Taming Sophie

C H A P T E R 5

Sophie walked through the reception and smiled at the secretary.

'Shall I tell him you're here?'

'No, that's okay. I have a surprise for him.'

She walked slowly to the office door, it was closed, but she could hear voices. Sophie stopped to listen, she didn't want to interrupt if he had a client. She pushed her ear against the door.

'I'm telling you, it will be the easiest job yet, trust me.'

'What about the guard?'

'He does a patrol around 3am. It gives us exactly 45minutes to get in and get out.'

'45 minutes isn't enough, there is no way we can make that.'

'Of course we can, it only takes 20minutes to get the painting down. Geoff will put a delay on the alarm system tonight. Remember too, after tonight Geoff leaves for Spain, let's make his last job a good one. If the guard wasn't so bloody ritualistic in his patrols, we would have all night. 45 minutes is all we have and I'm sure it's enough. No mess. No fuss. Billy will be waiting outside, if we don't show in time, he will drive away. We cannot screw this up.'

Sophie was terrified. She couldn't go in now, she had heard it all. She would leave, she would just go home, but the secretary had already seen her, she was sure to tell Clive. Sophie walked to the reception and handed her the bag with the tie.

'I forgot, I have to be somewhere, and I don't want to interrupt him when he's busy. Can you just tell him that I popped in on my way to Lunch. Tell him I couldn't come into the office, give my apologies.'

'Okay, Sophie.' The receptionist smiled and placed the bag in her drawer.

Sophie left, she ran round the back of the building and cried. Her body ached. She had to go home and pack, she had to go home. She had to be in Glasgow.

James was still in the same chair when she arrived back at the house.

'How was lunch?'

Sophie never answered, she had more important things to do. The door opened and Clive walked in.

'Hello, my pretty, Scotch lass, you didn't have to buy me a present. It's lovely, thank you.'

He was acting so normal, Sophie couldn't bare to touch him. She couldn't go now, she had to wait, she would go in the morning, while he was at work. For the meantime, she would stay calm, she would smile and be his 'pretty, Scotch lass.'

It was almost 7 O'clock and Sophie was glad to be tired. She made her way to the bathroom and ran the water, she would soak her stress out of her inner soul, like she did before. Then she would go to bed, fresh for the journey which lay ahead of her. Clive was standing by the bathroom door, he made her jump.

'Sorry, I never meant to frighten you. I have to go out tonight, I have a meeting, it's all really boring stuff, and it usually lasts into the wee small hours, but I promise not to wake you when I come in.'

'Sure, I'm going to have an early night anyway.' Sophie smiled to show that everything was fine.

Clive kissed her as her always did, and left. She stepped into the hot bath and lay there, she knew exactly what he was planning. He was probably off to do the job. She now hated him. Not only was he a liar, but he was a thief. A common criminal. Who was he? She didn't know him at all. She didn't want to know him. For the last six weeks, she had been bought by his dirty money, his lies and his lifestyle. She wanted nothing more from him. She would leave the way she had come, with nothing.