by Lacey Legend
“Do you know who I am?”
“I know you’re the new Marketing Director. I know you’re from the States. I’m sorry to say I don’t know anything else.”
“Figures.”
“What does?”
“That you’re too uppity to get to know your work colleagues.”
“You’ve got me all wrong,” he hesitated, grappling to remember the name of the marketing director mentioned to him in passing by the Human Resources Director.
“Tabitha,” she said, letting him off the hook.
“You’ve got me all wrong, Tabitha. If the directors hang around too long at those types of gatherings, then the staff can’t let their hair down and enjoy themselves. I come, say hi to whoever the party is in honor of, congratulate them as to the reason and go. The employees work hard. They deserve a break once in a while and I don’t want to hold them back.”
Tabitha recollected her PA’s comment regarding office functions.
“I apologize. I did have you wrong – on that account, anyway.”
“A woman that can say sorry. You really are one of a kind, Tabitha.”
“Actually I’m not. If what you say is true, then you’ve been cavorting with the wrong kinds of women.”
“Cavorting? What makes you assume I cavort with women?”
Tabitha could see her flat come into view and was disappointed the conversation would soon end.
“You’re a playboy. Minimum work and maximum funds to have maximum fun.”
“If that’s what you think of me based on first impressions, I really am going to have to amend my persona at work. Then again, perhaps you’ve been cavorting with the wrong kinds of men to draw such a wildly inaccurate conclusion on my character.”
Tabitha tried to resist smiling, but she was bemused and impressed by Freddie. They’d stopped outside her house. Enjoying his company she felt compelled to invite him in, but wondered if it might contravene staff policy or just be too forward in general.
“I’m here,” she said, signaling downward to the basement flat.
“Nice.”
“You said you live close by.”
“I live in reasonably close proximity. I’m on the opposite side, near Kensington Gardens.”
“Wow!”
Tabitha knew the area was lavish because the gardens housed Kensington Palace where Princess Diana had lived.
“It’s in walking distance,” continued Freddie, hoping Tabitha would take the hint that he was interested in her and had no inclination to leave.
“I guess I should go in,” said Tabitha, knowing her sentence was rushed.
“Yeah of course. Pointless of me, seeing you home safely to avoid the rain and then leaving you out here chatting to me.”
Freddie thought the comment gave Tabitha the perfect opportunity to invite him in.
“Too true. It is wet. I guess that like me, you’ll want to go home and get changed too.”
Tabitha knew the words sounded hollow.
“You’re getting changed to go out tonight?” asked Freddie animatedly.
“No. I’m just changing out of my wet clothes and staying in tonight.”
“How long have you been in London, Tabitha?”
“Two weeks. A week to settle in and I’ve just finished my first week shadowing the old Marketing Director.”
“Have you been out? Experienced London by night?”
Tabitha felt lonely and sad. The move was a huge opportunity career wise, but Freddie’s question made her homesick for her friends in Brooklyn.
“No. I don’t have any friends over here and I’m not sure I’d feel comfortable clubbing or whatever by myself.”
“So don’t go by yourself. Go with me,” said Freddie matter-of-factly.
“Now?”
“No. You change your things and have your night in, but if you want to do something why don’t we swap numbers.”
Tabitha almost jumped on the spot and clapped her hands in joy. In seconds she was reciting her mobile phone number for Freddie to punch into his cell. He automatically rang her in order that she have his number as well.
“Speak soon then,” said Freddie breaking the silence.
“Sure.”
Freddie couldn’t read Tabitha. She was either completely disinterested in him, very cool, or oblivious to his hints.
“I don’t have any plans this weekend,” he announced.
“Me neither.”
Tabitha was composed, but her revelation of not knowing anyone in London signaled to Freddie she wasn’t giving him the brush-off. She probably didn’t want to seem overbearing or clingy to the first friendly face she came across.
“Why don’t I call you over the weekend? We could do something Saturday or Sunday if you fancy it. It doesn’t have to be hard core clubbing. A meal, brunch, some tacky sightseeing. You name it, I’ll accompany you.
He could see Tabitha’s entire body relax and was pleased he’d made the first move.
“That’d be fantastic,” she said enthusiastically. “I’m having an early night tonight, so I can do any time over the weekend.”
“I’ll let you have a sleep in and call tomorrow,” promised Freddie.
Tabitha stuck out her hand formally to shake Freddie’s. He bit his lip to stop from smiling at her professionalism. Taking her hand, he shook it and bent in, giving her a quick peck on the mouth. Lips tingly, Tabitha was unsure whether to say goodbye or not.
“What about your umbrella,” she blurted.
“Keep it,” he laughed. “I’ve plenty at home and you’re going to need one while you’re here.”
With a sharp salute, Freddie returned in the direction he came, leaving Tabitha still in a daze.
Chapter Two
Freddie stepped out of the shower in his immaculate, white bathroom. His home was masculine and decorated in the minimal style. He liked the clean lines and spacious setting of the modern flat. Wrapping a plush towel around his waist, he headed to his bedroom and flopped on the mattress, determining how to spend his Saturday.
He’d done his normal jog round Hyde Park and had a light healthy breakfast, but unlike most mornings, he found it difficult to empty his head. He was consumed by thoughts of Tabitha. Contrary to what she believed, Freddie’s brief appearance at the party was spent studying her behavior, for the most part. He knew coming into such a staid and reserved workplace was probably a million light years from the busy and bustling New York headquarters, but she blended in effortlessly. Poised and graceful, she held herself well in a company that was dominated by older men. He’d heard on the grapevine that she’d established herself as a straight talking, forward-thinking addition to the directors, which hadn’t been well received. Apparently the less than warm reception hadn’t dampened Tabitha’s enthusiasm to bring her marketing magic to Hastings-Bass.
Had Freddie been a romantic he’d have put the closeness of their respective residences down to fate, but as a level-headed businessman he saw it as a fortunate coincidence. He shook his head in disbelief that a woman could actually have him nervously planning an appropriate time to call.
Sleeping late for Freddie never extended past 11 am, but as an early bird he realized the same couldn’t be said for everyone. He also knew from past experience with women, that proposing a date for a Saturday night after Wednesday was considered poor manners.
“In my defense I didn’t actually meet her until yesterday,” rationalized Freddie. “If she genuinely doesn’t know anyone in the city, by prolonging the call she could end up having a boring weekend.”
Having tried to busy himself with a DVD box set and pacing the house, by 1 pm he decided to phone the exotic Tabitha.
The second she saw the screen of her mobile phone flash with an incoming call, Tabitha felt her heart rate quicken. The one Londoner that had her cell, apart from work, was Freddie. Taking a deep breath, she gave it three rings to compose herself.
“Hello,” she greeted cordially.
“I
take it I haven’t woken you, sleeping beauty?”
Tabitha was loathe to confide in him that she’d been sitting around waiting for his call since 9 am.
“No. I had an early night. I didn’t need a long sleep. And you?”
“I woke at eight and went for a jog after breakfast, showered, chilled out and now I’m thinking about tonight.”
The thought of Freddie’s athletic body soaped up in the shower had Tabitha’s knees wobbling. She was glad she was sitting down taking the call.
“Have you any plans?” asked Freddie, confidently.
He was direct and to the point and Tabitha respected that he wasn’t playing at being someone too cool and enigmatic.
“Nothing whatsoever.”
“I wondered if you fancied joining me for a night on the town. I’ll introduce you to a few of my friends and,” he paused, deciding how best to finish the sentence. “And hopefully you’ll have a good time and a reason to have a long lie in on Sunday morning.”
“That sounds promising,” flirted Tabitha.
“Is that a yes?”
“That’s a yes,” she confirmed. “Where should I meet you?”
“If you like, I can pick you up from your flat. If you’re uncomfortable with that and want to play it safe, we could meet at the tube station or be at Waterloo station by quarter to nine.”
Tabitha always thought of the fashion industry as fast, slick and flash. To have a man considerate of her feelings and not rushing her into a situation she was wary of, was refreshing. His baritone voice already had her dizzy, but his old fashioned actions made Freddie doubly attractive.
“If it’s not a huge inconvenience, I’d be grateful if you met me here. I ran into a complete weirdo last night who informed me it was very foolish to be walking the streets around here at night without an escort.”
“Sounds like a sensible man. If not a little on the over cautious side,” laughed Freddie.
“Even so, I think I’d enjoy the walk more if you were with me. I’d appreciate that more than you following me stealthily in the shadows and scaring me half to death, and I’d seriously consider abandoning my shoes to run home.”
“You have my word. I’ll be there promptly and I’ll be the epitome of a good host. I can even take you to dinner earlier, say seven o’clock, if you fancy it,” Freddie winced, hoping the dinner invitation wasn’t too pushy.
“That’d be dandy.”
“Tabitha you’ve been here less than two weeks. Where on earth did you learn the word dandy?”
She giggled at her own her silliness.
“I don’t know. It sounded cute when someone said it in the office.”
“It’s not a common phrase.”
“All the same, it’s quaint. I’d like to learn a few more expressions.”
“Let’s see how you manage with my crew tonight.”
Tabitha spluttered.
“What?” said Freddie, unaware of his faux-pas.
“Nothing,” assured Tabitha. “I just get the feeling a crew from Brooklyn is going to be very different from the crew I’m introduced to tonight.”
“Probably,” agreed Freddie, aware he didn’t hold much street cred.
“But I bet I love them all the same,” speculated Tabitha.
“I promise.”
“Any kind of dress code?”
“Whatever shows off your foxy figure,” instructed Freddie, hanging up before Tabitha could admonish him for his cheek.
Chapter Three
Tabitha felt herself freeze, momentarily, when she opened the door of her flat to greet Freddie at seven on the dot. For some reason she’d expected him to be wearing a suit. Dressed in half laced combat boots, black jeans, a black leather bomber jacket and a grey v-neck shirt accessorized with a loose scarf he looked smooth, suave and sophisticated. Effortlessly cool was the phrase that best summed up his fashion. The dark colors made his blonde hair and blue eyes even more striking.
Tabitha liked to make the most of her appearance. She knew, despite regular efforts at the gym, however toned, she would always be on the curvy side. Her dress was one to emphasize her figure. The two toned black and white halter dress was slashed diagonally. What made the dress unique was the asymmetrical nature with one full length sleeve on the right and no sleeve on the alternate side –exposing the bare flesh of her shoulder and arm.
To outsiders, the couple would look chic and fashionable. Both aware it was an unspoken first date, the two were slightly self-conscious and in awe of one another’s dress style.
“You look amazing,” said Freddie bluntly. “But please tell me you’ve got a coat, because the weather is very chilly out – especially where I’m taking you.”
Tabitha rolled her eyes.
“We do have seasons in New York too,” she said lightly, as she swung on her mid-thigh length black autumn jacket.
Tabitha stepped out and locked the door behind her. Freddie didn’t know whether she was a rare breed of woman that made the effort to be punctual for dates, or was sending out a strong signal that he wasn’t welcome inside.
“Check this out,” said Tabitha excitedly, opening her large Gucci bag.
She passed Freddie his umbrella and pulled out one of her own.
“Once bitten,” observed Freddie.
“You haven’t seen the best bite yet.”
Tabitha opened the umbrella. The print on the umbrella was a reproduction of the Van Gogh’s Starry Night.
“That’s unusual, but too garish and eye catching for my taste. Maybe stay ten paces back if you’re going to use that with me around.”
“Don’t be mean. I picked it up today at Portobello Market.”
“You certainly are the fledgling tourist,” said Freddie as he flagged an iconic black cab.
“I thought we were taking the tube,” said Tabitha, emphasizing the word tube.
“I can’t take you on public transport dressed in that. I’ll be fending the men off. I can do without that hassle.”
Tabitha was grateful a cab stopped within minutes. London by night was beautiful. Theatre land came alive with hustle and bustle and as they crossed over Waterloo Bridge she had a better view of the Thames River by night. The cab pulled up close to Waterloo station.
Freddie was quick to help Tabitha out of the taxi and quite naturally she linked her arm through his as he took her toward a restaurant.
“This is Canteen,” Freddie notified Tabitha. “It was originally located in Spitalfields, if you like markets, you should pop there sometime. Anyway, if you’re after decent British fare, this is the place to come.”
Dinner came as a surprise to Tabitha. She’d assumed Freddie would stick to safe topics of conversation revolving around work, but he seemed more interested in Tabitha’s life in Brooklyn, including her upbringing, family and friends. She couldn’t fathom how such a phenomenally good-looking man hadn’t been tarnished by the attention his appearance would have gathered over the years.
Raised by a motivated, hardworking, single mother in a small cramped apartment as part of a public housing initiative, Tabitha had been the first in her family to attend and graduate a university that offered a degree in fashion. Her mother had also kept aside enough savings so her two younger siblings could also pursue higher education to better themselves.
Tabitha had always had a love of fashion and started in retail at the age of sixteen. Taking on internships every summer vacation, she was recruited by Hastings-Bass upon completion of her degree. Aside from fashion, her close circle of friends consisted of those she had grown up with at school and she considered them all a part of her extended family. She knew her father had walked out on her mother and suspected he had troubles with the law. Her mother always made a point not to badmouth or put down their biological father.
The meal rolled by so quickly, Tabitha realized she’d spent the majority of the time talking about herself and hadn’t had time to probe into Freddie’s life. Berating herself for dominating the
conversation, she hoped Freddie didn’t perceive her to be overly self-absorbed.
Touched by the brief but frank introduction to Tabitha’s upbringing, Freddie felt embarrassed by his somewhat more privileged life.
As they left the restaurant, Freddie laced his fingers through hers. The subtle tactile gesture alleviated Tabitha’s anxiety.
“How about you?” she asked Freddie quietly.
“I’m sorry to say mine is a boring story by comparison. I’ve been very lucky in life, but I think I got luckier meeting you. I have a feeling you might teach the employees of Hastings-Bass some very useful lessons in life with your homespun philosophy.”
Tabitha was sure it was meant as a compliment, but his turn of phrase had her feeling like a redneck hick. Wanting to hit out that she didn’t need pity and was proud of her roots, she chewed her lips and forgot to take notice of the beauty of the river as they sauntered by it.
Freddie checked his watch.
“We’ve got just enough time to catch the last ride,” he announced.
Looking up, Tabitha saw the magnificent London Eye. The giant 443 foot Ferris wheel offered the most spectacular views of the city. As Freddie fast tracked the line, she was surprised to see a pod waiting for them. Crossing into it, the doors closed and they moved slowly up on the wheel.
“Is no one else getting on?” asked Tabitha.
“No. Just us and the champagne.”
It was over the top and extravagant, but Tabitha loved it anyway. Freddie studied Tabitha as she observed the famous landmarks. It was easy to recognize Big Ben, Tower of London and the Houses of Parliament at Westminster. Tabitha’s genuine interest in the city was infectious. Instead of sitting, Freddie stood behind Tabitha to assist her in identifying the OXO Tower, Tower Bridge, and St Paul’s Cathedral. His hands rested lightly on her slim waist. Tabitha could feel her skin tingle under his touch. His body felt warm and solid and she fought the urge to lean back into him.
Turning to face him, Freddie refused to move backward.
“Don’t judge me too harshly,” he said simply.