by A. E. Radley
Georgina looked at Sophie’s long blonde hair, currently down in soft curls. “You’re not going to do anything drastic, I hope? Your hair is beautiful.”
Sophie blushed. “Thank you. I-I wasn’t sure what to do. I’m still in the early planning stages.”
Without thinking, Georgina leaned forward and scooped Sophie’s hair up in one hand. She held the handful of hair and regarded it thoughtfully.
“Your hair is thick, you could style it rather than cut it. You have many options,” Georgina pointed out.
Her eyes flickered down, and she suddenly realised her face was inches away from Sophie’s.
She saw Sophie staring at her. Sophie’s eyes were fixed on her lips.
Georgina couldn’t help herself. She slowly lowered her lips to Sophie’s, giving her enough time to pull away if she didn’t want to continue. The girl didn’t move. Their lips met in a soft and gentle kiss. Georgina pulled back slowly and smiled reassuringly at Sophie.
She returned her attention to shaping Sophie’s hair with her hands. Her hands that were now shaking slightly as a result of the kiss.
Her mind raced. She didn’t know if she’d made a mistake or not. It was ridiculous, but she felt somehow unfaithful towards Jessica. Even though Jessica had walked out on her. She pushed the thought to one side; she shouldn’t be thinking about Jessica. Her focus should be on Sophie. Young, sweet Sophie who was trying to rebuild herself after a break-up.
“I think you should go for a shoulder-length bob,” Georgina said. “Nothing too fierce, though. Then, if you like it, you can cut it shorter. But if you don’t, you still have a lot of hair to work with.”
“W-was the kiss… bad?”
Georgina let go of Sophie’s hair and looked at her. “No, of course it wasn’t bad.”
“I’ve never kissed a woman before,” Sophie admitted.
Georgina felt her mouth go dry at the thought. “Well, did you enjoy it?”
“Yes,” Sophie breathed.
“Then, I suppose we ought to do it again,” Georgina suggested.
Georgina was surprised at the speed with which Sophie reacted. The girl held her face in shaking hands and pressed her lips to Georgina’s for the second time. The kiss was pleasant but uninspiring, and Georgina wasted no time in deepening it and sliding her tongue along Sophie’s lower lip. Sophie moaned and opened her mouth. Georgina smiled into the kiss as she waited for Sophie to be brave enough to explore with her own tongue.
A few tremulous moments passed, Georgina’s hands on the soft material of Sophie’s ever-present cardigan as she waited for the girl to acclimatise. Then, Sophie tentatively licked Georgina’s upper lip. Georgina responded by pressing her own tongue to Sophie’s. She was pleased with the loud moan she received in response.
Despite the alcoholic haze, Georgina knew she had to end things soon. She knew it wouldn’t be long before events escalated. She didn’t want to go too far until she was certain of Sophie’s feelings, as well as her own. Sophie was as pure and innocent as she appeared, and Georgina had no desire to rush her into something she wasn’t ready for. She ended the kiss and leaned back with a smile.
“Oh, I think you’ve kissed a woman before,” Georgina joked to lighten the mood. “You’re just trying to tease me.”
Sophie blushed but smiled widely. “You’re being kind.”
Georgina took Sophie’s hand. “As much as I’m enjoying these developments, I think we should probably call it a night. I’ve had nearly a bottle of wine to myself, and my ability to say no is severely depleted.”
Relief flashed in Sophie’s eyes, and Georgina felt pleased with her decision.
Sophie nodded. “I… I really had a wonderful night.”
“So did I,” Georgina replied. “We should do this again.”
“I’d like that.”
They stood up together, and Sophie gathered her belongings.
Georgina looked out the window of the hotel room into the darkness. “How will you get home?”
“I’ll walk to the station and then get the Underground.” She looked at her watch. “I’ll catch the last train, I’ll be fine.”
Georgina watched as Sophie put her coat on. She felt a lump in her throat. The idea of her walking in the city so late was alarming.
“I’ll call you a car,” Georgina decided.
“No, I’m fine, really.”
“It’s late. A car is much better,” Georgina argued.
“I don’t want a car. I like travelling at night, it’s quiet and peaceful. I’m careful, don’t worry.”
Echoes of Jessica reverberated off the walls of Georgina’s mind. She realised she was already trying to take control of Sophie in an uncomfortably similar way. She opened her mouth to argue her point but slowly closed it again. Maybe this was a part of the problem. Her need for control, her desire to be in charge.
“Will you send me a message, so I know you’re home?” Georgina asked, deciding that compromise was best.
Sophie looked at her and smiled. “Sure.”
Georgina wanted to kiss her goodnight, but she worried that doing so would lead to more. Her thoughts were muddled, but she desperately didn’t want to press Sophie into anything.
“So, I’ll…” Sophie gestured to the door. The hesitation was back, and the blush was starting to tinge her cheeks.
Georgina placed a soft kiss on Sophie’s cheek. “Message me,” she told her.
“I will,” Sophie promised.
Georgina leaned heavily on the hotel room door as she watched Sophie walk into the corridor. She waited for the elevator to arrive and for Sophie to disappear from sight. Once she had, Georgina entered her suite and closed the door. She rested her back against the door and closed her eyes. She had no idea what she was doing. Her emotions were at war. She couldn’t tell if she liked Sophie, or if she was simply trying to replace Jessica.
While her dinner invitation had always been about career advice, she had to admit that she had hoped for more. Now it had happened, she wasn’t sure if she was happy about it.
Chapter 25
Sophie knocked on the hospital door.
“Come in,” Jonathan called out.
She opened the door and walked in.
Jonathan grinned at her. She knew she had a wide smile on her face. She’d been happy all morning, thanks to her wonderful date with Georgina the previous evening. The only problem was, she had no one to share the news with. She’d yet to tell anyone about her break-up with Matt. But she did have one person she could tell.
“Please tell me you brought the chocolate croissant,” Jonathan begged.
“I brought the chocolate croissant,” she confirmed, then looked at him. “But I don’t know how you’re going to eat it.” While some of the plaster casts had been removed, Jonathan’s arm was still solidly encased.
“I’ll manage. Don’t you worry.”
She put the paper bag on the table, took out the croissant and coffee, and placed them in front of him. “Is that okay?”
“Perfect.” He reached for the coffee with his free arm and took a sip. “You’re a life saver.”
She smiled and sat on the visitor chair. “So, I wanted to tell you about last night.”
“Is this skimmed milk?”
“Yes, does it taste different?”
“No, just checking.”
Sophie frowned. She always got him skimmed milk; it seemed strange that he’d ask.
“Anyway,” she started, “last night…”
“Could you get me that magazine?” He pointed to the bedside table.
She picked up the magazine and put it on the bed in front of him.
“So, Georgina—”
“Sophie!” Jonathan interrupted, and then shook his head. In a calmer voice, he said, “Maybe you shouldn’t tell me?”
“You told me you wanted to hear everything.” Sophie frowned. “What’s going on? You’re acting weird.”
Jonathan put the coffee cup down and si
ghed. “Kate came here, and she kinda asked me to spy on you.” He winced. “She thinks Georgina coerced you into a date, and now Kate wants me to report back to her.”
“What the hell?” Sophie jumped to her feet and started to pace the room.
“But,” Jonathan suggested, “if you don’t tell me anything, then I can’t tell her anything.”
“That is ridiculous!” Sophie said as she paced. “I can’t believe this. Does she literally think I’m a child? She thinks that Georgina coerced me? What does that even mean? Is it so crazy to think that Georgina might actually be interested in me? And what the hell does Kate Kennedy know about my love life? What does she know about me at all? I’m practically invisible to her.”
Jonathan toyed with the lid of the coffee cup. “She’s just worried about you.”
Sophie spun to stare at him. “You’re defending her? Oh my God, Jonathan. Come on.”
“I know it sounds bad, but this is how Kate does things. She’s not good at not knowing information, and she’s not good at being sneaky. So, she gets people to find out for her.”
“It’s called spying, Jonathan.” Sophie put her hands on her hips.
“I know,” he admitted. “Look, just sit down a minute. You’re giving me a neck ache.”
She walked back to the chair and sat down, though her hands still fidgeted anxiously. She couldn’t believe that Kate had asked her only friend at Red Door to spy on her.
“I can’t believe you agreed to spy for her, she’s… she’s a monster,” Sophie whispered.
“She isn’t a monster,” Jonathan defended.
“She is. She’s so… so mean! She won’t come here to visit you, she’s horrible to everyone. I don’t even know why I wanted to work for her.” Sophie could feel tears forming in her eyes. Her day had started off so well, and now Kate was ruining everything, without even being there.
“Right, firstly, she can’t come and visit me because she has an immunodeficiency, it’s not common information. In fact, it’s extremely private so don’t tell anyone. But she calls me every day to check I’m okay. She’s paying me fully while I recover, and she’s even paid me compensation, though she doesn’t need to. I know she doesn’t show it, but she does care.”
Sophie looked at him in surprise. “She’s… sick?”
“I can’t say too much, I’ve said too much already.”
Sophie put the surprising information to the back of her mind and focused on her anger. “She… she never asks how you are…”
“She doesn’t need to, we’re in contact all the time.”
“You never told me that,” she complained.
“You never asked,” he replied. “Look, I know Kate constructs this mask, and I know how hard it is to see through it. But I think you do. You know she’s not like that really. She’s just afraid to show any kindness to anyone, she doesn’t want it to be perceived as weakness.”
Sophie lowered her head and bit her lip in thought. He was right. Deep down she did know that Kate wasn’t as mean as she made out. She’d seen evidence of Kate’s kindness while she had worked for her. Kate just kept up an act to keep people at bay.
“But she asked you to spy on me,” she whispered angrily.
“She is genuinely worried about you,” he said. “I know she has gone about it the wrong way, but she wants to make sure that you’re okay. Look at it from Kate’s point of view: you’re her employee, she’s responsible for you. She assigned you to be the liaison with Georgina. Georgina, who has broken up with her young assistant who looks remarkably like you.”
Sophie shook her head. “It’s not like that.”
“I’m not saying it is, I’m saying that Kate is just worried about you. It’s not that she doesn’t think you’re capable, she’s worried about Georgina.”
Sophie opened her mouth and then closed it again. She hated to admit it, but it made sense. Not that it justified Kate’s actions. If she was so interested, then she should ask her herself, not hide behind Jonathan. She couldn’t believe that she had come and asked him—
“Wait,” Sophie said. “You… you said she came here and asked you to report back on me?”
Jonathan picked up his chocolate croissant. “Did I? I mean—”
Sophie reached forward and snatched the croissant from his hand. “You did. You said she came here. You also said she can’t come here because she has an immunodeficiency disorder. So, which is it?”
“Both.”
She swallowed. “Kate… came here? Even though it could make her sick?”
“She was worried about you.” Jonathan pointed to the bedside table. “Who did you think brought all the magazines, grapes, and cuddly toys?”
Sophie looked at the array of goods. It looked like someone had raided the hospital shop in a blind panic. It looked like Kate had been there.
“She was that worried?” Sophie asked.
“She was that worried,” he confirmed.
“Well, she can’t treat me like that. Or you, for that matter,” Sophie decided. “And this spying has to stop. It just causes trouble.”
Jonathan chuckled. “And you’re going to tell her that?”
“As a matter of fact, I am.”
Chapter 26
Kate gingerly tilted her neck from side to side. She felt the pressure of a trapped nerve constricting under her skin. She was thankful for small mercies, such as being able to take the last meeting of the day in her own office, in its comfortable armchairs.
John from IT rambled on about the new software he wanted to install. Kate made an effort to look like she was listening and actually cared. The upgrade was massively expensive, but she knew it was necessary. However, that didn’t stop her from dragging John into her office to explain to her, in detail, why he required the software upgrade.
Giving the impression of understanding every single aspect of her business, no matter how technical or dull, was a fantastic way to save on unnecessary expenditures. All her employees knew that they would have to justify any expense, and therefore would only ask when they really needed something and understood the purchase enough to be able to defend it to her.
She was anxious for the meeting to be over. She was bored and had decided to approve the upgrade long before John opened his mouth.
She was also looking forward to her afternoon catch-up with Sophie. Things had been so hectic that she’d hardly seen the girl throughout the day. Kate was eager to find out what Georgina had been up to, what had happened over dinner. She hadn’t yet decided if she would ask Sophie outright or wait to see what she offered up.
After what seemed like an eternity, John finally stopped speaking. His case was made, and Kate made a show of begrudgingly approving his request. He left the room looking victorious, which allowed Kate a moment to close her eyes and lean back in the armchair.
Of course, closing her eyes allowed Kate’s overactive mind to scroll through her to-do list at top speed. Yannis had invited the agencies to another day at the track. The very thought of going back was enough to give her a piercing headache. She’d hated being there the first time, and that was before Jonathan was nearly killed. But with Georgina around, she couldn’t afford to skip out on the invitation.
She heard a noise and opened her eyes. Sophie stood in front of her, pills in one hand, a glass of water in the other.
“Make me an appointment with Dr Warwick for the morning, eight o’clock if possible,” Kate instructed. She took the pills and placed them in her mouth, washing them down with the water.
“Warwick?”
“It’s on file,” Kate replied, not willing to explain herself.
“I’ll make the appointment,” Sophie said professionally. She took the glass of water when Kate was finished and placed it on the coffee table. “I need to tell you that Georgina and I are… seeing each other. And, as such, I am not comfortable spying on the Mastery team.”
Kate felt her head swim. “I see. Well, that escalated quickly.” She wriggl
ed her shoulder to try to release the pinched nerve. “Fine, I will assign someone else to be the liaison between the teams. I’d hate for our multimillion pound deal to affect your love life.”
Kate was pleased to see a blush appear on Sophie’s cheeks. She may be getting braver with each day, but Kate still had the ability to unnerve her.
“I suggest you be careful, Sophie. You’re not the only pretty, young thing she’s been seen with.”
Sophie nervously fidgeted with her glasses. “Her relationship with Jessica was a legitimate relationship, it’s not like it was a fling.”
“Oh, I’m sure it was a genuine relationship. I’m sure it left a void that needed to be filled,” she emphasised the last word and looked meaningfully at Sophie. “I just find the similarities fascinating.”
Kate crossed her legs and picked some lint from her skirt. She looked up at Sophie who was looking a lot less confident.
“Have you booked the Winter Garden?” Kate asked, wanting to change the subject before she said too much.
“Yes,” Sophie said. “Monday, as you suggested. All of the details are in your inbox.”
Kate nodded. She fixed Sophie with a look. “Then I suppose you should leave for the day.”
Sophie nodded. “I’ll book your appointment and then I’ll go.” She turned and left the office.
Kate let out a long sigh as she stood and returned to her desk. She put her glasses on, wincing at her tense back muscles as she did. She began to dig through the heap of emails she had missed while stuck in meetings all day. Seeing the sheer volume that had stacked up caused her to sigh again. If only Sophie weren’t liaising between the two agencies, perhaps she could have made a dent for Kate, at least taken care of the spam messages.
Sophie. Kate looked up at the girl. She didn’t know why it bothered her so much that Sophie was seeing Georgina.
At first, she thought she was simply angry at Georgina for pushing boundaries. It almost seemed like the woman was deliberately dating Kate’s assistant, knowing it would antagonise her. But Kate had to admit that it was more than that.