Chapter 43 Mrs Clancy's Suspicions
“Wait,” James Artie cuts into my pitch.
He doesn’t need to utter another word for me to know that it isn’t going to be in support of my team’s work. He’s going to do everything he can to pull our products apart. It’s what he does.
“We haven't got the factory capacity for either of these,” he says.
I don’t know how he’d know that. He’s the head of finance and has very little involvement in the production side of things.
“Actually we do,” I tell him, handing Mrs Clancy the documents that Eden has been working on, including a run down of the time and man power each factory is able to give.
“Not if we want to create a new range around the rocking bed design.”
I pause. He’s right. Without knowing Mrs Clancy wanted to make a new line, I hadn’t anticipated the need to include it in the projections.
“Well, it says here,” Mrs Clancy responds, “that these numbers make an allowance for a twenty percent increase in demand for other products.”
I glance at what she’s looking at. There on one sheet of paper is Eden’s elegant scrawl saying exactly that. I try to hide my smirk from the others as I thank my lucky stars for my awesome assistant.
“I don’t imagine that you’ll require twenty percent of our entire manpower, would you Lewis?” Mrs Clancy asks but before he can respond, she continues, “after all, you did tell me that you believe we can make a profit with your product.”
“Even so, we shouldn’t be overwhelming the production line,” James says.
“I’ve never known you to worry about that in the past,” Mrs Clancy replies laughingly. “Let’s move ahead with both designs. Good work Noah.”
That should be the end of the discussion but James is like a dog with a bone.
“We won’t have the funds to market both products.”
“Oh, dear, the way you’re talking, you’d think we were going out of business,” Mrs Clancy retorts. “We haven’t got the money for this and we haven’t got the money for that. Is there anything we do have the money for?”
James shrinks back under Mrs Clancy’s scrutiny.
“We’ll go ahead with both products,” she says once more and this time, no one tries to argue.
A little while later when everyone is filing out of the office, Mrs Clancy calls me back.
“Noah?”
“Yes, Mrs Clancy?” I reply, turning back towards her.
She waits until the room has emptied, and Martin has closed the door before she speaks again.
“I know it was your team that designed the rocking bed,” she says with absolute certainty.
I don’t understand. Even if she has suspicions, she can’t possibly know for sure. There’s zero evidence and what’s more no one has told her as far as I’m aware.
“Er…”
“What I don’t understand is why you didn’t tell me.”
“The wrong people would be blamed,” I say seriously. “A mistake was made by a member of my team and Lewis used it to his advantage.”
“I know. Stacey, right? She accidentally sent an email to the wrong person.”
“Yes.”
How does she know? Has somebody told her?
“It could happen to anyone. It’s even happened to me. And god knows, my granddaughter has accidentally sent me an email or two she shouldn’t have over the years.”
I laugh at that as the elderly woman shivers in mock horror.
“How is the new assistant doing?” she asks, taking a seat behind her desk.
She runs her fingers over the sheet of paper that has Eden’s handwriting on it, almost caressing the script.
“I’d be lost without her,” I answer before I can stop myself.
“I knew she was a good fit.”
“You hired her?” I ask surprised.
Mrs Clancy doesn’t answer, instead she just smiles knowingly at me and I get the distinct impression the woman is up to something.
I’m humming to myself as I make my way back to the office, eager to tell everyone. Finally I have some good news for them. Every time I come out of these meetings, I feel like I’m the grim reaper and I’m about to tell them all they’re dead.
When I turn the corner and they all come into view, the look they all give me enforces that feeling. They look apprehensive, scared even. Only Eden is smiling. It’s as if she already knows what I’m going to say or perhaps she’s just not been here long enough to lose hope.
“We got the go ahead,” I tell them quickly, not wanting to draw out their worrying.
Immediately, the silence erupts as they hug one another cheering. Rob thumps me on the back, congratulating me but it’s Eden’s smile that has my attention.
She’s walking towards me, a coffee in hand.
“Well done,” she says softly as she passes me the steaming cup.
“Thanks,” I say back before looking towards the others. “You all have Eden to thank.”
“Me?” she asks disbelievingly.
“You.” I nod my head. “Without Eden’s notes, I don’t think we’d have got Mrs Clancy’s support.”
Everyone rushes to thank her as I stand back sipping my coffee. “No one is working late tonight,” I tell them, my eyes on Eden. “We’re all going for a drink to celebrate.”
There’s a murmur of agreement before everyone is returning to the work they were doing before I returned. Eden turns away from me, breaking our eye contact and begins to walk back to her desk. I follow after her, saying nothing I enter my office.
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