by Jen Silver
“Yeah, so don’t blow it. Leave the talking to me for a change.”
Gordon agreed and followed her inside. Only minutes later they were shown into the sales manager’s office. Niki Preston stood to greet them, and after Dani introduced Gordon, they settled into chairs at the round conference-style table in the middle of the room.
“Hey, Dani, you’re looking better than the last time I saw you.”
“Thanks.”
They talked through the briefing notes Niki presented them with, and Gordon only intervened when the discussion veered into the budget area.
On their way back to MBE, he could hardly contain his excitement. “VidScreen! This is great, Dani. Think of the contacts Niki has with the work they do for multinationals, television, roadshows.”
“Calm down, Gordon. It’s only a brochure.”
“Yeah, but who gets the brochure, that’s the thing. They’re looking to expand their markets into other countries, so this could go global.”
†
The young man she had seen with Dani before showed her into the studio and said his boss was on her way back from a client meeting. Camila thanked him and dropped her briefcase on the chair in front of the desk. If Dani didn’t turn up within the next ten minutes, she would have to leave without seeing her.
She wandered over to the drawing table near the window. The incomplete storyboard images caught her eye. The angle of the tube of toothpaste was rather suggestive. Perhaps Dani was aiming for a subliminal message. Not something she would associate with brushing her teeth, though. Moving the board aside, she was startled to see her own eyes staring back at her.
“Hey. Is that your taxi waiting outside?” Dani kicked the door shut and covered the distance between them in three quick strides.
“Yes. I just have a few minutes.” Camila looked down at the drawing. “This is really good.”
“Do you like it?”
“I love it.”
“But that’s not why you’re here, is it?”
Camila reached out and pulled her close. “Chris ambushed me at the office just now. Seems she thinks I owe her something. Like letting her stay in my apartment.”
“Shit. I’m so sorry.”
“I think she’s really lost touch with reality. She even threatened to tell Eric about our relationship.”
Dani snorted. “Hardly news now.”
“Until the other night, I didn’t realise she had such strong feelings for me.”
“She might be an arsehole, but she has good taste.”
“I’m worried she’ll make more trouble for Deborah.”
“Oh, I don’t think you need to worry about Debs. She’ll be okay.”
Dani’s arms enfolded her, and Camila gave herself to the kiss as their lips met. After a few minutes, she broke the contact reluctantly. “I really have to go now.” She lowered her arms to grasp Dani’s butt cheeks. “And don’t you forget, I’ll be back to take care of this.”
“Damn. Is it really going to take five days?”
Dani’s tremulous smile tugged at her heartstrings. If she could cancel the trip, she would.
“Yes. Unfortunately. The Spanish don’t rush anything. Dealing with the Germans is much more straightforward. But I can look forward to excellent food and wine in Madrid.”
With one last lingering kiss, Camila finally broke away and rushed out the door before she could be tempted to stay longer. She was cutting it fine to make her flight as it was.
†
Deborah opened the door cautiously. Although Chris had stopped phoning every hour since Sunday morning when Sandy had come round to collect the belongings Deborah had left in black plastic bags on the driveway, she didn’t want a face-to-face confrontation with her now ex-lover. The messages had been escalating into full-on threats.
A young woman wearing leather biker gear, helmet tucked under one arm, stood on the step holding out a very expensive-looking bouquet. If this was an attempt by Chris to win her over, she wasn’t going to accept them.
“Deborah Grant?”
“Yes.”
“I’ve been asked to make sure you get these personally.”
“Well, you go back and tell Chris to shove them up her arse.” Deborah prepared to shut the door.
“No, wait, please. I don’t know who Chris is or what she’s done to deserve that treatment. Perhaps you should read the card first.”
The courier handed her an envelope. Her first name was written in an elaborate script on the front. Deborah pulled the card out and read the message. For the first time in days, she felt a smile tugging at her lips.
“I guess you’d better come in…” She checked the name on the card. “…Jan.”
†
The cupboards and the fridge were bare. There wasn’t even any beer left. Dani sighed and wondered how she was going to get through the week. Camila wouldn’t be back until late on Friday.
She was just thinking of walking across to the Lion when her doorbell chimed. Deborah was standing on the step holding a casserole dish.
“What’s this? No one’s died, have they?”
“Just my way of saying thank you for the flower delivery.”
“Good timing. I was heading over to the pub for some nosh.” Dani led the way into the kitchen. “I can’t offer you a beer right now. But I can pop over the road and get some.”
“No need. All part of the service.”
The doorbell chimed again. Dani looked at Deborah with a raised eyebrow.
“Go on. Answer it.”
“I do love a bossy woman, you know that, don’t you?”
Deborah flicked a tea towel at her. “Go and answer the door.”
Jan stood there, holding two six-packs of London Pride. Dani smiled at her. “Come on in.”
“You were right.” Jan gave her a wide grin and whispered, “She’s hot.”
“Did she like the flowers?”
“Aye, and the rest.”
When they reached the kitchen, Deborah had set the table and ladled a wonderfully aromatic curry onto three plates.
Dani put glasses out for her two guests while Jan put three cans of beer on the table. “I don’t want to seem ungrateful, but I didn’t expect all this. A simple thank you for the flowers would have done.”
“I don’t think thank you would have covered it.” Deborah gave Jan a quick smile. “The flowers are lovely, but the bonus delivery was delightful.”
“I thought you might need some protection. Turns out I was right. Chris made a scene at Camila’s office this afternoon.”
“Fuck’s sake. What did she want?”
“I think she thought Camila would let her stay at her place. Obviously not going to happen and Camila’s in Madrid for the rest of the week.”
“Good thing we’re here then, making sure you’re fed and watered.”
They all sat at the table, and for a few minutes the only sounds were ones of appreciation muffled through mouthfuls of vegetable curry.
Dani leaned back and patted her stomach. “That was wonderful. Better than any takeaway.”
“Yes. While the cat’s away, so to speak, I’m going to teach you how to cook.”
“Ah, come on, Debs. That’s not necessary. I can get anything I want by picking up the phone or walking across to the pub.”
“That hardly makes for a healthy lifestyle. One day it will catch up with you.”
Dani looked at Jan for support, but she was just watching Debs and grinning like the Cheshire cat.
“Camila’s just as bad. When she’s not eating at fancy restaurants, she exists on toast and jam. Allison was the cook.”
Grasping at the chance to change the subject, Dani asked, “Did you know Allison well?”
“We weren’t particularly close, meeting up at other friends’ parties a few times a year. Allison was very easygoing, definitely the more dynamic of the two. She was fun to have around, telling amusing stories about the people she met in her job, not naming anyo
ne, of course. I never really got a handle on Camila. She seemed content to sit back and let her partner do the talking. Even now, she’ll just watch and rarely join in the conversation.”
“If she’s that boring as a guest, why did you keep inviting her after Allison was gone?”
“We felt sorry for her. Chris said we should try to get her to come out of her shell. I guess Chris took that a bit further than the occasional dinner party.”
Jan reached out and put a hand on Deborah’s arm. “She’s an idiot.”
Deborah smiled at her. “Agreed. But Dani, what do you two talk about? You couldn’t be more different from Camila.”
Dani took a sip of her beer and set the can back on the table before answering. “Um, so far we’ve covered all the Russian authors and agreed that Anna Karenina was a better read than War and Peace. Tolstoy really could have done with a good editor for that one. I was surprised to learn that she prefers the Brontë sisters over Jane Austen.”
Jan made a choking noise and looked like she was having difficulty swallowing.
“We’ve agreed not to talk about football. I mean, really, I don’t know how she can support Chelsea….”
This time, Jan failed to hold it in and started to laugh uncontrollably. Deborah glared at Dani. “It was a serious question.”
“I know. Sorry, I couldn’t resist. Anyway, we just talk. Maybe being different helps. And even when we don’t talk, it doesn’t feel uncomfortable. I lose myself in drawing and she communes with her spreadsheets.”
“Sounds perfect.” Jan raised her glass to her. “She doesn’t really support Chelsea, though, does she?”
“We haven’t actually discussed it. Something we do have in common, neither of us follows sport of any kind. If she did, I would think she would be a cricket fan.”
Deborah nodded. “Yes, I can see that. I guess my idea of matchmaking was bound to fail. She wasn’t going to be interested in a rugby-obsessed PE teacher.”
“You don’t mean in-your-face Sandy?”
“Yeah. My mistake. I invited her to the dinner party we had on Chris’s birthday, her actual birthday, not the barbeque.” Deborah caught the look of disgust on Dani’s face. “I thought it was worth a try. I knew Chris was still interested in Camila. After that party, Chris told me Camila had met someone through work. I was relieved and it seemed Chris had encouraged her to go for it. So I thought maybe she was finally over that particular obsession. How wrong could I be?”
“Hey, don’t worry about it. People at work are used to seeing me come in on Monday mornings with a black eye or two.” She stood and collected the plates. “Why don’t I clean this lot? Jan, you know where everything is. Put a record on and you two put your feet up.”
A few minutes later the sound of Fleetwood Mac’s “Monday Morning” filtered through the open doorway. Dani grinned. This evening was turning out to be better than she’d expected. The only thing missing was the person she would have liked to share it with.
†
Madrid was one of her favourite European cities, but Camila wasn’t enjoying it as much as on previous visits. Her hosts were charming but they couldn’t be rushed into making business decisions and she couldn’t let her frustration show.
She was happy to return to her room for the post-lunch siesta. Taking a nap wasn’t on her mind, but spending a few hours with the book Carl had secreted in her case was. The note he’d placed as a bookmark in the middle of chapter ten, said he hoped she would find this useful.
“A bit too academic for my taste, but some exquisite descriptions and anecdotes make up for that.”
The author, Lillian Faderman, was indeed a professor who had written several award-winning books. Looking at the image of the two women on the front and the title, Odd Girls and Twilight Lovers, Camila wondered what had made Carl buy this book in the first place. As she delved into the portions of text he had helpfully highlighted, she realised he viewed it as a training manual. It certainly did clarify the terminology she had been struggling with and explained the roles for the kind of relationship Dani was clearly hoping to have with her.
Camila had never thought it necessary to give her sexuality a label and she didn’t think she needed one now. Could she really be comfortable with the description of herself as a “femme top” to Dani’s “butch bottom”?
The memory of Dani’s naked body on the bed twitching with anticipation as she gripped the cane, wondering if she could make that first stroke—Camila replayed that scene in her mind. The sound of the cane as it moved through the air, and the angry-looking stripe it left on Dani’s skin were vividly etched in her senses. Her hand moved down her body. The book fell to the floor as she touched herself, the wave of arousal catching her unawares.
As each stroke landed, her fingers delved deeper. “Oh, God, Dani!” Her lover’s name tore out of her throat as she came. Never, in any of the times she masturbated, had she experienced such intensity. Only as she withdrew her fingers, did she wonder if anyone was staying in the room next door, and if she might have disturbed their peaceful slumber.
Glancing at her watch, she realised she only had time for a quick shower and change of clothes before her next meeting. She picked the book off the floor and shoved it into the closet. “Damn you, Carl.” But she smiled as she walked out of the room ten minutes later, whispering, “And, damn you, Dani, but you are in so much trouble when I get back.”
Chapter Twenty-two
The drafted VidScreen brochure was ready by Tuesday afternoon, and when Dani called to make an appointment, Niki said she was happy to stop by MBE to look at it the following morning on her way to her office.
Dani arrived in time to make good on her promise to supply coffee and bacon butties.
“That smells heavenly,” Niki exclaimed when she came into the studio. “I don’t know what your brochure design looks like, but I’m sure I’ll love it.”
“So breakfast or brochure first?”
“Brochure. I don’t want to put sticky fingers all over your artwork.”
“Okay.” Dani led the way across to her drawing table, where she had the mock-up board on display.
Niki took a few minutes to look at each section. Dani had used some “lorem ipsum” wording as Penny was still working on the copy that would be used in the final version.
“Wow. I love the colours. We can, of course, provide the product images.”
“Yes, that’s not a problem. If you’re happy with the overall layout, we’ll work it up on the computer and add your pics. Once our copywriter’s got the wording ready, I’ll fax it over to you.”
“Wonderful. I’m impressed. But I had heard good things about your work.”
“Thanks. Shall we hit the food, before it gets cold?”
They soon finished the sandwiches. Niki sighed with contentment. “Those are great. I’ll have to stop in here more often.”
“Do you want another coffee?”
“No, thanks. I’ll need to head off.” She stood and picked up her briefcase. “By the way, Suzanna and I are having a dinner party next week. Would you and Camila be able to join us?”
“Are you sure? You’ve seen what happens when I’m around other people.”
“It shouldn’t be a problem this time. It’s just us and another couple. One is a systems analyst for a bank, so she and Camila might have some rapport, and her partner’s a police officer.”
“Oh dear. I’m on non-speaking terms with a number of WPCs.”
“They’re not all bad. She’s been a good friend for years. I’ll tell her to leave the handcuffs at home.”
Dani grinned. “Damn. There goes another of my fantasies.”
“Hey, behave. You don’t want to get on the wrong side of Camila.” She caught Dani’s mischievous look. “Okay. Forget I said that. Anyway, it’s next Friday, eight o’clock.”
“Right. I’ll check with Camila when she gets back from Madrid. And thanks.”
“For what?”
“
For not writing me off as a nutter.”
Niki shrugged. “You’re a nice one, anyway.”
The phone on Dani’s desk rang, an outside line. “I better get that. Can you find your way out?”
“Sure. And thanks again for breakfast.”
Dani waited until she’d closed the door before picking up the call.
†
Camila paced her room, willing the phone to ring. She had placed the call ten minutes earlier and the receptionist said she would pass the message on. It was only eight o’clock, but she knew someone would be there.
Another five minutes passed and Camila started to panic. This wasn’t like her. When the phone finally rang, she pounced on it.
“Eric. Thanks for calling back.” She hoped her voice didn’t sound overwrought.
“Fine. What’s the problem?”
“They’re not taking me seriously. I haven’t experienced it with the Spanish before, but their new CEO, this Sergio Mendez, seems to take offence at discussing business with a woman. I wouldn’t normally ask, but could you or Carl come over? I know it’s short notice—”
“Okay. Leave it with me. I’ll make the arrangements and let you know our ETA.”
He rang off before she could thank him. Fifteen minutes later the call came through. This time it was Carl to let her know Eric was on his way to the airport and expected to be with her early afternoon. Her siesta time would be given over to bringing him up to speed…relief of a different kind.
“How’s the reading going?”
Camila gulped. “It’s…um…interesting.”
Carl laughed. “I’ll bet. I hope Dani benefits from your research.”
“I’ve no doubt she will.”
“Good. Oh, and don’t let Eric drag you into any clubs.”
“This is business, Carl.”
“Of course it is. But he might be thinking of expanding your education further.”