of his bent head.

Vince looked up slowly from the case he was working on. He had a huge pile of them in front of him. Serves him right for taking them off other staff, but in his haste to get through them all, he didn’t have to refuse them left right and centre.

I beg your pardon? he asked in a tone that seemed to imply; you dare question me, before his intense blue eyes met hers. The way his brow furrowed as he frowned up at her should have given her pause, but she soldiered on regardless, determined not to let him intimidate her.

You heard me. Chris, sitting behind Vince, draw in a sharp breath. Oh great now I have an audience, Angela thought. Oh well, I’m never going to get into this section with the Iceman in charge, so she continued; Suzie’s abided by her visa conditions twice before. Now, thanks to you, she won’t make it to her sister’s wedding.

She slammed the file down on his desk and leant across it. I’ve just taken two distressed phone calls from her and her mother wanting to know why her case has been refused. I didn’t put them through to you because I knew you wouldn’t care. I referred her to Jenny...

He wasn’t meeting her gaze anymore, and at first Angela thought it was because he didn’t want to look her in the eye, but when she glanced down she realised exactly what he was focussed on. Miranda had talked her into a whole range of fashionable new outfits on their shopping spree a week ago, one of which was the red