Lessons in Love

by Victoria Sinclair

  ‘I’ve got an important meeting this afternoon. Would you be able to give the office a quick clean? I know it’s not part of your duties, but I’d really appreciate it,’ Mark said as he entered Emily’s office after lunch.

  ‘Not a problem, Mark,’ she replied. ‘Who’s coming?’

  ‘The Managing Director of Rutherford’s as a matter of fact. Remember the tender I put in for a couple of months ago to erect some factory buildings for a new firm?’ Emily nodded.

  ‘That’s fantastic news!’ she enthused. Mark held up his hands.

  ‘Wait…wait…I didn’t say I’d got the tender. In fact, I’m almost sure I haven’t.’

  ‘Well then, why…?’

  ‘I’m not sure. But it has to be something good. After all, he was the one who called me. Anyway, you’ll be the first to know what he decides. We’re really privileged to have him come here. It’s wonderful that he’s bringing his business to Ballarat. It’ll be a big boost to the economy.’

  ‘That’s great Mark. Good luck. I’ll get on to cleaning this mess right away.’

  Emily grinned and got up from her desk, walking over to the bathroom where the cleaning equipment was kept. Emily straightened things up, tidied both Mark’s desk and her own, and made sure that not a speck of dust remained. As she stowed the cleaning equipment away, she chanced a look out the window and saw a shiny new blue BMW pull up. Her heart contracted for a moment. It looked identical to the car she’d seen at the mechanic’s on Tuesday. The car which belonged to none other than her antagonistic business economics lecturer, Nicholas Cavanaugh. It couldn’t be, could it?

  A quick inspection of her appearance made her shudder and she tidied her hair, put on some lipstick and powdered her slightly shiny face, leaving her feeling a little dishevelled, but not looking too much the worse for wear.

  She sat down and took a deep breath, reminding herself that plenty of people drive blue BMWs. A knock sounded at the door, and she jumped slightly.

  ‘Come in!’ she called. The door opened, and the man himself entered the room. Emily felt her breath catch in her throat.

  ‘Mr Cavanaugh! Come in. Please take a seat. Mark will be with you shortly. Can I get you something to drink? Tea…Coffee…?’ She knew she was babbling but couldn’t seem to help it.

  As usual Nicholas Cavanaugh was the image of perfection. She noted a slight expression of surprise on his face when he saw her, but that was the only acknowledgment he made that he’d ever met her before. Acute disappointment washed over her as he uttered a quick, ‘No, thank you,’ and sat down with a business magazine in his hands, dismissing her entirely. Her stomach clenched, and she sat down angrily in her seat. Couldn’t he at least have said something, anything, to her? Was she so insignificant that she didn’t even rate a mention with him, except as an annoying student who he felt the need to show up at every opportunity?

  And why oh why did his presence rattle her so? How was it that Emily, who’d never had a heated romance in her life, responded so strongly to this particular man? Certainly she’d had a few relationships, but none which had sizzled. In fact, she’d thought that such passion was the thing of movies and books only, but when she looked at Nicholas Cavanaugh, she knew he was just the man to start her fires burning. She forced her mind from her current train of thought. Not only was Nicholas totally uninterested in her, he was also her business economics lecturer, and an arrogant, annoying person. He was not the sort of man she would be interested in. Physically, perhaps, but in all the ways that counted he was most definitely not the man for her.

  Emily soon became aware that Mark had left no work for her to do. She checked her e-mail for messages, but found none, and even searched her ‘in’ box in case something had been left for her. Taking some papers from her desk drawer, she pretended to read them intently, while subtly looking over at Nicholas every couple of moments. He appeared to be deeply engrossed in his reading, and didn’t pay her the slightest heed. Although he sat low in his chair, half sprawled out, his long legs crossed casually in front of him, he possessed a commanding presence. Emily couldn’t help but admire the strength evident in his body, even hidden as it was by his business suit.

  It was then Emily realised that he wasn’t as relaxed as he’d first appeared. His jaw was slightly clenched, indicating some suppressed tension. The atmosphere in the room suddenly took on a palpable thickness. Emily longed to break it, but couldn’t. There was something so intensely sexual in her response to Nicholas that she was afraid if she opened up and let her professional reserve slip, it would be there for the world – and Nicholas Cavanaugh – to see.

  When Mark finally called Nicholas in, Emily sighed in relief. The band of tension that had been constricting her insides was finally released. She bit her lip in anxiety. Please oh please God, don’t let me feel this way about him! she prayed silently, but knew it was out of the hands of even the highest deity. She was falling for Nicholas Cavanaugh, and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

  The meeting continued for a good hour, and Emily hoped Mark knew exactly who he was dealing with. He was a nice man. Perhaps too nice for the ruthless world of business, which included men like Nicholas Cavanaugh.

  Getting some routine phone calls out of the way and straightening out the filing cabinet filled her time. When that was finished, she watered the plants, and sat down at her desk. Fortunately Mark and Nicholas exited Mark’s office moments later, the satisfied look on Mark’s face testament to the success of the meeting.

  ‘Goodbye Mark,’ Nicholas announced. ‘I have another meeting to attend this afternoon and am in a bit of a hurry, so I apologise for my hasty exit. I trust we will have a good working relationship.’ They concluded with a brief handshake. ‘I’ll see you in class, Emily. Study hard, and one day you’ll be in there rather than working behind the desk in here,’ he said, waving from Mark’s office to her own tidy desk. Emily smiled as politely as she could under the circumstances. Had that been a smirk she’d seen on his face? She wouldn’t have been surprised. What did he think now that he knew she was just a lowly secretary?

  Not, of course, that there was anything wrong with being a secretary, she thought defensively. She’d never been ashamed of her job. She enjoyed it, even, but knew that she didn’t want to spend the rest of her life doing accounts and typing up correspondence.

  As for Nicholas! His opinion didn’t worry her in the slightest. If her mother hadn’t died and their father hadn’t left, she’d have been able to attend university years ago. If Nicholas Cavanaugh was going to judge her for that then it just showed what a shallow man he was.

  ‘How did it go, Mark?’ she asked, watching Nicholas drive away.

  ‘Very well, actually. Of course, we didn’t get the tender, as I’d expected, but my application had impressed him enough that he wanted to find out more about our company. In fact, he’s interested in investing in one of our new design projects.’ Overington Industries was still a small firm. Mark designed steel products, which included small sheds, on up to larger factory buildings, and the rest of the team worked on their construction. However, with an engineering degree, Mark was more than capable of expanding into other areas, and spent his spare time coming up with new ideas.

  ‘That’s great, Mark,’ Emily said, sincerely glad for him. He’d worked very hard over the years to bring Overington Industries to where it was today, and with Nicholas Cavanaugh, she was sure he could make it even more of a success.

  ‘By the way, Nicholas wants us to get together for a business related dinner sometime next week. I think you should come along, not as my secretary, but simply to get a feel for what business dinners of this sort entail.’

  ‘I guess that would be a good idea,’ she agreed reluctantly. Mark raised an eyebrow at her.

  ‘I expected you to show more interest,’ he reprimanded her. ‘After all, you want to go into business for yourself one of these days, and business dinners are a part of that.’

  ‘That’s
not what I’m worried about, Mark. It’s Nicholas Cavanaugh himself.’ Mark looked surprised.

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘I’ve met him before,’ she confessed. ‘And we didn’t…ah…get on particularly well.’

  ‘Now, that’s not the Emily I know! I’ve never heard you say a bad word about anyone before. Where did you meet him? And, more to the point, why didn’t you tell me about it?’

  ‘I only discovered who he was when he entered your office! He lectures in business economics at the university. I’m not sure why. I wouldn’t think he needs the money.’

  ‘Ahh. I see. He mentioned doing some teaching. But that doesn’t explain your antagonism towards him.’ No. It didn’t. But she wasn’t sure how she could explain that to Mark.

  ‘I’ll do my best to get along with him,’ she promised. And she would, too. Not that it would do much good. ‘When will this dinner be?’

  ‘Tuesday evening next week.’

  ‘No problem.’

  ‘Wonderful. I’ll book a table for seven o’clock at Luigi’s.’

  ‘Sounds great, Mark,’ she replied, thinking the exact opposite.

  ‘Wonderful. I’ve got a couple of letters for you to type up before the end of the day, then you’re free to go.’

  That evening, Emily sat down to relax with a book she’d been meaning to read for ages, but hadn’t yet had the time for.

  She was deeply into the novel when the phone’s insistent ringing disturbed her peace, and she reluctantly stood to answer it. However she was more than happy to hear her best friend’s voice on the other end.

  As Sonya had just returned from a three month trip to Germany with her husband and young son, Emily hadn’t caught up with her for ages, and hearing her friend’s voice made her realise how much she’d missed Sonya’s company.

  They arranged to meet for a picnic at the lake the next day, and when she hung up the receiver, Emily was buoyed with a new-found energy. Thinking about the day ahead took her mind off Nicholas, and for that she was truly grateful.

  Saturday morning was a beautiful early autumn day. The weather was fine, not too hot, with just the slightest of breezes. The sunlight gleamed off the water of Lake Wendouree, and Emily smiled in pleasure as she walked past the botanical gardens towards the playground and barbecue area where she was meeting Sonya. Emily felt almost nostalgic watching children play in the playground, as she remembered the days, not really so long ago, when she’d brought Veronica and Steven here regularly.

  Sonya and her little boy, Paul, were already there when Emily arrived. ‘Sonya!’ she called, waving in her friend’s direction. Sonya was seated on a picnic blanket, while Paul happily toddled around the vicinity, not far from Sonya’s sharp eyes.

  ‘Emily!’ her friend exclaimed in equal pleasure. ‘It’s good to see you. Come here Paul and say hello to Aunty Emily!’ Emily smiled at the small boy, who completely ignored his mother as he ran around in circles, involved in some childish little game.

  ‘How are you and Andrew faring after the trip?’ Sonya and her husband Andrew had attended high school with Emily, and had been a couple as long as Emily could remember.

  ‘We’re well. Tired from the journey, of course.’

  They reminisced awhile and discussed Sonya’s holiday, before Sonya brought up the question Emily had been dreading.

  ‘So, how’s the love life?’ A mental picture of Nicholas immediately sprung into her mind and she had to fight to banish it. Fortunately, she was saved from having to answer when little Paul, just fifteen months old, ran over to Emily and giggled, as she ‘peek-a-booed’ him.

  ‘He’s just gorgeous!’ she gushed over the small boy, who looked at her and gave her a big smile, as if he knew exactly what she was saying about him.

  ‘Here, give him a cuddle.’ Sonya picked Paul up and handed him to Emily. Emily smiled fondly and Paul wrapped his chubby little arms around her, much to her gratification.

  ‘How’s the beautiful little man then?’ she asked, chucking him under the chin. The toddler giggled and Emily laughed. ‘I can see why your mummy loves you so very, very much, yes I can!’ she cooed.

  ‘Oh, you’re pathetic, Emily! You should have one of your own.’

  ‘Let’s not get into that again,’ she said lightly. Sonya seemed obsessed with Emily’s love life and future family plans, and while she understood that her best friend merely wanted the best for her, it could get a little tiresome.

  But nevertheless, her thoughts turned to the future as she saw herself as a mum, with a little boy or girl of her own. She’d raised her brother and sister for the last six years, but it wasn’t the same. Again, the devastating image of Nicholas Cavanaugh reinserted itself in her mind, and in that mental image, he was playing with the small child who called Emily ‘Mummy’.

  ‘Hello! Earth calling Emily Peterson!’ Sonya’s voice barely penetrated her consciousness.

  ‘Oh, sorry Sonya,’ she said guiltily, feeling her face flush. Had she gone completely insane? Her mind was betraying her in a most unusual, and annoying, fashion. She took a deep breath, attempting futilely to quiet her unnaturally surging hormones.

  ‘All right, out with it. You’ve evaded me at every turn. You have found someone, haven’t you?’

  ‘Oh, no. Definitely not that!’ she exclaimed. ‘When would I have had the time? And I certainly don’t have the inclination to indulge in any romantic affairs at the moment,’ she stated primly. Sonya laughed heartily.

  ‘Methinks the lady doth protest too much! Come on Emily, what gives?’ Was she really that transparent? Emily opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. There was really nothing she could say.

  ‘There’s no one, Sonya,’ she insisted half-heartedly, knowing her friend would get it out of her before too long.

  ‘Oh, come on! Is he cute?’ Emily laughed softly.

  ‘No, he’s not cute!’ Cute was the last word she would use to describe him! Tall, dashing, handsome, devastating, heart wrenching…maybe, but cute? No way… Sonya looked at her with eyebrows raised in scepticism.

  ‘You are absolutely incorrigible. OK, I’ll tell you the whole sordid tale. Not,’ she added, ‘that there’s really very much to tell.’ And out came all the thoughts and feelings that Emily had been trying so desperately to suppress from the instant she’d met Nicholas Cavanaugh.

  ‘Wow. A lecturer?’ Her friend looked concerned.

  ‘Sonya, there’s nothing to worry about. I’m attracted to him. He’s not the slightest bit interested in me. And besides, he’s the last man I’d ever think of dating. He’s rude, overbearing, arrogant…I could go on but it would take too long. Not to mention the fact that he’s out to get me, as I clearly explained to you before.’

  ‘I don’t know, Emily. Maybe you’re reading too much into his motives. It’s possible he’s not really singling you out. You probably just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, and next week it will be someone else. And, have you ever thought that maybe it’s because he likes you?’

  ‘Doubtful. Besides, he’s a professional. He’d no more go out with a student than I’d…’ She’d been about to say ‘go out with a lecturer’, but realised what a lie it would have been.

  They chatted for awhile longer, until little Paul started getting grizzly and Sonya announced that it was time for his nap. ‘We’ll catch up again soon,’ promised Emily, as Sonya strapped Paul in his car seat.

  Emily considered heading home to catch up on some much neglected chores, but decided instead to take advantage of the weather and walk around the lake, letting the exercise refresh her senses. The gentle breeze and pleasant warmth from the sun relaxed her and she felt calm for the first time since she’d met Nicholas Cavanaugh.

  Nicholas’s head spun with images of Emily Peterson. His heart had almost stopped when he’d seen her, and he couldn’t remember the last woman who’d done that to him. He’d done everything he could to put her out of his mind, but no matter what he tried,
she stubbornly remained there in the corner, poking her head out now and again to distract him.

  And why, for God’s sake, did she seem to turn up everywhere he looked these days? Since their first meeting in class a mere week ago, he’d seen her at the mechanic’s, at her work, and now picnicking by the lake. Was it all mere coincidence, or synchronicity? When he thought about it logically, perhaps it was neither.

  He frowned to himself. The mechanic could be explained easily, he told himself. Rick Jeffries specialised in servicing European cars. As he drove a BMW and Emily a Volvo, it seemed logical they’d choose the same mechanic. And as for seeing her at the lake, it was one of the city’s most popular picnic spots. Not far from the centre of town, it was a pleasant, relaxing place, and as a university student he’d jogged around the lake every morning.

  He shook his head, remembering his near encounter with her earlier that day. He’d been driving around the lake, wondering whether he should get out of the car and go for a walk, or head to the small office he’d rented in town to get some serious work done. Then he’d seen Emily, and his mind had been made up. He’d stopped the car a hundred metres or so from where she sat with her friend, and he’d walked along the path that circled the lake.

  He’d been like a foolish teenage boy, planning what he’d say to the girl of his dreams when he approached her. He’d wanted to appear casual, as if he’d been passing and had happened upon her by accident. He didn’t want to appear eager to see her, or even particularly happy that he’d done so. But when just metres away from where Emily and her friend had been sitting, he’d seen the small boy, only a year or so old, jump on her lap and throw his arms around her, and he’d paused. Surely the child couldn’t be hers? he’d thought. After all, she hadn’t been alone. But then he’d distinctly heard her say something along the lines of, ‘Mummy loves you very, very much’, and for the second time his heart had almost ceased beating. It explained a number of things about her, anyway. When he’d first seen her in class, she hadn’t appeared any older than the other eighteen year old students he taught, but something in the way she spoke, some inner maturity, had given him the idea that she was several years older. Then, finding her working for Mark Overington, and now discovering that she had a young child, he put everything together.