The Debt

by D A Latham

"I'm long over that," Andy snapped. "You seem to have forgotten about the Dutroix case, or is it that you'd prefer to forget losing that one in court?"

  "Small change," Aaron said, waving his hand dismissively. "You hardly won it. Barely got thruppence out of me. Now a good lawyer could have taken me for much, much more." He grinned at Andy, showing a neat set of very white teeth.

  "Given how much of a liar you are, I doubt it," spat Andy, ignoring my now-frantic ankle kicking.

  "Now I find out that your lady friend works for me, on top of me owning Lakeswood."

  "Leave my girlfriend out of this," Andy said. I blinked at him. It wasn't the nicest of ways he could have reassured me that I was more than just a fuck-buddy, but hearing him call me his girlfriend for the first time gave me a slightly goofy smile. I looked down at my feet, trying to hide my face from Aaron.

  "How fortuitous, your girlfriend is an employee. You can check up all you like; you won't find anything."

  "She knows nothing about any of this," Andy muttered, probably catching on that I might well get the sack. "I had no idea she was working for you, or that you had Lakeswood. It's a surprise for me too."

  "You'd be amazed at what I can snatch from under your nose, McLoser," said Aaron, grinning widely before waving. "See you around," he called out as he drove off down the drive to the garage.

  "What on Earth?" I began.

  He held up his hand to stop me. "We went to school together. He's always been a flash git, as jealous as hell. He hated me at school, and when I was the opposing lawyer in a business deal he was involved in, it just cemented our view of each other. Now, I need to get my taxi."

  We walked in silence for a while. "I'll go to that other interview in two weeks," I said quietly.

  "I'm not saying you shouldn't work here. I'm sure he's a perfectly OK employer." He was gruff and obviously displeased.

  "I don't exactly have a lot of options right now," I reminded him. "I'd struggle to get another bedsit given my credit rating. I don't have another job, and I've got forty-five pounds to my name." A stupid tear made its way down my cheek. I felt a very genuine fear of homelessness. Without the job, I'd be on the streets, which at the end of January was a terrifying prospect. He didn't answer.

  I could see his taxi waiting on the road outside. I let him out of the pedestrian gate, pausing only to receive a rather sulky peck goodbye. "I'll call you," he said as he got into the cab.

  With the glow of the previous night well and truly snuffed out, I trudged back up the drive to the flat, fully expecting to get my marching orders. Instead a rather contrite-looking Aaron Pryce was waiting for me.

  CHAPTER 9

  "I came to apologise," he said as I walked up to my door. "I shouldn't have teased Drew like that, at least not in front of you." I pulled out my key and turned the lock.

  "I didn't know you knew each other. I didn't tell him your name when I got the job." The door opened. I was desperate to get inside and was shivering almost uncontrollably at that point. Aaron followed me in and up the stairs.

  "I should explain, besides, I have some questions." He parked himself on the sofa.

  "Would you like some tea? Or a coffee?" I asked, being polite.

  "Tea please, builder’s strength, two sugars."

  I busied myself making our drinks. "Settled in alright?" He asked, looking around. The flat probably appeared empty still as I'd put everything away.

  "Yes thanks." I brought our drinks over and put them on the coffee table. Aaron didn't seem as “posh” as Andy, with a softer, more South London accent and a more relaxed demeanour. I sat down opposite and watched his tall, lean frame sort of sprawl across the sofa.

  "Are you going to kick me out?" I asked nervously.

  His brow furrowed. "No, of course not. Why would I do that?"

  "Because I'm seeing somebody you seem to have a bit of history with," I answered.

  "It's not really any of my business who you go out with," he pointed out. "If anything, I find it quite funny. I'm the bane of that bloke's life, but he's got to walk into my place to see you."

  "Not really, I can meet him elsewhere," I pointed out. "Why don't you like him?" I was curious. Andy had always seemed one of those affable, decent sorts of people. I hadn't expected him to have an enemy.

  "We were at school together. I was the scholarship kid, while he came from money. I was envious, and he was an entitled little snob who liked to rub my nose in it."

  "He's not like that now," I pointed out.

  "Really? So how come he's got a girlfriend who's got an active County Court Judgement and has had to take a live-in position? That intrigues me."

  "How did you know about the CCJ?" I gasped. Instantly the shame hit, and I felt my cheeks burn.

  "Marcus does checks on employees. He'd be remiss if he hadn't picked it up. So, tell me, have you been seeing Drew long?"

  "A few weeks," I said sulkily. I wanted him to go, to leave me to wallow alone in my embarrassment. "Does anyone else know? You know, about my debt?"

  He shook his head. "Things like that are confidential. It won't be broadcast around the household. Marcus is extremely discreet. Does Drew know about it?"

  I nodded.

  "I see. He hasn't paid it for you?"

  "No... Why should he?"

  "Because you'd be happier without it. I paid off all of Shari's debts when I started seeing her. It made her happier, more relaxed. It's a drop in the ocean to him, he's got plenty of money."

  “Some girls get all the luck,” I thought. I scrubbed my hands over my face, making sure I didn't dislodge my fringe. "I wouldn't expect Andy to pay it. It's not his debt, nor would I ask him." The whole turn of the conversation was making me uncomfortable. Actually, Aaron Pryce himself made me edgy. He was just too cocky, too confident, and way too sexy for his own good. I stared at his hands wrapped around the mug. His long, slender fingers inexplicably made my tummy do that squeezing thing.

  "He should have offered. I can see how embarrassed you are about it. Debt can be a terrible burden. It's an easy fix and would've cheered you up no end." His index finger tapped against the mug, giving an indication of his impatience. "Drew's loaded. It'd mean nothing to him; mind you, he was always a bit tight."

  "Andy's not mean in any way," I told him, annoyed by his remark. "He treats me to some lovely meals out, never asks me to pay, besides, it's not really anything to do with you and your issues with him." I was more forceful than I meant to be, but his assertion that Andy was tight felt grossly unfair. Aaron simply smiled, clearly pleased he'd got his point across, no doubt banking on having placed a seed of doubt in my mind.

  "Twice I've screwed him over," he said, "once at school, when I managed to lock him in a broom cupboard before an important match. Him being absent cost him the captaincy. He hated me for that."

  "The second?" I asked, trying not to look amused at his first disclosure, even though I thought it was quite funny.

  "I outbid him for this house, then had my lawyer exchange on it before Drew had a chance to come back with a better offer."

  I gasped, "Andy bid for this house?"

  He nodded, grinning widely in a smug, self-satisfied way. "He didn't know it was me. Well, he does now. He thought he got his own back a few years ago in an insider dealing case. He was representing the investors who were on the wrong side of the deal. Poor bugger was overjoyed to have beaten me, but the amount he won for them was nominal. I was just happy in the knowledge I had Lakeswood."

  I reeled with the information. "So at twenty-four years old, Andy could've bought this house?"

  He nodded warily. "He joined the family firm at twenty-two, so that his dad could semi-retire. It's one of the biggest law firms in the UK; they're all loaded. I heard on the grapevine he bought Yester Manor, but I've never been there. Is it nice?"

  I shrugged, "No idea."

  His eyes widened. "You've not seen it?" I shook my head, too despondent to say anything. Aaron drew in a breath. "I'd bette
r go, my mum's coming to stay for a couple of days. She'll be here soon, so I'd better be there to meet her."

  "Sure, well, thanks for the explanation," I muttered. I followed him down to the door. He just gave me his sphinx-like smile as he said goodbye.

  When he'd gone, I made another drink and sat down to think about his revelations. He'd painted Andy in a light I'd never even thought of before, but Andy's constant deflection regarding where he lived and other aspects of his life began to make sense. He either expected me to be a gold digger, or he'd decided that I wasn't proper girlfriend material and was determined to have me as a no-strings fuck-buddy, hence why he was being secretive. I went over and over the problem in my mind, driving myself nuts. I decided to get some fresh air and explore the gardens in daylight, mainly to take my mind off things.

  Gardens are never fantastic in winter, but although the formal gardens were a bit bare, the hedging which separated the space into rooms gave it an undeniable structure. Idly, I wondered if it was Jed or Marcus who was the talent behind it. Aaron hadn't struck me as being a garden-lover. As soon as I stepped out of the formal area and across the lawn into the woods, I felt my body relax. The smells and sounds of the forest always had that effect. I felt my hands loosen and my shoulders drop. I smiled at the idea that from the following day, I'd be paid to walk there twice a day. I really had landed on my feet.

  I plotted out a decent walk for the dogs, so that I'd take them around the whole perimeter. I reasoned that they'd need plenty of exercise, being so large. With daylight failing, I headed back to the flat.

  Andy had tried to call, I'd left my phone indoors, but I could see from the display that he'd phoned about quarter past three. I debated whether or not to call him back, but wracked with indecision, decided to have a hot bath instead.

  My problem was that I had feelings for him; every time I pictured his beautiful face, my heart lurched. Every time he touched me, my body responded to his. Knowing I was being treated like a dirty secret or a short-term lover made me want to guard myself from him. If I fell any further in love, I'd be torn to pieces when he moved on to someone more suitable. As I lay in the bath, luxuriating in the sensation after years of only showers, I stared at my accursed scars and allowed a few, fat tears to fall.

  I didn't call him, and he didn't try again that evening. I needed to avoid him while in the midst of a pity party. I steeled myself to keep things casual and not allow myself to fall too deep. I would constantly remind myself that I wasn't the girl for him. Instead, I spent the evening researching raw meat diets for dogs. If the pups would be spoilt, I'd at least make sure they were healthy and spoilt.

  My first day went quite well. I arrived in the kitchen at quarter to eight to find Bruno and Roxy waiting patiently. Gerry showed me where their meat was kept and watched as I added an egg and a grated carrot to their bowls, which they loved. "Who's been looking after them?" I asked while the pair were wolfing down their breakfast. Gerry had kindly made me a latte, which I was enjoying.

  "I've been feeding them and either Jed or Marcus has been walking them. Marcus doesn't really enjoy the outdoors, so they've only been getting five minutes round the garden. It's not enough for them really. Would you like some breakfast?"

  I shook my head. "I'm gonna take them out for an hour, then I'm meeting with Marcus to sort out paperwork."

  The dogs loved the woods, and they bounded around happily, sniffing trees, checking out fox holes and finding sticks. They were clearly quite well-trained, as their recall was good and they could both fetch when I threw bits of branch for them. I cleaned them off in the boot room and watched as they settled into their beds for a nap, both a bit worn out.

  Marcus was in his office, working on his computer when I arrived. He smiled widely, especially when he realised I was carrying two lattes, one of which was his. “Settled in OK?” he enquired.

  “Great thanks. The dogs have already been out and are fast asleep. They’re really well-behaved,” I told him. He pulled a face.

  “Are they? Little sods always seem to run away whenever I’ve walked them. I ended up having to keep them on the lead. I don’t have time to go chasing round the gardens looking for them.”

  “So what tasks would you like me to do when they’re asleep?” I asked. I knew they’d be asleep for at least a couple of hours.

  He shrugged, “Just make sure their bedding’s clean, they’re clean, claws kept short, that kind of thing. As long as they’re fed, walked and looked after, your time is your own.”

  “I see,” I said, unsure if he realised just how much well-walked dogs slept. We spent the next ten minutes signing my contract of employment and sorting out my pay details.

  “Aaron mentioned that you needed some suitable bedding. We have plenty in the laundry store if you’d like to choose some,” Marcus ventured. I wondered what else Aaron had told him about his visit to my flat.

  “That’d be great, if it’s not too much trouble.”

  “None at all. Come on, I’ll show you where it is and help you carry it back.” I followed him out of the room and back out into the hall. He led me up the magnificent staircase, and then down a wide corridor, which was decorated in identical colours to the downstairs. All the doors seemed the same, but Marcus opened one about halfway down that proved to be a storeroom filled with shelves of various linens and duvets.

  “The bed in your room is a kingsize, so you want to choose one from this shelf,” he said, gesturing to the third shelf up. “I’d suggest the pale grey with a charcoal tweed runner.” He pulled out a dove grey set.

  “It’s lovely,” I breathed, “but it’s only for me, I don’t need anything posh.”

  “It’s only cotton,” he said, seemingly a bit affronted. “Your home should always be a visual feast. It’s good for the soul to be surrounded by beautiful things. Aaron said that your bedding was too small and was pink. It jarred with the rest of the space.”

  I momentarily panicked, concerned that Marcus thought that Aaron had been in my room for less innocent reasons. “He wasn’t there to look at my bed,” I squawked. “He was there to explain why he was a bit argumentative with my fella.”

  “Yeah, he told me he bumped into Drew McCarthy, revealing that he was actually the one who beat Drew to Lakeswood. I’d have loved to have been a fly on the wall for that one.” Marcus grinned a bit too widely at the thought.

  “You know him too?” I asked.

  “Oh yes. I went to Eltham College too. Everyone knew the McCarthys. I thought Drew was gonna end up with that stuck-up bitch. She made Shari seem like a sweet, thoughtful angel.”

  “I gather nobody liked Charlotte. Well, I’ve only met Rupert, but he called her the Horror Bitch,” I confided. “Why doesn’t anyone like Shari?”

  He leaned in to whisper conspiratorially, “Because she’s as common as muck, but sticks her nose in the air. She’s away for a few days because Aaron’s mum came to stay and can’t get along with her. Says she’s only with Aaron because of his money. I’d agree, but Aaron can’t see it.”

  “So why don’t you like Andy?” I wanted Marcus’s take on it.

  “I didn’t dislike Drew, I just thought he was a bit of a snob. You had to be one of the rich kids to be in his crowd. Aaron and I weren’t, so we were excluded. My parents scraped to send me there, and Aaron was there on a scholarship, so we couldn’t join in with all the school trips and parties. It set some of us apart.” He paused. “Aaron got his own back though. Success is always the best revenge.”

  “What about you?” I asked. “How did you come to manage his estate?”

  Marcus pulled the bedding set off the shelf and started loading it into my arms. “I did interior design at college, but to be honest, I didn’t have the drive to set up a practice or anything like that. I was drifting a little aimlessly really. When Aaron bought this place, he needed someone to do it up and run it. He’s too useless to figure out how to decorate or organise anything, so he asked me to do it, plus it lea
ves me plenty of free time for my other interests.”

  “The house is perfect. You’re very talented,” I said. He smiled widely before pulling an enormous duvet off the shelf.

  “Thank you. Now, shall we go sort out this bed of yours?”

  The two of us made short work of changing my bed. Marcus had shown me how to dress the end of the duvet with the tweed blanket, making sure that the oversized buttons sat on the outside and in a straight line. It looked really classy, like something from an interiors magazine. It would also save me having to buy a set from my paycheck, so I was doubly delighted. I think Marcus was pleased to see me so happy, blowing me a kiss before wandering off back to his office to sort out a curtain order that he said was overdue.

  I went back to the kitchen to check on the dogs. An older lady was seated at the kitchen island peeling sprouts while talking ten to the dozen at Gerry. They both stopped when I walked in. “Maggie, this is Sally, the dog nanny,” said Gerry. “This is Maggie, Aaron’s Mum.” I held out my hand.

  “Delighted to meet you,” I told her. She quickly wiped hers on her skirt before shaking mine.

  “Lovely to meet you too dear. I’m so pleased that the babies are being properly looked after again. Gerry told me you’re an expert in how to feed them.”

  "I'm a veterinary nurse," I told her, "so I've studied animal nutrition."

  "Super," she exclaimed, "I just hope you can cope with living with all these men. Gerry here's a darling, but Marcus is a bit of a fusspot. Keeps sending cleaners in to make my bed and stuff, as if I can't make my own bed. Been doing it for sixty-odd years."

  "But do you get the cushions straight?" Gerry interjected. Maggie laughed.

  "Probably not, but life's too short to straighten cushions." She turned to me, "If you're going out on a walk this afternoon, I might join you. I quite enjoy a stroll round the woods. It'd have to be after Bargain Hunt though, I do like to watch that."

  I liked her immediately. She was a little out of place in the silent and intimidating house, being rather loud, a little common and very smiley. I discovered that she'd moved down to Sussex after retiring from her sales position at Marks and Spencer, only visiting Aaron for a couple of days each month “for a mini-break.” I was interrupted by Roxy waking up and padding into the kitchen to nuzzle Maggie. Bruno followed soon after, yawning widely.