Special Relationship

by Fox, Alessandra

  “They are so cute,” said Alex, with a big grin.

  “And nice to eat too.”

  She gave him a small punch in the stomach. “Leave Bambi alone you evil, evil banker!”

  He grabbed hold of her, declaring that “We bankers have been abused enough” and in the jaunty struggle that followed they both ended up flat on the grass, laughing hysterically.

  Nick wanted to kiss her at that moment but shied away in a heartbeat, worried that he might jeopardise a perfect day. She looked at him, half glad that he hadn't kissed her and half wondering why he hadn't.

  “Can't believe we have to go back to the real world tomorrow,” he said in a regretful tone.

  “You don't have to, do you, Mr rich man? Not like us workers who have to struggle on.”

  “The office will be going mad that I've had my phone off all day,” he said.

  “Me too...I mean 'me too' as in they won't be going mad but 'me too' as in I've switched my phone off. Good, isn't it?”

  As lovely and enjoyable as the day had been, they were tired by their trip and, with the sun cooling, they decided to find a nearby pub where Nick would phone Christos to save them the three-hour boat trip back to London.

  Alex felt deflated that the day was coming to an end and a bit uneasy about what path she should take from now on, in her pursuit of serenity, if not happiness.

  Christos picked them up at nearly eight, apologising for his delay due to the “bloody London traffic.” It took about an hour to get back to the city and, though his apartment was nearer, Nick insisted they dropped Alex first, not least because it gave him more time with her.

  She wondered what her neighbours might think about her turning up in an expensive car with smartly-dressed chauffeur. At least Christos didn't wear a cap, she thought.

  When they arrived, both of them became aware of the driver's presence and thought that any overly-fond farewell might be awkward. Nick kissed her on the cheek and thanked her for “a wonderful day,” avoiding the yearning to kiss her fully on the lips. Christos got out and handed her the bag from earlier containing the clothes she had started the day in.

  “Very nice to meet you, Miss Anderson.”

  “And you Christos, you've been great, and thanks for making things so...err...easy for me.”

  “You are welcome, and I hope I will be driving you around a lot more in the future.”

  She smiled back at him and waved to Nick as she walked to her flat. What an absolutely brilliant day, she thought.

  Inside, she was loathe to turn on her mobile for what might be on it, but she didn't use a landline and wanted to call Kerry. So she switched it on and didn't investigate the five missed calls, eight text messages and God knows how many emails, and fast-dialled Kerry.

  “How did it go, babe?”

  Alex loved her comforting voice, natural and always happy, and any fears that there might be a weird text message left her mind.

  “You know what, Kels, it was perfect. The most perfect day – even more perfect than the day at the races.”

  “Ha, told you there was nothing to worry about.”

  The two of them talked for more than an hour, Alex telling her of the time in the park when she thought they were going to kiss, and didn't know whether she wanted to or not, and how great he had been throughout the day.

  “You'll never guess where he took me for breakfast,” she said.

  On learning the venue, Kerry opined that, as unfair as it seemed, it would have been an end-of relationship issue had she had been meeting anyone else - but with a very rich guy it seemed amazingly romantic.

  “That's what I thought,” said Alex. “The snobbishness and hypocrisy of it.”

  “Who cares about hypocrisy when you've got the chance of pulling Mr perfect. Just get into his boxers or whatever millionaires wear,” she laughed.

  “Kerry, don't be so crude!”

  However, when she got into bed just before midnight, it was Nick she was thinking of. Not being able to sleep because she was so aroused she decided there was only one way out. OK, Nick, any sex between us begins here, she thought, before spending some time pleasuring herself with his image in her mind. She then slept soundly for the rest of the night.

  Chapter fifteen: Separate bedrooms and no strings.

  In the morning she debated when to check her phone. She'd put it on silent after her chat with Kerry the night before, and with the possibility that there might be some freaky text message on it, she didn't want to risk spoiling the memories of such a nice day sooner than was necessary.

  She left it until arriving at the office, where Adrian was already busy performing his computer wizardry and Suzanne was compiling the monthly accounts on a spreadsheet.

  When glancing through the texts the only one which caught her attention was one from Nick that read: “Thanks for a fabulous day x.”

  She couldn't resist. “You too x,” she replied.

  His next one came 15 minutes later but delivered with the humour that made him increasingly irresistible. “Anne Boleyn had her head chopped off. You had breakfast at Frank's.”

  This time there was no kiss. “Yes, Nick, don't go too far too fast,” she thought. He'd said enough comparing her to one of the most significant people in English history that a kiss would have looked excessive.

  She was still thinking of a reply when Kerry arrived. Alex was really pleased to see her. Her friend and colleague who was her confidante and the person who gave her strength for her new life in London. She wondered how she would have coped without her.

  Kerry gave her a quick embrace and then went to the kitchen to make coffee, shouting from there: “Tell me the gossip, girl.”

  She joined her and handed her a mug. “Fuck it, Kerry, I just don't know. Yesterday was, as I said, perfect, and this morning he has sent me messages. She showed her them on her phone.”

  Kerry read them. “He's besotted with you, honey.”

  “But is that good or bad?” asked Alex.

  “Before I fell for Luke I thought he was a pain. He irritated me so much that if I'd had a chance with anyone else I would have dumped him after a couple of weeks. Now I couldn't imagine life without him.

  “What I'm saying is that starting any new relationship is tricky, but you can't go on avoiding the risks because you want to hide away from your past. I don't know Nick, and he could hurt you, not that you haven't been hurt enough, but no one would ever love anyone if no one took chances.

  “Sorry, being a bit too philosophical for this time in the morning.”

  “Yes, just make the fucking coffee,” Alex smiled.

  They sat at their desks to work on the documents for a new contract but Alex found it a lot more difficult to concentrate than her business partner. She was wondering yet again about the text messages and whether she could trust the man she was finding it increasingly hard to stop thinking about.

  After a suitable pause she returned Nick's last text. “I loved Frank's. Thanks x”

  She waited nearly three hours before receiving a response. “Sorry, meetings. I agree, Frank whoever does a fine breakfast. Call you tomorrow? ”

  “Sure,” she replied.

  One of Nick's meetings, albeit the shortest one, was with Tavis regarding the security lapse in New York. “They are checking the CCTV tape now and we should have the results in a day or two,” he said. “It might be easier to find things out if you could be more specific about what happened,” he added.

  “Sorry Tavis, I can't be more specific at this stage. Let's see what the CCTV shows.”

  Tavis already knew that the CCTV showed Nick and Katherine arriving at the apartment in a manner not quite befitting of a boss-and-PA relationship.

  Nick had a meeting with the board members of the fund, and a couple of conference calls before he could call Katherine to his office to discuss events on either side of the Atlantic.

  “Where were you yesterday?” she asked immediately.

  “With Alex,�
�� he replied directly.

  “So you were screwing me in New York one day and her in London the next?”

  “Katherine!" he exclaimed. “You said yourself what happened with us in New York was just sex. No, of course I didn't screw Alex. And what's wrong with you?”

  “Well, a couple of things. First, I didn't like my text message and I'm still wondering who sent it. And even if it was just sex – and it was as far as I'm concerned – it might be an idea to leave a decent period of time...you know, just to look polite.”

  “I didn't have sex with Alex. We just had a day out.”

  “And you left some of your most important clients shouting down the phone at me.”

  “So I took a rare day off?”

  “It's not that – you were uncontactable. Doesn't look good, Nick, when people want to speak to you and I haven't got a clue where you are.”

  Nick had never seen Katherine in a similar mind-set before and he wondered what she was thinking. She was behaving like a jealous lover, rather than, as she originally claimed, the woman who just wanted a shag with a man she found attractive.

  But, after the day before, he knew that as much as he liked Katherine and found her physically attractive, it was Alex who captivated him. But for the American with a mysterious past stimulating his desire for intimacy, the sex with his PA might never have happened.

  “Listen, Katherine, we have to sort things out because, frankly, you are confusing me. You say that New York was just about lust but at the same time you seem upset that yesterday I spent the day with Alex.”

  “No, Nick, I just wanted some respect. I know you like Alex. But to start chasing her soon after we have landed in London – after what happened - doesn't make me feel good about myself.”

  “I haven't got a big history with women who work for me,” he said before realising his error.

  “Yes, like Olivia, and look what a mess that caused,” she said. “So you have slept with your last two PA's and now you are working on a girl who runs a company that works for you. That seems like a decent history to me.”

  “Katherine, I really do like you - a lot - and I'm worried now that what happened is going to damage us. It's not as if we haven't always got on. But I'm not clear what it is you want.”

  Katherine looked at him. “Me neither, I guess,” she replied, in a more conciliatory tone before leaving the office.

  Nick took it that her feelings for him were stronger than she cared to admit.

  But still the next day he called Alex as he had promised. “Have you heard of Sandbanks?” he asked.

  “Yeah, read about it in a Sunday magazine, on the south coast and some of the most expensive real estate in the world.”

  “I've got a place there,” he said. “And...” he paused, “...I was just wondering whether you might like to spend this weekend on the beach, separate bedrooms, of course. It'll be nice to make the most of the weather while it lasts.”

  “Bet you've got a boat too.”

  “Don't be such a smart arse.”

  “Separate bedrooms and no strings?”

  “Separate bedrooms and no strings,” he repeated.

  “I need to think. When do you you plan on leaving?”

  “Well tomorrow is Friday, I think that counts as the weekend. But we don't need to go until the evening.

  "Just a nice weekend walking the beach, no pressure.”

  “Oh Lord, Nick, you do put me in awkward positions.”

  “I said separate bedrooms.”

  “You really are unbelievable!”

  “Thanks,” he replied.

  “Back Sunday night?”

  “Done deal. I'll get the transport organised.”

  “What had she done,” she thought as she hung up and quickly ushered Kerry into yet another meeting in the store room. When she learned that Alex was going to spend the weekend alone together with Nick Hensen she was both really excited for her friend and partner, jumping up and clapping her hands, laughing loudly.

  “Yes!” she said.

  “Kerry, I don't think you are invited.”

  “I'm so happy for you,” Kerry said. “Boy, he is a quick worker.”

  “I guess he can afford to be,” she replied. “But, listen, we agreed to separate bedrooms so it's just like going away with a friend, like you.”

  “Ah no, babe, we sleep in the same bed,” she responded .

  “But nothing happened," Alex smiled

  “I've still got the texts to think about and, of course, my past, so nothing is going to happen outside a pleasant weekend at the seaside.”

  “Best hit the shops later, though,” replied Kerry, mischievously.

  Ever since Kerry had found out what had happened she longed for her friend to be happy again. Even now she was the only person to be told her full story. And she was very hopeful if not convinced Nick was the key for her to at last find some peace in her life.

  In encouraging Alex, she herself was taking chances. If it all went wrong and he was not what he seemed, she dreaded might want happen to her. The change in her over the last couple of weeks, from one enduring life to one starting to enjoy it again, was palpable in the eyes of the person who knew her best.

  The pair did indeed hit the shops that night and laughed hysterically when they debated lengthily about whether a swimsuit or a bikini was most appropriate.

  “You've got the figure for it, honey, just buy it,” but Alex won the argument and bought a conservative but classy Seafolly swimsuit, black with art deco white styling.

  “You Americans are such prudes,” Kerry said. “Heard you don't even go topless on the beach.”

  “I do - but not on this occasion,” Alex replied.

  “I want you to stay outside this time, Kerry,” she said as she walked into a jewellers.

  “A bit early for a ring, isn't it?” Kerry laughed.

  She was taking ages. Kerry looked in the windows of other shops and kept returning to find she was still in there. She sat down on a bench and sent a text home to Luke and their child minder, apologising that she would be late.

  When her boss finally returned she was carrying a gift-wrapped glossy red box in white ribbon.

  “You have bought him a ring!” Kerry laughed.

  “No, Kels, this is for you.”

  “What...What for?”

  “For being my best friend, a great business buddy and the person who saved my life.”

  Both were tearful and of the two Alex was doing her best at composing herself in a busy shopping centre where passers-by were starting to look back at them. “Open it then!”

  Kerry undid the ribbon and pulled apart the paper.

  “These have got to be Triple A,” said Kerry as she pulled the pearl necklace from the box. “They must have cost a fortune. Take them back!”

  “You don't like them?”

  “I love them, I love all pearls, just I've never had expensive ones before, but...”

  “Like I said Kerry, it's just that I wanted you to know...” She paused trying to control the tears. “I just wanted you to know, well, how much I appreciate you.”

  They hugged. “If Nick Hensen hurts you in any way I personally will bring you his balls on a plate,” Kerry promised.

  Chapter sixteen: Golden sands.

  Alex took a taxi to work on Friday as her bags were too heavy to carry on the Underground.

  "Anywhere nice?" asked Adrian after she had struggled through the door. Today his message to the world , according to his T-shirt, was to 'stand back or be blinded by his awesomeness'.

  "Seaside," she replied.

  "What, two weeks?" he asked looking at her luggage.

  "No Adrian, just the weekend."

  "If I were going away for the weekend I could fit everything in a sandwich bag."

  Alex laughed.

  "Which seaside?" he asked.

  "Sandbanks...it's in Dorset, I think."

  Adrian whistled. "Nice. And, erm, am I allowed to ask who yo
u are going with?"

  "Nick."

  "The rich Nick we work for?"

  "Yes Adrian, the rich Nick we work for."

  "Well that's something I can tell my mates in the pub tomorrow, like my boss is in a relationship with one of Britain's richest men."

  "We are not in a relationship Adrian so behave," she said, pinging an elastic band at him that missed by a foot.

  "Can't let the facts spoil a good story," he said, pinging it back and hitting her right on the nose.

  "Are you going to be winding me up all day?

  "No, I'm too busy helping the Hensen company dominate the world."

  Kerry came in wearing the pearls that Alex had bought her and immediately went to her to give her a hug. "They look fantastic," she said.

  "I remember your CV. Under what you liked were cinema, reading and pearls," Alex whispered, out of Adrian's hearing.

  "They are beautiful, thanks so much," Kerry said. "Nick tonight?"

  "Yes, the car is coming at six...I think it's about four hours to Sandbanks what with the traffic on a Friday night."

  She smiled at her. "I'm so happy for you." she said.

  "Don't, Kels. There is plenty of time for things to go wrong and I'm still not sure that I should even be going."

  "You'll have a great weekend. Enjoy, and ring me with updates when you get the chance."

  "I'm scared," Alex admitted.

  "No need, hon, everything is going to be great," before adding "that's provided Nick has ordered a jumbo jet for your luggage."

  "Oh shit, I thought I was overdoing it. Does it look like I'm trying too hard?"

  Kerry suggested, as diplomatically as possible, that she had the rest of the day to dump some of her stuff and hinted that it might be as well to travel more lightly.

  "You are right."

  Nick thought it unwise to ask Katherine to deal with the arrangements for the weekend, and was worried that her assistant Alice Bexley might just go straight to her boss, asking why he'd gone through her. So he called Christos and asked him to sort transport and not to tell anyone at the office.

  But his PA sensed something was unusual. "Anything planned for the weekend?" she asked him.