Tell Me - Ashe Barker Page 0,72

stuff from home then go to the office. There’s a lot to deal with today.”

“I know that.” She snuggled in closer as he draped an arm across her shoulders.

“I know you were meaning to be at Kershaw’s today, but in the circumstances…”

“You’re right. I’ll come with you. We’ll face them together. Do I have time for a shower?”

“Of course. I’ll make more tea.”

*****

Tony called a staff meeting, in the canteen. Thea reflected that this seemed to be becoming a habit of his. She stood at one end of the room as their employees filed in and seated themselves. Denise positioned herself on one side of her and Chris on the other. Both had been solid in their support when they had been summoned into Tony and Thea’s office first thing, though in fairness they had had all night to discuss the bizarre picture each had found on their car as they left the previous evening. Eric too was on their side, and Thea knew he had been from the start. He had rushed to tell them as soon as he discovered the picture and had done what he could, belatedly, to contain the damage.

Isabel Barnard was still sulking. She had remained stony-faced during the meeting and offered no comment at all beyond acknowledging that she had been aware of the flyers distributed around the car park. If Tony had a view on her failure to alert him to it he did not allude to that.

He invited each manager to ask questions if they had any, or to make such comments as they found necessary. The only question came from Denise, who asked if Thea and Tony were in a relationship. Tony responded that they were, that they had known each other for some time, and that their relationship was a serious one. Permanent, he hoped. Their colleagues expressed delight at that, and Eric went so far as to wonder if he should advise Mrs Henderson to buy a hat.

The shock factor was gone, everyone knew about the pictures, and beyond that their senior managers were of the opinion that the matter would soon be yesterday’s news. The normally reserved Denise observed that the malicious bitch who had outed them might even have done them a favour, and the worst was already over. It was generally agreed that Tony was a popular figure at Dart, and Thea was becoming so. Most of their staff knew the part she’d played in getting Jeremy Malone reinstated. Dart employees were loyal, and pragmatic enough to appreciate a decent boss. How the company managers chose to spend their leisure time was of no concern to anyone else. Well, not much.

People were interested, some would be amused. Others might be jealous. But it would all blow over. Things always did.

Brazen it out. Chin up, and let Tony do most of the talking. That’s what they’d agreed. And now came the moment of truth.

Tony had been seated at a table a few feet from her. The room fell silent when he got to his feet. Thea moved over to stand beside him. Tony smiled at her, then gazed across the hundred or so curious faces, all turned toward him.

He pulled a copy of the now infamous picture from his jacket pocket and held it up. “Has anyone not seen this?”

Silence.

“Does anyone here have any doubt that the two individuals in this picture are myself, and Mrs Richmond?”

More silence.

“Excellent. So we have that straight then. Just in case anyone is wondering, this picture was taken just under a week ago, at a club in the city. I hardly need to say, it was taken without our knowledge or permission. The club is a private venue, and we had every reason to suppose that anything taking place there was confidential. That confidence has been broken, and this is not a situation we can reverse.”

He paused, but it was clear he had not finished. No one spoke.

Tony swept his gaze across his attentive audience. “Before saying anything more I should explain something to you all, and this concerns consent. Those of us who choose to participate in the activities depicted in this image have consented to do so. It is our choice, and one we are free to make. Those who watch, those who observe, have also consented. You have not consented, you didn't choose to look at this picture. It was dumped on you whether you wanted it or not. To anyone here who finds themselves offended by what