Fire in Her Belly

By EgmontGrigor2020

Chapter 1

Angus Cooke followed his stroppy daughter Di (Diana) to work. She was driving her new joy, (top down and her natural rusty-coloured hair barely disturbed by the windscreen slip-stream).

It was a slick white BMW 4 sports car, mainly allocated for her use, with two more similar vehicles to be delivered to the company as rental vehicles during the next four days.

Dad in her slip-stream frowned, noting they were travelling a few notches above the legal speed limit but Miss Stroppy was born a rule-breaker and wasn't slow at anything.

The frown turned into a grin as he thought that his wife Valerie on a long journey took twice as long to pee at a roadside toilet as their daughter did. Angus noticed such things as timing between actions, being co-proprietor with his wife of Prestige Car Rentals, and professionally he was an accountant who earlier in his career had been a time and motion study specialist.

He was looking forward to this day, enormously, the meeting of two instinctively aggressive young persons beneath their cultivated niceties. He hoped it would go off okay and produce benefits for the company -- but allowing for a few sparks to fly.

Di turned into the rental vehicle yard, accelerated and had backed into her father's reserved space before he arrived and was standing outside her allocated new car before he had time to mouth 'Bitch' as he approached the natural tease.

She swept her fringe back into place with two hands, pulled her lipstick from her shoulder bag with one hand and directed an obscene one upturned finger gesture at her father for silently mouthing that rude word at her.

Grinning, she bent down to the sport car's exterior mirror to check that she was applying the lip colour re-fresh straight.

Angus waited expectantly for the first explosive encounter between the two young upstarts, Di (26), the company's director of operations, and equal in status with the company's replacement director of fleet management of the rental firm's 120-plus vehicles. He'd be making his first appearance that morning on the premises apart from his earlier after-hours interview and selection for his role.

Sedans, SUVs, sport cars and premium pick-ups were rented out to companies and people with short to medium term rental vehicle needs from the company's mid-city HQ, and the company's rented parking areas at the rail/bus transport centre and the city's principal airport, where the greatest number of short-term rentals were picked up.

By the time Angus reached his office after exchanging morning greetings with staff, Di had already made two cups of coffee and had half-finished sipping hers.

She glared at the wall clock and said, "Where is this jerk?"

"He's been at the rail/bus centre for the past hour checking on our vehicles there being rented out today. Being English, he calls it 'hired out' which means the same but don't fault him for that. He called me as I was leaving home to advised he would arrive 15 minutes late."

"While we just sit here, twiddling our whatever?"

"Yes Di, but as we arrived late; he'll be here in three minutes."

Di eyed the wall clock and when checking it again there was a knock on the managing director's door. She raised eyebrows, noting the meeting was about to start fourteen and forty-three seconds late. That meant the jerk was on time, amended time.

Her father had said the new guy would impress her, physically and intellectually.

Therefore, Di was expecting an ex-Army second lieutenant of an undisclosed age because of Privacy Law, suggesting at worse she'd meet a guy with an ugly blue jowl, balding head and huge beer belly as a result of desk-sitting all day flicking through paper work and engaging only in bare minimum exercise and relying on lifting up handles of beer to maintain arm strength.

She then modified that expectation somewhat, being aware that was only fair because she may have been overly pessimistic.

The guy possibly 32 years old strode into the office, sporting a mass of combed black hair, his piercing blue eyes sweeping up and down her, possibly recording his impression of her with a big tick and he snapped to a halt, almost clicking his heels.

"My apologies for invoking that amended ETA, Angus."

That precise and yet informative announcement was the second hit on Di. She already was almost gasping and only just managing to avoid cupping a breast after noticing he had the build and stance of a military commando and the looks of almost a playboy international.

That shock made her feel the need to pee.

She thought, hold on girl, if you walk out now, he'll think you have a weak bladder or had been with a guy overnight. He needed to be shown strength.

"Introduce us, dad."

Di bit her lip, knowing that had rung out like a command.

"First, I must respond to Finn," Angus said pleasantly. "You had no need to apologise, Finn. You had advised me of your amended ETA and you were working for the company away from HQ. Had I not accepted your ETA, I would have made myself clear when we were on the phone."

"Got it, Angus. I need to remember I'm not in the Army and I noted from your daughter's request for an introduction that she appear a little impatient."

Di felt her upper body swell in rage, and she wasn't about to allow the insolent imbecile to talk to her face critically like that and get away with it.

"You've just breached a employment guide between our managing director and yourself in commenting personally on me to another member of staff in that way that registers a bad start for you. However, I'm prepared to overlook that blip by exhibiting goodwill as the managing director has placed us on equal footing in seniority. My gesture should assist to make you feel more comfortable in coming here after years of being in the hugely male-dominated community of the Army."

"Anyway, I am Di Cooke, the managing director's only child. Welcome aboard and may your stay here by a happy and lengthy one. Your role and my role will over-lap considerably and it's essential that you and I get along amicably."

The jerk took a deep breath and said, "Thanks for those kind words, Di. I'm Finn Phillips, who until I left the Army recently, was second-in-command in being responsible for the intake of new vehicles, their maintenance and upkeep and their ultimate disposal. This duty covered the entire fleet of wheeled vehicles attached to a complete Army division."

"That's interesting. I guess the role you have now is a big demotion for you?"

"Yes and no. At least now I am fully in change of the intake, maintenance and disposal of all vehicles in the company's fleet. I look forward to us working together with mutual goodwill."

Di smiled and said she shared that sentiment.

"Right, this is sufficient for now," said Angus. "I liked that tone of mutuality that I sensed between you two and accept that disagreements and even flare-up could occur between you two, and that's only to be expected between two hot-shots."

Outside the MD's office, Di was saying to the new guy she would take him on tour to meet everyone when he said, looking out of the floor to ceiling windows in the entrance foyer, "Why is that white sports car out there and parked in the MD's reserved space while his vehicle is inappropriately parked?"

Di was tempted to brush that query off with a 'do you expect me to know everything reply' but thought that might rile him.

"The sportscar is my company car and I took dad's parking area because I arrived before him."

She'd half-expected him to laugh and say something like 'Cute'. But the prick demonstrated no sense of humour.

He barked at her as if she were an soldier on report about to be assigned two weeks cleaning the latrines if they were still called that within the Army these days.

"You don't have a company car. That vehicle has the rental car registration on the windscreen."

Christ, he must have the eyesight of a hawk, she thought, impressed. She squinted but couldn't make out even the colour of the rego sticker at that distance.

Then he ordered, "Call someone to remove that sports car to the proper place and to park the MD's vehicle in its assigned position."

Curbing her instinct to say 'Fuck you, do it yourself or even better still, to yell 'No, the vehicles were staying put untouched', she listened to her inner-voice and said sweetly, "Yes, of course." She called dispatch on her phone and asked Louise to have someone place two vehicles out at the front in their proper parking areas using keys from the security cabinet, and give Louise the two plate registration numbers.

Arsehole slapped her on the shoulder and said, "Brilliantly done. I had half-expected you to reject that instruction."

"Don't you dare touch me, you insolent and insensitive brute," she snarled, instantly wiping the smile from his face.

He almost stuttered when apologising but ruined it by asking was she gay.

Seething, Di shouted, "Get someone else to show your around and make introductions."

She walked off.

Finn's loud shout, "I'm sorry!" penetrated the entire admin including through the heavy closed door of Angus' office and, although on the phone, he glanced toward the door grinning hugely.

Angus wanted those two to work competitively as after a month he'd decide which one would gain seniority through being promoted deputy-managing-director, replacing his wife in that position at her request. Valerie had argued that the company had become too large to have a person holding that position nominally. She was aware that she knew less about the business than the junior receptionist.

Angus asked the person he'd called to repeat that shouted comment that he'd missed. He anticipated that apology from Finn meant that Di had won round one in terms of conflict.

Angus expected that Finn would have better strategic skills and probably more refined people management skills than Di possessed, but he was up against a young woman who had hugely developed personal combativeness skills and native cunningness through coping with her father's teasing and had attended numerous information and study sessions on aspects of business management skills and strategic skills.

Such 'education' began from where she was about eight years old when she benefitted from advice to overcome problems such as bullying and being ostracised in certain situations and leaning ways to outwit school instructors.

For years Angus would lay upon request beside his daughter in bed every night for 30 minutes, and whenever he was away golfing or fishing over night or away on business, Di would call her mother to lie beside her and talk to her.

Initially, Valerie regarded that as a stupid request but yielded when Di, sounding impossibly informed for an 8-year-old, said, "Mother, daddy says that bedtime conversation means quality learning time for the young as they are feeling sleepy and their minds are receptive to learning."

The first time Valerie heard that she thought rubbish and said, "Why are you suddenly calling me mother, instead of mummy?"

"It's a slight change. Usually, it's real but temporary change when I'm angry at you. This time it's because you could stand in the way of me learning things."

Impressed but not wishing to be manipulated, Valerie said, "Right, I'll stay providing you can tell me the meaning of the word you used earlier. What does receptive mean?"

"Daddy explained it means to take on board information and new ideas that may in time become useful to me. He said becoming good at doing that could place me alongside other brainy kids in my class."

"And you believe that, dear?"

"Of course, because daddy told me that."

Astonished, Valerie lay beside Di and said she would talk about fashion and why it was useful to look after one's best clothes and to brush one's hair each night and after playing to clean one's face and hands and knees and...

"Mummy, I know that stuff as you are always going on about it. You could tell me something more useful. Denise Hobson's mother used to be a fashion con... con something."

"A fashion consultant."

"Yes, thanks mum. I asked Denise what did that mean and she said she had no idea. Could you tell me what work Mrs Hobson would have done and I'll pass that information on to Denise?"

"Very well but why doesn't Denise ask her mother."

"Her mother asked her not to pester her about that and then one day when Denise asked again her mother announced said lost her job and went to a law office to hire someone to fight her case of being unfairly fired. That's when Mrs Dobson met the lawyer that she would later marry and who became Denise's and brother Johnny's father."

"Well dear, that's ever so interesting information. Now, here's what I know about the work of a fashion consultant and I'm thrilled that you are becoming interested in fashion."

"Am I?"

"You will, darling. That I promise. I will talk more to you about it and in time you will look at my magazines and watch fashion presentations on TV or the Internet and when you become a teenager you may become big into fashion and benefit from the knowledge that, err, you have taken aboard from years of talking to me and discussion about fashion with other people."

"And fashion is not just about clothes, is it?"

"No, and how is it you know that?"

"I asked Nina's mother Mrs Armstrong why does she have her hair coloured differently by the hair place she goes to and she said it was a fashion preference, and that's why she changed her car when new colours come into fashion for the outside colour of the paint and inside with the colour of the seats and around the controls."

"OMG."

"What does that mean, mummy."

"I'll explain when you become older."

"I'll ask daddy."

"Di darling, please don't do that. Some things can be learned at different ages more appropriately. Do you know what appropriately means?"

"Um, this is a guess, "Better?"

"Wow, good guess. It means more fitting, or more rightfully, more agreeable which roughly means at the best time. In time in English class, you will learn about the relationship between good, better and best, but we won't bother about that now."

"Okay, but it sounds to me that better is better than good, but best is better than good, if you know what I mean."

"I do understand, darling. Now finish your milk before it becomes cold."

"Am I tiring you out, mom?"

"Yes. But I'll get used to that."

"Good one."

"Now that's not proper English."

"I know, daddy says it's a (an) idiom that is something that works its way into our everyday language."

"OMG. Only eight years old."

Finishing her milk, Di yawned and hugged her mum, saying good night.

As Valerie neared the door, Di called sleepily, "OMG mum, didn't you learn some new stuff about your daughter this evening."

Valerie gasped and closed the door softly.

Chapter 2

Di knocked and entered Louise's elevated office in the attached adjoining building with capacity to park 180 easily accessible parked vehicles on two levels, and said, "Darling, Charlie's successor as director of fleet management is a cock-sure of himself male who requires some grooming and I'm counting on your assistance with that but please don't you initiate any antagonism."

"You have my authority to let it rip but make sure you are within range of the CCTV coverage of you to provide evidence to support your behaviour toward him. I suggest for the next month record the times he engages whatever with you so we can get the time of filming to review the evidence. What I have just said, of course, is being recorded."

"I admire your ability to plan for upcoming possibilities, Di. I'll do my bit, as requested."

"Thanks, Louise. Ah, here's my white sportscar coming in now. Please book me out at 10.00 for two hours on unspecified company business, I need to go off on some thinking time. Be upfront and kind with Charlie's successor to start off with him on the right foot, using your natural charm."

Di returned just after midday, having had her finger-nails done, and entered the 'vehicle barn' and left the vehicle for Davy to park correctly.

Most of Davy's left arm was almost completely removed after a high-speed collision involving two small boats, in which he had been the occupant of one. A marine court ruled that he was blameless for the accident in which one of the occupants of the larger boat was killed and the other two tested as being drunk were hospitalized under police guard.

"You are looking beautiful, as always, Miss."

"Thanks Davy," Di smiled. "I again invite you to call me Di."

"Thanks Miss."

They smiled at one another.

Di was rated as the toughest of all executives and managers in the company, tougher than ever who father who could really rage. But do every task well and do it as Di expected, and no one under her management had anything to fret about.

Her staff practically adored her because of her appearance and personality and practice of treating everyone fairly, even defaulters. Yet, with customers who were found to be liars and/or cheats in returning damaged, or overdue vehicles or abandoning their hired vehicle she had the ability to unleash controlled fury in dealing with offenders.

And the same could be said for any staff member caught cheating the company and she would even take them to court as a private prosecution on behalf of the if the authorities were backing off prosecution.

Di returned to her office and was surprised to find an expensive bouquet of flowers on her chair with a note:

Dear Cute Fellow Director. I'm a Shit for treating you so thoughtlessly in upsetting you like I did this morning, my first day with the company. My personal management failed me for which I apologize. The flowers are yours to enjoy. I'll call at 1.00 today to take you to lunch. We need time to adjust to one another and over lunch is an opportunity. Please oh please don't reject my attempt at Penance.

Di took her time sniffing the mixed perfumes of the flowers while she re-read the note and thought good boy, the word penance was in his vocab as well as the possible understanding that women usually reacted favourably to positive gestures of atonement.

She mused perhaps she should consistently treat the newcomer without her holding the mythical hatchet behind her back.

Finn knocked on the open door and Di called 'enter'. He walked in without haste, smiling and noting the flowers had been divided, some in a vase on her desk and the other lot in a vase on the coffee table between two sofas.

"Ah, you kept them?"

"Of course, I'm not really nasty. They were wonderful and the gesture delighted me."

She stood and walked around her desk. Holding out her arms she called softly, "Come."

He walked into her arms devoid of facial expression.

She placed her hands on his shoulder and kissed him on both cheeks.

"Wow."

"I can be neat, eh," she said, lapsing into Australian slang.

His smile was priceless,

"My car which is also a standby rental car is already out at the front," she said, leading the way from her office.

"I don't allow women to drive me."

Shocked, Di halted abruptly and the new guy almost banged her, um, banged into her.

"Bye."

Appearing nervous, he asked what did that mean by that.

"It means I'm cancelling from our supposedly mutual goodwill lunch because any guy who wholesale spurns women as drivers as deficient these days belongs to the Mankind's dim-witted past and does not deserve to be given socialising time-consuming attention. In other words, he doesn't warrant the time of day."

"Wow, that's a hypo-over reaction."

"That's your opinion. Enjoy your solo lunch or better-still, see if Louise will accompany you. I know with absolute certainty that she has a far higher level of tolerance than me, at least in the first instance."