Love In The Spotlight

Chapter 3-1

three

Damon’s office was a cold, sterile place. It reminded Elizabeth of her dentist’s with its whitewashed walls, chrome furnishings and stark lighting. It smelt faintly of lavender polish and sickly sweet aftershave. Elizabeth looked around, expecting to see a drill, scalpel, other instruments of torture and him in sanitised NHS scrubs, telling her to relax and smile. Then she noticed another figure in the corner of the room and felt a sense of relief that she wasn’t alone with the creepy store manager.

Next to a bubbling tank of tropical fish sat a lady. She looked young, barely out of her twenties, with plum-coloured hair, glossy red lipstick and pronounced cheekbones which were covered in the kind of sparkly glitter that young children wear at birthday parties. Her attire was a combination of sexy femme fatale meets naughty nun; a tight-fitting transparent blouse, clinging pencil skirt and painful-looking stilettos. Elizabeth had never seen her before, and wondered if she was Damon’s new fling.

In the two years he’d been working at the Cornwall branch, he’d been associated with a string of beautiful women. Last year, one of them had caused an awful scene at the staff Christmas party. Drunk by eight o’clock, said woman had danced on the table, vomited over a potted plant and had then become enraged with jealousy after Damon had danced with a leggy blonde from the cosmetics department.

As Damon skirted around his desk, Elizabeth gave him a questioning look.

‘Sit down, Liz,’ he said, motioning to a leather chair.

Immediately Elizabeth’s hackles were up. People she liked shortened her name and usually to Lizzie. She herself had never been a fan of Liz and it was a relief that her father wasn’t here, for he would surely have snapped that Elizabeth was her name. Mum and Dad had named her after the Queen of England and all the way through her childhood they insisted that she was called by her full name. She acceded that yes, during her formative school years Elizabeth had found it a challenge to write. She envied her peers who were called short, flowery names such as Rose and Lily, but now, as a mature woman nearing fifty, she liked the pomp and regal connotations that the name Elizabeth invoked. She didn’t like the patronising general manager, who had his own derogatory nickname whispered amongst the staff, shortening it one bit.

Damon picked a stress ball up from his immaculate desk and gave it a quick squeeze. An embarrassing sound ricocheted around the office; it reminded Elizabeth of drawn out flatulence and a bubble of laughter caught in the back of her throat.

‘There’s no easy way of saying this.’ His smile was taut and didn’t quite reach his eyes. ‘I suppose you’ve heard the rumours?’

‘I had heard talk of redundancies, but I thought it was just gossip from the Homeware department.’ Elizabeth shifted slightly, unnerved by his ice blue stare.

Damon leant back on his chair and Elizabeth had a sudden urge to tip him from it, preferably out of the window behind him. From where she was sitting, she could see the roofs of nearby buildings. If she pushed hard enough, she thought he might end up on the sharp pinnacle of the church spire and then someone nice, with integrity, could take his position at Blooms.

‘Liz…’

Elizabeth shook her head to dispel the vision. ‘Sorry, miles away.’

Damon frowned. She knew she’d riled him, his arrogance commanded her full attention. He picked up a pen, twirling it like a baton, no doubt a show to impress the young lady, who looked faintly bored.

‘This is Sabrina.’

Elizabeth twisted in her chair and said hello.

‘Sabrina’s a new staff member, she’ll be starting in the New Year.’

‘Oh… well, that’s nice.’ Elizabeth wondered what it had to do with her. Staff came and went all the time at Blooms, but Damon had never introduced her to a newbie before.

‘Sabrina’s a graduate,’ Damon continued. ‘She was awarded a first in business and finance,’ he paused for effect, ‘from a top London university.’

‘Well done,’ Elizabeth murmured. She heard Sabrina sigh.

‘As well as being highly intelligent, she also has creative flair and an eye for colour.’

‘I have A levels in Textiles and Art,’ Sabrina interjected.

‘Ooookay.’ Elizabeth was by now feeling completely bemused and wondering

why Damon had chosen the busiest shopping day of the year to share this with her. ‘I really should get back, Wendy’s on her own and…’

Damon held up his hand to quieten her. ‘I’m sure Wendy can cope.’ He sighed theatrically. ‘As you’ve probably heard, the big bosses have been in… they’re demanding a shake-up of certain areas within the store.’

‘You’re making me redundant?’ Elizabeth brushed a strand of hair off her forehead, her hand shaking slightly.

‘No! Of course not, Liz, you are a valued member of my team, where would you get that silly idea?’

‘Then what is it, Damon?’ She was starting to lose her patience with this stupid, pretentious man.

‘You’re being relocated.’

Elizabeth blinked. ‘I am?’

‘I’ve discussed this with other management and we feel that you’re wasted in women’s lingerie.’

‘But I like working in women’s lingerie,’ Elizabeth said through gritted teeth.

Damon cleared his throat. ‘Sabrina here is the new head of women’s lingerie.’

‘What?’ Elizabeth’s mouth flapped open. ‘Since when?’

‘She’ll start in the New Year.’ He held up his hands in an effort to placate her. ‘It makes sense, Liz. She’s young, vibrant, eager and dynamic – perfect for, er… women’s underwear.’

‘But… but…’

‘Your department is lagging behind the others. We need a set of fresh, youthful eyes to turn it around.’

‘It’s always busy, Damon,’ Elizabeth protested.

Damon looked down at his unblemished nails. ‘But not busy enough and Sabrina here is full of ideas and energy to increase the profits. Having her in charge is a win-win situation.’

‘Fine.’ Elizabeth’s shoulders slumped. ‘Where will I go?’

Damon sprang out of his chair and began pacing the room. ‘I’ve thought long and hard about this and I’ve asked myself, where would be the best fit for one of Blooms’ longest-serving employees? Somewhere more fitting with your character.’

‘My character?’ Elizabeth wondered what on earth he was wittering on about.

‘Somewhere traditional, reserved. Somewhere less challenging.’

Elizabeth could feel her spirits sinking lower and lower. Oh please, no.

Damon placed his hand on her shoulder, and instinctively Elizabeth flinched.

‘You, my dear, are the new full-time sales assistant in kitchen utensils.’

Elizabeth bit her lip and dug her nails into the palm of her hand. ‘As a department manager?’ She could hear the desperation in her blurted words.

Damon’s smile was smug. ‘We thought you would appreciate a less… stressful role.’

‘So I’m being demoted?’ Outraged, adrenaline pulsed through her veins. She wanted to grab the paperweight off Damon’s desk and hurl it at his perfectly gelled head.

‘Now, now,’ the joviality in his voice made her want to scream, ‘see it as a sideways step. You’ll still have all the staff perks, without the pressure.’

Elizabeth straightened her shoulders. ‘Okay. Just one more question, Damon.’

‘Fire away,’ he said, with a satisfied smirk.

‘Who’s my line manager?’

‘You already know, Liz. Come, come, less of the pretence. It’s Jane Bates, of course.’

And with that final nail in the coffin. Damon grinned a megawatt smile. ‘Welcome to the Homeware family.’