Feelings

Hello

"How's it going, my darling girl? Missing me yet?" His face was a very welcome sight. She'd had the day from hell and his concern and affection, a balm to her shattered nerves. Not that she could tell him. It was because of his kindness that she was suffering at all.

"Well, you know how new jobs are, love. I'm still finding my feet !" She smiled, hoping she looked more convincing than she felt.

Tom had been away for six weeks. She'd missed him every single day.

Before he'd left, he'd spoken to Luke about helping Sophie get another position.

Luke had immediately agreed. He liked Sophie a lot. She was funny and feisty and exactly the kind of woman Tom needed in his life. She wasn't afraid of him or over awed by him. He knew her back story, and he was genuinely pleased it had all worked out. She was almost like the sister he'd never had and he loved it. He wanted to protect her almost as much as Tom. Little did he know he would, unknowingly, put her in the gravest situation of her life.

He had friends throughout the industry, and he happened to know that Arthur Gardiner, a major player in the West End theatre scene, was looking for a new PA. The last one had left in a hurry, and he was struggling to keep things on track.

He'd interviewed few candidates, it seemed that there were few people wanting to relocate to his employ. None of the ones he had seen were quite right for a variety of reasons. Now he was becoming worried, was his reputation THAT bad?

When Sophie had walked in, he knew he was onto a winner. Her air of confidence and her sexy smile. It was all he needed. He watched her as she walked across his large and rather ostentatious office. Her chair was one of a pair located opposite his desk. "To make you more comfortable." He'd said plausibly enough. Deliberately soft, slightly reclining, as she sat she'd felt slightly uncomfortable but dismissed it as nerves.

This was THE A.R. Gardiner, after all. He'd hired her without much preamble. They'd briefly discussed her connection to Tom. It could hardly be denied completely, given Luke had got her there in the first place. She deliberately down played the romance, emphasising the 'friends since childhood' side. Arthur , or Art as he'd asked her to call him, nodded.

"I see." He sat, chin resting on the pyramid of his somewhat chubby fingers. He was a little overweight and a lot over tanned. His fingers adorned with several gold rings including a heavy looking wedding band. His suit strained a little as he sat, she couldn't help but compare him to Tom in a suit and he just didn't match up. Not in any sense. He was slightly bald, his hair still dark and wavy but somehow, greasy rather than shiny. His smiled reminded her of something. Something not very pleasant but she shook all the physical things off. Personality was what counted, right?

She didn't have to fall in love with him, just get along with him for a few hours a day. He nodded, looking her up and down. "Good. That's very good. Can you start tomorrow? I'm desperate!" He'd seemed genuine enough, maybe like an over familiar Uncle at a family party, but nothing sinister and certainly nothing she couldn't handle.

So when Tom asked how it was going, she wasn't entirely lying when she said ok. "We have a charity dinner on Friday night, Art is one of the main sponsors. I'm thinking of asking Luke if he'll be my plus one?"

"What a great idea, darling! He does like a good feed! Make sure he takes some pictures of you. Is it Black Tie?"

She nodded.

"In that case, look in your wardrobe. Under that long black coat you never wear."

"What?"

"Take me with you and look in your wardrobe." He grinned, and she picked up the phone, a frown on her face.