Overlooked Bride Ch. 06

"Hands off. When do you think you'll be here?"

"Early Wednesday morning, your time. We'll pop across to Heathrow and take Air New Zealand straight through with the brief stopover in Los Angeles."

"I'll love seeing you again. We must fix this for Bianca."

"We will, darling. Till Wednesday then."

* * *

At 7:30 Marty was in the foyer of the Gulf Hotel asking for a recently arrived guest, Monica Wisenberg. He was told she'd meet him in the Rooster Bar in a few minutes.

She was tall, thin with chestnut hair and a confident smile.

"Good evening Monica, welcome to Auckland."

"Hello Mr Young, or is Marty okay?"

"Marty is fine. What may I get you?"

"A single shot of Scotch, preferably Dimple thank you."

He ordered the two Dimples and joined Monica is the booth she'd chosen.

"I thought we would be less disturbed in a booth – you are permitted by Mrs Young to be in a booth with a stranger who is female?"

"Is that a crafty way of finding is there a Mrs Young?"

"Yes, confirmation or denial?"

"Unless it's relevant you may expect neither."

"Well, if I'm to be your business partner I am entitled to full exposure."

"My what?"

"Business partner, you are looking for one are you not?"

"Well yes. How did you learn about that?"

"When I was checked out by Bianca White last Thursday."

Marty was confused. That couldn't be right. Bianca had broken up with him by then. Furthermore, this interview was for the possible position of head of the new department of Higher Learning. Bianca's earlier activity for him had thrown up Monica's name and Monica had called hime and this interview was arranged. Current thinking was she could replace one of senior staff who were resigning in protest.

"Are we able to inspect the facility tomorrow morning?"

"Yes, of course," Marty replied. "I'm just rather surprised the possible position of a head of department had become a possible business partner."

"Blame Bianca for that. She called to say after reading my CV and looking at my website she'd had a gut feeling about me. She described the activities of the college in detail and then explained why you were seeking a business partner. She said I appeared to have the quality of credentials required and she felt I would have access to the capital needed to buy the partnership. Does Bianca have the powers of extrasensory perception?"

"I don't believe so, at least not highly developed; she is very intelligent and definitely works outside the square in her thinking. What made you say that about ESP?"

"As I said in my CV my parents both teach at the same university in Shanghai. Bianca must have been visionary about this because the day before she called my parents had emailed me saying they were three years away from early retirement. They had just decided to cash out of their investments in Hong Hong and the US and reinvest here before returning home. They want a secure financial platform when returning to their former home town of Dunedin."

Marty sipped his whiskey and as he put down the glass he said: "And you're thinking Bianca somehow anticipated this and thought your parents could loand you money for the partnership?"

"Yes, exactly - either that or inject capital."

"This is uncanny – the timing is perfect for you if everything works out, if this is what you want.

"I'm thinking seriously about it. Much depends on our conversation tonight and on my inspection tomorrow."

"If everything appears satisfactory, your parents are welcome to come out, at their own expense of course, to inspect the facilities and to engage a professional to perform due diligence for them."

"Thank you; such openness will impress them."

"Are you alone in New Zealand?

"No, I am about to become engaged. My domestic partner is executive chef at a top hotel in Wellington. His parents have offered to help him set up in his own restaurant if we move to Auckland."

Marty prepared to begin the discussion in earnest. "This all seems a run of coincidences, almost too much to accept.

Monica shrugged and draining her glass and decline another said, "Sometimes the planets align,"

Three hours later Marty was driving home humming a half-forgotten tune. Monica had checked out as a senior tutor, over-qualified at that level in fact and that was confirmed by her references. She'd fit the role of a department head perfectly and she displayed a sense of adventure, worldliness in fact that would be a legacy of her receiving education internationally. Her parents had taught in either English or American schools in Singapore, Korea, Japan and now China for most of their teaching careers and half of Monica's teaching experience had been gained in China, Australia and Canada. She was pleasant, a mature thirty-six year old and appeared to be focused. His impression was she'd be no pushover should she be challenged, which is what he wanted in the nucleus of people he intended to build around him to push ahead with reforms and development.

A downside was Monica had little admin experience although was assistant head of department in her present position and had been acting head for six months while the head tutor was on a six-month sabbatical in Boston, Massachusetts. She had, however, indicated a strong desire to learn the business side. She'd said if she became a partner she'd accelerate her learning curve to become a full working business partner and would do some university business admin papers via the internet.

A real upside appeared to be financial security. When he'd checked obliquely asking would she anticipate problems with raising finance to buy out Basil Kennard, she just smiled and had said, "No problem; for the last fifteen years my parents have been paid American salaries in American dollars and apart from travel they are not big spenders."

Marty drove into the barn to a noisy committee welcome of three barking dogs which he set loose for a run. At the front door of the farm house he found a note on the metal clip attached to the door. He unfolded the single sheet and jerked in surprise.

'Marty. I hope you don't mind but I knew you had the meeting in the city at 7:00 so came out here for a bit of relaxation; I've been a bit busy lately. I took the liberty of taking Sheba for a canter and the dogs accompanied me and enjoyed a good blow out. I rather like the thought that we'll get back together again, Marty. Perhaps soon but I don't want to rush it; I was wounded. Bianca.'

Marty re-read the note with mixed feelings. Although delighted with the tone of the writing and glad she'd come out to ride Sheba and thoughtfully had taken the dogs with her, his lip curled and he muttered, "Self-inflicted wounds because of you high expectations."

He wondered if Bianca really knew what she wanted in romance. She'd earlier told him she was more than happy with the way in which they had bonded, and yet she didn't have a successful record in her romantic past. Unrealistically high standards and unwilling to yield. Yeah, and that's a recipe for disaster. Bianca, you are one heck of a strange woman – busting up with me yet coming out her when making sure I'd not be around. Very strange – other woman who'd tossed aside their man would have stay right away.

He returned the dogs to their adjoining kennels with secure 3-metre long exercise yards and returned to the farmhouse grumpy, kicking large stones on the unsealed track. Bianca had taken a risk riding out near dusk with the dogs. They easily could have taken off after a rabbit and disappeared. Roaming dogs at night in this district were shot by anxious lifestyle property owners with their precious small flocks of sheep or vulnerable new born calves or pedigree bitches on heat. But no, that probably was unfair; the blonde rider would command, "Get-in-behind!" and the trio of delinquents would circle back to slink in behind her horse's heels just as she'd expect them to do.

At 4:30 on Wednesday morning Marty was brought out of sleep by his phone ringing mercilessly. He listened to it ringing for a while and then answered.

"It's about time,"

"Alice?"

"Shower, shave and dress in your informal best. I'll call for you at 5:00 – my driver knows where to come. We then go the International Airport," Alice said mysteriously, terminating the call.

"This is mysterious," Marty yawned, scratching his chest and then dashed for the bathroom, both fists raised above his head. Alice had called and Bianca's mother had answered the clarion. What amazing women they were. His heart attempted to burst out of his chest. He yelled, "Get used to the idea, Mrs Bianca Young or Bianca Young who's married to a Mr Young."

The dogs barked unknowingly in encouragement. Before toweling off Marty called local flower grower Mrs Yates who was already at work; her husband had just left for the auction markets but she had enough flowers to make a huge bouquet.

"So big that the woman will scarcely be able to lift it."

"Aye. I'll leave it at the gate by 5:00. Pay me in the next week or so. Are you getting married?"

"Hopefully. This is for the mother, arriving from France to look me over."

"Right, I'll try to excel myself with the arrangement."

* * *

Yvette White came out of the secure area followed by Max pushing the trolley. She saw Alice and waved and they rushed each other, shrieking. Yvette was dimly aware of an enormous bouquet of flowers following Alice with someone's legs beneath it.

The two women failed at attempting not to mess up lip coating. Alice turned and said, "Yvette, please take the flowers and then look him over – he goes by the name of Marty Young. If Bianca doesn't want him, hands off; he's mine."

"Flowers for you, Madam," Marty said smiling and looking slightly shy.

"Why thank you Marty – is that with an 'i' or a 'y'?

"A 'y'."

Yvette looked at the man in front of her and smiled; he was taking an eyeful of her breasts. She then checked him out. Well, Alice had said he was the man for Bianca so who was she to argue; Alice was the better judge of character.

"So you wish to marry my daughter?"

"Our daughter," Max said quite loudly but was ignored.

"I haven't spoken to Bianca about that."

"Then speak to me."

"Bianca first, if you don't mind."

"I have come all the way from France to save this marriage. You have no right to be so brusque with me. Max!"

"Be warned, Marty. She is accustomed to getting her own way except with Alice when the outcomes are approximately fifty-fifty."

"I've all but lost Bianca because I failed to stand up alone when confronted by my staff on a project she was working with me; I've learned my lesson. I respectfully suggest you back off Mrs White. Just a little will suffice – don't regard it as the end of civilization."

Max and Alice looked uneasy, Yvette noted with satisfaction, but this guy showed no sign of backing down. In fact his steady gaze made her feel slightly uneasy. Well, neither she nor Bianca was interested in weakling. So she smiled, handed the bouquet to Max and stepped up and kissed Marty saying, "As the man I've come half-way around the world to help rescue, my instinct tells me you're worth rescuing. We'll stop off at you home for coffee if you don't mind; I understand you have horses – I'd like to look at them."

Ninety minutes later Yvette farewelled Marty with a kiss to the cheek, watched closely by Alice and Max.

"Thank you for showing us around. She'll be very happy here."

"Thank you. Sleep well."

And that was it. Alice wore the look of someone who'd missed the last scene of the play. She kissed the other cheek and as they went to the car Max smiled as he shook Marty's hand and said, "Never has a gentleman friend of Bianca;s received such acceptance from Yvette."

That left Marty a little confused; was that good or bad? The wink as Max turned away told him all.

But then, nothing.

A week went by with Marty still confident it would happen. He was working twelve to fourteen-hour days at the college implementing change. So far only two resignations had been tabled and slowly he was receiving acceptance of change from other staff until he had a sufficient number of commitments to begin to breathe easy, confident the crisis was behind him. That had been helped by the inspection of facilities by Monica Wisenberg who'd been more than delighted with what she found and her enthusiasm had spilled over on to especially the women staff.

"I am going to commit, with or without my parents but they seemed excited when told of the potential there is in this establishment to be driven forward as a pre-eminent learning centre," she'd told Marty. "I completed my financial studies last night and am satisfied – all I require is an independent appraisal of the value of current assets. One we agree on the price I need to pay to buy out your partner and the goodwill payment to you I shall begin to divest to free up capital. Even if my parents do not agree to make the capital investment they will provide me with all of loan money I required. Subject to buy-in agreements, I expect to be signing up with you and Mr Kennard at the end of next month."

At Monica's request Marty had called an emergency meeting of all staff for 4:00 that afternoon.

"There's a mood of resentment amongst staff – some of them have already spoken to me about this," she'd told Marty. "I'm convinced this discussion plan for change that's causing this disquiet is fundamentally sound – all that is required is the addition of curriculum reform. My mother was horrified to learn that the staff is entirely white, middle-income New Zealanders – she says this kind of learning institution should be staffed like an international school with teaching staff representative of mainstream nationals. I think she'd hooked, don't you? Mother is big into administration."

Marty had noted most of the staff left that short meeting smiling. That was encouraging. He was also very confident about Monica who seemed to have a foot in both worlds from what he'd learned so far – a visionary with a pragmatic backbone.

A week after Yvette and Max's arrival in the country and their immediate disappearance, Max received a large envelop delivered by courier. Ruth his PA delivered it with a smile – "It's a formal invitation and I can smell the fragrance of French perfume, you naughty boy."

The white and gold envelop was addressed to 'Marty Young, Esq.' His blood began racing; this was it, the ladies' initiative. He was invited to dinner at the Royal Orange Hotel at 9 pm this Friday by Lady Alice Ashton-Jones in honor of her great friend, Yvette White, at present on a short visit from France. Dress formal. Marty noted no notice of acceptance was requested: this was a command.

He called Ruth and she noted his pathetic look.

"It means dinner suit, definitely," said the motherly forty-eight year old. "Come on, we're going to buy you a penguin suit – with you cavorting with the likes of Lady Alice Ashton-Jones you require one in your wardrobe permanently.

Arriving home after dark and finding the dogs uncharacteristically subdued in their greeting, Marty's heart began racing again.

* * *

Bianca had lunched that day with Monica Wisenberg and had been greatly impressed. She heard with disbelief that staff at the college were slowly coming to grips with the need for change after being driven into a corner by Marty. She was relieved to hear Marty had told Monica he'd only received two resignations and remained confident he'd receive no more than another two.

"So Marty's drew the line in the sand?"

"Yes. I'm very impressed by him and also really taken by the work you've done for him although I'm surprised you're not alongside him driving these reforms through."

Bianca was silent and Monica noticed the look and the dulled eyes. She had reached for Bianca's arm and said to her, "Do you want to tell me about it?

Bianca had told all, knowing it wouldn't harm Marty's prospects of winning Monica over as his new business partner. Monica was sympathetic but understandably unable to help. She did say, "I'd stick by him if it were me."

After lunch Bianca went out to Young's Meadows. She let the dogs loose and they leapt at her like old friends. In the horse paddock Beckett and Sheba drifted away but Savannah stood looking at Bianca almost shyly and allowed herself to be led to the tack room by the mane. She offered no resistance when Bianca mounted – acting just like a compliant woman, Bianca giggled.

Bianca ran the dogs into the ground, giving them and Savannah a real work out. She was sure Savannah was one of the fastest horses she'd ever ridden and today she'd jumped like a dream so Bianca had attempted to take her over the water jump – it took three attempts so Bianca cooed and rewarded Savannah with pats and pushed away Beckett and Sheba while Savannah ate her special ration of oats. "If this doesn't win over your heart and mind, nothing will," Bianca said, making sure Savannah remained aware Bianca was holding back the other two horses.

She entered the house this time, knowing where the key was hidden, showered and dressed in her sweaty shirt and jeans but without the even sweatier underwear. Before leaving she left a note on the table.

'Hi. Sorry for the intrusion again without an invitation. I exercised the dogs while riding Savannah; I'm sure she's connecting with me. I fed the dogs at 5:15. Heard excellent reports about you today from the very impressive (and impressed) Miss Wisenberg – don't let her slip through your fingers. She's perfect for you, at the college I mean. I love being here. Oh my mother has arrived unexpectedly from France and is acting a little strange – stranger than usual that is. I do hope everything is OK between her and daddy. – Bianca. Oh, dammit, Love Bianca.'

* * *

Marty read the note again and again. Well it deserved to be read for what it didn't say, he though. What to do?

Obviously Bianca was thawing, he was so pleased about that and those particular words, 'I love being here.' But what to do? Her mother had come on a rescue mission and Alice was spending heaps on a dinner for the five of them plus a few guests.

Marty decided to do nothing – contact none of them and on the night fake it; if there should be a kiss-and-make-up Alice and Yvette would be beside themselves in delight. That way everyone would be happy.

Oh yeah!

*

To Be Continued...