“Out, as usual,” laughed Lucky. “She’ll probably be home late.”
“As usual,” said Randy, making himself comfortable on the sofa. “Got some drinks? There’s no time to waste – we need to get to work.”
Lucky smiled on her way to the kitchen. Randy was a creature of habit and it was Tuesday night – his designated day for research. His flat was downstairs, but he spent most of his time at Lucky’s. She loved having him around. His outspoken comments made her laugh, but he also had a strong work ethic. Lucky liked to think of herself as the moderate member of the trio. She was creative and passionate, but she was also the one who remembered to fix leaking taps.
She returned to the living room with two glasses and a box of fruit juice. “What have you got today?”
“Textile trends in Europe,” he said, flipping through one of the magazines. “Synthetics are coming back.”
“Good – I’ve had enough linen to last me a while.” She sank onto the sofa beside him and leaned forward for a slice of pizza, peering over his shoulder at the magazine. “What did you think of Eric Rukhava?”
“The money guy?” He shrugged. “Easy on the eye, but otherwise just a money guy.” Randy turned to her suddenly, a suspicious look in his eyes. “Why?”
Lucky smiled. “Nothing. He just seems nice.”
“Nice?” Randy’s expression grew sceptical. “You hate money guys.”
“Hate is a strong word,” replied Lucky. “I just don’t always agree with their views.”
Randy gasped and wagged a finger at her. “You like him!”
“I hardly know him,” said Lucky with a laugh, but her face felt hot all of a sudden. “He just seems very … you know … efficient.”
Randy whistled. “And I know how you feel about men who get things done!”
Lucky nudged him with her elbow as she polished off her pizza slice. “He seems a little more reasonable than the others. I could be wrong – it was only his first day.” Despite her protests, she couldn’t help thinking of the way she had felt when she first looked into Eric’s piercing eyes. It was as if they were connected in some way, or would be soon.
She shook off the unnerving thought. “I wonder who Brenda’s with tonight.”
“Probably that guy from the deli.” Randy shook his head. “He’s cute, but anyone can see he’s only interested in getting into her psychedelic pants.”
“Trust me, that’s how she likes it,” sighed Lucky. She loved Brenda, but didn’t quite approve of her overactive love life. Why waste time dating random men when she could be building a future with someone kind, honest and dependable? Lucky wanted what her parents had – a relationship that would last a lifetime.
She turned the pages of the magazine, but after a few minutes she found her thoughts drifting back to Eric Rukhava. He possessed an air of mystery, as if he was much more than the sum of his parts.
Lucky couldn’t remember being unsettled by a man before. Brenda was forever prattling on about “uncontrollable desire” – it was her favourite phrase, the driving factor behind every one of her brief relationships. But as far as Lucky was concerned, everything could be controlled. At twenty-seven she was still a virgin and didn’t believe that something as basic as biology could ever cloud her judgement.
Even so, when she thought of Eric her skin felt hot all over. Maybe I’m coming down with something, she thought hopefully, but she didn’t think that was the case. For some reason the new CFO got her hot and bothered, and that could only mean trouble.
2
The next morning, Lucky and Randy weren’t the only early birds in the office. As Lucky walked past Eric’s office she was surprised to see light peeking out from under the door. She smiled, impressed, and a moment later the door opened, as if he had sensed her presence. Lucky turned around to greet him and once again she felt that funny weakness; the air was slowly getting thinner around her.
She put on her most professional voice. “Morning. I’m surprised to see you here so early.”
“Lots to do,” Eric replied with a grin. “Hey, since you’re here, do you mind coming in for a second? I’d like to discuss something with you.”
“Sure.” Lucky hesitated only briefly before walking into his office.
There was an awkward moment as she brushed past him and felt electricity crackle in the air. Her gaze shot to his face. He was looking at her with that half-smile again. She looked away quickly and cleared her throat. The office was very neat, without a single sheet of paper out of place.
“You don’t waste time, do you?” she said, slipping into the chair opposite his. “Straight to work already.”
Eric smiled and returned to his chair. “I like to stay on top of things.” He picked up a file and flipped quickly through it. “I understand you’re rolling out new products next month.”
Lucky nodded. “We have some new fabrics coming out; cutting edge stuff, and some great new designs.”
“Your budget this year was quite high.” He gave her an enquiring look.
“Well, innovation is expensive,” she remarked, a little defensively. “But it’s always been worth it. We produce the best fabric on the market.”
“I don’t think the people at Fabrico would agree.”
Lucky bristled at the mention of the competition. “Fabrico isn’t even in our league. They simply copy the latest trends and mass-produce them – they haven’t produced anything original in decades!”
“But they’re still the most profitable textile company in the country,” Eric pointed out. Then, suddenly, he grinned. “I’m sorry – it’s my job to focus on profit, and Fabrico makes more money than Chemtex. The shareholders would like that to change. I’m just trying to determine how we can make that happen.”
Uh-oh. Maybe Lucky didn’t like this new guy after all. “Are you planning to cut my budget?” She shifted forward in her chair, the mere thought of this sending her into a panic. “Because that would be a disaster. My team needs the freedom to –”
“I didn’t say anything about budget cuts,” Eric interrupted smoothly. “I’ve only just arrived. I still have to analyse the company’s current situation. Thanks for the chat; you’ve been very helpful.”
It was a clear dismissal. Lucky got to her feet, annoyed and confused. First he shot her flirty glances, then he turned around and got all heavy-handed! She couldn’t figure this man out. She returned to her office and tried to focus on work, but her mind kept wandering back to Eric. What was it about him that she found so intriguing?
* * *
Lucky and her brother had arranged to meet at his favourite fast-food outlet. She found him in a corner booth, flipping through a newspaper.
“Siza!” She rushed at him and he enveloped her in a hug.
“Have you gained weight, Lucky Packet?” he demanded, eyeing her critically as he took his seat.
Lucky made a face. “I hope not.” She slid into the chair beside him. “So? Unjani? How’s the family?”
“Everyone’s fine, sisi, how are you?”
“Tired,” she replied happily. “It’s so good to see you!”
“As always,” he teased, glancing through the menu. “Since I know there’s no point in asking if you’ve found Mr Right yet, I’ll stick to asking about work.”
“How do you know there’s