428 What in the World - Part 1

Thursday

Amanda and Anna were sitting on the couch in Anna's office , having a quiet morning tea, when there was a knock on the door before Jodie walked in "Hello Boss."

"Jodie" squealed Anna."I though we said you were not starting until Monday?"

"Boss I cannot leave you along for a few weeks.Look at everything that has happened?You need order brought to your life, and you now have me to do it."

"Go and get yourself a coffee, and come back here.We need to talk."

Jodie turned around and headed towards the break room that she had seen yesterday when she came in for her orientation and to sign all the necessary paperwork.

Amanda turned to Anna "Have you heard from James and Alecia?"

"James called me last night.With Rosemary and Susan's help the two of them have organised a place to buy.As it is vacant they were able to more straight in and as the owner owns the property outright Alecia has provided the money to allow them to settle the purchase next week.None of us were surprised that within five minutes of being there Alecia and my mother clashed."

"She told James he was ruining his life marrying Alecia, and she would never recognise the marriage.They left with Susan who was also there, and with Dad's help James removed all his possessions.Alecia has already started at a private school, and James is back at university."

"So she and her mother-in-law clashed.?"

"Susan phoned us Tuesday night, after the huge clash.Alecia, was well behaved, polite and quiet until my mother started to lash out at me and Hou Yi."

"She would not have taken that."

"Absolutely.Apparently, she told my mother that she needed to learn respect for people and not be abusive towards them, and said something about it being unbecoming in a mother-in-law, as well as a few other cutting things"

"Ouch.She is like her father in that respect.Talk nicely about friends and family, and you will be treated with respect, talk trash and …"

"She will make you pay?"

"True.Thank god they are only going to be there for a few months."

"Tan is not coping?"

"That is putting it mildly.He snaps at the boys so easily, and they are difficult to handle with how he is."

Anna continued "James said it was interesting when he and Alecia went for her to enroll in school.She does not mind that they have put her into year 11.It took some convincing for them to contact the embassy, and the marriage and everything else was confirmed as translated correctly to allow James to complete the enrollment and to be put down as her next of kin."

"From what Alecia said last night the girls in her class were quite jealous of her cute 'boyfriend'.The private school they opted for covers all school years, and Hannah and Pippa also go there.Those two spoiled the drama for Alecia when they came running over to her calling out 'Aunty Alecia', and embarrassing her in front of everyone."

Before they could continue Jodie walked back in, and they stopped talking "Boss, do not tell me I am a conversation stopper?"

Amanda started laughing and Anna, figured she needed to give Jodie some basic information "Well you know I told you about half the family were over in the school holidays, including James."

"Yea, you were so happy to see them?"

"Well James married Amanda step-daughter while he was here."

"And knowing that witch of a mother of yours she hates it."

"Putting it mildly."

"Now Boss…"

"Jodie in here it is Anna, you know I hate that."

"Well everyone else refers to you as the Lady Boss, so I figured …"

"Jodie I need friends around me.That is you and Amanda, or as some of those out there will refer to her as the Lady Boss of XF International, so it might get confusing."

"Come on Anna something is bothering you.I can already see from the computer you have a lot of dictation for me to deal with, and you only do that when that is the case.Spill."

While they drank their drinks, Anna and Amanda took the time to tell Jodie what had happened and what they were dealing with.Anna knew the amount of experience that Jodie had in the legal industry, and despite all the stuff she had dealt with as a legal assistant, this even shocked her.How could someone do that to children.

Just as they finished giving Jodie all the information, Amanda and Anna's phones rang.They both answered their calls.