Choosing Her Lover

Chapter 34

“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….”

change

is

man the lobby desk right through the day. You are 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,

Choosing his words?

part

“To you?”

me. You will be my

my coffee, digesting his words. “So, you want me to…. what? Be a spy

a spy. 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

my stomach. “Is this just

feelings into consideration. Despite Marcie’s remarks

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 other woman had finally succeeded where

“A woman

his brows, laughter dancing in

am I watching

are…. other threats to

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

“James….”

tell me more than that. It sounds as though you’re asking me to get involved

people, myself included, will

What sort of

could answer that, but I can’t. In short, I want you to watch for anything that….” He holds up

want? For me to report what I

all

do I make

you will find a second panic button has been installed. If you hit that alarm, Kirstie, it will come directly to my phone,

“Which other people?

“Michael for one….”

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