by S M Mala
‘What way?’ he asked innocently and began to laugh. ‘Tell me.’
‘That seductive talk, which is so base and matter of fact,’ she said shaking her head, hoping her cheeks would stop burning.
‘I could kiss you here and now but I suspect you want to keep me under wraps and only un-package me behind closed doors. There are many things to take into consideration like me being married to a pregnant woman, your child, and a host of other complexities we’ve clearly defined as problems. But you know what?’
‘I bet I don’t,’ she mumbled as he smiled.
‘That just makes it more interesting.’ Finlay leaned forward again and grinned. ‘Do you want me or not?’
Sylvie stared at him for a moment, his wry smile and green eyes all focussed on her. She knew the answer before she even walked into the place.
‘I want you.’
Her best friend was not impressed on Sunday afternoon. Sylvie looked at Nalini as she frowned into her glass of cava, trying hard not to look too disappointed.
‘How did it happen again?’ she asked, as Sylvie double checked Daisy couldn’t hear her as she sat in the kitchen.
‘We went to the hotel room for a chat and one thing led to … look I know it’s not a perfect set up and-.’
‘You’re sleeping-.’
‘Slept.’
‘You’re doing something with a married man whose wife is pregnant and happens to be a major player in your company. Let’s not forget he wants to close the place down so how can you trust him? Sylvie, you’re usually on top of things like this but it spells disaster. Can’t you see he might be playing you?’ Nalini said looking shocked. ‘And he’s one of those public school prats who are over privileged and arrogant to boot. Surprised he didn’t become an actor. They usually do!’
‘I’m only telling you. I don’t want to lie and I won’t ask you to look after my daughter for illicit sessions with the posh boy as Daisy comes first, that goes without saying.’ She took a large gulp of her drink. ‘And I know all the flaws but it’s not forever. I really doubt we’ll fall in love. There are too many obstacles.’
‘He initially slept with you because you were black,’ she whispered incredibly unimpressed. ‘That doesn’t say much about him, does it? How would you like a boy to use your daughter like that?’
‘I’m aware what you’re saying,’ she replied, realising her friend was right. ‘And he’s separated not married!’
‘That’s what he told you!’
Sylvie knew all the problems.
She’d spent two nights lusting and lamenting over Finlay Chambers and didn’t come to a conclusive answer on any of her questions other than one thing.
She wanted him.
‘And meeting him in a room where there’s a bed! That just says it all,’ Nalini gasped shaking her head before smiling.
‘I used to meet Piers there and we never got down and dirty!’ laughed Sylvie.
‘Bet he thought about it!
‘Oh, please!’
‘Don’t get hurt, don’t get used. If you’re doing this purely for sex, then that’s good but it’s not forever and cover your back with this man. I don’t like the sound of him. It reeks of white posh boy with more money than sense if you ask me. What is it you find appealing? Is he that good looking?
‘Not really but actually, yes. He’s handsome but I think he’s more quirky handsome not like Toby who’s just male model handsome. He’s sexy. I think that’s what it is. He carries himself in a… actually he’s pretty rude sometimes but…’ Sylvie was stumped. She noticed Nalini’s raised eyebrows knowing there was no answer. ‘Finlay makes me laugh and that’s a rarity to find in any man plus he’s a bit like Roo but a bit sharper.’
The man in question was in an extremely fidgety mood on Monday morning. He arrived just after eight thirty and sat at his desk, staring at a blank screen deep in thought. Finlay had texted Sylvie two hours earlier as he wanted to see her, knowing she wasn’t coming in. All weekend he thought about seeing her again, knowing one of her guidelines was not to make any contact over the weekend and, generally, as little as possible.
On Friday it seemed like a perfect idea.
By Sunday evening it was stupid.
‘Finlay, you want tea?’ Samina asked, poking her head around the door. ‘I make chai if you like? You like?’
‘I’m fine,’ he said forcing a smile and continuing to stare at the screen, hoping a message would come through.
‘You well?’
‘I’m good,’ he said checking his phone again.
‘You look worry. Why you worry? You scare Della come and attack you with vibrator for playing with heart?’ the woman said with a sly grin. ‘She like you.’
‘I like her but I have to act in a professional-.’
His phone bleeped.
It was Sylvie.
‘Yes at 11.00am for an hour. I’m busy working.’
‘What you say about professional?’ persisted Samina, coming closer as Finlay smiled at the message and put his phone down. ‘This ‘no sex’ ruin my love life.’
‘Pardon?’ he said, momentarily confused, as Samina sat on the edge of his desk. ‘What ‘no sex’.’
‘Not getting with work colleague,’ she sighed and looked at him as if he was stupid. ‘You tell us all on Thursday we not do jiggy jiggy with each other!’
‘I didn’t say that. I said we would need to know so we weren’t put in a compromising position.’
‘How I get chance to be in compost position if I not allowed!’ Samina said folding her arms. ‘There man here I like and I want fifth husband.’
‘Really?’ he said wondering who it could be. ‘Why do you want another husband? Jesus you’ve had four already. One wife is bad enough.’
‘You not happy married, I can tell. I very experience in that field. You can talk to me. I know everything. I like a guru on love.’ Samina grinned and he didn’t know if she was winding him up. ‘Why you not bring wife to London?’
‘She’s visiting friends in Switzerland.’
‘You want to have fun while she away, that why you frisky with Della? You a man who like a prostrated tommy cat.’
‘You mean ‘frustrated’?’ he said gently, trying not to laugh.
‘Why you English people always correct me? I know what I say,’ she said getting pissed off and sliding slowly off his desk. ‘Divorce wife if she make you unhappy.’
‘Easier said than done,’ he quietly replied, knowing he didn’t bother returning any of Juliette’s calls that weekend.
‘Not go break someone heart because you are breaking. That just bad Finlay.’ He stopped for a moment and looked at Samina who eyed him with suspicion. ‘You type of man who hurt woman and not know you do it. I can tell. I had lover as well as husband. I modern Indian woman not backward field peasant. I know about life!’
On that note, she marched out of his office before turning around and poking her head through the door.
‘You want tea? I make special for you.’
He nodded and smiled then saw Toby running up the stairs, virtually lifting Samina out of the way as he rushed into the office, slamming the office door.
‘Finlay, you’re in big shit!’ Toby said trying to catch his breath. ‘Julie Lefuck was on the phone to mumsy last night, crying and basically saying what a bastard you were. Is it true you’ve knocked her up?’
‘Shoosh!’ he said pulling his brother to the side. ‘What happened?’
‘Well, I answered the phone and she said something along the lines of ‘your brother is a selfish bastard’ and I thought if daddy had another kid then realised she was talking about you,’ he replied, tongue in cheek. ‘Then mumsy got hold of the phone and I overheard her telling Lefuck to fuck right off as she knows she was playing around. Then mumsy got upset and said something about not knowing who her grandchild’s father really was as Julie was screwing some waiter!’
‘Oh Christ, what is she up to?’ he said realisi
ng his wife was on the attack.
‘That’s why you really left her because you don’t know if you’re the father of her kid! That’s tragic, bro, really tragic. What a fucking strumpet! In days of old she’d be stoned to death!’
Finlay wasn’t listening as he knew Juliette would have only called his mother in a severe case of desperation. He picked up his mobile.
‘What did she say?’ he immediately asked Alice, getting agitated by the second as Toby paced around. ‘She probably called you because I didn’t call her back.’
‘Why did you marry her!’ his mother said loudly and he knew she was upset. ‘That woman has the audacity to call me up, questioning the company looking into ‘Le Font’ and then tells me you’re neglecting her. That’s when I snapped and told her I knew about the baby and the affair. Well that madam told me she was convinced you were the father and you, you Finlay, weren’t prepared to face up to parental responsibilities. I just let rip! She has no right to talk about you like that. She’s the one who has committed adultery, not you.’ Finlay swallowed hard for a moment not wanting to answer. ‘She said you’re the father and when the baby comes she won’t have anything to do with you and … oh god Finlay, she said she’d make sure you never get to see the baby unless you return home right now.’
He sat on the chair realising Juliette was desperate.
‘I’ll return when she takes a test to prove I’m the father, until then, I won’t go back. If I am, then I won’t let her take my child. If I’m not, then I’ll divorce her.’ He noticed Toby punch the air in delight, before realising he was spotted and sat down in Sylvie’s chair. ‘She doesn’t want anyone to know about the baby until she’s sure.’ Finlay cleared his throat. ‘The man who could be the other possible father is a chef who happens to be black.’
The silence on the other end of the phone was probably his mother holding her breath.
‘That’s why she hasn’t told anyone,’ Alice said quietly. ‘And this father? Is he willing to stand by her if the child is his?’
‘He’s married with two kids,’ Finlay said and could see Toby’s mouth had dropped open.
‘Fucking slut,’ his brother mumbled.
‘I’m not going to fly back to keep her happy and it doesn’t make me happy, it just makes me mad.’
‘If the child is yours, she’ll screw you for every penny!’
‘If the child is mine I’ll stand by her, support my family,’ he said as Toby furiously shook his head from side to side. ‘She has no right to call you. This is my problem.’
‘Finlay, my darling,’ his mother said gently. ‘She’s holding all the cards right now because she doesn’t want to lose you. I expect she has a plan if the baby isn’t yours? Juliette is a shrewd woman.’
‘Did she say anything else?’
‘She ranted a bit about how I was being unfair to her company by checking all the accounts and dealings. I mean it is my bloody company at the end of the day,’ Alice said wearily as Finlay felt a little stab at her comment. ‘The woman told me I should think of the health of her future grandchild and not put her through unnecessary strain.’
‘And you said?’
‘That wife of yours has many things to hide and I want to find out what,’ came the stern reply.
‘And I’ll get the accountants to look at it, very much as they have done here. Thanks mum.’
‘I love you Finlay, you know that. I just want you to be happy but only that woman could cause so much trouble and put your life in this mess.’
Finlay turned to see Toby staring hard at him.
‘Bin her bro, you know you should. She’s cheated on you and that says a lot, but to get banged up and not know the father? That’s just plain dirty,’ he said, looking angrily at the desk before making eye contact. ‘You’re a good man and deserve better.’
‘I wanted a family before I was forty. A couple of kids with the woman of my dreams,’ he said sadly, thinking about the tone of his mother’s voice and realising the complexity of the problem. ‘I don’t know what I want now.’
‘You’ve got us, your family and this,’ Toby said putting his arms out. ‘This is a good place to be when things are going bad. It helps.’
‘How?’ he laughed, walking back to his desk and looking at Sylvie’s text, wanting to bury himself in her arms.
‘You’re surrounded by people who love you. That’s what’s important. And what will be, will be. I don’t care if I’m an uncle or not, all I care about is whether my brother is happy.’
‘You’re sweet,’ he smiled for a moment before seeing Della walk past and blank him.
‘And you’re a heartbreaker.’ Toby let out a little laugh. ‘Who knows about this new twist to your glamorous life?’
‘Mum, probably Piers and Sylvie knows that-.’
‘Sylvie?’ Toby said and suddenly got to his feet. ‘You told her and not me?’
‘She overheard a conversation and, frankly, I didn’t want anyone to know as it’s not my most shining hour, is it?’
‘What did Sylvie say?’
‘She’s been very supportive,’ he said and tried not to smile. ‘Her advice is that I should take my mind off it and, when Juliette is happy to take the tests later on in the pregnancy without harming the child, then I make a decision.’
‘Interesting,’ Toby said smiling and nodding. ‘Sylvie thinks you’re going to go back to her, I bet she does.’
‘I might not-.’
‘But you might and you know it, don’t you?’ he said and Finlay couldn’t disagree or agree.
He sat on the bed waiting for Sylvie and suddenly felt anxious she wasn’t going to turn up. Finlay got there fifteen minutes earlier and didn’t know whether he should undress or stay full clothed. He kicked off his shoes and took off his jacket before pondering on how to deal with Juliette.
There was a knock on the door.
He got up and opened it.
Sylvie was standing there with a bright smile and wet hair.
Finlay just grabbed her by the arm and pulled her in before bending down to kiss her. She tasted as he remembered and her lips were soft and inviting as their tongues touched and he was completely lost in their kiss.
He pulled away and looked down at her.
‘I missed you,’ he said quietly, before pushing her back on the bed.
‘Let me take my bag off,’ she laughed as he helped her remove it and her jacket, before leaning down and touching her wet hair. ‘I went to the gym.’
‘A healthy old bird, I mean mature.’
He lay down next to her and wrapped his arms around her back. She felt warm and safe as he let out a sigh.
‘Toby sent me an email to say you’ve had a bit of stressful morning and nothing to do with work,’ Sylvie whispered into his neck. She tilted her head back and he examined her inquisitive dark brown eyes. ‘I take it Alice knows everything about the chef?’
Finlay stared at her for a moment and he didn’t want to talk so he started kissing her face as she grinned before slowly undressing her.
‘Close the curtains,’ she said quietly.
‘We didn’t last time.’
‘I didn’t think we were going to do anything last time,’ she laughed as he got up and darkened the room but could still see her.
She stood up and he watched her slowly take off her top then he bounced onto the bed and, from behind, he helped to pull off her trousers as she turned and stood in her black underwear. Sylvie then removed his t-shirt and stroked his bare chest before unbuttoning his jeans slowly, all the while grinning.
‘God, Sylvie,’ he groaned as she started to kiss his neck. ‘You don’t know how much I need you right now.’
‘I think I do.
Having explored every inch of his skin with her mouth, she realised he was so smooth and soft, with a beautiful waft of manliness and some aftershave. When she’d taken him in her mouth, Finlay’s face was a cross between shock and excitement as she looked up at him, all the
time licking and sucking. He was now on his back and she knew he was getting anxious for the next stage.
‘Sit on me,’ he begged, gasping for breath as he quickly put a condom on. ‘Please.’
She crawled slowly up his body sensing his urgency, as she slowly lowered herself down and watched him close his eyes in ecstasy. Sylvie moved up and down his shaft and realised, with all her tap dancing and gym work, her thighs were much stronger. She didn’t need much help but Finlay still grabbed each of her buttocks and lifted her up and down, as she placed her hands on his chest.
‘Oh,’ she groaned and he tried to swallow while she ground against his shaft.
‘I love your breasts,’ he said caressing one in each hand.
He smiled before throwing his head back and pushed her onto the bed as he spread her thighs. She could feel the tautness of her muscle through the impromptu stretch before being overcome with her own ecstasy as he kissed her passionately. Sylvie couldn’t breathe and then she had a little orgasm before he, from the look and sound of it, experienced a massive one.
Finlay eventually stopped pumping away and looked at her, with a little grimace.
‘Are you okay?’ she gently asked, seeing the line between his brows which she touched. ‘Not as good as last week?’
‘I didn’t satisfy you,’ he said breathlessly. ‘You did everything and I-.’
‘You looked like you need it more than me.’ Sylvie grabbed his face and gently kissed his cheeks. ‘You look less tense now.’
He pulled out and flopped back on the bed as Sylvie pulled the sheet up and turned to look at him. Finlay’s cheeks were red and there was a faint film of perspiration on his face as she examined his hairless chest.
‘Do you wax?’ she asked as he closed his eyes. ‘Not a hair on your chest and at your age.’
‘Do you prefer hairy chests?’
‘I’m not bothered.’
‘Good because I don’t shave, I just haven’t sprouted any yet,’ he smiled, before pulling at the condom and tying a knot then placing it on the floor by the side. ‘Usually I examine how much juice I’ve put in but I don’t think you’d appreciate that, would you?’