The next morning, her mum was still in bed. She’d recently been working night shifts at the old people’s home so she wouldn’t get to see Polly’s face until later that day. With as much makeup as she could, she tried covering her black eye but it was no use. To make things worse, the first person she saw as she struggled on the walk to school was Charlie White.
For the first time ever, she saw a look from him that she’d never seen before – a look of concern. Sympathy was the last thing she needed.
“I fell down the stairs,” she lied.
Without meaning to, she burst into tears and rested her head against Charlie.
“Who did this to you, Polly? Tell me and I’ll kill him.”
She stopped crying and looked at Charlie.
“Really?”
“Yes, really. I fancy the pants off you. I always have.”
She knew that; he never hid his feelings for her.
“I’ll do anything for you. Was it your stepdad?”
She nodded.
“I’ll sort him out but you’ve got to do something for me.”
“And that is how I came to be Charlie White’s girlfriend…” Polly told Rupert.
“He blackmailed you into going out with him?” asked Rupert.
“Yes,” agreed Polly. “He came round that evening with his two older brothers, his dad, an uncle and a doberman. He was the baby of the bunch; the rest of his family were hardened criminals at that point. They made Charlie look like a softie. They had a word with John and we never saw or heard from him again.”
“And you kept up your end of the bargain?”
“Yes, I’d never had anyone protect me and my mum before, I was grateful. He persuaded me to sleep with him, even though I wasn’t ready. He became possessive and controlling. The sex became rough and scary. I eventually managed to get rid of him when I went to university – where I avoided men as much as possible.”
Polly finished her story. Rupert said nothing.
“Don’t feel sorry for me,” she said.
He did.
“You must think I’m so stupid and weak?”
He didn’t. She was a child. She’d stuck up for her mum and managed to get rid of the stepdad.
“People do what they have to, to survive. It’s human nature. I would never judge you. It just makes me love you more.”
“Oh, Rupert.”
Chapter 54
Rupert
* * *
Damn, he’d blown it. Polly wanted to be friends with benefits but he blurted out the ‘L’ word. She looked so sad, so vulnerable after telling him her story. That vulnerability he always sensed from her, now he knew why. All he wanted to do was scoop her up in his arms and take her to bed. Instead, he offered to take her home.
Thank you, she whispered.
They held hands on the way to the car without saying a word. He held her hand for most of the car journey back to her house. When he pulled outside, he didn’t want to let go of it. He pulled her hand towards his mouth and kissed it.
“Polly, I don’t want to do the no strings attached sex with you. I will if that’s the only way I can be with you. But I want to make love to you. I want to be with you. I want to stand out on the street and tell everyone how much I love Polly Taylor.”
“I need to think about it, Rupert.”
Of course. She kissed him on the cheek and got out of the car. He remained there for a few moments thinking about her story. Thinking about Mason’s story. He was the only one who knew both sides. He also knew that if neither of them had been so ridiculous and told each other the whole story, they’d probably be together. But he knew he wanted Polly and if he told either of them he probably wouldn’t get her.
Chapter 55
Polly
* * *
Apart from her mum, she’d never told anyone the full story before. It felt like a weight off her shoulders. The next morning over breakfast she told her mum.
“I wish you hadn't told anyone. It’s personal business. How does that make me look, hanging around as a battered wife for all those years, exposing my own daughter to the violence.”
“Rupert didn't judge us and he’s not going to go around telling the local neighbourhood. You’ve got to stop thinking about what other people say. Who cares anymore?
“I care?”
“Why?”
She had no answer.
“Mum, I think you’ve got to become a bit more independent from me. You can’t rely on me as much.”
Her mum looked a bit teary as she continued.
“I’m going to give Rupert a chance and that will mean travelling to London a bit more and who knows where else. I have to start living my life.”
Her mum nodded as she wiped away a tear. She understood. Polly was absolutely right. “I really liked the lady who came round when you went to New York.”
That was good to hear but New York seemed like a lifetime ago. Polly put it out of her mind. After breakfast, they agreed to hire the carer on a part-time basis. Her mum also promised to lean on her friends a little more. Be a bit more open. Admit to needing help once in a while.
Polly breezed out of the house like it was the start of a new chapter in her life. Then she had a thought. A really bad thought. She called Rupert.
“Yo, pretty lady,” he answered.
He seemed happy to hear from her.
“Boss, I don’t think I can come in today. I’m not feeling well.”
A pause. “Oh. That’s a shame. I was really looking forward to seeing you.”
“I might need someone to look after me.”
“Go on...” he said.
“I think I need to stay in bed all day.”
“I think you need to stay in my bed all day,” he suggested.
“I’m coming straight over.”
She hung up on Rupert and called in sick to the office. Guilt surged through her when Louisa offered to bring her chicken soup around later. No, it’s okay, she insisted.
She drove to the hotel where Rupert was staying. Dashed through reception and made her way up the lift. She knocked on the door and he answered in the nude.
“You’re playing hard to get, I see,” she teased him.
He pulled her in. She ran her hands down his muscular, tanned torso.
“You’re so sexy,” she told him.
“I missed you so much,” he whispered to her. “I’m not going away for that long again.”
He plunged forward to kiss her when she said; “I’m coming with you next time.”
He held her hands. “In that case, I’m taking you to Paris.”
Then he lifted her up and threw her on his bed.
Chapter 56
Rupert
* * *
He woke up, blissfully happy, tracing a finger around Polly’s naked back.
Mmh, she woke up dreamily, climbed out of bed and walked towards the window. He watched her perfect form pace across the room as she opened the curtains.
“It’s so beautiful,” she said about the view.
“I’ll say,” he agreed.
“I’m talking about the Eiffel Tower.”
“I’m talking about your bottom. Now get back to bed,” he ordered her. “Remember, you’re terribly sick and you need your special love doctor to administer his special love juice.”
“You’re so disgusting.”
“You are so sexy.”
Since Polly called in sick to the office last week, she hadn’t been back. Nor had Rupert. Instead, they’d spent the night at his hotel in Stillwaters before organising this trip to Paris for the next day. The only sights they'd seen so far was the Eiffel Tower from their room.
“We’re leaving the room today, Rupert. I’m not coming all the way here and not seeing Paris. It’s alright for you, you’ve been loads of times.”
“I can’t believe you’ve never been to Paris before.”
She was so sheltered. He couldn’t wait to expose her to a whole new world.
“So, who have you been to Paris with?”
Uh oh. Lots of women. It was so close by. Just hop on a train and here he was in the city of love. Women couldn’t fail to be seduced by that. But he didn’t mention this to Polly.
“No one special,” he lied.
“It’s okay, Rupert. I know I’m just one of many notches on your bedpost.”
No, she wasn’t. The most amount of time he’d spent with them was one night. He could live here forever if she agreed to it. She came back to bed, slapped his bare bottom and ordered him to get dressed. They were going out.
She had a shower as he lazily willed himself to get up. The thought of getting in the shower with her was incentive enough. And then the moment ruined with a call about work. During the call, Polly had finished her shower. He watched her dress whilst trying to pay attention to the intrusive work call. With a sigh, he hung up.
“Important?” she asked.
“Fairly. I’ve got to get back to London today.”
Her lovely face dropped. “I promise to take you back here soon. Or you could stay on your own?”
That wasn’t an option; she really should stop being so irresponsible and get back to her job. She’d accompany him back to London.
“But I love the irresponsible Polly,” he said as he pulled her in for one last kiss.
Chapter 57
Polly
* * *
Rupert had been so attentive the last few days, so gentle and eager to please her sexually. This unconditional love felt good. Still unsure whether it was all a game to him or if this was the way he played women, she decided not to get caught up in the details and enjoy the moment instead.
On the channel tunnel, he asked her to stay with him that evening and they’d return to Stillwaters the next day together. She agreed, by the time they got back, it wouldn’t be worth going back to work. Besides, she was mildly curious about this man’s home.
“I’ll drop you off at mine first then pick you up for dinner this evening. That should give you enough time to rummage through my sock drawers or whatever it is you women do.”
“I’m not that curious about you,” she protested. “I just want to see how an international playboy lives.”
“Ex-international playboy,” he nudged her.
The car pulled up outside a beautiful apartment building in Knightsbridge. Rupert led Polly inside his ‘humble abode,’ as he liked to call it. He introduced her to the concierge.
“If you need anything, Harold is your man.”
“Like a chicken sandwich?” she whispered.
“You can get the girl out of Stillwaters but you can’t get the Stillwaters out of the girl. Come on, Polly. Can't you think of anything better than a sandwich? This man can organise you anything you want. You want a Burberry handbag? He can get you one. A new dress or shoes, go for it?”
“A Ferrari?” she asked.
“Yes, that’s more like it – but steady on, I might have to put a limit on my account.”
What a different world. She grabbed his arm and told him she wasn’t really going to spend his money.
“I don’t mind. Treat yourself, live a little.”
Yeah right, that wasn’t her.
He guided her up to his place. As expected it was very masculine. Dark grey with manly furniture.
“What do you think?”
“Very macho. Obviously, you have no woman living with you.”
“What do you expect? Pretty cushions and Cath Kidston everywhere.”
He gave her the tour of his luxurious penthouse suite. Three bedrooms with a rooftop terrace and a great view. He checked his watch.
“Damn it. I was hoping to ravish you before my meeting.”
She promised he could ravish her all he wanted after dinner that evening and kissed him at the door when he left.
“If you find any porno or sex toys, they’re not mine. And don't go to bedroom three – it's the sex dungeon,” he yelled before he dashed off to his meeting, blowing her kisses as he left.
With a smile and a shake of her head, she shut the door. What to do in this beautiful apartment all afternoon? A brief look through his wardrobe, and a rummage through his bedside tables resulted in no sign of any porn or weird sex toys – thank goodness. She took a peek into the other bedrooms. Normal, classy hotel standard rooms. Phew, Rupert was turning out to be a pretty good catch. There had to be something wrong with him – he was far too perfect.
Before dwelling on that, she looked through her bags to decide what to wear. All the clothes she had taken to Paris, Rupert had already seen and she was bored of them. She could go shopping? Or maybe she should try out the fancy concierge service. Why not? Rupert must be paying a fortune for this service and he was never here, she might as well. Just one dress for dinner – she wouldn’t be greedy. A quick phone call and a description of what she wanted, the concierge promised to send someone around in a couple of hours. So with time to spare, she explored the gym and the pool. Sitting around in the steam room, she knew she could get used to this life. However, the guilt set in as she thought of her mum often confined to her wheelchair. She shook the guilt out of her mind – her mum would be happy for her.
Back upstairs, a girl was waiting for her with a rail of clothes.
“You need something for tonight?”
She didn’t expect so much choice. With the rail of clothes wheeled into the living room, the assistant unveiled the dresses.
“I can try them all on?”
“Of course.”
With so much choice and with most of the dresses a perfect fit, she opted for one of the cheaper dresses.
“I don’t want to go crazy with my boyfriend's money,” she explained.
The girl looked at her as though she was speaking a different language. And was Rupert her boyfriend? The label just popped out quite naturally.
“You’ll need shoes and a bag to match,” said the girl.
Did she? Why not? All afternoon, she felt like Cinderella and got slightly carried away. When Rupert returned home she hoped he wouldn’t be too angry with her.
“Why would I be angry? You look stunning!”
“Because I only meant to buy one dress. Then I ended up with shoes, a bag, new underwear and obviously I had to have my hair and makeup done...and my nails.”
It all felt rather extravagant.
“Obviously,” Rupert agreed. “Don’t worry, you’re worth it. But maybe next time I won’t leave you alone for so long – I might go bankrupt!”
Maybe he would? She didn’t realise she’d go through his money so happily.
“Well, it’s all your fault anyway?”
“How do you work that one out?”
“Well, it’s so high tech around here, I couldn’t even figure out how the TV worked so I got bored.”
“It’s all my fault,” he finally admitted. “Anyway, about this new underwear – I want to see it.”
Not a chance, her hair and makeup were immaculate.
“After dinner,” she promised.
In the car, she spoke of her afternoon. How she felt like pretty woman – minus the prostitute bit.
“And the pimp bit,” chipped in Rupert.
“I referred to you as my boyfriend,” she confessed.
He took her hand and circled it with his finger.
“I like that,” he said with a shy smile.
“Can I refer to you as my...woman?”
“No, Rupert. Girlfriend will do.”
Fine, he agreed.
Chapter 58
Rupert
* * *
Ha! I’m her boyfriend, he thought. He’d never truly been a boyfriend before. At least, whenever someone used that term before, he began to feel claustrophobic, like he needed to run away. Whenever he entered girlfriend/boyfriend territory, he usually spoilt it all by sleeping with someone else. But that panic didn’t hit him this time. The label was good; it suited him. And he took a sneaky look at the woman
sitting next to him, the one he could refer to as his girlfriend. He couldn’t believe his luck.
“What are you staring at?”
Oops, caught red-handed.
“Just looking at my girlfriend, that’s all.”
Her smile suggested she liked that too.
Once inside the restaurant, he led her to a large booth and sat as close as possible.
“So, what did you think of my home?”
“It’s fantastic. Luxurious. Convenient. If I were you, I’d never leave the building. You don't have to lift a finger.”
“Well, I have to leave for work so I can pay for it all.”
“But you’re barely there. You live in hotels most of the time.”
That was all Polly’s fault, he reminded her. He had to see her every day, even if it meant slumming it in Stillwaters.
“Slumming it? In your luxurious hotel?”
“Don't cheek me.”
He grabbed her and tickled her. Not his usual behaviour but any acts of coolness and aloofness with women were well and truly out of the window with Polly around. He wanted her to know how crazy he was about her. And just when she whacked him with a bread roll to stop him tickling her, a cough interrupted their horseplay.
The giggling stopped as they looked up. Rupert’s heart sank. Something he never experienced before when seeing his best friend. It was Mason.
The two of them stopped messing around. Polly’s face now all serious, stared at the man. Rupert stared at Polly, then at Mason to gauge their reaction. And Mason stared at Polly. No one was staring at him. Then he noticed Caitlin next to Mason. He greeted her and she invited herself and Mason to join them. That was the last thing he wanted.
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