“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

what is

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

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?”

my eyes

his words. “So, you want me to…. what? Be a

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

crawl through my stomach. “Is this

I have to take Michael’s feelings into consideration. Despite Marcie’s remarks to the contrary, I am not

must speak volumes. He sucks in a smile. “Yes, Michael did 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 other woman had finally succeeded where

“A

his brows, laughter dancing in

what am I watching for,

other threats to

that leaves me thinking of the proverbial swan; all calm grace above

“James….”

me more than that. It

of you. Other people, myself included, will

sort of

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

you want? For me to report what

all

I

If you hit

“Which other people?

“Michael for one….”

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