Heart On Fire Part 5

You might get an extra week's wages.

The trouble is, you can't prove you weren't insolent to the man "I wish I'd been a d.a.m.n sight more insolent!" Claudia muttered, and Jenny smiled ruefully.

"I know how you feel, and if you had any evidence to support your allegation I,d back you to the hilt, but as it is... It's just your word against his, and he has all the clout." She pulled open her card index and began flicking through it.

"Well, meanwhile, let's see what we can find for you..."

She found several jobs, and rang the firms, managing to get Claudia two interviews to go to next day. "The money won't be as good," she warned.

"But they are flexible about hours."

Annette was scathing when Claudia told her what had happened.

"So the fact is, this wonderful agency isn't going to back you at all. She went through the motions but when the hotel stood by the decision she accepted it without a fight."

"What could she do?" Claudia shrugged impatiently. "She's right--it is my word against his. Look, drop it, Annette. I can't be bothered to waste any more time on it. The job wasn't that important to me."

Her sister was far more belligerent and always had been; she smouldered on and off for the rest of the day and was still furious when they began serving dinner to a crowded restaurant.

Claudia was carrying a loaded tray out to the kitchen when she saw some newcomers making their way to an empty table. She froze in her tracks, almost dropping the tray, the gla.s.ses on it rattling as her hands shook. An angry flush rushed up her face, then she hurried through the swing doors and dumped her tray.

Annette was taking a cheese souffl~ out of the oven very gently and growled at her, "Don't make a draught near this or it will sink, and then I'll kill you."

"He's in there," Claudia stammered.

"How he has the nerve! Waikingin here as bold as bra.s.s... I nearly threw my tray at him..."

Annette wasn't really listening; she was giving all her attention to the delicately risen souffl~ which she was placing on a tray.

"Take this in at once," she said. "Hurry, or it will be ruined."

Pierre was yelling over his stoves.

"Truffle... Where's the chopped truffle?"

They were too busy to listen, realised Claudia, obediently taking the souffl~ from her sister. She took a deep breath, then went back into the restaurant~ keeping her eyes away from the part of the room where Ellis Lefevre sat with his guest. She still managed to notice that it was a man with him; younger, very thin, with a pale complexion and dull brown hair. Was it one of his executives?

They were not sitting at one of Claudia's tables, thank heavens, so she might never need to confront Ellis. She went back into the kitchen to collect another table's main course, and was caught by Annette as soon as she reappeared.

"What did you say just now?" Annette was very flushed, her eyes fiery.

"You didn't say that that man is here, in the restaurant, did' you?"

"At table three," Claudia said, checking the waiting meals. She picked up the plates meant for her clients and turned to hurry back, almost b.u.mping into Annette who was peering through the small window in the swing door.

"Which one?" Annette demanded, eyes like a gimlet, and Claudia gave her an incredulous look. Surely that was obvious? By no stretch of the imagination could anyone describe the younger man as s.e.xy and disturbingly attractive. She bit her lip self-consciously--but then she hadn't ever told Annette what Ellis Lefevre was like, had she? In fact, she had carefully avoided telling Annette anything much about him at all.

"Well, he's not the skinny, pallid one," she said drily, and went back into the restaurant. She rigidly kept her gaze away from Ellis, yet she knew that he was watching her. She could feel his eyes like the heat of a fire, and their scrutiny made her nerves leap.

What was he doing here? He had got her sacked, and ye~t here he was tonight, staring at her, willing her to look his way, almost as though he was trying to hypnotise her. What did he want? She winced.

Well, she knew that. But why was he here tonight? What was he after?

Did he hope that she would be more amenable now that she had discovered what damage he could do her? Had he complained about her to the hotel to show her just how influential he was, how much weight he carried with her employers?

She hurried back into the kitchen again and found her sister slamming steak over the charcoal grill in the corner , muttering furiously to herself about Ellis Lefevre.

"We don't want him here; tell him to go, chuck him out, I'm not feeding him, unless it's with a.r.s.enic!"

"Cherie, we can't throw him out," Pierre shouted over the sizzle of his pans.

"It would cause a scene, and we- cannot have scenes in the restaurant, we would lose customers. So we don't like him? So OK.

Tan! pf~. But we cook superbly for him, for everyone, cause it is our reputation and we must never drop our ~ standards. Cooking is like the theatre. The show must go on, yes? " "No," Annette yelled back. She turned to look at Claudia.

"You don't have to go back in there, with that man around. I'll take over your tables."

"Ellis Lefevre doesn't bother me!" Claudia said and Annette gasped, mouth wide open, which Claudia felt was a little over the top as a reaction. So it wasn't strictly true that Ellis did not bother her?

So she was pretending--and it showed a little? Annette didn't have to make such a meal of her incredulity.

Annette made funny choky noises, jerking her head, and Claudia was quire anxious about her for a second until she suddenly caught on to the fact that her sister was trying to tell her something. But what?

Only then did it dawn on her that Annette was staring past her at someone standing right behind her.

She swung round and felt her nerves jerk violently as she met Ellis Lefevre's cool grey eyes.

"So I don't bother you?" he drawled.

"No," Claudia bit out.

"You don't. And what are you doing in here, anyway? This kitchen is out o~ bounds to clients. Go back to your table and wait for your meal." She paused, realised her sharp tone had been a little lacking in customer persuasion, and gave him a false, icy smile.

"Please, sir," she added as if the words were knives she was hurling at him.

"I want to talk to you," he merely said, and Annette made high-pitched, wordless comments, listening to them.

Claudia saw that any minute her sister was going to start hurling crockery at him. Annette was so angry she couldn't even say a word, which was a first for her. Annette usually had so much to say for herself.

The automatic dishwasher had spun to a stop and Claudia walked over to start unloading it, picking up a clean dishcloth.

"Anyone who comes into this kitchen is expected to work," she told Ellis, offering him the cloth.

"Either help, or get out. We're too busy for social visits, we work for a living in here."

He took the cloth automatically.

"Look, I realise you're angry ~' " Oh, he realises that! " Claudia s~d to Annette, while she opened the dishwasher and hot steam gushed out into the room, making Ellis jump back out of range. " Isn't that sensitive of him?

He has me fired, but he realises it has upset me! What a wonderful guy. " "What did you say?" Ellis asked, automatically taking one of the hot plates and drying it.

"Had you fired? What are you talking about?"

"You know very well what I'm talking about--don't play dumb with me!"

Annette dried plates too, but much faster, her technique experienced.

"Are you talking about your job at the hotel?" Ellis was frowning, his grey eyes narrowed.

"You've been fired? When was this? They must have given a reason " They told me the truth," Claudia said coldly.

"They told me you had complained that I was insolent and were insisting that I must be dismissed. They said they were very sorry, but the hotel can't afford to offend a guest as important as you, so I was given my cards." She eyed him contemptuously.

"And don't try lying to me, because it won't work. I know what your game is, Mr. Lefevre! You think you have the advantage now I've lost my job. You think I'll have to agree to your terms, dance to your tune--well, I won't and nothing will ever make me. If I never see you again, it will be too soon for me."

He put down the dishcloth, his lean face very serious.

"Claudia, I swear to you, I had nothing whatever to do with your dismissal.

I never complained about you, I certainly didn't want to get you fired.

I don't know what did really happen, but I a.s.sure you I'll find out,

and have you reinstated, and given an apology."

"Take no notice of him, Claudia!" Annette erupted, her face highly flushed.

"He's lying through his teeth."

Ellis ignored her, his grey eyes intent on Claudia, who was staring at

him uncertainly. He managed somehow to be convincing, she halfbelieved him, but why would Judy lie?"Just go away," ~ Claudia told him."I don't believe you .""Neither do I," Annette said. They both ignored her. Pierre yelled,"Is anybody working in here, or am I running this restaurant on my own?" Annette rushed away with a little wail.

Ellis went on staring at Claudia.

"I didn't know you had been fired; I was simply told you weren't at

work. I a.s.sumed you were taking time off, I thought you were staying

away from the hotel because of me, so I came looking for you." "Why?" she asked huskily, then her colour darkened, and she said sharply, "No, don't tell me, I don't want to know, I just want you to go away and never come back. You've done me enough damage as it is--whether it was you who actually got me fired or your girlfriend."

"Estelle," he thought aloud, frowning.

"Yes, it must have been Estelle, of course." He grimaced.

"Well, if it was her then I'm afraid there isn't much chance that I'll be able to get you reinstated " I never thought there was! " she bitterly told him. " It's still your fault, even if you didn't actually complain about me. If you hadn't flirted with me and kept me in your suite all night, your girlfriend wouldn't have got jealous and wouldn't have fired me. " "OK, I accept that. Let me make amends, then. You haven't found another job yet, have you?" He paused, watching her, reading her expression.

"No? Good. Then come and work for me. My personal secretary is leaving soon, to get marriedwthe salary is far better than you must have earned in the hotel." He named a figure that took her breath away and she drew a sharp, startled breath.

"You would be travelling quite often, all over the 'world," Ellis said softly.

"The company would provide a luxury flat, a car, and pay all your expenses."

Annette was listening again, her eyes like saucers, while she automatically stirred the sauce she was helping Pierre to make.

Claudia couldn't believe her ears. It was too good to be true--a magnificent offer, the sort of job any girl would give her eye-teeth to get. She couldn't think what to say for a moment. She looked helplessly at her sister, signalling with her eyes, and Annette shrugged her shoulders, making it clear she didn't know what to think, either. Claudia looked back at Ellis, who gave her a curling smile, raising his dark brows.

"Don't tell me that for once I've taken your breath away? Claudia stiffened, suddenly seeing satisfaction in those grey eyes, a complacency in.

the curve of his mouth. He looked altogether too pleased with himself.

59 Her suspicion flared again--had he, after all, been responsible for getting her fired? Had that been part of a devious plan, intended to make her vulnerable to an offer of a job with him? She thought his offer over again. A salary higher than she had ever in her wildest dreams imagined earning, a luxury flat, a car and a big expense account. and worldwide travel as Ellis Lefevre's companion?

Her eyes widened and darkened with insult and fury. Oh, yes, it was too good to be true! She had been dumb, not to have seen 'through his generous offer at once. It was so blatant an idiot should have known what it really was.

Eyeing him contemptuously, she bit out, "Secretary isn't quite the right job description, is it? No mere secretary, however high-powered, gets terms like that! Do you think I'm stupid? Well, I'm not, Mr. Lefevre. The answer is no. I don't want your money, or your company flat, or your car or the expense account. I won't become your mistress. Now, go away, before I get my brother-in-law to throw you out."

He stared at her, pretending to be surprised, then said impatiently, "Claudia, don't be ridiculous, just listen to me One of the waitresses had just got a jug of cold watercress and cuc.u.mber soup out of the fridge and was about to ladle some into a soup bowl Claudia s.n.a.t.c.hed the jug from her, and, without stopping to think, threw it all over Ellis Lefevre.

He gave a sharp gasp. Annette gave a shriek. Pierre broke into agitated French, moaning, "Oh, mon Dieu, mon Dieu, rna soupe.t Oh, rna soupe. Claudia, toes foue .

Claudia was frozen on the spot, staring at Ellis, who stared back, his face running with the smooth green cream of the soup. Fragments of watercress showed here and there; a fleck had caught in his thick black lashes, and there were slivers of cuc.u.mber in his hair, on his collar, on the shoulders of his jacket.

It would have been a funny sight, if either of them had been in a mood to see the humour of it, but Claudia was too horrified by what she had done, and afraid of his reaction--and Ellis had apparently been turned to stone.

After what seemed to Claudia the longest moment of her life, he reached out and picked up the cloth he had been using and wiped his face and hair.