Broken Truth

by Beth Ashworth

  “Well my friend here needs something for tonight,” Amelia explained, causing Charlie to blush slightly.

  The sales assistant turned her eyes towards Charlie and leisurely analysed her body from head to toe. It was an extremely rude gesture, but rather than cause a scene she bit her tongue. She had been working in the fashion business long enough to know the tricks. This assistant was going to play up and attempt to convince her that she couldn’t pull off some of the more daring pieces. Charlie could almost guarantee that she would direct them towards their highly priced garments that were less exclusive.

  “Well...” the sales assistant said clearing her throat. “I’m not sure if somethi-” She paused abruptly as her eyes snapped to the platinum credit card that Charlie was casually flicking backwards and forwards between her fingers.

  “I’m sorry, what were you saying?”

  “Um...” the sales assistant said as she swallowed hard. There was an odd look on her face that made Charlie smile. It was the look she probably gave most of her clients when they walked through the door. It was the look of money and it was the look of sales figures and commission. “Did you want to see some of our newer pieces?”

  Charlie nodded and tucked her credit card into the back pocket of her jeans for later. She wasn’t actually going to use the card that Callum gave her, but what the sales assistant didn’t know wouldn’t hurt her. Charlie knew that the instant she used the card, Callum would be onto her like a shot. He had remote instant access to his account and more importantly he was able to see what Charlie was spending his money on. She wanted tonight to be a surprise, a surprise that she wasn’t going to stupidly ruin by buying some sexy lingerie on his platinum card.

  “Damn, this stuff is hot,” Amelia whistled as she flicked unhurriedly through a rack of babydolls.

  “This way,” the sales assistant called, gesturing them towards the back of the small shop. She stopped in front of a small section that had individual garments hanging neatly from white satin clothing hangers. “These are some of our more exclusive pieces. If there are any of those that you would like to try on then please let me know and we can find you your right size.”

  “That’s brilliant,” Charlie thanked as the sales assistant turned and disappeared out of sight.

  Turning her attention back to the lingerie, she flicked her eyes to the pieces before her. A few delicate sets of bras and panties that were hung up on the wall in front caught her eye. Moving forwards to examine them further, she spotted something else that attracted her attention. Reaching out, she picked up the sheer mesh and black floral lace basque off of the wall. She held it up to scrutinise when she heard the gasps from behind.

  “That is gorgeous!” they both shrieked in unison.

  She twirled the garment around on the hanger, taking in the intricately stitched lace and prettily placed black bows that formed the body of the basque. The garment was mainly sheer material, but it was designed in such a way that it was sexually revealing and not slutty.

  “I think you should try it on,” Lucy pressured, holding up the ensemble’s matching sheer and lace covered thong. “Match it with a pair of black hold up stockings and you will have him on you before you’ve closed the door to the apartment.”

  “Is everything alright over here?” the sales assistant returned and asked. Obviously the scent of a sale had attracted her back like a predator seeking prey. “That is an excellent choice. Would you like to try it on?”

  She knew it was going to be horrendously expensive, so Charlie didn’t even bother to look at the price tag. She knew it was going to look amazing and she wanted Callum to see her looking her best. “I’ll try it,” Charlie replied, handing the garment over to the waiting assistant’s hands. “Can I have a size eight in the thong please and a thirty four D in the basque?”

  “Not a problem. If you would like to go through to the fitting room, I will find the correct sizes for you.” The sales assistant responded and gestured towards the fitting rooms at the back.

  “I can’t wait to see this on you,” Lucy said as she and Amelia took a seat on the sofa outside of the door. “It’s going to be beautiful.”

  “Right... Here we are,” the sales assistant announced, handing Charlie the garments to try on. “If you need any assistance putting it on then let me know.”

  Charlie closed the fitting room door and hung the hanger on the hook provided. Quickly divesting her body of clothes, she unhooked the thong from the hanger and slowly worked the scrap of lace up her thighs. Grabbing the basque next, she quickly slipped it on. Turning around to study her open back in the large fitting room mirror, Charlie started the difficult task of hooking in the eyelets to secure the garment closed.

  “Come on, Charlie,” she heard Amelia start to whine impatiently outside of the door. “I want to see already.”

  Hooking the last eyelet into place, Charlie turned around to admire herself in the mirror and gasped. The delicate lace pattern framed her breasts perfectly before it narrowed into a floral trim that ran down either side of the garment. It flattered and defined the curves of Charlie’s body, giving her a sultry and desirable curvature.

  “Ok, I’m coming out,” she shouted, pulling open the fitting room door. She stood up on her tip toes with one leg bent slightly in front of the other. Placing her hands on her hips, she looked across at both of their expressions. “What do you guys think?”

  She saw both Amelia and Lucy swallow hard as their eyes roamed over her.

  “Is it too much?” she asked, trying to gauge their reactions.

  “I absolutely love it!” Lucy exclaimed, getting to her feet so that she could admire further. “Turn around,” she commanded, twirling her finger in a spinning gesture.

  Charlie obeyed and slowly twirled around on the spot. “It looks good doesn’t it?” She squealed, animatedly clapping her hands together and bouncing up on the balls of her feet.

  “Callum is going to absolutely eat you alive,” Amelia said, flicking her gaze up the length of her body appreciatively. “You look phenomenal. Like seriously, I wish I looked that good.”

  Charlie’s body gushed with warmth on the inside from the lovely compliments she received. It certainly helped to boost her self-esteem and ease away some of the nerves she was feeling for tonight.

  “Ok,” Charlie said, turning towards the sales assistant. “I’ll take the set with a pair of thigh high stockings in black please.”

  The sales assistant’s eyes lit up and she rushed forward to usher Charlie back into the fitting room to change before she perhaps changed her mind on the sale. “Fantastic! If you want to pass it over to me, I will take it to the till for you,” she told her as she hastily pulled the door to the fitting room closed.

  Taking off the pretty basque and thong, Charlie hung them delicately back on the hanger. Quickly slipping her clothes back on, she emerged from the fitting room after a few minutes to pass the hanger to the waiting assistant.

  “I’m just going to pick up a few new bra sets as well while I’m here,” Charlie nodded towards the girls as she made her way back out to the shop floor.

  “Ditto,” Lucy called back. “You can’t be the only one to get some hot new underwear this weekend.”

  Seventeen

  Charlie rolled the thigh high stocking up her soft and moisturised leg before clipping it to the suspender. She squeezed her eyes shut and ran her fingers over the silkiness of her stocking covered legs. She felt extremely nauseas about tonight’s plan and how it was all going to go.

  Callum wasn’t yet aware that she was no longer in Manchester. She knew that he would completely freak out if he knew that she was so close to him. There was always something he guarded about his time in London. She realised a while ago that it was a topic he didn’t like to discuss. He very much preferred to keep work and his personal life separate. She knew that for him, London was only business related. So much so that he would never entertain the idea of actually spending time with her t
here.

  A loud knock on the bedroom door had Charlie jumping a few feet in the air. “Charlie? Do you want us to help you get ready?” Lucy called as she knocked on the door again.

  The second knock had Charlie jumping off of the bed. She shook her head at her own stupid nervousness. She was unbelievably jittery. The slightest noise was sending her body into a complete frenzy. She had already forced herself to silence her mobile phone as the constant message chimes and vibrations were freaking her out even further.

  She just had so many visions of everything going wrong. She pictured Callum finding out from Jack or Ollie that they had made a trip to London. She could picture the look on his face now, a mixture of anger and disappointment marring his features.

  Charlie hated to disappoint Callum and knew that it was the last thing she wanted to do.

  “Charlie?” She jumped again as Lucy peaked her head around the door to check on her. “Are you alright?” she asked, immediately concerned by the ghostly expression on Charlie’s face. “You look very pale. Do you want me to get you some water or anything?” she said taking a seat on the bed beside her.

  Charlie laughed awkwardly and longer than necessary. She tried to play it off and make out like everything was ok and she was just being stupid.

  Lucy narrowed her eyes, unconvinced by Charlie’s over exaggerated display of amusement. “What are you worried about?” she asked softly, searching her face for answers. “Do you think he is going to be pissed off with you or something?”

  Nodding her head, Charlie clutched at her abdomen as a feeling of complete emptiness hit the pit of her stomach. “I just...” She paused and dropped her shoulders.

  “Babe, look at me a second,” Lucy commanded gently. “You and Mia are my best friends. Do you really think I would let you go through with this if I didn’t think it a good idea?”

  “I know, I know,” Charlie replied, picking at her freshly manicured fingers.

  “I know Callum is freaky when it comes to splitting his work from home, but you really need to give him a little more credit. You are here to surprise him and nothing else. This is supposed to be a good and exciting thing,” Lucy explained. “I’m telling you now. You are going to turn up in whatever outfit your wearing with that shit hot basque underneath and he is going to die! I can pretty much promise you that. He is going to tear this shit off your body in lightening speed.”

  Charlie coughed as she choked on some saliva in the back of her throat. “You’re crazy,” she laughed, jostling her friend’s shoulder a little.

  “I’m not crazy. I just speak the truth and you know it,” Lucy beamed. “Now,” she said, rising from the bed and crossing her arms over her chest. “You look beautiful in what you’re wearing, but you can’t go out like that. What are you wearing over the top of your temptress clothing?”

  Charlie glanced at the digital clock on the bedside table and saw that it was almost approaching six. With the car booked to pick her up at six thirty, she knew that she had to get her arse into gear if she was going to make it to Callum’s for the planned time of seven.

  Luckily her hair and makeup was already done thanks to the fabulous team in the hotel spa this afternoon.

  They had all been treated like princesses from the moment they walked through the door of the grand hotel in Covent Garden. Their shopping bags had been taken off them by the more than helpful bell boys and taken straight up to the three bedroom suite Lucy had graciously reserved with Ollie’s credit card. No request had been denied since their arrival.

  Charlie had enquired at the front desk about whether they could squeeze her in for a full hair and makeup appointment, which they had accommodated without any issues. Thankfully this was one less thing for her to worry about. It was now just a case of deciding on which shoes and dress to wear from her many purchases today.

  “I like this... What do you think?” Lucy asked as she held up the vintage, black, peplum dress Charlie had purchased earlier. “It will hide the straps of your lingerie, but still be tight enough to show off that figure.”

  Cupping the side of her face with her own hand, Charlie looked at the dress for a few minutes in thought. She wasn’t sure if it was sexy enough to tease Callum with. She figured a pair of platform heels could make the outfit instantly sexier. “Black Louboutins?” she queried with a raised eyebrow in Lucy’s direction.

  “Oh definitely,” she winked, passing the dress to Charlie so that she could get ready. “I would go with the biggest heel and platform you have with you. It will make your legs look even longer.”

  “I guess I’m ready then,” Charlie said as Lucy zipped the back of her dress up.

  Lucy flicked a glance at the clock on the table. “And it has just turned six thirty,” she smiled, patting Charlie on the bottom. “It’s time for you to go and surprise our Prince Charming.”

  Charlie sat anxiously in the back seat of the chauffeured car as it drove effortlessly through the streets of London towards Canary Wharf. She had already route mapped the drive, so she knew that depending on traffic she would be there within twenty to thirty minutes.

  They had been driving for around twenty five minutes when Charlie felt her heart suddenly speed up. Looking through the front windscreen of the car, Charlie’s breath caught in the back of her throat. She looked at the extremely large skyscraper that was directly at the bottom of the road they were driving down. Instantly she recognised the familiar structural design and knew it was one of Callum’s.

  As the car drove past the large building, Charlie stared out of the window with déjà vu. The building was a complete replica of Skyline Plaza in Manchester. From the shape of the building, the windows and even the exterior landscaping, everything was identical.

  For Charlie, seeing this building in the flesh was a welcome reassurance. This was the building that Callum spent the majority of his working week.

  She knew that the head office for his company was located and spread across multiple floors of the vast skyscraper. Which floors however, still remained a question that she did not have an answer.

  “We are almost there, Miss,” the driver spoke kindly to her from his rear view mirror. “Once we pull up, please remain in your seat and I will assist you into the building.”

  “Thank you very much,” Charlie smiled appreciatively before returning her gaze to the window.

  They continued to drive for a few more minutes until she felt the car gracefully come to a stop. Looking out of the window, she saw that they had stopped in front of a modern and expensive looking apartment building. The sight gave her chills instantly. Of course this would be the type of building that attracted Callum.

  “Let me help you, Miss,” the driver said as he opened the passenger door and extended his hand into the car.

  Although the gesture was a common courtesy amongst all chauffeured cars and drivers, Charlie couldn’t help but think of Callum at this very moment in time. He always made sure to help her out of the car in the same manner as the gentleman before her just had. It was always the little memories of things that he did that brought the smiles to her lips.

  “Thank you,” Charlie said, taking his hand and elegantly exiting the car. Standing on the pavement, she cast her eyes up the length of the vast building. She knew that Callum lived in one of the penthouses, but she wasn't sure which one.

  “Have a good night, Miss,” the driver nodded as he rounded the car for the driver’s door.

  Charlie watched as the chauffeured car pulled away from the curb and vanished down the road. There was certainly no going back now that she was here.

  Taking a deep and satisfying breath, Charlie made her way inside.

  The sound of her platform heels clicking noisily across the marble floor attracted the attention of several people who stopped to look at her curiously. She could feel her body temperature slowly starting to increase as the intensity of their stares burnt through her.

  In her haste to escape from the resident’s scrutiny, C
harlie hurried over to the main desk that an older gentleman was manning. Spotting his nametag pinned neatly to the left breast of his shirt, Charlie softly cleared her throat. “Good evening... Martin,” she greeted with a small smile and a brief nod.

  “Good evening, Madam. How may I be of assistance to you?” he asked politely.

  “I am here to see Mr Callum Ellis,” she explained, trying to maintain her cool.

  She really hoped that Martin would just tell her the number and let her pass without having to call upstairs to check with Callum first. Although, if he did begin to question her, Charlie already had quite an impressive story conjured that she was planning to relay.

  “Please can I take your name?”

  “Miss Charlotte Harris.”

  She watched with bated breath as Martin tapped away at the keyboard in front of him. She saw him raise his eyebrows before returning to his previous professional composure.

  “Right,” he replied. “Miss Harris, it would appear that you are on Mr Ellis’ list of approved visitors. If you would like to take the lift on my right, this will take you directly to the correct floor.”

  Charlie stood frozen for a moment.

  She was sure that she had heard Martin say that she was on Callum’s approved list of visitors. She wasn’t sure why that was considering she had never stepped foot inside his building before. She wondered if it was perhaps a spur of the moment thing he had organised in the event she did ever visit.

  “Thank you very much for your help,” Charlie nodded.

  Pressing the call button for the lift, she nervously smoothed her hands over her dress. The anxiety was starting to kick into full gear now that she was mere minutes away from the big surprise.

  The lift doors suddenly opened wide. Charlie stepped inside and pressed the button for the doors to close once again. The floor rumbled underneath her feet as the lift slowly increased through the floors of the building towards the penthouse.