Choosing Her Lover

“Us?”

“Charlotte, myself and Michael.”

“Right, so….?

“I’ve been quite impressed with your performance….”

Really?

“Really?”

“Yes, really. I liked the way you dealt the situation out on the street the other day, and Ben in the downstairs lobby; even, dare I say it, the situation when Ben dragged you to our home, although I’ll admit, that’s with the benefit of hindsight.”

I flush. “You didn’t seem very impressed at the time.”

He rolls his eyes ceiling-ward. “Yes, I’ve never apologised for that, have I….”

“I don’t think you have a lot to apologise for, Sir. I feel terrible about it….”

“Well, get over it. It’s in the past. I want to talk about where we go from here. It seems to me that you handle yourself rather well in awkward situations and that being the case, I have a favour to ask of you.”

What’s he talking about?

“Right…. what is this favour?”

Perhaps I look suspicious. For a moment, he meets my eyes, his gaze level, expressionless; then he says, “Don’t misunderstand my motives, Kirstie. I’m not about to go dipping my nib in the office ink. It would be horribly unprofessional of me, and also, regardless of what Ben might think, I’m a married man.”

I flush. “I didn’t mean that at all.”

“Good. But for the avoidance of doubt….”

to change the

what is

in a key position. You see everyone who comes in or out of the building; workers, visitors, delivery men, couriers.… everyone. They all must go by you. You also see a lot of what passes by the building or happens in front of it. You spotted Ben the other day as he was crossing the road.” He pauses, taking a long swig

Choosing his words?

want you to do what you already do naturally and as part of your job, but do it deliberately and report back to

“To you?”

me. You will be my eyes and

you want me to…. what?

That would imply that I’m asking you to do something underhand or illegal and that’s not it at all. Really, all I’m asking you to do is something which comes easily to you, which is to watch the people around us for any kind of threat. I think you are a ‘people-person’, good at assessing them, weighing them up, gauging their intent. That’s perfect in any case in the work you are doing. But now, it will

of suspicion crawl through my stomach. “Is

of thing myself rather easily, even when I have to take Michael’s feelings into consideration. Despite Marcie’s remarks to the contrary, I am not so far over the hill that I can’t handle a

has been trying to get her claws into Michael for years. It must have

laugh. “A

brows, laughter dancing

am I watching for,

to

me clutches. There is a cool smoothness to his words that leaves me thinking of the proverbial swan; all calm grace above water, frenzied activity

“James….”

I think you have to tell me more than that. It sounds as though you’re asking

you. Other people, myself included, will deal with

sort of

over his features. “I wish I could answer that, but I can’t. In short, I want you to watch for anything that….” He holds up both

me to report

all

do I make these

been installed. If you hit that alarm, Kirstie, it will come directly to

“Which other people?

“Michael for one….”