Obsession (Dark!AndyBarber AU)

-20-

Andy had watched Fliss as she'd walked home that evening, parked up in his usual spot where she wouldn't see him, watching as she'd braved the cold and hugged herself, battling the chilly wind while heading towards the front entrance. 

He looked across at the passenger seat, her red scarf set in a crumpled heap on it. The smell of her perfume still embedded into the fabric. 

The guilt over what had happened earlier was beginning to eat away at him. He hadn't meant to grab her that hard, he'd seen the look in her eyes. 

She had been scared of him. 

Andy knew what he'd done, and he knew that she probably wouldn't respond to him if he were to text her. She'd avoided him all afternoon until he'd left. As he'd looked at her, he noticed that she'd kept her head down, focusing (or pretending to) on the computer screen. 

She couldn't know. 

Not yet. 

But he needed to make things right. 

Andy told himself that he couldn't afford to fuck things up for them this early. 

They had a connection. He'd never felt this way even with his wife, and he'd been married to the woman for almost 17 years. 

"Fuck". He muttered and started the engine, once he'd seen Fliss go in. 

The reason he watched her like he did was not because she occupied his every waking moment - but he needed to make sure that she got home ok. 

To know she was safe and well within the walls of her apartment put his mind to rest, however tonight he wouldn't be sleeping as well as he had been. 

**

"Hiiiii!" Steph called as Fliss closed the door and took off her coat. "Had a good day today?" 

Fliss nodded as she walked in. "It was ok, think I pissed off my boss though..." 

"Oh? What happened?" Steph now asked, leaning against the kitchen counter with a frown. "Didn't fuck up the diary, did you?" 

Fliss laughed lightly to herself. "No, no - that's still in good order. No, I...I made the wrong decision, and I think that by the end of this week I may not have a job". 

"Shiiiiit, you really piss him off that much?" 

"I don't know, but the look on his face? I've never seen him look like that before". She explained. "I was looking for a file that one of the other attorney's had asked for me to get, and I found something I shouldn't have. Then he walked in and saw me with it..." 

"Woah, what was it? Some kinda kinky sex toy? nudes? Dick pics!" 

Fliss rolled her eyes. "No. Nothing like that. But it was personal, not sexual - but he was so calm about it, too calm, almost to the point where I was a little scared that he'd do something out of character. But he didn't...now I feel bad because I've invaded his privacy..." 

"But you didn't mean to, did you just stumble across it?" 

"Yeah, in some ways. I was looking in a drawer" 

"Ah - yeah I understand, but where else would he have put a file? You've only been at this job for what? Just a couple of months? You're still learning". Steph tried to justify the situation. 

Fliss looked at her. "I should've checked his 'out' tray, but I didn't. Just the 'in' tray". 

By now she was freaking out. She wouldn't be surprised if Andy called her into the office tomorrow and told her that he was letting her go. "I have to be careful. Obviously, we deal with confidentiality and..." 

"Fliss, chill - look, let him sleep on it. I'm sure that come tomorrow he'll be ok and will understand that it was just a mistake". Steph put a comforting arm around her. "But is he sexy when he's angry?" 

"That's beside the point" She smirked and moved to the fridge to get some juice. "I think I need to apologise tomorrow. I just don't want things to be tense or awkward considering that I'm his PA". 

Steph nodded. "Understandable, or you could show him your boobs, and all will be forgiven". 

Fliss wasn't about to admit that Andy had seen more than just her breasts. 

"I suppose that'll be the last option. You know me though, I just wanna please people and not cause trouble". 

"And you're not causing trouble. Now come on, I've made a lasagne and you're gonna eat it, and you're gonna worship me because it's the only thing I can make, we can open some wine and not get drunk because you don't wanna piss off hot boss tomorrow either". 

She now laughed. "Ok fine - sounds good to me". 

Lying in bed sometime later, Fliss couldn't sleep, knowing that she would have everything on her mind until she actually text Andy to apologise. 

Hey, I'm so sorry about earlier. I really didn't mean to offend you or intend to snoop in anyway. It's your privacy, and I've invaded it without intending to. I hope you understand. F x 

She lay there, the wait to see whether he'd reply being a little painful and feeling too long in her mind. 

Finally, her phone sounded, and she grabbed it. 

I should apologise for how I acted. If I hurt you, I'm sorry. I never meant to. I'll tell you about stuff in good time, but for the moment I can't. Not because I can't trust you, but because it's something I'm still dealing with. 

I know you would never intentionally snoop. It's not in your nature. Let's just forget about it for now and carry on. A x 

That put her mind at ease, however there was now the subject of her mother and how she'd reacted when she'd told her about who she was working for. 

Picking up the phone, she called her number, Diane now answering brightly. "Hey sweetie, you ok?" 

"Yeah, erm, I thought I might come and see you and dad this weekend, if you're in of course? Just been missing you guys a lot lately". 

"Of course!" Her mother's voice now lit up even more. "When were you thinking". 

"How does Saturday sound?" 

"Perfect, see you then, around 2pm?" 

"I'll have coffee ready"

And Fliss would be ready too. Ready to get some answers from her parents, particularly her mother, if any.