Meyer-Hofmann AG

12

The following day their rides arrived together, punctually at 8:00 am. Heinz had lost his name tag but found an even worse-fitting suit than the one from the day before. It looked as if his arms were being held up by strings, and a single button strained to keep his chest contained in the jacket. Kissing Lisa on the cheek, Michael climbed into the back of the limo that made a quick left turn down the side of the hotel and disappeared into the Munich traffic. A colleague from PricewaterhouseCoopers collected Lisa. The young woman was wearing a blue trouser suit and only minimal makeup. Despite her youth, she had a confident air, her long brown hair was held back in a simple ponytail, and she wore sensible but elegant black shoes. Introducing herself as Sophie, she added quickly that Lisa should just call her “Soph.” She drove a metallic grey BMW 330D, which didn’t inspire at first look, but took off into the traffic, like a rat up a drainpipe. Both women grinned all the way to the office as the BMW ate the curves and bends of the inner city. Their destination was PricewaterhouseCoopers offices on Bernhard-Wicki Street, only three kilometres from the Bayerische Hof as the crow flies. The modern office building was home to over seven hundred eighty employees on a weekday, specialising in assurance, tax, advisory, and all things money-related. The pair reached the front door at 8:10 am, which was some feat on the busy Munich streets.

“You will give accountants a bad name driving like that, Soph.” Lisa laughed.

Sophie just grinned as she held open the door for Lisa to enter the building.

“We will be great friends,” Lisa announced.

Few people could get away with such an assumption, but Sophie’s delight was obvious to see. It seemed in Germany, as in England, everybody wanted to be Lisa’s friend. The women marched through the open plan office space with panache. The fact that there was nobody there did not seem to inconvenience them. Their march ended on the second floor, where, on a working day, half of the staff would be dedicated to Meyer-Hofmann’s affairs. Over one hundred people would busy themselves with the holding company’s assets, controlling balance sheets, researching acquisitions, planning takeovers and mergers, whilst trying their best to avoid corporate taxes and levies of the German Government. Steve Walker was the man in charge of the department, and he greeted Lisa with a double handshake. Steve was a legend in the company. He had become the youngest partner in PricewaterhouseCoopers history at the age of thirty-five. An expert in international tax law, he had famously saved a chain of coffee retailers ninety percent of their corporation tax payments, by reinventing the franchise business. Many had been amazed that he had decided to move to the Munich office. After the way Meyer-Hofmann had courted both Michael and herself, Lisa was sure that Walker had received adequate remuneration. Unlike the managers in the Leeds branch, who lived in their suits, Steve wore just a pair of tailored slacks and an open-necked light blue checked shirt.

Maybe a weekend outfit, Lisa thought.

The shirt brought out the blue of his eyes, which shone with some intensity. Lisa swallowed; not easily impressed, she decided the move to Germany may not be so bad.

“Hi, I’m Steve Walker.” Steve spoke with an Aussie twang. “Great to meetcha.” His smile widened, revealing brilliant white teeth.

“My pleasure,” Lisa practically purred.

This guy is a real dish, model material. If I was not a happily married woman, I might be tempted. Lisa reprimanded herself; there would be plenty of time to check out the talent. Right now, I have to find out if my new boss sees me as a colleague, or a problem thrust upon him by head office.

“Lisa, I am delighted that you are here. Is it okay if I call you Lisa?”

“Yes, of course. Look, excuse me for being blunt, but we both know why I am here, and it has more to do with my husband’s qualities than my own.”

Steve’s face became serious for a moment, his voice resolved.

“Lisa, don’t underestimate Meyer-Hofmann; they only employ the best. Your taxi driver is also originally from the UK and has an honours degree in economics. I think you know my history. They would have just paid you off if they weren’t convinced of your abilities. You are going to be my right hand here, and in a normal week, we deal with equities worth in excess of a billion dollars.”

He finished with a flourish, and he knew he had convinced her. Her determined expression had softened, and there was the crease of a smile. Starting to deliberate on the destination of his bonus, he also allowed himself a smile, knowing that she would misinterpret it.

The rest of the day was spent introducing her to the extensive portfolio of the holding company. Steve took his time, showing genuine interest in all of her questions. Sophie helped her get accustomed to the software they used in the office, and the intranet that, although running on the PricewaterhouseCoopers server, was totally separate from all its other business clients. By the time Sophie dropped her off at the Bayerische Hof, Lisa was praying that Michael had passed the medical and accepted the job.

When she entered the hotel room, he was sitting on the large light brown leather sofa, enjoying a very large glass of whisky. It was unusual for him to drink during the day, and for a moment she was concerned, but his wide smile soon dispelled her fears.

“Sorry, darling, I started without you. God, please tell me you are happy with your guys!”

She grinned at him and nodded.

“They were really nice, Michael. If you are happy, it is okay with me.”

He surprised her by taking her in his arms and swinging her around the room, making her scream for him to stop. She had rarely seen him so animated, but somehow, the situation seemed to merit it.

It was a new beginning for both of them.

“Michael, Michael, please.”

He let her fall onto the soft sofa, causing it to make a large farting noise, which had them both in fits of laughter for minutes.

“I take it you passed your medical?”

“It was difficult, but I just about managed it.”

She moved over so he could sit next to her and took his face in her hands, kissing him long and hard.

“We are going to do this, aren’t we?”

“Yes,” he replied.