The Rules of the Game (D'Arth Series Book 1) Read online

  He was walking now, to cool down—glistening with sweat and showing off the muscles down his back. How could life be fair when there were people in the world who had it all together, and they looked like that to boot? She’d suspected that he had a nice physique, the way he wore his clothes showed it off enough; she didn’t have to actually see it. And now he was going to go upstairs, get naked and have a shower with glistening water running down his perfectly tanned body.

  Having lost her appetite for her ice-cream, she placed it back on the table. He’d obviously gotten outdoors over the summer. Probably did some very manly hobby like kite-boarding, while a supermodel watched on, draped on the hood of his stupid car.

  Okay, time to check herself; she didn’t normally react this way to anyone. Guys were just guys; everyone had their own problems and that probably included Damon D’Arth. She just couldn’t quite see any in Mr. Perfect. At least he wasn’t nice. It would just be heart breaking if he was actually lovely as well.

  Chapter 4

  Stepping out of the taxi, Jane had no idea where they were, but they were obviously by the sea. The complete darkness on one side attested to that. The group walked towards a row of buildings and she followed as they seemed to know where they were going. Interesting and powerful smells assaulted them at times when they walked along—some not entirely appetizing.

  The row of buildings contained a group of seafood restaurants. It was by no means fancy; in fact, it looked down right dilapidated. Not a restaurant she’d have chosen by looking at it. The chairs were old and mismatched, the round tables had an awful pink plastic table cloth and she’d swear that the floor had never been cleaned.

  She had second thoughts about the restaurant, but it was full of people and their reserved table was the only free one in the entire place. Waitresses were rushing around with steaming trays.

  “You don’t come here for the ambiance,” Stephen said, “but the food is awesome.”

  “Oh,” Jane said, still not entirely convinced. The cutlery was all in a glass at the centre of the table and one the boys started handing them around the table, and Jane took hers when offered. At least they were clean.

  “Drink?” Stephen asked. “No wine, just beer, or softdrinks.”

  “A beer then,” she said. She wasn’t normally a beer drinker, but she wasn’t really up for a sticky soft drink in this heat.

  Before long, a beer can was placed down in front of her, along with a well-worn, but clean glass.

  “We order for the whole table, then everyone can pick and choose,” Colin suggested and they all agreed. She actually liked the idea, then she didn’t have to commit to one dish that she might not end up liking.

  After they’d ordered, the chatting started. Mostly business; there had been an exciting development in the bid and they were talking about the implications.

  “Where is Damon?” Stephen asked. Jane had actually been wondering where he’d gotten to as well.

  “He’s having drinks with the client tonight. At the Raffles,” one of the architects said.

  “Have you seen the Raffles?” Stephen asked. “It’s famous. Used to be the hangout in colonial times; it’s been rebuilt, but it’s still a sight. You should see it before you leave. It’s quite lovely. Got some good bars too.”

  Jane nodded, she hadn’t seen anything yet. There hadn’t been time to do any sightseeing, and wouldn’t be until she got this evaluation process under control.

  The food started arriving and it looked really appetizing. One by one, dishes started filling up the table and everyone got a bowl of rice placed on their plate. She tried a fish dish close to her and flavour exploded in her mouth.

  “This is fantastic,” she said to Stephen.

  “Like I said, you don’t come for the décor.”

  Trying some more dishes, she discovered they were fabulous as well. She decided that she could eat here every night; these people knew their way around seafood. The table went quiet for a while as everyone focused on their plates, but their eating was interrupted by the arrival of Damon.

  She hated the term, but he looked suave. She couldn’t think of any other term that fully encompassed the way he looked—effortless elegance. White shirt and dark well-fitting pants, a little more casual then his typical Italian suit, but not informal. Someone asked him how things went with the client and his frown indicated that it hadn’t gone ideally. Although he seemed to frown all the time as far as Jane was concerned, so she might be reading too much into it.

  “There have been some new developments,” he said. “Nothing major; we’ll discuss it later.” He sat down and started piling food on his plate and everyone else returned to their immediate conversations. Jane also returned to mentally praising the marvels on her plate as well. She was full before her taste buds were satisfied, and eventually she just had to stop.

  “That was fantastic,” she said. “Probably the best seafood I’ve ever had.”

  “I think we have a convert,” Stephen said, rubbing his stomach. “That is a good meal. It’s almost worth coming all this way, just for that.”

  Sitting back, Jane finished the beer in her glass. It was really nice to sit back and relax. The alcohol slowly started to work its way into her system, relaxing her even further. The steamy heat enveloped her entire body and the jetlag was starting to make her feel a little sleepy, even if it was only eight o’clock.

  “So what are the developments with the client?” Liam, one of the architects, asked.

  “They are changing some of the terms,” Damon said, taking a swig of his beer. “Terms to do with the financing, which means the Chinese have an edge over us.”

  “How can they change the terms this late in the process?” Stephen asked with clear annoyance.

  “They’re the client; they can do whatever they want.”

  “This is bad,” Liam stated.

  Tension reasserting itself in Jane’s body. She’d just started to relax and now this—a major disadvantage. It was all she needed right now.

  “It’s not the end of the world,” Damon said. “We need to organise a bridge loan to deal with it, but it’s not impossible. I’ve asked the Board to convene first thing, to sort it.” First thing back in New Zealand would likely mean four in the morning here. Jane felt a sense of relief. If he was dealing with the board, then Mr. Carmichael would already know about it and she didn’t have to get involved.

  “Just complications, that’s all,” he said with a smiled. “The nature of the beast.” She wondered if that was what she was to him, a complication.

  *

  The boys were talking about some bar, where apparently there were some pool sharks working their trade. They were working out the logistics as they obviously wanted to go. Jane had no interest in snooker or pool, so she declined when they asked her if she wanted to come along. She appreciated being invited, but she had some work to do.

  One of the petite waitresses came with a bill on a small plastic tray. Damon put his credit card on it, which was soon collected. The smokers went outside, while the rest waited for the return of Damon’s credit card.

  A row of taxis waited outside and they quickly agreed how and where they were meeting in town. Within a minute the first taxi was gone.

  “You sure you won’t come?” Stephen asked Jane again.

  “No, I’m fine, go on. I’m going to return to the hotel.”

  “We can share a cab,” Damon said as he appeared beside her, making Jane almost jumped in surprise. Stephen gave her a look which indicated that she was chicken for bowing out so early in the night, then he closed the door and the taxi sped off.

  Opening the door as the next taxi pulled up in the queue, Damon waited for her to step in. It was a courtesy she hadn’t quite expected. Men rarely had occasion to open car doors for her; she actually felt a little embarrassed.

  There was an awkward silence in the taxi and she wasn’t sure if it was general awkwardness or if it was just her feeling that way. She
couldn’t help being intensely aware of him, particularly now that she’d seen what he covers up with his shirts.

  “Have you been here before?” she finally asked, trying to fill the silence.

  “A number of times. I was here for a few months a few years back. We had a project working on an extension to the opera complex.”

  Jane didn’t really know what he was referring to; it was Symax business from quite a while before the merger.

  “You must know your way around then,” she said. “I am completely at the mercy of taxi drivers.”

  “It is not a big island; you find your way around quite quickly.”

  Random scenery passed outside. Jane had no idea where she was, or even if she was going in the right direction. It was a little disconcerting.

  “So what is your background, Jane?”

  “Well,” she said, trying to think of what to say. She didn’t really have much of a background to talk about.

  “I was Mr. Carmichael’s PA for a few years.”

  “I am aware of that,” he said with a hint of amusement in his voice. “And how was life as Carmichael’s personal assistant?” He stressed the last two words.

  “It was interesting. I learnt a great deal.” It had been an interesting time—busy, but she hadn’t felt the same kind of pressure she did now.

  “And what did you do before that?”

  “I worked as a council planning officer. I specialised in parking allocation.”

  “Sounds riveting.” There was sarcasm in his voice.

  “Riveting might be a bit strong,” she admitted. “Painful might be a better word. Turns out local government planning just wasn’t for me.”

  “Is that what you wanted to be?”

  “No, I just fell into it. I don’t really have a plan; I just go along with what comes up. Do you have a plan for your career?”

  He smiled, but didn’t answer. Jane felt stupid asking, but she wasn’t entirely sure why. Then she was distracted as she started to realise they were, close to the hotel now. She could see the circle of buildings circling the massive fountain in the middle. The taxi swung into one of the streets heading into the complex, towards the hotel drop off.

  Damon pulled out some notes and paid the taxi, telling him to keep the change. Stepping out, Jane waited for Damon to join her. It would be rude not to say goodnight, so she waited for him to walk in with her. They walked to the elevator in silence.

  “I’m sorry to hear about the change in terms,” she said as the elevator doors closed. He was actually quite large in the small space of the elevator. Shrugging, he watched the floor numbers climb. “Why would they change the terms this late?”

  “A number of reasons, but I suspect someone on the client side is playing to the Chinese’s strengths.”

  Jane only nodded; she didn’t know what else to say. “Looks like tomorrow is going to be a busy day. The deadline is looming.”

  “They always do.”

  The doors opened on her floor and she stepped out, saying a quick goodbye and kept walking. When the door closed again she exhaled. She’d actually had a civil conversation with him; she hadn’t thought it was possible, but for once he hadn’t looked at her like she was a stain. Maybe that was because he had bigger problems to deal with. It impressed her how cool he was about it; he just had dinner and said he’d deal with it tomorrow. She, on the other hand, would be a nervous wreck.

  *

  Waking up by her phones ringtone, she noted it was still dark outside, or as dark as it got here as she mumbled something into the phone.

  “Jane?” asked Edmund Carmichael. “I need you to do some things for me today.”

  “Of course,” she said, instantly trying to get her brain into wake mode. “What do you need?”

  “I need you to take some documents to the bank for me and to wait for them to be signed. There are some financing things we need to deal with.”

  “I am aware of the developments.”

  “Good. I am emailing the documents to you, and the name of the person you need to see. Once they’re signed, I need you to go see Clarion.”

  Jane agreed and hung up. Damon was not going to like her seeing Clarion. She felt a bit like she was going behind his back. Actually she was pretty sure she was going behind his back. Hating all the intrigue and agendas, she had to admit that this was her lot—her team. She’d agreed to be his agent and since everyone knew it—well everyone who needed to know—she couldn’t be admonished for it.

  Starting her computer, she retrieved her instructions, including the terms she had to negotiate. This was much more than just acting as a gopher; she had to actually do some negotiations, or at least uphold the required terms. Looking at the clock; she saw it was six in the morning. The conference call would have already happened. She wondered how it had gone.

  The breakfast service wasn’t open for another hour, so she had some time to kill. She could sit here and work, or she could take a moment and enjoy this place. She was going to work all day, so maybe she should have some time to herself and enjoy waking up properly. Maybe she could even get some use out of the bikini Angelica had insisted she buy. It seemed insane to think about a dip sitting in the cool of her hotel room. Logic didn’t seem to dictate that it would be warm outside, but intellectually she knew it was. What the hell, she’d take a plunge. She may never get another chance.

  Pulling on her bikini, she grabbed the complementary dressing gown, and made her way downstairs. The hotel was quiet as it was too early for most. It wasn’t hard finding the pool area. The warmth enveloped her as she walked out on the rooftop space encased in greenery. The sky was pink with dawn and the heat was crazy.

  A slight splash in the pool indicated that someone else was there. She thought about returning upstairs, but decided against it. She’d made her mind up to go for a swim, so she would do it. Besides, she’d never hear the end of it from Angelica if she didn’t swim at least one.

  She couldn’t see anyone, but there were waves on the water. She pulled off her dressing gown and placed it on a sun lounger. A body popped out of the water and it took her a second to realise that it was Damon. She froze in her tracks.

  *

  Jane Burrows, in a bikini, was not the sight he’d expected after swimming the length of the pool under water. He’d come down to unwind after an intense call with the board. As per usual, they disagreed on just about everything. Political agendas and personal interests ruled the board, but that wasn’t unusual.

  He watched as she took some tentative steps into the water. She had a surprisingly nice figure—slender, flat stomach, curves and muscles. Not the kind of thin that came from an eating disorder. He could tell that she’d done the occasional running, or some other type of exercise.

  He honestly hadn’t anticipated seeing her here this morning, although he supposed it was a possibility running into her, as she was the only one who hadn’t hit the bars last night. The others would still be well asleep, rising just before they had to leave for the office. He didn’t expect he’d see them before nine, maybe nine thirty if they went a bit overboard.

  Watching as she dove under the water, he saw her hair floating on the surface before being pulled under. He wondered what the fall out would be from this morning’s call. What actions would Carmichael take? Had she been given instructions already?

  She swam down the length of the pool and back, then headed back to the steps; she wasn’t going to stay beyond a dip. He knew full well that his presence made her cut her swim short. He cut her off, standing between her and the stairs.

  “So, Jane,” he said. “What’s on your agenda today?”

  She stroked her hair back from her face—a move more provocative than she probably realised, then cleared her throat. “I will be working on the evaluation.”

  “And what else?” He knew he was being aggressive by asking so directly, but he didn’t care; he needed to know what she’d been instructed. Technically, they were on the same te
am and this was his account; he had the right to know what was going on.

  “I am going to see one of the banks,” she finally said, avoiding his eyes. He could see a hint of defiance in her features, and uncertainty.

  “Is that right?” he said slowly. Carmichael was jumping the gun, sorting out finance terms. “Anything else?”

  “I am seeing Clarion this afternoon.” At least she had the decency to look a little uncomfortable. He stepped closer to her.

  “And were you going to tell me?”

  “I just did,” she said and stepped back. Swimming to the edge, she pulled herself out of the water at the pool’s side, away from the steps behind him. She walked quickly to her towel and started to dry off.

  “I won’t appreciate it if you’re working against me,” he warned.

  “I’m not trying to work against you,” she said and pulled her dressing robe on.

  “What are you trying to do?”

  “My job,” she responded.

  “I’m just not entirely sure I’m comfortable with what your job is. I don’t like having a loose cannon on my team. If you are doing something material with my project—and this is my project—you need to inform me.” She looked uncomfortable, but she nodded at last and then marched away.

  Watching as she went, he knew he was going to have to keep a closer eye on her. It was now apparent that she was here to do more than observe. He wanted to send her back home, but he couldn’t challenge a board member so directly—that would stir up a hornet’s nest and it plain wasn’t worth it. The old codger would play his games; he would just have to make sure that any damage was minimised.

  *

  Feeling horrified, Jane rushed to get back to her room. That had been a complete disaster. She felt embarrassed and angry at the same time. He’d just blatantly called her out on her divided loyalties. She was also angry that she was stuck in this situation, but this was her job.