“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
what is
couriers.… everyone. They all must go by you. You also see a lot of
Choosing his words?
part of your job, but
“To you?”
You will be my
sip my coffee, digesting his words. “So, you want me to…. what? Be a spy
watch the people around us for any kind of threat.
crawl through my stomach. “Is this
even when I have to take Michael’s feelings into consideration.
tell me what Marcie said, and it doesn’t faze me. That female has been trying to get her claws into Michael for years. It must have come as a nasty shock to her to realise that some
“A
his brows, laughter
what am I watching for,
are…. other threats to Charlotte,
to his words that leaves me thinking of the proverbial swan; all calm grace above water, frenzied activity down below,
“James….”
to tell me more than that. It sounds as though
not asking that of you. Other people, myself included, will deal
sort
short, I want you to watch for anything that….” He holds up
me to
all I’m
I make
hit that alarm, Kirstie, it
“Which other people?
“Michael for one….”
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