Lucky Seven

by Elle M Thomas

  To take her mind of the young man and her own discomfort she resumed texting her flat mate, Lucy, then Angie, Dan and Pippa. Juan was still making her feel uncomfortable by staring and when he continued to try and make conversation she began to question whether Jim had been winding her up about Philip and Juan’s relationship.

  She picked her phone back up and composed a text to Jim.

 

 

 

 

  Tasha laughed out loud, drawing Juan’s attention once more, but she couldn’t hide her amusement at Jim’s persistent pursuit of Vegas.

 

 

 

 

  She giggled and realised the line from text to sext had now been crossed.

 

 

  Juan looked straight at her, his eyes bored into her as she giggled like a schoolgirl.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  She smiled and rolled over onto her front on the lounger partly because she’d been on her back for a while, but also so she could conceal herself from Juan’s gaze.

 

 

  She closed her eyes, turning her head sideways and smiled as the heat of the sun washed over her body. Suddenly she was in the shade and as she opened her eyes saw legs next to her and immediately recognised Jim’s jeans. She looked up to smile at him. He offered her a hand.

  “Come with me, please.”

  He sounded agitated, but not angry. She took his hand, got to her feet then slipped on the trainers she’d previously chosen to wear with her shorts and vest. He led her towards the house, stopping when they reached Juan.

  “Hello, Ricky. Covering for your brother while he’s away?”

  This was Juan’s brother. Presumably his straight brother. Tasha allowed herself a small grimace as she realised her mistake.

  “Hi, Mr Maybury, yes, but I don’t mind.” He grinned at Tasha.

  “I bet,” replied Jim. “This is my girlfriend, Tasha. Tasha, this is Juan’s brother, Ricky.”

  Before either of them had an opportunity to exchange pleasantries Jim was leading Tasha into the house.

  “Go and get your planner and meet me back in my office, baby.” He placed a single, playful smack to her behind as she moved past him.

  She ran upstairs, grabbed her planner and threw on a t-shirt as a cover up before skipping back downstairs where she found Jim on the phone, very much in business mode. He looked every inch the business exec even in his casual attire; the voice, the expression, everything. She became aware of him in his chair staring at her in the doorway. He waved for her to come in and moved back from the desk, summoning her to his lap. She climbed into his lap and faced the computer screen where Jim’s schedule was displayed.

  He put an arm around her, pulled her back towards him and kissed her hair while he continued talking on the phone.

  “So, how much have we spent already? What?” His shouting made Tasha jump. “Right, well no more, otherwise there’ll be no profit at all. Okay, redo the figures and let me have them. No. I won’t be back in the office until Monday, but you can email them to me before then.” He hung up and turned his attention to Tasha. “So, to clarify, Juan is most definitely gay. However, his brother, Ricky, is most definitely not and was obviously enjoying the view poolside and how considerate, knowing he was staring at your tits and legs you rolled over to show him your ass.”

  Tasha looked at him and smiled. “Sorry, I really thought it was Juan and I was confused, because he is so not gay!” She laughed with a small grimace at her error.

  “Or maybe you un-gayed him, like the air steward.” Jim’s suggestion was accompanied by a smile. “And for the record it was a glorious view. Now, planner,” he ordered, going back into business mode.

  With Tasha’s plans laid out before them Jim input the dates from her planner onto his own schedule for the following three months and then started adding extra details on their combined schedule. “Right, I can come to you there and combine it with a London première we need someone to attend. You could fly back out here.” He continued doing this without asking for any assistance. “Enter your email address and then we’ll both know where the other is.”

  He quickly added her to his address book before sending a copy of the schedule to her and Amanda.

  “Are we all done?”

  “With planners and schedules, yes, but I was thinking of another date with you and your sexy bikini.”

  She was about to reply in the form of a kiss when his phone rang. He answered it, putting it on sp
eaker.

  “Hi Amanda.”

  “Mr Maybury. I’ve received your email and made the amendments to your schedule here and will book the flights before I leave today, but I was unsure whether I should charge them to the business account or your personal one?”

  Tasha thought this woman, Amanda, sounded very efficient and not as old as she’d imagined when she’d spoken to her briefly the day before. Her thoughts then shifted to the fact that one of the former Mrs Mayburys had started life as Mr Maybury’s secretary. She wondered what Amanda looked like. As if sensing her unease Jim hugged her tighter and nipped her ear.

  “Charge it to my personal account, please, and while I have you can you clear my schedule until Friday afternoon please?”

  Tasha looked up at him and frowned.

  “That should be fine, except for the head of department meeting you’d scheduled for Friday morning. It could be tricky for everyone to reschedule,” she said hesitantly.

  “Possibly, let me think.” Jim pondered his options.

  “Go to work.” Tasha whispered in his ear and took the opportunity to nuzzle it.

  He gave her a gentle spank. “Try and move it to Thursday morning and if not leave it as it is? Is Marc still there?”

  “Yes, Mr Maybury. I’ll put you through now.”

  For a reason unknown even to her, Tasha then mimicked Amanda. “Yes, Mr Maybury, three bags full, Mr Maybury.”

  He frowned at her words and tone. “What?”

  “Little Miss P.A. Is there anything she doesn’t do for you?” Tasha hoped to God she was only his P.A. or secretary, or whatever her professional title was.

  Jim laughed at her now. “Not if it’s her job, no. You’re jealous.”

  “I am so not jealous, she is just too efficient.”

  “A P.A. can’t be too efficient, Natasha.”

  Whilst her words had been her best attempt at an insult she could see they’d been wide of the mark. Jim smiled again as he allowed a hand to disappear under her t-shirt.

  She relaxed into his touch then moved her feet up where his gaze fell to her footwear causing him to shake his head. “Sneakers? I thought we’d agreed. What am I going to do about these?” he asked, rubbing his hand over her bottom.

  She smiled at him, all thoughts of Amanda forgotten for the time being. “I have a couple of ideas,” she whispered, but was interrupted by a voice on the phone, Marc.

  “Jim, sorry I was on another call. What’s up?”

  “I’m trying to clear my schedule until Friday afternoon, but I have a head of departments meeting for Friday morning which Amanda is now trying to switch to Thursday morning, but if not, can you do it for me?”

  “Yeah, no problem for Friday, but I can’t do Thursday.”

  “Thanks. I assume I will be seeing you and Marcia tonight?”

  “Yeah. I wouldn’t miss a night of wit and repartee with Lenny for the world.” His voice was weighed down with a heavy dose of sarcasm before his tone lifted with a question, “Will you be attending alone or will you be bringing the lady responsible for your awful mood swings?”

  “I will most definitely be bringing the lady in question. She’s dying to meet you.” He laughed as Tasha got up to leave.

  It felt odd to listen to a conversation about herself in that way. She picked up her planner and phone and headed for the door.

  As she reached it Jim was hurriedly saying, “I will see you and Marcia later then, bye.” He hung up and clearly confused by Tasha’s shift in mood called to her, “Hey, where are you going? I thought we had another date.”

  “You have work to do. I’m already disturbing you and as I have my gym shoes on, not my fucking shoes I’m going to be nosey and survey your estate, if that’s okay.”

  “Of course it is, baby, wherever you want, but you haven’t disturbed me.” He smiled at her warmly, hoping to offer her reassurance or whatever it was she needed. “Oh, and Natasha, that mouth is going to get you into trouble again.”

  She grinned at him, almost optimistically, but said nothing.

  Tasha was lying in the bath, submerged to her neck when Jim appeared. “We will be late if you don’t hurry up.”

  “There’s loads of time, you could join me you know.”

  “But then we would be very late, so I am leaving right now.”

  “Do you have a hair dryer and a curling iron?”

  “No. Lizzie probably does, I’ll text her,” he called as he left.

  With her hair curled into long ringlets she put on make-up of natural tones, beiges and pinks. She put on another set of underwear from New York; the same as the black set, but red and as she put black lace top stockings on and stepped into her favourite black stilettos she considered going to scrub Jim’s back as she could hear he was still in the shower, but resisted and instead put on her offending flight dress. After a quick spray of perfume, she returned the items she’d borrowed from Lizzie’s room and went downstairs where she found Mike waiting for Sandra.

  He let out a loud wolf whistle which made Tasha laugh and after a small curtsey Sandra shot him a steely glance before Jim’s voice sprang from behind her.

  “It may not be wise to curtsey too low.”

  She turned and grinned at him as Sandra stared at Mike again.

  “Shouldn’t you be gone by now, Sandra?” Jim asked.

  “I’m waiting for the last of the bread to come out of the oven and then Mike and I are going to the movies.”

  “What are you going to see?” Tasha asked Sandra, wondering if she and Jim might do such normal things as going to watch a movie.

  “Not a clue, we’re just going to go and see whatever is ready to start.”

  “Oh yeah, we’re rebels, Tasha,” Mike joked making Tasha laugh.

  She liked him and Sandra, even when she was suspicious. They were like a regular couple. She wondered if they had children and wished she’d been fortunate enough to have parents like them and felt sad she hadn’t, nor Dan and Pippa and then she thought about what was waiting for her when she got home. She felt sick.

  “Are you okay?” asked Sandra. “You’re as white as a sheet.”

  Jim took her arm. “You do look a bit weird, do you want to cancel tonight?”

  She shook her head. “No. It’s probably just because I haven’t eaten much today. I’ll be fine, thank you, but we should go or we will be late.”

  Jim took her hand as they called goodbye to Mike and Sandra and headed out. He held the car door open for her which she thought was very sweet and rather romantic. It made her smile.

  “Are you sure you’re okay?”

  She nodded.

  “I was going to let you drive and show you where everything is, but maybe not if you feel unwell.”

  “Perhaps next time,” she said as her text alert sounded. She replied to her message and threw her phone into her bag.

  “Okay?”

  “Yeah fine, can I put the radio on?”

  “Help yourself, honey.”

  They chatted for a while and then Jim said, “So to summarise, life after Friday; we are a couple, I will come out to you in two weeks for a few days and put in an appearance at the première in London, you will come with me and three weeks after you’ll come back out here for a week, maybe ten days and under no circumstances will either of us see anyone else. Oh, and you will dress appropriately so strangers don’t jack off and think of you.”

  Tasha smiled. “Yes, although the première—”

  “You will come, no questions and this discretion thing is no longer appropriate. If it had been the week of sex you’d first suggested then fine, but you’re my girlfriend and I won’t hide you away, but I won’t go out of my way to be indiscreet.”

  She nodded.

  “Will you please let me help you sort the situation with you brother and sister?” His concern for her was clear. “I know you’re worried, Tasha, but if I can help then let me, please.”

  “We could talk about it when you come to Lond
on.” Now he knew some of the details of her past and her family and hadn’t run as far and as fast as he could, she figured he might have some ideas on the best way for her to move forward.

  “Deal. I would like us to speak each day and to text and sext or whatever because I’m going to miss you.”

  “Me too.”

  He squeezed her knee. “I’ve changed my mind about this dress. You can only wear it when you’re out with me. It’s far too sexy to go out without me.”

  She smiled, loving his possessiveness, but chose to change topic. “Why is Marc coming to Philip’s family dinner?” She’d been curious about that, but more than anything she wanted to change topic.

  “He’s family. Marcia is Sara’s sister.”

  “Oh. So, will he kick my ass tonight for Angie disturbing his beauty sleep?” She was thinking of the earlier threat he’d revealed to Jim.

  “No way, baby. He will have to kick mine first and that would never happen.”

  She smiled and although she knew Marc’s threat was a joke she felt reassured that James really would defend her and keep her safe.

  “Can I ask again about your dad?”

  “I suppose so.” She replied with a flatness that suggested she was resigned to the conversation coming back to this. To her.

  “You said he had hit you. Do you mean like a slap across the face kind of hit you?” Jim’s expression carried the inference that he was almost scared of the answer.

  “Not really, more of a punching, drag you across the street by your hair in front of all the neighbours way and then beat the living crap of you and encourage your boyfriend to do the same to teach you who’s boss kind of way.”