FOUR
Lewis was nowhere to be seen and she began to doubt her sanity when she saw him in the alcove of the opposite block, waving her over. Her heart lurched again and she walked quickly to meet him.
‘You’re a life saver, Emma!’ he beamed as she handed him the file.
‘No worries,’ she replied, tucking her windswept hair behind her ear, ‘like you say I needed a break, I’ve been staring at that screen for an hour now’.
He tutted and shook his head in a mock scold. ‘Health and safety, young lady - breaks every 15 minutes, vary your focal length, blah blah. ‘ He chuckled ‘It’s crap isn’t it, you’d get nothing done if you stopped work four times an hour’.
‘Tell me about it!’ she exclaimed. ‘Anyway, as if Royle would let us walk around all the time and..,’ she stopped short, remembering that despite everything that she felt and her impossible dream, Lewis was still management and she shouldn’t really feel this easy with him. ‘Well he’s quite strict, I’m not sure I should be down here talking to you actually’. She glanced up at her window expecting her boss to be stood there glaring down at her and tapping his wristwatch.
He seemed to pick up on her wariness. ‘Hey, relax. I can handle Charles. I told him I’d be borrowing one his “angels” to show me around and help me get sorted and he wasn’t too fussed’. He put inverted commas round the word with two fingers of each hand and grinned at her.
She softened and smiled back. ‘Well, ok then, as long as I’m not going to get the boot or anything just because you can’t find the photocopier!’
‘No way!’ He opened the door and ushered her through with a half bow. She jumped slightly again when his hand touched her lower back but it was nothing like the skin on skin contact of before.
* * *
Emma spent an hour in the company of Lewis Anderson, giving him the grand tour. Within five minutes, her initial caution had dissipated and they chatted like old friends, finding an amazing amount of common ground; restaurants, music, films, tennis. As the time passed, she was struck by how well he seemed to know her and the ease with which they could talk. She was drawn further toward him and there was no awkwardness; he was a natural talker with a devilish sense of humour and his brilliant blue eyes sparkled when he smiled - which he did a lot. Emma tried to forget she was married and deliberately kept her left hand out of view, even though she knew he’d probably already knew – isn’t that what all men looked for, that symbol of someone else’s property?
She took him to car park admin to get a pass for the management car park. It wasn’t an excuse to get her downstairs, she rebuked her imagination and then immediately felt a little disappointed by this realisation. She watched him fill the form in and noted first his neat handwriting, then his manicured fingernails and finally that he had a new Jaguar X type.
She took him to Security to have his photograph taken for his ID pass, smirking as he pulled faces when the photographer adjusted the camera.
Finally, she showed him where the goods department and mail room were, dropping Royle’s envelopes into the franking pile. She wiped her hand on her skirt, wondering why all bosses couldn’t be like Lewis.
‘Thanks a million for helping me like this, Emma’ he said as they left the noise and bustle of the mail room behind them, ‘I’ve really enjoyed chatting with you and appreciate your time’.
Time!
She checked her watch. ‘Shit, I’ve been nearly an hour!’ she cried, ‘Royle will do his nut!’.
‘Hey I told you, no worries ok?’ Lewis reassured her, grabbing her hand as she turned to hurry away. She didn’t jump this time, she was getting used to his touches, but it didn’t make it any less pleasant.
‘If he gives you any grief then tell him it was my fault, but he should be a pussy cat. I’ve known him a good few years and know how to play him. You let him think you agree with everything he says; make him feel big, but show him he’s wrong in subtle ways. Often if you let him think it was his idea in the first place, even when he knows it was yours, he’s really grateful! If that’s not too confusing.’
Emma frowned, then raised her eyebrows and laughed. ‘Ok, as long as it works!’
‘Yeah, it has up to now. It allows me to get away with a lot of stuff others get a bollocking for.’ He winked.
‘Can I have my hand back, now?’ she grinned.
He looked down at Emma’s wrist. ‘Sorry’ he said, gently letting go.
Her gaze followed his, then looked up at him, and their eyes met.
‘Don’t be,’ she replied, ‘it’s been ages since I was touched at work!’
What was she saying? Where was all this brazenness suddenly coming from? It was as if she was drawing a new confidence from being with this near stranger.
If he looked embarrassed he never showed it. Instead he just cracked another broad grin replying, ‘Well I don’t usually start on my first day, I usually give myself a week to settle in before groping my colleagues.’
They both laughed. With any other man, there might have been a clumsiness, but Emma felt none. It was so comfortable. She couldn’t even remember being this natural with Simon.
The thought of her husband and what she was doing here; flirting and laughing with a man who, let’s face it, was sex-on-legs suddenly shattered the little fantasy in which she’d been indulging for the last half hour.
‘I need to get back’ she said, breaking free from his eyes, ‘I’ve still got a lot to do before I finish tonight.’
‘Ok, no problem’ he replied, frowning at her sudden change in mood. ‘But don’t worry, I know what you’re thinking and it’s fine.’
She cocked her head on one side ‘Know what?’
‘You’re married. You’ve been having a laugh with me but you feel guilty now. Don’t worry about it.’ He suddenly looked nervous, as if he’d overstepped some mark.
Emma was flustered again, and felt like she did earlier on the phone. Her new-found confidence had deserted her, but she felt a little annoyed instead.
‘How do you know I feel guilty?’ she questioned, a little too sharply.
Lewis held his hands up, took a step back and gave a short anxious laugh. ‘Hey easy, tiger! I think the way you’re defending yourself tells me I’m right! I saw your wedding ring when I shook your hand this morning, so knew you were married. Then Royle called you ‘Mrs Wallace’ and that answered my last question. I just wondered if you’d feel bad about flirting with me’.
‘I have not been flirting!’ Emma lied.
Lewis just raised his eyebrows.
Emma couldn’t keep up her faux annoyance any longer. I shouldn’t really shout at Management, despite what I feel. She smiled and dropped her head, embarrassed.
‘OK… maybe I was a little…’
He laughed, and in a stage whisper replied ‘Don’t worry – so was I’. He grinned his broad, heart-melting smile again.
She blushed, embarrassed at the way she felt, embarrassed at being caught out and embarrassed that he was flirting with her. But delighted, all the same.
‘So what was the question you had, then?’ she asked him.
Now it was his turn to look a little flustered ‘Question?’
‘You said when you heard my name it answered your last question. What question? The ring told you I was married,’ she waggled her finger at him and winked, ‘so what did my name tell you?’
He looked a little sheepish and stared at his shoes. He blinked, swallowed and took a deep breath. ‘Look, this is really embarrassing and I owe you an explanation. I didn’t want to do it yet, but I need to do it properly. This has happened quicker than I thought it would. Can I talk to you tomorrow?’
How mysterious. She was taken aback and felt a mixture of nervousness and excitement. ‘Er.. why?’
He sighed and scratched the back of his head. ‘Look, I know you don’t know me and I can’t expect anything from you now except maybe a feeling of bemusement, let alone trust,’ he gabbled, ‘but please - try and trust me. Tomorrow I’ll explain why I’m here and why we’re having this conversation.’ He sighed again ‘You probably think I’m a bloody nutter now, but I’ll try and prove otherwise if you’ll let me. Honest’.
Emma’s mouth gaped and then snapped shut again ‘Will I be scared?’ she said, randomly.
‘God I hope not, I really do’ he replied taking her hand again, ‘the last thing I wanted was for you to be scared’.
How could her day have taken such a weird route? She had started at a low on the bus, had swung via curiosity when Lewis walked in, dwelled for a while in doubt, taken a long drive into fantasy and now, here she was up a cul-de-sac with what seemed like lunacy. She knew she shouldn’t trust this total stranger, had no reason on earth to even consider believing anything he said, but despite him saying what amounted to the weirdest things anyone had ever said to her, she didn’t feel any fear. Instinct told her there was nothing to be scared of. She knew his name, his car, his aftershave and little else, but here she was about to agree to his crazy terms.
‘The last thing you..?’ she began.
‘Tomorrow. Promise’ he interrupted.
‘Ok then. I’ll wait’ she said solemnly, her head buzzing. ‘But it better be good’ she added.
Lewis patted her hand, closed his eyes and breathed a sigh of relief. ‘Thank you Emma. I’ll see you tomorrow’. With this astonishing brevity, he turned and headed for the double doors that led to the car park, leaving a shell-shocked Emma staring after him.
The word ‘Wait’ was on her lips but her throat dried and it remained unsaid.
What the hell was all that about?! Cocked what up? What question did he have? He didn’t want me to be scared? Why? Questions tumbled round her head as she headed back to the lifts. Lewis had gone from being totally gorgeous, great company, smart and composed to a dithering wreck in the space of a minute. Granted, he was still a gorgeously hunky dithering wreck but nonetheless, something had spooked him. She punched the lift button. It all started with me being married. He seemed to go to pieces. But that’s daft - he knew that when he met me. Dazed, she got out on the third floor and almost walked into HR before shaking her head clear and retracing her steps. Not trusting herself in the lift, she took the fire escape down a flight and back to her level.
There was no way she could concentrate for the rest of the afternoon now after her weird encounter with Lewis. She couldn’t operate lift buttons let alone a calculator. It was after 4pm now so she could flexi-finish, even though she usually worked another for two hours. She’d go home early and muse some more on the bus.
As she entered the office and passed Royle’s door he called out to her ‘Have you a second, Emma?’
‘If I have I hope he’s better than my first’ she mumbled to herself, completely not in the mood for the dressing down he would undoubtedly give her. The way she felt she’d probably end up losing her job through back-chatting him.
‘Yes?’ she opened brightly, as she entered.
To her surprise he was smiling.
‘How’s Mr Anderson settling in?’ he beamed.
‘Erm. Great’ she answered, thrown by recent events and her boss’s good mood. ‘I showed him Car Park, got his pass done, pointed out the goods room, warehousing, shop floor, canteen – the works.’
‘Excellent! Told him I’d give him one of my top girls to help him find his feet. Brilliant boy, is Lewis, really good to have him aboard. Got a lot of time for him.’
‘I see’ said Emma, still puzzled for the second time in ten minutes. ‘Have you known him long?’
‘Ha-ha yes! He was under me a few years ago.
Lucky you she thought wickedly, biting her lip and nodding.
‘I can spot potential you see’ Royle went on, waving his pen about. ‘Really surprised when he asked to come here, though. Grateful as hell, of course, but I thought he’d prefer Salford. Lots more.. opportunities’ he said with a wink. ‘Being a single man, of course. To say nothing of his skills of course’.
Oh yes, she’d heard of the “opportunities”. Salford was the buzzing, vibrant, flagship site. Product design, software development and marketing were located there. And lots of young female undergraduates.
She hadn’t seen Royle this animated before, and it was a pleasant change. If a little odd.
‘But no, he approached me after Frank retired and asked if he could move.’
Emma’s eyebrows raised. ‘Really? I heard you brought him in yourself.’
‘Nonsense!’ Royle dismissed the notion with a wave. ‘I wouldn’t curb his potential by bringing him to this sleepy backwater!’
Gee thanks! Emma rolled her eyes.
‘No, he phoned me when the vacancy came up and asked if he could be considered. As far as I was concerned there were no other candidates. Still, he must have his reasons for wanting to change locations. But Salford’s loss is Trafford’s gain!’
His own reasons. What were they, then? Would this be part of tomorrow’s agenda? Emma began to feel that impossible feeling starting again. Hoping and controlling your own destiny. Surely not?
‘Great!’ she exclaimed ‘That’s good for us, yeah?’
‘Indeed, Mrs Wallace indeed! Lewis’s drive will be an example to you all!’
‘Great!’ she repeated and a silence fell between them.
Royle’s manner changed as quickly as it began with a short embarrassed cough, as if he’d been caught wearing his wife’s underwear and was pretending it was normal.
‘Well, yes thank you for your time and assistance sorting Mr Anderson out. I’m sure he’s very appreciative.’
Me too. ‘You’re welcome Mr Royle’ she replied, resisting the urge to curtsey.
‘Ok then, that’s all’ he said dismissively, returning to the paperwork on his desk.
Emma walked out, passed Lewis’s desk and along the side of the other girls’ cubicles. Jane, Maggie and Elaine were all staring at her, open-mouthed as she did.
Did they know where she’d been? How much more?
She flopped back in her seat, the gathering gloom revealing dark shapes beyond her window. That was where her weird little adventure had started just over an hour ago but now she couldn’t see anything, especially hunky men. Her mind was still in freefall and the last thing she wanted right now was a Spanish Inquisition from her friends. Hopefully she’d be able to slip away saying she had one of her migraines.
Royle’s door slammed as he headed out towards the toilet blocks.
Did they know where she’d been?! Of course they did.
There was a noise of rapidly scraping furniture and clicking heels. Emma cringed as her colleagues forced their way into her workspace in an untidy heap
‘You lucky bitch!’ exclaimed Jane, giggling
‘We know where you’ve been for the last half an hour!’ added Maggie, breathless and wide eyed behind her glasses
‘I can’t believe you, Mrs!’ Elaine almost screamed, poking her shoulder with two fingers. ‘We want all the details, everything. You must have found out about his private life, favourites: music, food, sex position! But more importantly..’
‘..is he bloody single?!’ Maggie blurted out. She clamped her hand over her mouth.
All three laughed.
Emma sighed. ‘Girls, girls, have some decorum. Look, I don’t want to be the bearer of bad news but - I’ve got a biffing headache, it’s not really gone from lunch. I know I’m lucky, and I can give you all the detail you want – but right now, conversation is the last thing I want - I’ve just got to get home and get my head down.’ She squeezed her temples for effect.
‘But Emma!’ Jane whined.
‘Thank god!’ breathed Elaine. ‘I thought the bad news was that he had a girlfriend!’
‘Nope he’s single,’ Emma replied, ‘but that’s all you’re getting for today, I’m wiped out with this migraine’.
‘Yes!’ screamed all three, clenching their fists. They linked arms and did a little dance.
It was all Emma could do from bursting into laughter and blowing the whole charade. She hated lying to her friends like this but the fact was, she needed some time alone to collect her thoughts and put her questions in order. She did feel emotionally drained as it was and would be glad of the early finish.
‘Come on, he’ll be back soon you know it doesn’t take him long to have a piss. I’ll see you all tomorrow, if you get in early again we can have a gossip before Royle and Lewis arrive.’
‘Aww.. Em’ Maggie protested.
‘Ok love,’ Jane said, hugging her, ‘you get yourself off and take a few Neurofen. We’ll be in at eight tomorrow won’t we girls?’
‘You bet your arse!’ Elaine shot back ‘We want everything, Em and I mean everything you have got on him!’
Emma laughed despite herself ‘Ok! You may be surprised! See you in the morning!’
‘See you, lucky cow!’ they chorused.
She grabbed her bag, picked up her coat and checked the clock. It was 4.15. Nine hours ago she’d been pissed off, but normal. Now she was strangely happy, but felt weird. She needed answers, she needed rest, but most of all she needed it to be tomorrow.
Chapter 5
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