Skinny Dipping

by Kaye, Alicia M

  Chapter 17

  Bradley motioned for Sophie to enter his office. As the door shut behind her, leaving them alone, a nightmarish realisation swept over her. Something was wrong, very wrong.

  His tall figure prowled, circling round like she’d walked into a lion’s den, his gaze flicked up and down until he stopped still. He stood close, too close. She felt goose bumps rushing up her arms as his minty breath touched her cheek; she could only hear his breathing. This was one of his intimidation techniques. She’d learned it herself in a sales course, he’d sent her on.

  “You’re not on your game.” He rubbed the bottom of his chiselled chin, a lazy grin appearing on his face.

  She looked up from underneath her lashes, his gaze danced at her as if he was looking for a partner. She would dance, but she would have to will herself to focus, concentrate on the right steps. Or she’d be caught unstuck, tripping over her tongue like the rest of the girls in the office, dragged into some type of woozy daze simply from looking at him. Today, she needed to concentrate more than ever.

  “You’re supposed to practically be in bed with your clients. Know everything.”

  “Bradley, what’s this about?”

  “I might have been wrong about you.”

  Sophie shifted uncomfortably on her feet, folding her arms in front of her. “I don’t think that’s the case and I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Bradley’s comment kept revolving through her mind like she was stuck on a carrousel. He might have been wrong about her. Might have been wrong? What did that mean? One thing was for sure, she needed to fight back, because something was going on with Bradley which she didn’t like.

  “The hotel chain. The Silver Account. We’re not going to get it.”

  “Oh,” she said, a pang in her guts, understanding the information. “But I’ve increased billing on that client about fifty percent.”

  He scowled. “You should have known that we wouldn’t get the hotel chain business. You’ve wasted your time, with all those stupid swimming lessons you’re doing. You’ve become inefficient and lost perspective with what’s important. More revenue and working efficiently. I just don’t understand. How could you not know that the work was going to another firm? How?”

  There was a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. Bradley needed someone to blame. He needed a scapegoat.

  “How?” she said in exasperation. “Matthew Silver wants us to continue on with the Skinny Dipping campaign, and said he’d think about the hotels. It makes sense considering he already has an advisor for the hotel chain. So it’s not like he’s reappointing a new advisor. I have had a discussion about how we can help but he wants to see how we deliver first on the Skinny Dipping campaign.”

  “I’ve got a feeling you’re emotionally invested in this one; you can’t see the forest for the trees. And what was with you this morning at the management meeting? You get one email from Matthew Silver and you go all dreamy.”

  Sophie was shocked. “That’s not true.” Her head had been full of Derek. Not Matthew at all.

  “Besides, my sources say he’s speaking to another agency. You should have known you had no chance.” He ran a hand through his hair. “The thing is, Soph, you couldn’t even get Matthew Silver to a gala. I mean a gala Sophie, with free booze. If you can’t get a client to go to a party, then how are you going to win new work? We’re under immense pressure now. I just agreed that Kelly…”

  “Kelly?” Sophie shut her eyes, willing the words not to be true.

  “Yes, Kelly, she’s got the killer instinct. She will do the pitch to Barney’s.”

  “What?” She flicked her eyes open. “You’re ripping me out at this stage? That’s insane. You know I spoke to Tom Johnson, we get along like a house on fire.” Sophie stepped back, her thoughts wildly alert and focused.

  “The Silver Account is not a good track record. I’m sending an email out to the Barney’s team, letting them know Kelly’s going to lead the account because you’re too busy.”

  Sophie stared at him, speechless. He knew she’d put the hours in just for the chance of pitching to Barney’s. Now that she’d been given the go-ahead, he was taking it away from her.

  “Please reconsider.” She pinched herself, feeling her nails dig deep into her thumbs. She needed to pull herself together, form an argument, and stop this from happening.

  “It’s done.”

  “I don’t believe this.” She shut her eyes, her mind working in overdrive.

  “I have to make the right business decisions, especially in a recession. I can’t afford you to stuff up our opportunity with Barney’s. Our firm needs this…are you okay?”

  “Am I okay?” she scathed, unable to mask the fury. “Of course I’m okay.” She glared at him. She turned away. His good looks should have been a sign, an omen from above, he was far too good looking to be human, to have human feelings and human emotions. Bradley, the super stud in the physical form was nothing but pure business.

  “I’m on your side.”

  “Funny way of showing it.”

  “You sound like you might need a moment, maybe some personal time to calm down.”

  “I’m fine.”

  He eyed her carefully. “We’re happy to have you, Soph,” Bradley said. “Keep holding it together, okay.”

  Keep holding it together, what the hell did he mean by that? Her mobile phone vibrated into life and she grabbed it, focusing on the call, it was her father. “I’ve got to take this, it’s a client,” she lied. But what would Bradley know anyway?

  She ran toward the door. “Oh and Bradley. I’m happy to be here, I love this job. So hopefully I’m not quite on the firing line yet,” she said through clenched teeth.

  Sophie left Bradley’s office feeling his eyes following her. Sophie plastered a smile on her face and walked past the idea think tank. Kelly was already at the whiteboard. They were brainstorming, Sophie wanted to scream, isn’t that an inefficient use of time?

  She was back at her desk and she could still feel Bradley watching her. She started collecting a few of her things, putting them in piles. Her desk faced Bradley’s office and to feign absolutely confidence she pushed her shoulders back as she rummaged. He had taken her off her pitch, but she was still going to fight. Although, she felt like rather than fighting for new clients or a promotion, she was probably fighting to keep her job.

  ***

  A recalcitrant feeling surged through her body and she tried to push it down. Bradley had returned to his office. But she felt extremely hardly done by. She’d been completely bypassed for the Barney’s pitch, after she’d done the work, and had been put on the golden path, almost assured she’d be promoted. Now, there was little chance of that happening.

  She spoke to Roger on the phone. “Okay, you’ve got three recruitment interviews set up, do you want to go over the questions they might ask you?”

  She took the time to go through his resume, hoping he’d do well at the recruitment interviews. Her Dad wouldn’t turn on her, not like Bradley. Her Dad was her priority now, and she couldn’t believe he hadn’t been in the first place. But as she coached her Dad, the question wound around the back of her brain. What would happen if, God forbid, she was made redundant too?

  ***

  On Saturday morning Sophie woke up early, her stomach seizing, anxiety gripping her. The day of the move, with Matthew helping her. This would also be the first time she’d seen Matthew after their drinking session together. She didn’t know how to she should act in front of him, after the way he had of making her spill her guts. Sophie didn’t tell many people her secrets and she’d told him about Derek. She hoarded secrets, squeezed them close to her chest.

  But talking to Matthew like a friend, she’d developed some form of…intimacy. She shuddered, was it all too close, him helping her move her things out? He’d be touching her stuff, finding out even more about her. This relationship was becoming nerve-wracking. Male friends didn’t usually stay as male fri
ends. They always blossomed into something else. Unless they were attached, and in a moment of recollection, she realized she was safe. He’d told her. Yes, told her his heart was still attached to Rebecca. She was safe and he wouldn’t be doing all this because he wanted something more. No, he was in love with a ghost – and to think she was the one with denial issues.

  Feeling all jittery, she sat in her cluttered room, perched between the triple carton tower and suitcases and she realized she needed to do something about the state of her room. Denial was not going to help. The move was happening; she and Derek were over.

  Her hands shook as she expertly applied her makeup, drawing strokes of eyeliner. They might be over, but even so, if she ran into Derek, she had better look her best, and she curved on lipstick.

  She brushed her hair feverishly, and with her best effort she used straightening tongs on her brown hair. When was the last time she had gotten it cut? It hung long and straight to the middle of her back. She’d had the same look for the last ten years. She felt stale. No wonder Derek cheated on her, she was like old bread when compared to the delicious Georgina who was probably like a creamed iced bun.

  The doorbell rang, and Matthew arrived at her house looking as gorgeous as ever. Her stomach suddenly tied itself into knots when she noticed he was wearing jeans. The same sexy jeans from the other night when she’d flirted so outrageously with him. Shame ran over her as she remembered patting him down like a policewoman, insisting he return her mobile phone. She avoided his eye as he ginned at her.

  “Morning, it’s moving time.” He handed her a Styrofoam cup. “I’ve got a coffee habit.”

  He was acting goofy, not his usual, calm, confident self – or was it because he, too, felt embarrassed that they’d both gotten appallingly drunk together? He’d actually said he’d waited all night for her to invite him up to her room. He was joking about that, wasn’t he?

  She took the cup and lifted the coffee up to him. “Thanks,” she said, brightly. They did speak and clarify their relationship, just being friends. Why was she so heady today? She just needed to act normal. She closed the front door behind her and assessed the street outside her doorway.

  With the extreme effort of pushing the awkwardness aside, she shot him an excited glance. “Where’s the Porsche?” She’d overdone her smile, and firmly closed her mouth shut.

  “I also have a car habit.” Matthew shrugged. Of course, he was a multimillionaire. There were probably six cars in his mansion’s garage. “This is far more practical for moving.” She looked at the manly black four wheel drive vehicle.

  He opened the passenger door. “For you Miss Mermaid,” he indicated, then rounded to the other side, jumping inside as she did.

  “I’m not a mermaid. That’s such a stupid thing to say,” she snapped.

  “Okay,” he said, shooting her a hurt glance. “You okay? Are you sure you don’t want to try and talk to him, tell him how you feel and stuff? Maybe you want to give it one more shot?” He fumbled with his car keys, placing them in the ignition.

  From that response, they were totally in the friend zone. She could, she would, relax. She released a breath she’d been subconsciously holding and swallowed, feeling like this was the day she was the martyr in some type of Aztec ritual, her heart was being put up for sacrifice, for the greater good.

  “Sorry, I couldn’t sleep last night. Call me mermaid, fish or whatever sea creature your want.” She let out a laugh, which sounded like a grunt and quickly ran her hands through her hair. “I’m sorry,” she said again. “I’m just tense, about everything, and worried.”

  He nodded.

  “Work you know, I feel my jaw so tight when I sleep.”

  He frowned. “Everything going okay on that front? You still love your job?”

  “It’s getting me down.” Matthew looked so sympathetic, like he was really listening, like he cared. Sophie felt her mouth running away with her, and like a wound opened, she felt herself explaining in detail, her problems bleeding out in a gushing manner. “A girl at work hates me. We all usually work as teams, but she’s been clawing her way at my clients. She puts me down for no real reason. I was on the Clarks fast track program, the one marked for Senior Management, but she’s doing her best to sabotage me. What if I get made redundant? And then, there’s this move….” She frowned, feeling panicky. Why did she keep telling him everything that was on her mind? She must be tired, that’s what it must be, sleep deprivation.

  “Sorry,” she began, locking her thoughts away, no one needed to know this stuff. “I’m complaining.” She laughed, to lighten the mood. “It’s all good. It will work itself out. Always does. Sorry about all that.” She forced a smile, bright, natural.

  “Oh Soph, who could hate you? You’re sweet.”

  “Ha-ha.” Her voice was suddenly stiff, she was propping her guard back up. Be funny, entertaining, don’t bare her soul to people, they hurt you. Men hurt you, and this man next to her, was too sweet, it couldn’t be real.

  “I like you, if that’s any consolation.” He cocked his head to the side.

  She felt herself stiffen, why was he always so nice? Why did he say things like that?

  “I may not be the girl from work. But hopefully I count.”

  She looked out the window, totally unsure of how to respond. “Thanks,” she said, in a small voice, daring a glance in his direction.

  His face seemed so sincere. “What are you going to do about the girl, hating you?”

  “Nothing,” she shrugged. “Just be professional, do a great job. What do you think?” God he was so easy to talk to, she felt the tension dripping out of her shoulders.

  “The truth always wins out in the end.”

  A groan escaped from her lips, the stress was beginning to leave her body. “I hope so,” she rasped.

  “Doesn’t seem like they really appreciate you.”

  “No, I suppose they don’t.” Considering they’d thrown her off the Barney’s pitch, her stomach turned.

  He started the engine. “Well. Shall we move?”

  The car accelerated, and he changed gears, and she suddenly felt aware they were close together in a very confined space.

  “We’re going to be early.” She was the first one to speak after a few minutes. “There’s no traffic on the roads. I don’t want to be early, should we ride around the block or something?”

  “Have you eaten?” Matthew darted a quick look in her direction.

  “No.”

  “There’s this place I know, it’s an Italian café that does a mean English breakfast. It’s close and we can stop there.”

  Matthew parked the car and Sophie jumped out, to follow him. A bell jingled as the door opened and they entered.

  “Matthew,” the cashier exclaimed upon seeing him. The woman ran from behind the counter and wrapped her arms around him. She had thick, long, brown hair and dark eyes. He reddened as she embraced him and gave him two kisses, one on each cheek.

  “Why have you not been here?” the cashier scolded. “Where is Rebecca? I have not seen either of you for a very long time.”

  Sophie shot Matthew a look, seeing him flinch at the sound of Rebecca’s name. Rebecca wasn’t alive anymore, and this woman didn’t know. Matthew struggled for a breath, obviously caught unaware, running a hand through his hair. His gaze darted to Sophie and his eyes rounded apologetically.

  “Maria, this is my very good friend Sophie,” he said ignoring the question and he put his arm around Sophie, giving her shoulder a squeeze. She looked at him, he’d just called her a good friend. What did that mean? They’d somehow crossed over the line from ‘friends’ to ‘good friends.’ “Sophie this is Maria. She owns my favourite cafe in the world. I’ve been away for several months, traveling, but I’m back now,” he explained.

  Maria turned and momentarily looked at Sophie. A troubled expression crossed her face as she looked between Matthew and Sophie. A beam transformed Maria’s look of confusion and she took Soph
ie by both arms and examined her face.

  “A true beauty.” Maria smiled with a twinkle in her eye. She pulled Sophie into an embrace and kissed her on both cheeks. “Any friend of Matthew’s is a friend of Maria’s,” Maria said emphasizing the word ‘friend’.

  Sophie frowned and looked at Matthew who had his hands in his pockets.

  “Let me take you to your favourite table.” Maria led Sophie by the crook of the arm and pointed to the wall. “There is a picture of Matthew about ten years ago, when we opened up.” Sophie stopped by the picture, and examined the newspaper cutting where he had his arm wrapped around an attractive girl with long auburn hair and lovely eyes; it must have been Rebecca.

  “Matthew was so young and very handsome. He still is,” Maria whispered, her eyes running over Matthew’s physique. Sophie blushed and pulled a chair out at the table to sit down. “We’re just friends,” Sophie said, raising her eyebrow at the waitress. Maria gave Sophie a knowing smile.

  “Maria, could we have a different table please?” Matthew interjected stopping still at the table.

  “You don’t want your usual table?”

  Matthew’s face was pale and stepped forward to the window. “How about this one, overlooking the garden,” Matthew said composing himself.

  Maria followed and put down two menus on the table, looking busily down onto her notebook. She caught Matthew’s eye. “The usual or something new, too…?”

  “Something different,” he said grabbing the menu with both hands and avoiding the woman’s look.

  “Excellent, something new. I’ll give you a few minutes,” Maria said beaming between the two.

  Sophie picked up the menu carefully, noticing Matthew’s focus was only on the text. She reached over and squeezed his hand. “Matthew, we don’t have to do this. Eat here, I mean. It’s totally unnecessary.”

  “I can’t avoid all the places I’ve gone for the last ten years of my life. This is on the way, we should stop here,” he said in frustration. “This will be nice, she makes the best English breakfast, I promise.”