She stopped outside the door, reluctant to disturb them, watching for a moment through the glass panel. Are they talking about me? she wondered, desperate to know what was being said but unable to hear anything through the thick fire door. As she studied their faces, trying to work out what was going on, Fiona glanced at the door and her expression froze. She put a hand on James’s arm just as he’d started talking and he turned and looked at the door too.
I hope they don’t think I was eavesdropping.
She pushed open the door and went in, cheeks burning. ‘You two are early,’ she said, forcing a cheeriness into her voice, while her stomach churned, her nerves starting to get the better of her. She needed this to work out, needed them to trust her to take on more responsibility. ‘Can I get you a drink?’
Fiona flashed her a quick smile. ‘That would be lovely. Coffee for me. And you, James?’
He nodded, his face pinched and Sara had the feeling he was annoyed. She grabbed their mugs and headed back to the kitchen, willing the universe to come to her aid and give her a break. She’d just finished reading a book by Deepak Chopra about sending out positive vibes if you wanted positive things to happen, and although she couldn’t wholeheartedly commit to his philosophy, or understand the quantum physics of his explanation, she felt she had to give everything a try. She stopped for a moment and took a deep breath, told herself not to second-guess other people’s conversations, and by the time she returned to the meeting room, her resolve had returned.
Fiona and James were sitting next to each other now, the paperwork cleared into a neat pile, and Fiona motioned for Sara to sit on the opposite side of the table. She carefully put the mugs down, and smoothed her skirt before settling in her seat, feeling like she was at an interview. This was so much more formal than she’d anticipated, and she could feel damp patches appearing under her arms.
‘Now, Sara,’ Fiona began. ‘We’ve been having a look through the finances, something we should have done weeks ago, if I’m honest.’ She gave James a sideways glance and he scowled. It was a dig at him, a suggestion he wasn’t on top of things. Maybe that was what they were talking about? Not me at all. Sara tried to make herself look more relaxed, forcing her shoulders back and unclasping her hands. ‘And we’ve had a chat about James’s situation, which he assures me will be clarified in the next couple of months.’
James’s jaw hardened and he folded his arms across his chest, angling his body away from Fiona. ‘It’s not easy getting my father to accept this change in his health. Have a heart, will you? I can’t push him to step down. It’s going to take a doctor’s advice to make him finally bow out. In the meantime, I’m doing what I can to juggle the two jobs.’
Fiona put a hand on his shoulder. ‘I’m not having a go, James. Honestly I’m not. But we do need to make sure we’re not letting important tasks slip. And it’s my responsibility as chair of the board to oversee the staffing. So I would like to suggest that we change the contracts of employment to make you both part-time. A job share, if you like.’ She winked at Sara, who felt the warmth of relief flow through her body. ‘Realistically, James, you are going to need to take a more active role in your family’s business. That time commitment isn’t going to diminish, is it?’
James pursed his lips, his frown deepening. ‘I think Sara needs a bit more experience before we can consider a job share.’ He flashed Fiona a tight smile. ‘Can I suggest an alternative?’
Sara wondered when anyone was going to ask her opinion, but without an invitation to speak, she could only observe the back-and-forth of the conversation. Fiona was in charge and knew what Sara needed. If there was a way to engineer a positive outcome, she would persist until she achieved it, of that Sara was certain. She’d seen her in action at a couple of board meetings and she was quite awesome when she got going. A definite role model.
Fiona cocked her head. ‘Fire away.’
‘I agree we should give Sara more hours and I’m pleased with the way she’s learning the job. But she does still need supervision for a while longer. A job share suggests equality, doesn’t it? And I don’t think she’s ready.’
Sara glanced at Fiona, who raised an eyebrow.
‘Maybe you could elaborate? Because from what I’ve seen, she’s more than capable of taking on a management role. Not only that, but she’s come to me with so many great ideas that I’d like us to consider. I think her fresh thinking is exactly what we need.’
‘I’m not trying to push you out, James.’ Sara’s words burst out in a hurry. ‘Please don’t think that. But I believe I’ve got lots to offer. And it doesn’t need to be formalised. I’d just like to help more while you’ve got family issues to sort out.’ She smiled at him. ‘It can be temporary, if that would make you feel better.’
Fiona’s mouth twitched and Sara wondered if she’d done the right thing, speaking up. But James rewarded her with a warm smile. ‘If we’re talking about temporary – to get us over this glitch and pick up the strands of work I’ve not been able to pursue as effectively as I’d like – then I’m happy for you to do more hours.’ He turned to Fiona. ‘We’ve established that our income stream is strong for the next two months, so if we transfer the hours I’m not doing to Sara, then we can make sure the wages bill is kept within budget.’
Fiona glanced at them both. ‘To be honest, I’d be happy to sanction a temporary increase in the budget if it means we can bring everything up to date. I’ve spoken to the treasurer this morning and he agreed with this as a suggested way forward. So if you’re both happy, I suggest Sara has full-time hours on a temporary contract for the next month, and James, you carry on with the two days a week you’re doing now. Then we’ll review at the next board meeting.’
Sara beamed. James pursed his lips, then nodded.
‘Excellent.’ Fiona gathered her papers together. ‘Sara, can you write that up for me, please? Then I’ll circulate it to the rest of the board, just to keep them up to speed.’
James got up, the meeting over. ‘I’ll be in on Friday, Sara. We can sort out a list of things you still need training up on, okay? By then, I’ll know which days I’ll be in each week, and we can try and get things into more of a routine instead of me flitting in and out when I have a moment.’ He ran a hand through his hair, gave her a tired smile. ‘I’m sure it’ll be better for all of us, won’t it?’ There was something in his voice that made Sara think he wasn’t as happy with the arrangement as she was, and he hurried out of the room before she could respond.
Generally, she got on well with James, and he’d been more than patient when he was showing her how to work the accounting software and the booking system for the rooms. But he was a hard act to follow, as he was one of those people who appeared to know everyone – their families, their backgrounds – and made them all feel so welcome, while Sara still forgot people’s names and wasn’t close to being the consummate host that he was. He’s right, she thought as she stood to collect the empty mugs. I’m not quite ready to run the place. But she was more determined than ever to learn and improve. In fact, she saw it as a challenge, something to work towards. I’ll show him.