“Cat got your tongue Kim?” asked Brian as he dished up some food fresh off the Barbeque.

“N… No…” stuttered Kim.

“Welcome to our home. That’s Roberta or Bobby for short on the swing and Monica giving her younger sister a push.”

“But…”

“Oh,” remarked Brian.
“I guess that you are wondering about how I’m dressed?”

“Y… Yes I am.”

Brian smiled.
“When I’m at home I like to dress like this at weekends.”

He was wearing a flowery dress that came down to mid-calf. On his feet were a pair of wedge sandals.

“Before, you ask, I’ve been wearing women’s clothes since I was about ten years old. I just love the colours and choices. It gets pretty boring being a man in business. I also hate wearing suits which is one of the big drawbacks of not working in Academia. Wearing something like this allows me to switch off entirely from work.”

“Y… you look very nice,” replied Kim.

“Bollocks and you know it so if I may be brutally honest Kim, I look like a man in a dress so cut the crap with the comments. I am what I am and that’s fine. I just love wearing bright colours and wearing a skirt or a dress gives me a feeling that nothing I could wear as a man could give but I expect you know that…”

Kim was really a trouser sort of person. She tried to remember the last time she’d worn a dress or a skirt for pleasure. It was a long time since she’d done that. As for high heels… She and them didn’t mix yet here was Brian walking in a pair of cork wedges with a 5in heel as if he wore them every day. The thought that ‘sometimes life sucks’ went through her head.

Brian called out,
“Grub up Kids!”

Kim was introduced to his children by Brian. As he did so, she could feel them looking her over as if they were wondering if she was going to date their father. Kim knew that he’d divorced a few years previously and it appeared that there was no other woman in his life at that point in time. She wondered if his dressing was one of the reasons why an attractive and on the surface successful man would not be dating someone. Then she thought that it might be the fact that he had two children. They could be a big downer when it came to starting a new long-term relationship.

Brian dished up a plate of food for Kim and then did one for himself. He led her to a small table where they sat down. The children had taken theirs close to a small paddling pool. They were clearly enjoying the warm weather. Kim almost wished that she was right in there with them. She’d been an only child so had not had the chance to mess around in a pool with a sibling.

“There is some beer in the cooler behind you,” said Brian as she became aware of where she was once more.

“Could you get me one?” he added.

Kim turned and opened the cooler. She pulled out two bottles of Adnams’ ‘Ghost Ship’.

Brian opened the bottles.

“Cheers!” he said as if nothing had happened.

Kim tasted the beer. It was different to other beers that she’d had and was sure that she had never drunk it before. It tasted nice and had lemony overtones which she found unusual but very refreshing. Kim also made a mental note to make sure that she would only have one as she was driving.

Kim used to think that she could read people but she’d totally lost the plot when it came to Brian.

“Other than how I’m dressed, what was it that brought you here in this lovely day?”

“It wasn’t how you are dressed although that is an interesting point, I need to come clean,” said Kim after a short hesitation.

“Oh, about you being a journalist for the Sunday Herald?”

If Kim had been standing up, you could have knocked her down with a feather.

“Yes… but?”

“I employed you and have shown you everything about the company. And… you have come to the fairly obvious conclusion, that there really isn’t a story to be had until you came around the back of my home. Is that about it?”

Kim felt like she was back at school and about to be told to go and sit on the naughty step.

“I feel like such a fool,” muttered Kim.
“A fool who had been suckered into something that is just crazy.”

“Don’t feel bad. It seems to me that you have been setup to fail.”

Kim had to agree with that.
“It looks that way,” she admitted.

“There are other actors in play here that as they say on TV, ‘above your pay grade’.”

“I think that I’d better leave. You seem to know everything that there is to know about why I’m here…”

Brian smiled.

“Far from it Kim. There is a lot that you don’t know and then there is the question of what you are going to do next?”

“Eh?”

“Given the fairly volatile nature of the Media and especially the press, it does not take a genius to realise that you will more than likely find yourself out of a job if you return to London without a story. Then, it does not take very much searching on the internet, to reach the conclusion that your employers are cutting costs and your paper is going downmarket very, very fast. That sort of publication really does not need investigative reporters like you. Am I right so far?”

A stunned Kim just nodded her head. That was about all she could do as her mouth was full with a really delicious Lamb Kofta.

“To me, that means that in the future they’ll get the majority of stories just by monitoring social media and having a few stringers out and about just waiting for celebrities to be caught doing something they shouldn’t. The only people with a future will be sports reporters and that even they could be on the endangered list as more and more stringers with smartphones get into the business. That’s the way of the world these days I’m afraid. However, it does mean that you are already or could be surplus to requirements. To me that says that if you don’t come up with the goods, you will be let go. Have I summed the situation up as you see it?”

Kim felt herself go red in the face. She couldn’t look at Brian. Her gaze went everywhere but towards him.

“What’s up?”

“Eh? I’m looking for the naughty step,” she said desperately trying to look for an even slightly dignified exit.

Brian laughed.

“There is no need for one. But the question remains. What is it that you want to do next?”

“Eh? I don’t follow?”

“Do you want the unique chance to put one over on your employers for screwing you up over this assignment?”

Kim thought for several seconds before replying.

“I’m not sure what I can do? You seem to hold all five Aces, don’t you? My pair of two’s is hardly worth anything now is it?”

Brian took another swig from the beer bottle. Kim hadn’t touched hers after the first swig.

“Was one of the questions that you were asked to investigate was possible money laundering?”

“Yes. How do you know that?”

“That’s simple but let me ask you another question. Your editor also wanted to know how I turned the company around and made it very profitable again?”

“He did want to know exactly that.”

“Unfortunately, the answer is a mixture of both simple and complex components. I don’t think that I can answer everything that you want to know here and now. Oh, don’t get me wrong, I can explain it all but I can’t prove it. For that I’m going to need the help of some other people. The success of the company that you have seen the inner workings of is down to the people working for me and the trust and support of some people who prefer to remain in the background. Without all of us there would be no company left by now. It would have gone to the wall well over a year ago.”

Brian finished his beer and stood up.

“Enjoy the beer, I need to make a couple of phone calls. I shouldn’t be long.”

Before Kim could answer Brian disappeared into the house.

Kim looked around and saw Brian’s children enjoying themselves in the paddling pool. Their pet dog, a long-haired terrier was getting a bath. At that moment, Kim decided that Brian was right and that she wanted to get her own back on her bosses in London.

Almost ten minutes later, Brian returned.

“Have you got anything important lined up for the rest of the weekend? Before we go to Germany on Monday that is?”

“Eh? No, I’m not. All I had on my mind was coming here, telling you the truth and then heading back to London with my tail very much between my legs.”

Brian smiled.
“Well, you have done the first part. What about the rest of the weekend?”

“Not a lot really. I made some excuse to my editor that I was going to Edinburgh for the weekend when he called me in the early hours so I don’t have anything vital to do. It is probably just as well as my brain is all mush at the moment and will probably need the rest of the weekend to recover. As for going to Germany? Do you still want me to go with you?”

Brian laughed.
“I like the very good use of the word ‘mush’. I must remember that. As for going to Germany, if what I have in mind for the weekend works out, it will be the icing on the cake so to speak. Yes, I really do want you to come with me to Germany.”

“Ok but I still have no idea what you want from me and where we are going? Before going to Germany if I’m reading between the lines of what you are saying to me?”

Brian gave her a smile that made her go all fuzzy inside.
“We have a plane to catch. The flight leaves at seven this evening. As you are coming to Germany with me, I know that you have valid passport. However, do you have a valid US ESTA visa waiver thingy?”

“Me? Yes, I do but why?”

“If you really want to get to the bottom of the reason for you being here then we are going to have to go to New York. Luckily for us, the people who are really behind this operation are gathered in one place for a few days.”

Kim sat there stunned. So much for getting her mind straightened out. It was even more ‘mushy’ now.”

“I’ve booked us two seats on the last flight of the day out of Heathrow to JFK.”

Kim was visibly shocked.

“But, what about going to Germany on Monday?”

“If all goes well then we will still get to see the people in Germany on Monday. Provided that our return flight is on time then we can easily make the connection to Dusseldorf.”

Then he chuckled to himself.
“Now that I think about it, that visit may well turn out even more appropriate than I’d originally planned.”

Kim’s mind was all a tizzy. For several seconds, she just sat there. For the second time that day, she couldn’t focus on anything in particular. She just felt helpless.

After a bit of a struggle. She replied.

“Ok. I’m game but I’m still very much in the dark.”

Brian smiled.

“That’s why you need to hear the truth directly from the people involved. These people don’t mess about and as you have been with me, they will give it to you straight. No PR Speak, no denials through lawyers. None of that. The principle player is a very plain-speaking man. He hates people who prevaricate and people caught lying to him get shown the door in a flash.”

Before Kim could answer, Brian added.

“It is also time for me to come clean. I’ve actually followed your career for some time. You have demonstrated an ability to sort out the facts from the lies, bluster, innuendo and downright fakery. The piece you did on modern slavery made me and a lot of people sit up and take note of you.”

“Just do that again and you will get the real story. Then you can make up your own mind about what I’ve done and not done. When you are clear in your own mind then we can talk again about what to do next. Do you agree with that plan?”

Kim’s admiration of Brian had risen considerably. He was calm and collected when other people could well have blown their top. She still felt rather used by both sides but he was offering her a way out.

“How will we get to Heathrow? It is nearly two already?”

“Our flight is just before eight so we need to be at the Airport by six so we have an hour to get things together at this end. I don’t want to have to face the M25 traffic so I’ll organise a car to take us to Peterborough. We can take the train to London. Then is it the Tube and Heathrow Express.”

“What about your children?”

Brian smiled.
“My neighbour will look after them. She is their mother after all.”

Kim was stunned again. Another revelation that would make great tabloid headlines even if there was no real substance to the supposed story but, she would not be the one to tell them.

“Say something?” asked Brian.

Kim realised that she’d been staring into space again.

“Sorry. I was miles away.”

“And we have to be miles away very soon. The clock is ticking.”

Kim suddenly stood up.
“I’d better get off home and pack.”

She took two steps and stopped.
“What sort of clothes should I take if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Do you have something like this?” replied Brian indicating the dress he was wearing.
“We will be meeting some people for Lunch tomorrow and if I know them at all, we’ll be eating outside provided it isn’t raining naturally. Our Host is giving a sort of a garden party in the afternoon. More than a few well-known people will be attending that event but it will be lunchtime where you will get all the best contacts. We can’t stay long after four as we have a plane to catch.”

Kim’s face told Brian that his request was going to be a problem.

“Is this going to be a problem?”

“I have to be honest and say, ‘I really don’t have anything to wear’ that will be suitable for a garden party. I’ve never been to anything like that before…”

This didn’t throw Brian in the slightest.

“Then we shall have to stop off at the Mall on our way to Lunch in the morning, then won’t we?”

Then he reached out and took Kim’s hand. She was about to take it away but just in time she realised that it was nothing more than a move of re-assurance.

“I know that this is all a bit of a shock and there is a lot to take in all in one go but I think that by the time we get back here on Monday evening, you will have a much better picture of a whole raft of things. Then you will hopefully be in a much better position to decide what you want to do next.”

He gave her hand a little squeeze before letting it go.

“I’d better get off home.”

“I’ll pick you up in an hour from now. Ok?”

“Yes. That will be fine.”

Kim heard Brian call out as she turned the corner of the house,
“Don’t forget your passport!”

---

When she got the short-term rental that was her home in the town, Kim stood still for more than a minute. Initially, she wondered if she’d been drugged but slowly it dawned on her that she was happy. The reporter inside her of old would have killed to get an opening like this so early in the project. Here she was about to go across the Atlantic to meet the people behind the company and the turnaround of the business. Finally, she’d get to fill in all the missing blanks. That is what she hoped as she piled some clothes and makeup into a small case.
Then she tossed the lot onto the bed and sat down and started to worry.

Why would the apparently so secretive company have opened up like this so easily? Her boss, Brian had known about her mission from the start yet was opening up to her without issue. Something was not right. It was her chance to get to the bottom of things but words like ‘being led up the garden path’ were never that far from her mind.

With that bit of positivity in her mind, Kim stood up and started to pack an overnight bag always keeping one eye on the clock.

After all her initial dithering she hadn’t realised how much time had passed. After a slight moment of panic, she carried on packing. Kim had only just closed up the small case that she was taking with her as Brian’s taxi drew up outside.

Kim breathed a sigh of relief as she gathered her coat, handbag and case and headed down the stairs to where Brian was waiting. Halfway down the stairs, she stopped. In another brief moment of panic, Kim checked once again that she had her Passport with her. It was there in her handbag along with some twenty-four dollars which remained from a boozy weekend she gone on the previous year. It was her cousin Zoe’s stag party and for some reason she’d said yes to flying to Vegas, getting rat arsed, playing a load of slot machines and flying home again in four days. It had taken her another four days to recover.

Kim took a deep breath before continuing down the stairs.

As she emerged from the building, Kim saw Brian’s smiling face. She wondered once again if she was being a total plonker in doubting his intentions.

Putting her best foot forward, she put on a brave face and got into the waiting car still wondering what the hell was going on. She was well and truly outside her comfort zone.

[to be continued]