Page 47 of Wife After Wife

“She’s lucky to have you as a brother,” said Ana.

Was Harry blushing?

CHAPTER 18

Ana

By lunchtime, Rose Corp. employees were calling the fourth of December Black Friday. Redundancies were happening, and staff were being called in one by one to find out whether they were to go or stay.

So far, in theRack’s offices, Nate had kept his job, but their new editorial assistant, Tim, had lost his. Tim had shown promise, so they were all feeling horrible about it. Terri was staying (of course) and had already tipped off Ana that her job was safe.

“Will I still need to see Harry?” Ana asked. According to those who’d already been summoned, “Harry Rose himself” was sitting in on the interviews.

Terri was perched on Ana’s desk munching a Prêt à Manger sandwich. Although it was lunchtime, nobody else seemed to be eating. The dreadful quiet was broken by the sound of someone across the office swearing viciously at their computer.

“Yes. Fook knows why.”

Tim was sorting through the contents of his desk. “It’s pointless him being there,” he said. “Stupid. Like hearing it from the great man himself would make it sooo much easier. ’Cause it’s like,sopainful for him, but it’s for the greater good. Why the fuck would I believe Harry Rose’s lame reasons for axing staff when the company’s doing pretty damn well?”

“What reasons did he give?” asked Ana.

“Some bollocks about ‘future-proofing’—is that even an expression? Restructuring so Rose is well positioned for the ‘new online age.’” He made quotation marks in the air. “Probably just wants to keep more of the profits to put toward a private Caribbean island. Branson’s got one, so no doubt he wants one too.”

“Tim, sorry, love, but you just need to pack up your stuff and go,” said Terri.

“What?”

“My orders from inhuman resources. People who’re going must leave immediately, so they don’t bring down the stayers. I know this sucks, but you’re best out of it. Go home and get pissed. I would. And, Tim—I’ll send you a reference and it will be fookin’ glowing.”

Tim sat down suddenly, defeated. “I’ve loved it here. And I’m going to miss you all.”

Nate appeared. “Ana, your turn to see the axman.”

Ana made her way, along a corridor lined with framed magazine covers, to the boardroom. She passed a designer fromHooray!with tears running down her face. Ana didn’t meet her eye.

She knocked, and a female voice called her in.

At the oval table sat Harry, in rolled-up shirtsleeves, his hair backlit by the rare winter sun shining through the window. With him was Lesley from human resources.

“Ana! Come in and sit down,” said Lesley, a pleasant smile on her face.

Glancing again at Harry, Ana wondered how he could look so relaxed when he’d spent the morning wrecking lives.

Lesley had just opened her mouth to speak when Harry leaned forward and said, “Ana. How do you feel you’ve been getting on as part of theRackteam? And where do you see yourself in two or three years’ time?”

Ana hadn’t been expecting a performance review but had no problem letting Harry know of her ambitions. “I couldn’t ask for a moreinspirational art director than Nate, and working with Terri has given me invaluable experience in how innovative design can showcase the best editorial. As for the future, I’d expect to be an art director within two years, if not here, then with another leading publisher, or perhaps an ad agency.”

“So you’d say you’re ambitious?” said Harry.

“Absolutely.”

“And which would you say was more important—your career, or your personal life?”

Ana was thrown by the question. “I’ve never had a problem combining the two.”

“How well would you say you cope under pressure?”

“I don’t cope, I thrive. Deadlines bring out the best in me.”