It started as a Game

Her.

Rebecca Winterbottom. That name. It made his blood boil. He studied her frame thoroughly when he spotted her standing about 10 metres away from him. She was a tiny woman, yet everything about her shouted 'look at me'. She wore an elegant black dress, almost down to her ankles, the fabric smoothing her legs perfectly. She combined the dress elegantly with golden jewellery and a deep red lipstick, matching perfectly in contrast to her blond hair.

Declan had to admit that her strategy was working. As always. She was surrounded by about half a dozen business men, all dressed in elegant three piece suits, holding a glass of champagne and laughing at her jokes. At her cheap jokes to be more precise.

Declan hadn't liked her from the start. She was bossy, she was demanding, she was never satisfied with his work. She was his line manager and as soon as she had taken that job, everything had changed for Declan. His former boss, Matthew Higginson, had always been kind and caring and had appreciated Declan's hard work.

But all Rebecca Winterbottom could do was moan and moan and moan. Nothing was good enough for her and she was getting on his nerves quite a bit. But she was his boss after all. Although he wasn't a complete nothing in the company. After all, he was only one step down to her. But he was one step down to her.

Women. Women were guileful. Declan had never understood it, but he knew it from his friends, from his sisters, from his mother. Women were evil, they were exactly like Rebecca Winterbottom. There was nothing worse that could happen to you than having a woman as your direct boss. Let alone if it was Rebecca Winterbottom.

But Declan wasn't a man to let that stand in his way and he certainly wouldn't let it get him down. He would get his payback. And he would get it right there and then, right this evening. He had thought about it a lot, had tolerated her little skits every day for months now, had never said an angry word towards her, had always kept it to himself. Because Declan was a very proud man.

But he also was a very clever man and he had made his silent observations and he had studied that woman. And he knew her weak point and he knew that he could hurt her the most if he flirted with her husband. He was her weak spot, Declan knew that. She never stopped talking about him whenever she got the opportunity to do so.

Declan had seen pictures of him. On her desk. And she really had a point. Her husband was one hell of a good looking man, Declan had to admit. So it definitely was worth a try. He looked around and there he was, two champagne glasses in his hands, clearly heading for his wife.

Declan knew that he wasn't as successful as his wife, being only a vet, but he certainly had something to him that Declan liked very much. Declan was never the one only looking for rich people. After all, he wasn't that rich himself. Money didn't matter to him when it came to relationships. And he had to admit, this guy was already very much to his liking.

So it was time to play. Declan quickly made his way through the room until he stood right in front of Rebecca's husband, heading him off before he could reach his wife. He put on quite a show in stumbling right before him, nudging his side lightly and immediately grabbing his arm to steady himself.

"Oh sorry, sir" he stuttered and looked him in the eyes.

The taller man smiled politely and shrugged his shoulders. "No worries. Nothing happened, Mr. ...?

"Donnelly, Declan Donnelly" Declan smiled and held out his hand.

"Nice to meet you, but I kind of don't have a free hand so..." the man replied and chuckled lightly. Declan didn't know whether it was out of embarrassment or just over the weirdness of this situation. But Declan had to admit that this man was very kind and friendly. Nothing like his wife, quite the exact opposite. At least that was his first impression and he very rarely failed with his assessments.