The Startling Inaccuracy of the First Impression

by A. E. Radley

  After a few more minutes, Jonathan was pulled away and Verity finally managed to get off the phone. She made a few extra notes on her notepad and then tore off the sheets and left her office. She walked around the downstairs flat towards Katie’s office.

  She considered putting the paper in the in tray on Katie’s desk but decided to be helpful and place the papers directly into Jonathan’s file. It hadn’t taken long for Verity to convince Katie to work for her, especially when she mentioned she planned to list an advertisement requesting a full-time personal assistant.

  Adorable, misplaced jealousy flared in Katie, and she happily took the role. She’d been doing ad hoc admin for Verity for months anyway.

  “Ah! She’s finally off the phone!” Katie announced playfully as she entered her office.

  Katie wrapped herself around Verity, who was still filing papers. She felt the cool chill of outdoor clothing through her own, but she didn’t mind at all. She’d never tire of Katie’s affectionate hugs.

  “Are you giving me more work?” Katie whispered in her ear.

  “No, I’m being thoughtful and filing it myself,” Verity replied.

  “Very kind. But I’m pretty sure you’re not supposed to be working on Fridays at all,” Katie teased.

  “That’s true,” she allowed.

  Verity finished the filing and closed the drawer. She stood up and turned around in Katie’s arms. Katie’s cheeks were bright red from the cold and her running around. Verity placed her hands on the cold cheeks to help warm them up.

  “Are you done now?” Katie asked.

  “Yes. I’m sorry, I know I shouldn’t work on Fridays. But if a client calls, I’m probably going to answer the phone. You know me.”

  “It’s fine. As long as you’re happy,” Katie said.

  “Very,” Verity replied, kissing Katie on the nose. “Where’s Callum?”

  “He went upstairs to get a drink and get out of his wet clothes. I told him we’d be up in a minute.”

  “You head up, I’ll turn the lights off and lock up down here,” Verity said.

  Katie pressed a sweet kiss to her lips, followed by another. And then another. The kisses grew in intensity, and Verity felt her back pressed against the filing cabinet.

  They’d made love in Katie’s office before, especially when Verity had admitted it was a fantasy of hers. And before that, when it was still Katie’s bedroom, it had seen a lot of action.

  Since then they had converted the downstairs apartment into an office and moved in together upstairs. Verity’s new office was the previously unused second bedroom. Katie’s old bedroom was now her office and where most of the files were kept. The living room was now a waiting room for when clients wanted to come and visit. The dining room and kitchen remained the same. It wasn’t a conventional office, but Verity loved it.

  Katie leaned back and let out a sigh. “Why do you get more beautiful each day? It’s not fair.”

  Verity burst out laughing. “You talk such nonsense sometimes. Go on, go. I’ll be up in a moment.”

  She playfully slapped Katie’s backside as she left. They’d been together nearly ten months and were still firmly in the honeymoon stage. Verity sometimes wondered if it would ever stop. She hoped it wouldn’t.

  Somehow, they’d created an exceptional life together that worked. Living together, often working together, building a life together.

  She never would have seen it coming when she first heard the motorbike engine roar to life in her front garden.

  She walked around the downstairs apartment, turning off the lights, closing and locking the doors. In the living room, her gaze settled on a new set of hardback books that graced the shelving unit. The room was used sparingly at best, for the occasional client who wanted to come and see Verity in a meeting room environment.

  Katie had found, unboxed, and proudly displayed all of Verity’s old awards on the enormous shelving unit. Following that, she found magazines, books, ornaments, and potted plants to fill the spaces.

  Verity smiled at the addition and turned off the lights.

  Katie had gone out the back and had climbed the metal outdoor steps at the back of the property to get to the upper apartment. Verity was underdressed for that, considering the weather, and so opted for the front door.

  As she climbed the stairs, Callum appeared at the top.

  “Is Mummy coming over for dinner, too?”

  “She is,” Verity replied.

  “When will dinner be?”

  Verity looked at her watch. “An hour, give or take.”

  “Great, bye!” Callum dashed away, presumably to engage in a project that would take well over an hour.

  When she got to the top of the stairs, she deposited her keys in the china bowl beside a similar set that now also resided there. Katie was hanging up Callum’s winter wear and removing her own.

  “If you do that for him, he’ll never do it himself,” Verity reminded her.

  Secretly, she loved how Katie interacted with Callum. She played any and all manner of games with him, she let him do almost anything he wanted, and she never got bored or fed up with him. Verity often wondered if Katie was treating him how she was never treated as a child.

  Crucially, she never spoiled him, and she made sure to talk to him as if he were an adult, reminding him to be polite, mind his language, and think of others.

  “He’s too short to reach the hook,” Katie argued.

  “He has a stepping stool for that very reason,” Verity replied.

  “You’re a hard woman, Miss Forsyth.” Katie shook her head gravely.

  “I know. I don’t know how you manage to live with me.” Verity chuckled and entered the kitchen to begin preparing dinner.

  “Mary sent me a text,” Katie said as she followed her.

  “Oh, is she delayed?” Verity asked.

  “No, she’s still on for dinner. It’s about this Friday. She wonders if we could take Callum overnight?” Katie asked. “She has a hot date.”

  Verity raised an eyebrow. Mary’s separation had come a mere two months after Verity had gotten together with Katie. Verity suspected that Mary seeing her aunt in a happy and loving relationship had shone a very bright light on her own situation.

  “Is it with that man from Devon?” she asked.

  “I think so. She’s being a little coy about it.” Katie leaned against the fridge and continued texting. “Our little girl is growing up.”

  “She’s younger than you,” Verity reminded her.

  She felt the smallest shiver run down her spine. There were nearly twenty years between her and Katie, and sometimes she was reminded of that and found it a little flustering. She pushed the thought to one side and got a saucepan out of the cupboard.

  “I bought some more paint testers,” Katie said. “I’m sorry, I know it’s taking me forever.”

  “Take as long as you like,” Verity said. “I want you to be happy with whatever you decide.”

  “Katie!” Callum called.

  “I better go, the young master awaits,” Katie said. She pressed a kiss to Verity’s cheek before leaving.

  Verity watched her leave and then looked at the paint tester pots on the work surface. When Katie had moved in, they’d decided to redecorate the whole apartment. It felt like her own space, and she wanted to give Katie the chance to change that.

  So far, Katie had spent three months painting little squares of colour onto the walls of the spare bedroom. Katie had never decorated her own space before and found the decisions didn’t come easy.

  Verity had assumed that would be the case, which was why she had suggested that they begin with a hardly used room which could be in a state for as long as Katie needed.

  She put the tester pots back down on the counter. She wondered if one of the new colours would be the winner. If not, there would be a further trip to the store. Verity found she didn’t mind either way.

  They had all the time in the world.

  * * *


  THE END

  Patreon

  I adore publishing. There’s a wonderful thrill that comes from crafting a manuscript and then releasing it to the world. Especially when you are writing woman loving woman characters. I’m blessed to receive messages from readers all over the world who are thrilled to discover characters and scenarios that resemble their lives.

  Books are entertaining escapism, but they are also reinforcement that we are not alone in our struggles. I’m passionate about writing books that people can identify with. Books that are accessible to all and show that love—and acceptance—can be found no matter who you are.

  I’m at the beginning of my writing career and have already published over ten books, have attained best-seller status around the world, and am a Lambda award winner. I have plans to write many, many more novels. However, writing, editing, and marketing books take up a lot of time… and writing full-time is a treadmill-like existence, especially in a very small niche market like mine.

  Don’t get me wrong, I feel very grateful and lucky to be able to live the life I do. But being a full-time author in a small market means never being able to stop and work on developing my writing style, it means rarely having the time or budget to properly market my books, it means immediately picking up the next project the moment the previous has finished.

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  My readers are some of the kindest and most supportive people I have met, and I appreciate every book borrow or purchase. With the added support of Patreon, I hope to be able to develop my writing career in order to become a better author as well as level up my marketing strategy to help my books to reach a wider audience.

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  Reviews

  I sincerely hope you enjoyed reading The Startling Inaccuracy of the First Impression.

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  About the Author

  A.E. Radley had no desire to be a writer but accidentally turned into an award-winning, best-selling author.

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  She has recently given up her marketing career and position as Managing Director in order to make stuff up for a living instead. She claims the similarities are startling.

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  She describes herself as a Wife. Traveller. Tea Drinker. Biscuit Eater. Animal Lover. Master Pragmatist. Annoying Procrastinator. Theme Park Fan. Movie Buff.

  Connect with A.E. Radley

  www.aeradley.com

  Also by A.E. Radley

  Going Up

  A ruthless executive. A destitute woman. Both on the way up.

  Selina Hale is on her way to the top. She's been working towards a boardroom position on the thirteenth floor for her entire career. And no one is going to get in her way. Not her clueless boss, her soon to be ex-wife, and most certainly not the homeless person who has moved into the car park at work.

  Kate Morgan fell through the cracks in a broken support system and found herself destitute. Determined and strong-willed, she's not about to accept help from a mean business woman who can't even remember the names of her own nephews.

  As their lives continue to intertwine, they have no choice but to work together and follow each other on their journey up.

  Also by A.E. Radley

  Bring Holly Home

  She's lost everything. Can one woman bring her home?

  Leading fashion magazine editor Victoria Hastings always thought that her trusted assistant quit her job and abandoned her in Paris.

  A year later, she discovers that Holly Carter was injured in an accident. Brain trauma led to amnesia and Holly cannot remember anything about her life.

  Guilt causes Victoria to bring Holly home and into her life to aid her in recovery. But when guilt turns into something else, what will she do?

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  The Road Ahead

  Two women from very different backgrounds. Forced to share a long journey home. Will they work together or pull each other apart?

  Rebecca is stuck in Portugal. All planes to England are grounded and it's only two days until Christmas.

  Desperate to get home but without money to hire a car; she's stuck. She sees an opportunity when she meets a snobby businesswoman with a broken leg, a platinum credit card, and a desire to get home. A tentative agreement is struck in order reach their destination before the festive deadline. Will they make it, or will they kill each other along the way?

  A heartwarming enemies to lovers romance with a twist. Discover The Road Ahead and make your own journey home today.

  Also by A.E. Radley

  Flight SQA016 - Book One in the Flight Series

  Spurred on by overwhelming and ever-increasing debts, Emily White takes a job working in the first-class cabin on the prestigious commuter route from her home of New York to London with Crown Airlines.

  On board she meets Olivia Lewis, who is a literal high-flying business executive with a weekly commute, a meticulous schedule, and terrible social skills.

  When a personal emergency brings them together, will Emily be able to swallow her pride and accept help from Olivia? And will Olivia be able to prevent herself from saying the wrong thing?

  Other Books by A.E. Radley

  Grounded (Book 2 in the Flight Series)

  Journey’s End (Book 3 in the Flight Series)

  Lost at Sea

  Second Chances

  Mergers & Acquisitions

  A Swedish Christmas Fairy Tale

  Huntress

  The Big Uneasy (Book 2 in the Around the World Series)

  Ice Cream Wars

  Climbing the Ladder

  Death Before Dessert

  Keep Holly Close (Book 2 in the Remember Me Series)

  Copyright © 2020 A.E. Radley

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  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form on by an electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review.

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  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

 

 

 
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