Cross the Line

Part Two

                “So what would you do?” Naomi leaned back in her chair and looked at her giggling friend; Emma was struggling to keep her facial expressions under control. The pub was busy and they were already attracting a lot of attention.  “A strange naked man in your friend’s shower. How exactly would you have dealt with this?”

Emma took a deep breath, “well if he was as fit as you describe, then I’d have hung around and asked a few more pertinent questions!”

Naomi shook her head, “no chance.” She lifted her glass of wine and took a hearty slug, “the man was rude...”

                “And? What aren’t you telling me?”

Naomi was travelling on unsteady seas to even think about Conor O’Neill, and it took her back to a sad time of her life. Maisy had started school on the same day as her when they were four. They’d been inseparable. The Fisher family had a large house in the centre of town, Simon and Maisy’s father was a barrister in the City, their mother ran the Women’s Institute, they were the family that had everything. From her little house on the council estate across town she’d been so envious, and so in awe of them. Where Naomi was quiet, a little introverted, Maisy was extrovert, dominating even, they’d got into trouble SO many times at her hands, but Naomi loved her for that recklessness, that vibrancy. She remembered the infatuation that Maisy had on her brother’s friend Conor.  She’d heard every detail about him for months and months, though she had never met him.

It had been three o’clock in the morning when Maisy had called her one day to say that her infatuation had taken a giant step forward at a party that evening. She told Naomi that she’d just left Conor’s bed after a wild night, and that she didn’t just like him now, this was love. It had been the last relationship she’d had...

It was too painful to discuss those times, so she concentrated on what she did know, “He’s a manipulating man Em, he does what he likes. I mean what self respecting middle aged man can come and work for someone at the drop of a hat? He must come from a money family and is happy to just milk that as much as he can.”

Emma shook her head, “you’re such a hard woman to please. Simon is hardly any different really! Look, he’s going to be your boss, so you may as well get used to him...a fractured pelvis sounds like a LONG time away from work.”

Naomi nodded, “poor Simon!”

The next morning she arrived at work early, needing time to settle things and prepare to meet this man again. She was the sort of person who was better if forewarned, prepared and ready for any eventuality. Being early to work was part of her plan, from her central position at her desk she could both observe and manage everything that fell into her path with greater ease. But as she inserted the key into the lock of the office door, she gasped finding it open.

                “He’s here....” she whispered to no one in particular. The devastation at being usurped, outdone was huge, suddenly today was looking less likely at unfolding how she predicted, and far more at being torture!

Taking a deep breath she pushed open the door, to see Conor lounging in HER chair, feet swung up on the edge of HER desk, talking into the phone. He raised an eyebrow in acknowledgement before he continued a conversation which seemed to be about a golf match.

Naomi felt as though the word was about to implode around her. This was her worst possible scenario, she was known to be a control freak and this was against everything she needed and desired to maintain that control. Shaking her head knowingly, she stormed into the kitchen and filled the percolator; she needed coffee, the stronger the better! She was watching the coffee drip into the jug, when the room darkened; she turned to see Conor lounging in the doorway, blocking the light from the office behind him.