Harriet's Arrangement

Never the twain shall meet?

"Well done, Harriet," Malcolm crooned, "We don't want you forgetting your manners. All I want to do is talk."

"What is going on here?" Johnny asked abruptly, "Malcolm where is Kieran? And Harriet, why are you calling Malcolm Sir?" His tone was incredulous – not quite mocking, but it might as well have been for the shame she felt.

"Johnny, I suggest you don't concern yourself with matters that are beyond you. Why don't you leave Harriet and I to have a little... chat?" Malcolm said, without taking his eyes off Harriet, who was refusing to bring hers up to his.

"I don't think so, Malcolm," Johnny said, "I suggest you explain what's going on. Now." His tone this time snapped Malcolm's attention back to him and Harriet peaked up at the pair of them.

"Kieran is fine, Johnny," Malcolm said icily, "I don't know why you're involved at all."

"Because you've stormed into a conference you were asked not to be at, interrupted my free time with my colleague – and quite clearly upset and intimidated said colleague!" Johnny said, his voice rising ever so slightly and attracting the attention of the next table along, "I'm not leaving you alone with Harriet."

Malcolm regarded him for a second, almost as if he was sizing him up. "Johnny..." he said, keeping his voice low and quiet, "I need to speak to Harriet. Harriet will understand the importance of that happening in private. Kieran was the only person I anticipated being a problem in this instance, and so have occupied him elsewhere. Why do you have to complicate everything, Harriet?"

She blinked at his irritation and looked up. She opened her mouth to speak, but he waved an impatient hand to silence her. "Fine. If you're going to refuse to speak to me alone, we'll do this right here," he said, "You –"

"Sir," she said, loud enough to stop him, "We can go somewhere more private."

"Oh, no Harriet, you had your chance. And don't you dare interrupt me," he said, his voice low and threatening. He sat down next to Johnny and opposite Harriet, anger bubbling behind his eyes. "I understand, Harriet, that you want whatever it was between us to be over. I understand that I took it too far."

He paused momentarily and after a glance at Johnny, who was staring open-mouthed again, she dared to speak. "There was never anything between us, Sir," she said quietly and carefully, "You manipulated and as good as blackmailed me into an arrangement that I didn't want to be in. You took it too far from the moment you told me know one else was to know of what was happening or else my job was in jeopardy, never mind everything that followed. I understand – or rather I am giving you the benefit of the doubt in thinking that you didn't really mean for it to get to where it got to, and that's why I walked away and left it as soon as I could. I have everything I need to take it to places that you really don't want it to go. And you know that. So why are you here?"

He stared at her for a very long time and for a moment, she thought he might try and slap her again. But the fire died away. "I'm here, Harriet, because I need what you say we didn't have. And I think you need it too. But you know there are some things we need to get straight first. But once we're through with that, I'd like to talk about it."

She blinked. And then she looked down at her phone as it began to buzz. She saw Tom's name flash up, and it vibrated loudly as he called her. She hesitated before answering the call, not daring to look for the anger that she knew would flash across Malcolm's face again.

"Hattie?"

"Hi," she said quietly, "Thank you for calling. I'm ok. I'm sorry, I panicked. Johnny is here –"

"Where is Malcolm?" Tom asked sharply.

"Across the table," she said, "But Johnny is here too. Tom, I –"