“What’s his name?”
They both screamed, and he laughed, Suzy hadn’t seen anyone so amazing since she went to the cinema to see Magic Mike, one and two. Oh the possibilities.
“Paul.”
He smiled. “Suzy, it’s late, everyone has left.”
“I usually end up staying this late, finishing up.” She turned off her machine after hitting send, and packed up. He was still watching her, and that wasn’t good.
“Night.” She breezed past him and Janet, but she winked at her, and didn’t look at him.
She was shaking when she reached her car. It was tempting, but one does not eat where one shits, and one does not fuck where one works. Two rules of her life, the first was common sense, the second was hard learnt.
She shuddered as she thought of her own stupidity, and she was angry and annoyed with herself. That man still had her over a barrel more than five years after he tried to fuck up her life. She shook her head. This guy, she did not know, as much as she might want to, she couldn’t afford to lose her job or get involved with someone at work.
Shame, he was more than hot.
On Monday morning, Carol was not present. There was another meeting. Suzy was called in on her own first, and everyone followed her with their eyes as she went in. Mr Davis, Mr Maxwell, and Mr Townslee were waiting at one and of the table. Maxwell spoke to everyone.
Suzy thought she might shit herself.
“Right then, on Friday, I had my audit meeting with Carol. Carol’s job was to check every account before being sent out to process. She had to check all of the work in the department. Carol hadn’t audited a single file, Suzy has been doing that job for her, while Carol did very little.” He turned to Suzy. “So, from now on that is your job, if you want it, to take on accounts management. You know how these accounts work, you know more than most people here. You are a valuable part of this company.”
“Thank you.”
“So, this a new contract, you’re free to read it over.” He slid the paperwork over to her.
“Contract?” she turned it on the table, unable to keep her fingers still.
Mr Townslee leant forward. “Well, this is a new job. You will oversee and organise your department, it will mean working with Nathan here, and he knows his stuff, you’ll only have him for four months though.”
“Basically, you’ll be doing the same thing as now, but you’ll get paid properly. You can also delegate to the others, if they’re not busy, you can have them assist with your workload, you shouldn’t be working until seven every night.” Mr Maxwell held her gaze, it made her swallow, she made herself look down at the contract, her hands were sweating, and she was leaving finger marks on the table.
“Okay, well thanks. I won’t let you down.”
She went back to her desk, a little at a loss at what to do. When everyone was told what had happened they all looked at her with astonishment. Carol had always told people that Suzy was lazy, it and was a hard adjustment for them to make.
She celebrated that night with a workout. Thrilling.
Berkeley House was a posh new office complex, surrounded by trendy bars, boutiques, and restaurants. There was a gym in the building, and a penthouse of banquet and event suites with views of the city. It was the flagship redevelopment of an ailing unattractive city centre.
The gym offered discount membership to employees in the building. Suzy enjoyed working out, it allowed her to vent her frustration, and although she had great news at work, other things were not so great, in fact, Sunday had been a shit show.
She had gone out Friday night, up Town Hill. A long road at the top of Chadford, full of pubs, restaurants, and clubs. She had a very specific pattern of behaviour. She would text her mate, Bobby, who ran one club. He’d put her name down, and she’d go by taxi to the club. The security on the door would have her name and they all knew whom the guy was they had to look out for.
They had explicit instructions to call the police if they spotted him, and one of the doormen had to put Suzy in a taxi, or Bobby himself would take her home.
She hung out at the bar, drank a little, and flirted a little. Some drunk chavs, who were boys rather than men, who thought they were the shit tried it on. She’d have eaten them for breakfast, and been disappointed. She went home unsatisfied, and it was Bobby that took her home, she had known him for years, since school. They had gone out for a bit, and he was one of the less shit ones. They had always remained friends, Bobby was married now, and had a kid on the way, and his wife was lovely.
It had worked, she was safe, for the most part.
Only on Friday night, the text messages started again, and she was back on the merry-go-round. She blocked the number, and another one started. She knew he’d have bought a box of sims, all with five quid credit preloaded. You could get them from the pound shop. She’d done it herself.
She spent half her Saturday down the cop shop, lodging another complaint. She was in the system, and everything was logged and official. Suzy hadn’t heard from her ex for several months, and it was how it went with him. He would leave her alone for a bit, and when she was beginning to relax, the fucker would show up again.
It was always low level, and she didn’t know how he got her number, though she suspected, but there was a warning in the back of her mind, there was only one way it would end, and that was her no longer breathing, and Zach the cause of it.
She had taken care of herself, with very little support for five years.
So come Monday evening, she was chuffed at finally finding some success, but utterly drained. She loved Monday nights, it was kickboxing night, and if she was ever in need of fucking something up, it was then.
She took her makeup off, squeezed into her gym gear, and went out to class. In the corridor were a group of guys, she instinctively tensed. Among them was a gorgeous arse, attached to a gorgeous man. Oh God. He stretched up, and she saw the little dimples at the base of his spine and the tanned skin of his back, and the top of his bottom above his low hung shorts. She mentally high fived herself as she looked up before he turned.
“Hello Mr Maxwell.” She didn’t stop. He didn’t say anything.
Wow. Okay. She turned into the room where the class was, and set up.
She liked kickboxing, picturing Zach as she pummelled the crap out of the punch bag. She wasn't great, but she was confident that she could land a few blows and hurt him if he ever attacked her, and just then, that was centre stage in her mind.
She was sweating furiously when they were packing up. She couldn’t believe Maxwell had blanked her. She had been polite, and in the office he was at least communicative. Maye he was an arsehole, or he didn’t like to speak with subordinates outside work. Whatever, he was a wanker, albeit a gorgeous one. She’d still picture him when she wanked though, because fuck it.
The change in the office was pretty quick. She sat at Carol’s desk, and delegated work, so everyone was evenly tasked, and there was less of an atmosphere too. Even the people that didn’t remember her name seemed happier.
She was still last out, catching a few minutes with Janet on Thursday. She was trying to convince Janet to join her for a class.
“I have a guest pass, you could come with me for an evening, see if you like it, you don’t have to join the gym, the class is eight quid a session, I mean, I suck at it and don’t know anyone there. Be nice to have someone with me.”
“I don’t know.”
“It’s great exercise, particularly for your legs. I tried pole once, but fuck me the bruises, kickboxing is great, for your self-esteem, your strength, coordination, and if a man tries shit on you, you can defend yourself.”
“Maybe, let me think about it.”
“I’ll text you my new number.”
“Again?” Janet was the only one other than Mia who she had told. She supposed she should tell Mr Townslee.
“Again, it’s easier to just swap out the sim than keep blocking him.”
�
�What a fucker.”
“Yes, indeed. Hence the kickboxing.”
“Okay, I’ll come. Monday?”
“Right after you finish here. I usually work late Mondays so I go straight to class.”
“You’re on, but if I make a twat of myself, it’s your fault.”
“If it makes you feel better, the instructor is fit as fuck.”
“Is he now?”
“All tats and muscles, and a shaved head, hot smouldering face. Seriously. That class only has women in it.”
A throat was cleared. Janet scurried away, the vacuum whirling off with gusto. “Mr Maxwell.” Suzy left.
He scowled after her. She’d been weird all week, after Monday. He had belatedly realised she might have been offended by not replying to her in the gym.
He’d been a bit stunned, she always dressed so carefully, nothing out of place, very sexy. Too sexy, but in the gym, she had looked different, and still hot, it wasn’t how she dressed, it was who she was, and seeing her in a small sports top, and smug capris leggings made him realise how hot she was. He’d watched her through the glass for a few minutes before realising how creepy that was.
It would be a hard, in the literal and figurative sense, four months.
As he looked at her waiting for the lift, he wondered what she had been talking about. He was curious about her, more so by the day.
In the context of her job, she was quiet, professional, she rarely engaged in conversation unless one on one, and with specific people, but she always made him coffee at lunch, along with everyone else, and he was the only one who thanked her, other than Mia.
This woman was a myriad of contradiction and he needed to know more. He was only ever somewhere temporarily, a year at the most, not that he minded, he was good at making friends. Relationships were difficult though, he enjoyed a few flings, some hook ups, nothing more, not for a long time.
He thought about Cass. She would tut and roll her eyes at him. He wondered what she’d look like now at thirty-three, would she age well, would she be toned or full figured, would they have had kids. He shrugged it off, there was five minutes each day where he permitted it, the thoughts, ones that had consumed him at first, now he was okay, but she was there, always there.
On Friday night, everyone had just gone, he caught her, and Janet hadn’t made her way up yet.
“Suzy.” She pinched the bridge of her nose after taking off her glasses. She’d have to go back to contacts, her glasses were pissing her off.
“Mr Maxwell.”
“I was wondering if you’d like to grab a drink with me.”
She stared up at him, open-mouthed. “I don’t think that’s appropriate.”
“Why?”
“You’re my boss.”
“It’s only a drink, I don’t know many people here…”
“I’m not your friend.” He frowned at her tone and she packed up and left before he could think.
He sighed and shrugged. Not to be then. He finished his work, and left, bitterly disappointed.
Three. Inappropriate behaviour
It was a warm day, too warm for September, everyone was enjoying that Indian summer feel, and when Nathan finally reached his flat, he undressed. He opened the fridge in nothing but his boxer briefs and sighed. Although the nights were just beginning to draw in, it was still bright and hot in the sun.
The flat was nice, in a small new build block, secure and modern. The front door opened into the kitchen, a large open plan living area, with a balcony, a large bedroom, and a luxurious bathroom. It was rented out fully furnished, he really liked it.
The French windows overlooked the river and the fields beyond, and flooded the flat with bright sun at the end of the day. He opened a bottle of water, grabbed some leftovers, and ate. He thought about Suzy, he thought about her too much, and wondered if Cass would have liked her. She’d have been a little bit jealous of her figure. Cass had always been so conscious of her own figure, but he had loved it, loved her ever since they met in the fourth year when they were in the same music class, and he’d impressed her with his piano playing. He hadn’t played for years.
He missed her, her ever-changing hair, her dirty laugh, the way she kissed, and did other things. What do you do when the woman you love dies at twenty-six, how do you move on?
You don’t, you scratch an itch, and little more. Maybe he should think about having a little more. It had been seven years, he was only thirty-three.
His mind wandered back to Suzy, and he smiled. He wished he could change her mind, but he wasn't pushy.
He scrubbed his face and took a brief shower. He went out to the balcony. No one could see him, top floor, overlooking nothing but greenery, totally private. He put on a low factor sunblock and lay out on the lounger. The late sun was warm, and there was no breeze, but it wasn’t too hot.
He didn’t enjoy tanning particularly, but he had terribly dry skin, he found a little sun exposure did wonders, as long as he used a good sunscreen.
He enjoyed the quiet, a few birds called, and he felt himself relax, until he heard the doors open to the flat beneath him. He heard two women come out, one whose voice he recognised. He sat up quietly, grinning to himself, but sat back and listened with interest, he loved listening to her, he wondered what he would overhear, and he wasn’t disappointed.
Sam lived at the opposite corner to Suzy, she was divorced, footloose, and estranged from everyone she had known for leaving her husband. She had not been the obedient baby factory that her husband and in-laws demanded of her, and she refused to give up her job, her good job of teaching in a private school. She didn’t enjoy threats and physical violence, so she had divorced him, and moved across Chadford.
They bonded over their mutual dislike of assumptive men assuming they had say over a woman’s life because they were entitled to.
Sam had large back eyes, her long black hair fell to her waist, she had a pert Bradford Asian accent, which was warm and as expressive as her eyes. Suzy thought she was beautiful, with her full wide mouth and long legs.
She had married young, and been happy to, she had been in love with her husband once, but her family were miles away, and wouldn’t let her go home.
They toasted their wine. “Fucking men.” Sam laughed.
“To fucking men. In every sense of the word.”
“So, what’s the deal, now remember, I live vicariously through you.”
“Oh my God Sam, I wouldn’t do that if I were you. You won’t do much living.”
“You do more than me, do you know what I did today? I reorganised my kitchen when I got in from work. I wanted to do it, as if I did that, I’d have fulfilled something. I need to have sex, but without a man, I mean, they’re just shit really. Well the ones I meet are.”
“I thought you were dating again.”
“I had three dick pics, and a slew of offensive and a few racist messages in the space of a week. A week, I mean, what the fuck?”
“Are they nice dick pics?”
“There is no such thing a receiving a nice unsolicited dick pic.”
“What do you say to that?”
“That I’m disappointed that it’s so small, or with a pic of scissors.” They laughed, and topped up. “So come on, tell me.”
Suzy sighed. “Well, so you know the company was sold, well they’ve brought in this guy, and I shit you not, he is the most delicious man I have ever seen. I mean, I’ve been wanking with gusto ever since I first saw him.”
“Oh bloody hell, Too much info…” Laughter.
“Anyway, can’t fuck where I work, but still I can look, but fuck me, every time I do or say anything inappropriate, fucker is right there. The first day, within a few hours, he caught me making Mia laugh by shoving a giant éclair in my mouth like it was a yummy dick.” Sam cackled. “Who does that shit? He caught me perving on about the kickboxing instructor, for fuck’s sake. Then, and this is weird, he uses the gym in the building, I walk past him in my gear, which e
quates to a lycra condom, and he blanks me. Then, earlier asked me out for a drink.”
“Are you tempted?”
“I can’t be near him, seriously, he does things to me.”
“He can’t be that hot.”
“He has those little dimples just above his arse, I saw them at the gym, and he’s tanned, and I thought, well, he’ll have an ugly white knicker tan line, but when he stretched, and I saw the dimples, the tan didn’t end. He must tan naked. Now I can’t stop thinking about it. I have to temper my crotch watch.
“He has lovely brown eyes, and eye lashes, and mouth, and arms, and thighs, and fuck me he’s tall.”
“Take a sneaky pic and send it to me, we can both perv over him.”
“I would if I thought I could get away with it.”
They were quiet for a while and Nathan stayed absolutely still, he could feel the heat in his face, but he wasn’t offended, she liked him.
“If I didn’t work for him, I’d do him in a heartbeat, if he was actually interested, but he’s only here a few months, and I get the feeling I’d be a fling.”
“Isn’t that what you want?”
“Yes, but he is my boss. And we don’t fuck where we work.”
“Preach.” They clinked glasses. “Heard anything yet?” the tone changed.
“They actually cautioned the scrotum this time. Big whoopity-do.”
“It’ll take time, but you just keep doing everything right...”
“I know. I’m just tired. I want to go jogging again, but I have to resign myself to the treadmill, I want to go shopping without thinking of how far am I from my car, come on, you know what it’s like.”
“I do.”
“The thing is, it’ll die down, and I’ll slowly let myself have my life back, and he’ll just wait long enough to give me hope, then it’s all aboard the shitty train. Off we go again. It’s just over six months of freedom, now I have to watch my every fucking goddamn step. But still, this is what sexy men are for, to distract ourselves.” Nathan heard a buzzer go. “Ooh, pizza.”
Saving Suzy (New city Series Book 2) Page 2