Chapter 14
Fourteen
S teph had just slipped on a pair of silver, strappy heeled sandals and checked out her reflection in the mirrored wardrobe door and smiled. After visiting her dad earlier that afternoon she had made her way to a nearby department store and bought the dress that she now wore. She thought that she had chosen well as she looked at her reflection showing a lilac, full length, strapless, satin gown. She twirled round and smiled at the mock lace up back and rear split to the knee. Looking at the horizontally pleated front bodice again, she smoothed her hands over the straight skirt. Her hair was in a rather sophisticated up do with a few wispy strands around her ears and neck and her make-up was soft and natural, with just a hint of lilac and grey on her eyes and a slightly darker purple shimmer across her lips. She straightened the pearl choker that she wore with matching single pearl studs and bracelet before adding a final spray of perfume.
As the taxi headed into Central London, Steph could feel the butterflies doing triple somersaults in her stomach; what if she ran into Lucy and if she was right and Mrs Brooker knew about her, what kind of reception would she get? How would she cope with seeing Jon and Lucy together? This was a most bizarre situation she found herself in tonight and she really didn’t like it, so much so that she really felt like crying.
She physically jumped as the taxi driver pulled up in front of a rather grand and luxurious looking hotel.
Nervously she made her way up the steps and walked through the door that was held open by the uniformed middle aged gentleman on the door who tipped his hat towards her as he said, “Miss.”
Steph made her way to reception and asked where the Brooker Foundation Gala was being held. The thirty something dark haired, Mediterranean looking man smiled at her and pointed towards a very pretty young, blonde woman nearby wearing a very elegant, full length, black cocktail dress holding a clipboard. Steph approached the woman and realised she was a hostess of some sort and smiling she asked, “Can I help you, madam?”
“I’m here for the Brooker Foundation Gala,” Steph replied, still nervous at how the evening may pan out.
“And your name?” asked the woman looking down at her board.
“Stephanie Pryor,” replied Steph stammering now.
“You don’t appear to be on the list I’m afraid. Are you the guest of someone?” She smiled sympathetically at Steph’s painfully obvious discomfort.
“Mr Brooker, I was invited by Mr Brooker.”
“Sorry madam, but the only guest of Mr Brooker is Mrs Brooker,” the woman explained causing Steph’s blushing to multiply one hundred fold.
“This is ridiculous,” muttered Steph and considered her options, fight or flight? Flight was definitely the easier option, but she wondered what she would be fleeing, the gala or Jon. Decision made she thought, fight it is. “Can you contact Mr Brooker and tell him that I am here?” asked Steph suddenly bolstered.
“Unfortunately not, he is rather busy this evening,” was the slightly sarcastic reply that came now.
“Okay.” Steph could feel her irritation rising. “I’ll call him myself.” She pulled her phone from the glittery silver bag she carried, but before she had selected Jon’s number she felt an arm wrap around her waist.
“Miss Pryor, you made it, albeit a little late,” said Jon as she turned to face him and the woman with the clipboard gazed up at him doe eyed making Steph smile–was there nobody immune to his charm, or at least his handsome face?
“I would have been on time if my name had been added to the list.”
“Ah,” he said as he presumably realised his mistake.
“Quite,” Steph said, admonishing him with her tone.
“Should I add Miss Pryor as your guest, Mr Brooker?” asked the woman now.
“Yes please,” he replied before guiding Steph towards the ballroom where it appeared the gala was being hosted.
“I hope I’m not overdressed or under-dressed,” said Steph as they headed down the long corridor together.
As they reached the entrance to the ballroom Jon turned her to face him and took a very sharp intake of breath, then let out a low whistle.
“You look absolutely amazing, Steph. Really, really beautiful, darling,” he told her smiling.
“Thank you,” she replied with a sense of relief. “You look pretty hot yourself.” She stretched up and straightened the bow tie he had teamed with his tuxedo and dress trousers before pulling her hands away from him in case someone saw them.
“Come on, let me introduce you to a few people.” He smiled, but the implication of meeting people made her nervous.
After exchanging pleasantries with several medical people and others attached to the charity, Steph found herself standing with Mr Wright, her father’s consultant and his wife, a very beautiful, but tiny oriental woman who was introduced by her husband as SuLyn and as she spoke to Steph she was momentarily taken aback by the fact that she was American.
Steph wasn’t entirely sure what accent she’d expected to hear. “You’re American.” She immediately felt foolish by her obvious statement.
“So it would seem,” said SuLyn laughing, and as the colour flushed Steph’s cheeks, Jon and Angus joined in with the laughter.
“Sorry, I just wasn’t expecting it and your dress may have misled me slightly,” explained Steph, gesturing towards the other woman’s full length, navy blue, Chinese cheong sam dress.
The other woman grinned and bowed lowly with her hands firmly pressed together and muttered something in Chinese, compounding Steph’s sense of embarrassment.
“Sorry,” said Steph again, but the other woman softened now.
“It’s okay. People usually assume that I am Angus’ mail order Thai bride, so merely being surprised that I am American makes a refreshing change. I believe you and I are going to be working quite closely together,” said SuLyn, surprising Steph.
“I haven’t actually spoke to Steph about that yet,” said Jon apologetically.
“I see.” SuLyn went on to explain, “The foundation supports much of our work in the neurosciences, but I am running a research programme into Alzheimer’s disease which requires some additional funding, but I need to put together a financial report to submit to other boards and charities in the hope that they will support us financially.”
Steph nodded as SuLyn smiled, softening her whole demeanour.
“And Jon has said that you would be an asset in compiling the figures.”
Steph looked across at Jon who shrugged. “I can’t think of anyone better and SuLyn can give you all the figures for projected and existing costs and I can give you access to the amount that the foundation has already contributed and what we plan to contribute over the next five years, but it would be a drop in the ocean, wouldn’t it?” He handed back to SuLyn.
“Absolutely, the Brooker Foundation can’t support us single-handedly, but if we could get a few other backers on board . . .”
“I see,” said Steph. “But I am unsure when I would fit this in, although I could probably spare a few hours in the evening.” She wondered just how long this would take if she agreed to it.
“I meant for you to do it during office hours, Steph, and as you don’t yet have a full work load I thought it may occupy your time as well as supporting SuLyn and her research.” Jon suddenly became distracted as he looked across the room behind Angus as far as Lucy.
“Okay,” agreed Steph and forced a smile in the other woman’s direction. “Do you have a card and I can contact you during business hours?”
“Of course.” SuLyn immediately retrieved a card from a silver holder in her bag making Steph realise that tonight was a networking opportunity for many of those on the guest list but assumed she had not been expected to partake in that unless facilitated by Jon.
Jon excused himself leaving Steph feeling very exposed and alone. She tried to leave a reasonable length of time before excusing herself from Angus, SuLyn and a couple of other guests who had joined them after Jon’s departure.
Steph headed for the ladies toilet and was surprised at just how luxurious they were, complete with an attendant. She locked herself in a cubicle and sat down before asking herself what on earth she was doing here. After gathering her thoughts for a few minutes she decided that she would stay for another half an hour and then leave. If she didn’t see Jon before then she would text him once she was on her way home.
Steph stood and smoothed her dress down as she prepared to leave the cubicle but stopped dead in her tracks as she heard an unwelcome, but familiar voice from the other side of the door.
“I’ll be fine, I just need a moment,” said Lucy.
An unknown woman spoke now. “Are you sure? You look most unwell, maybe you should have given it a miss tonight.”
“I couldn’t, not really, I am the lead fund raiser so I have work to do tonight, but as I say I will be fine,” said Lucy firmly.
“If you say so, but you are getting some very strange looks tonight. I think some people think you’re drunk,” laughed the other woman.
“If only. But no more drinking for me,” replied Lucy seriously.
“Not for another seven and a half months anyway.” Her friend said, causing laughter from them both.
Steph didn’t hear Lucy’s reply as she felt that she had been physically and emotionally knocked off her feet. Not only was she sleeping with a married man who was now her boss, his wife who he claimed not to have sex with was pregnant and he had insisted that she be here tonight in this woman’s company. She loved Jon and the more he revealed of himself behind closed doors the harder she was falling, yet the more she learned of him as a husband, the more she despised him. What had she got herself into? She should have avoided him like the plague and trusted her initial feelings upon their first meeting, that he was a bastard and she hated him. She suddenly realised that Lucy was still talking to her friend and was talking about Jon.
“I wanted to make an announcement, but Jon refused for it to be done tonight in case it detracted from the purpose of the evening, you know what he’s like, but we’ll make a formal announcement later in the week I think.”
“Is Jon okay about it then, it must be a surprise?” asked the other woman, confusing Steph as to why he would be surprised that his wife was pregnant after he’d been screwing her.
“He was a little shocked at first. I mean he only found out about it at breakfast this morning, but once the shock had worn off, he was thrilled,” said Lucy happily.
The sound of the door opening was followed by another voice speaking.
“Lucy, here you are. Your husband is desperately searching for you, he seems most attentive to your needs this evening,” laughed the third voice and her laughter was joined by the other two.
“Then I ought to find him and put his mind at rest,” said Lucy.
Steph waited for the sound of the door to close and then for silence to fall on the room beyond the cubicle she occupied. She tentatively opened the door and viewed herself in the mirror and shook her head at her own reflection with a mixture of contempt and disgust. How could she carry on seeing Jon now? She couldn’t. She was no better than Janice, Janice that she judged and despised for being her father’s bit on the side and if she continued seeing Jon once he was a father she would be his Janice as far as his child was concerned.
“Fuck!” she shouted tearfully, shocking herself, the attendant and the woman who stood next to her at the sink. “Sorry,” Steph stammered.
“Are you okay?” asked the attendant while the expensively dressed woman next to her merely looked at her with the same disgust and contempt she’d viewed herself with.
“Not really, but I am going to rectify that right now.”
Storming out of the toilets into the corridor she jumped with a start as Jon’s voice sounded from behind her.
“I thought you’d run out on me it’s been that long since I saw you.”
She turned to face him and stared at him for a few seconds before approaching him and saying quietly and calmly, “That is exactly what I am doing.” Before she knew what was happening she had raised her arm and landed a very loud and hard slap across his face rendering him speechless momentarily as she turned on her heels and almost ran down the corridor towards the foyer of the hotel. She had almost reached it when Jon caught up with her and grabbing her arm tried to lead her back in the direction she had just come from.
“Take your hands off me!” she protested loudly as she shook him off her, drawing attention from the people around them.
Jon stared at her wildly, obviously confused by her reaction to him and her current state. “Will you tell me what the hell is going on here?” He sounded calmer than he looked.
“Work it out for yourself.” She was already walking off towards the exit.
Jon caught her arm again and spun her around to face him, “No way. Talk to me,” he said holding her elbow firmly.
“Fuck off!” she shouted, her voice full of anger as she shook him off again.
Jon stared at her still and rubbed his cheek where Steph had hit him leaving a very red mark she noticed now and for a split second had a desperate urge to rub it herself, to soothe it and to kiss it, but then she remembered why she had hit him.
“Goodbye, Jon.” She turned away again and prepared to leave. To leave him.
“I don’t think so, darling,” she heard him say and found him in front of her now, blocking her path. “I don’t know what the hell is going on, but I deserve an explanation for your behaviour,” he said coldly.
She wondered whether he had figured it out yet or perhaps he thought she was crazy and that he was just angry with her now.
“I am going home and for the record I don’t think I am able to give you what you deserve. And as for my behaviour,” she huffed sarcastically and tried to sidestep him.
“Stephanie, you are not leaving here until we have talked, until you have talked,” he said firmly with determination.
“I have nothing to say to you, now or ever again.” In that second she believed that and hoped to keep that level of determination.
“Well as you work for me you may have no choice but to speak to me at some point,” he said icily.
The realisation of just how wrapped up in every area of her life he was hit her in that second and hit her hard. “Then I resign.”
“Then I suggest you submit your resignation in the morning and your six months’ notice will commence on the first of the next calendar month,” he replied, totally business like.
“You’ll hold me to that?” she asked incredulously.
“You betcha! Why do you think I had such a clause implemented? To stop you making this kind of fucking rash decision,” he told her seriously before continuing. “And I will still expect you to remain completely professional at all times and always have my company’s best interests at heart, even when you try to get a new job, although you may struggle with that as your recent employment history is a little patchy and most employers are unlikely to wait for you to work your period of six months. Oh, and I will keep you to that, right down to the minute. Now talk to me because I don’t know what the fuck is going on here and I am getting really, really pissed off.”
“I have nothing to say to you,” she spat feeling even more irritated by his ability to flit between concerned lover and aggrieved boss.
“That would be a first,” he said and allowed his lips to curve slightly.
Steph saw this as her chance to wrong foot him and as she took a tentative step towards him, she quickly tried to duck behind him and escape, but he saw it coming judging by the speed with which he side stepped and literally scooped her up and threw her over his shoulder and carried her off in long strides across the foyer as she kicked, screamed and hit him with clenched fists in his back. She looked up and immediately felt embarrassed as people stared at the scene in front of them.
As she was dropped to her feet she realised they were in an office and Jon was standing in front of the only exit.
“I take it this place is one of yours?”
“Yes. I am not in the habit of charging into offices that don’t belong to me, just like the one where Charlie and Lindsay had their wedding reception, remember?” He knew full well that she would indeed remember, she may never erase the memory of him kissing her and pinning her against the wall before putting his hand beneath her dress and finding his way into her knickers.
She flushed at the memory and resented the immediate reaction of her body to that moment. To that man.
He smiled as he realised that not only did she remember but was reliving every second of it.
“Now would you care to tell me what is going on? You know, like why you are trying to storm off, dump me and resign? Oh and let’s not forget the fact that you slapped me across the face.” He sounded shocked but confused more than anything.
“Maybe you should tell me what is going on?” she said curtly.
“Stephanie, I really have no idea what is going on here, darling. Please talk to me,” he pleaded.
“Don’t you dare call me darling, you bastard!” she hissed at him venomously making him frown at her.
“Steph I don’t know what to say to you because I don’t know what has got you so riled.”
The audacity of this man to plead, to portray himself as the injured party, feigning confusion when he knew exactly what he had done, even if he hadn’t yet realised that she knew.
“Fine, have it your way. I am hurt and I know it’s my own fault for ever giving you the time of day because my first instincts about you were obviously spot on and I should never have got involved with you, personally or professionally. And whilst I may be stuck with you for a while professionally I don’t have to continue personally and under the circumstances I think it’s best for us both to just draw a line under things and move on.” She felt conscious of the fact that she may be about to ramble incoherently.
“I still don’t understand, what circumstances?” He sounded totally perplexed by the situation he found himself in.
“You really are going to play dumb to the bitter end, aren’t you?” asked Steph rhetorically before continuing, “I was in the toilets and Lucy came in with another woman and I heard them talking.” Despite every ounce of control she had, she couldn’t stop the break in her voice as she said, “She’s pregnant, Jon. Why didn’t you tell me? I can’t do this anymore. God knows I was struggling with being your bit on the side as it was, but I would find it impossible to have an affair with you as a father, so you go back to your pregnant wife and I will go back to, well whatever part of my life that doesn’t include you.”
“Fuck! You were not supposed to find out like this. I have been trying to talk to you for weeks, since I first met you and this fucking ridiculous mistress plan came into play. I wanted to tell you everything, but every time we tried to talk, something or someone interrupted and we got put on the back burner so I need you to remember that this is not how I wanted to do this, and that I tried multiple times to avoid you finding out incidentally or from someone who wasn’t me.” Jon’s voice was as serious as she had ever heard it, yet his face looked sad and scared.
None of this was making sense. He had been trying to talk to her for weeks and they got interrupted or she shut it down, but what could he have said weeks ago? “How? How could you have told me this weeks ago? I heard Lucy say that you had only found out about it this morning. Jon, I don’t understand.” With her anger replaced with confusion and heartbreak at the thought of him lying to her face now on top of everything else, she allowed the first of her tears to fall.
“Darling, please don’t cry,” he pleaded. “Sit down and let me try to explain. This is not what you think. It’s all going to be okay.”
Steph sat down in the armchair in the far corner of the room and nervously waited for his explanation, willing him to make it right but also warning herself to not be taken in by any more lies or deceit.
“For the millionth time this is not as it seems; Lucy is pregnant and I did find out about it this morning at breakfast with my dad,” started Jon.
“She told you she was pregnant in front of your dad?” asked Steph confused.
“Yes, but there is a very good reason for that. The baby isn’t mine,” said Jon before Steph interrupted.
“What? Is this some kind of reciprocal arrangement the two of you have? You can each screw around and then what? Do you get a kick out of telling each other what you’ve been up to? That is seriously fucking sick and I feel sorry for a kid being born into this, but I for one am out of it. Goodbye Jon.” She was back on her feet. She had heard enough and needed to get as far away from here and these people as she could. With a deep breath, she attempted to leave.
“For Christ’s sake, Steph, shut up, park your arse and listen for once.” He sounded angry with her again.
She stared at him and considered pursuing her exit, but she didn’t, she sat back down and waited for Jon to continue. He watched her for a few seconds and then stood in front of her before dropping to his knees so that they were face to face.
“Right, Lucy and I do not discuss who we sleep with or what we do and I would never get a kick out of hearing her tales from the bedroom because she shares a bed with my father. She is not my wife, Steph. She is Mrs Brooker but she is technically my step-mother, as in married to my dad, not me. Her baby is going to be my baby brother or sister, as ridiculous as that sounds hearing it out loud, so hopefully you won’t need to feel sorry for their kid being born into a happy and loving family.” Jon now silently waited for a reaction.
“Let me get this straight. You are not married to Lucy and she is not having your baby? She is in fact married to your father and having his baby?” asked Steph for clarification.
“Yes,” was Jon’s simple reply.
“So, if you’re not married to Lucy, who are you married to?” Steph’s confusion and upset was on the climb again.
Jon stretched up to rub his fingers across her cheek making her flinch as if she had been scolded by his touch. He withdrew his hand and answered her question.
“Penny. My wife’s name is Penny.”
“What? She can’t be. You told me Lucy was your wife?” cried Steph.
“No, darling, I didn’t,” he protested and went on to explain further. “You had a conversation with Lindsay and made an assumption. I never ever said I was married to Lucy, although I did allow you to believe that I was. In my defence you were as responsible for the whole married to Lucy thing as I was and you seemed to imply that you didn’t want to get into a proper, serious relationship, but I wanted to be with you and was willing to take you on any terms. Then one night, the night you got drunk with Lindsay, we talked, well, you talked and admitted that you didn’t want to share me and certainly from that point I have tried to tell you,” he insisted.
“I don’t believe this and I don’t believe you. This is ridiculous,” she said quietly and sadly.
“But this is good, darling, we can be together properly . . .”
“You are clinically insane; you have to be to think that there is anything good in this. I thought you were married to Lucy, pregnant Lucy, and that made me see that I can’t do the mistress thing. So, Penny, she’s welcome to you. She can have you, all of you because I am done with sharing and if she is stupid, greedy or desperate enough to let you have your cake and eat it, then she is as mad as you and she deserves all she gets.”
“You know nothing about Penny so you can keep the fucking judgemental, barbed comments to yourself,” he roared, anger coursing through every fibre of his body.
“Why? Why the fuck should I?” Steph asked, moving closer so that she was literally standing toe to toe with Jon, almost daring him to push her to really unleash her anger on him and Penny.
“She doesn’t deserve this, none of it.” He sighed with sadness etched across his face and what looked like the genuine threat of tears in his eyes.
Steph’s heart lurched. She wanted to make this right and yet she knew she couldn’t, maybe even if she could, she shouldn’t. Jon was married and clearly cared for Penny, his defence of her proved that, meaning no matter how much he loved Steph, his wife would always come first.
“I don’t deserve this either,” she whispered. “I love you and have been so miserable to think of you with Lucy and now I am supposed to just forget about the fact that you have systematically lied to me since we first met and simply plod on, substituting a Lucy for a Penny? There was a time when I thought this, us, was far more than I deserved, but being with you taught me that I had some worth and now I know that I deserve so much more.” She cried as she moved away from Jon. “Bye Mr Brooker, thank you for inviting me tonight, it was most enlightening and I will see you in the office tomorrow.” Opening the door she was greeted by the sight of Lucy and an older version of Jon who she now assumed was his dad.
“Oh hi, I’m Lucy, you must be Steph, we’ve heard lots about you, haven’t we, Cam?” she said to the man’s nod. “Although we have met before haven’t we? At the office when Jon was being frightful to you.”
“He is a dreadful bully at work if things aren’t going well, aren’t you, son?” asked the older man.”
Steph stared at them both as Jon appeared at her side and placed his arm around her waist, his hand on her hip, ignoring her bristling beneath his touch.
“Steph, my dad, Cameron Brooker and his wife Lucy. This is Steph, my girlfriend,” he said confidently.
“Lovely to meet you and it may be an old fashioned concept, but you really do bring out the best in my son, he can’t stop raving about you,” said Cameron before Lucy gave him a nudge.
“I believe you’re going to help SuLyn with her research funding?” asked Lucy.
“Yes, apparently so, but I think she may have been better off with you,” said Steph.
“Not without me potentially compromising my own charity fundraising and we already donate to her.” Lucy smiled.
“Shall we get back?” asked Jon suddenly making Steph reorder her thoughts, making her feel angry again that he thought this was ever going to end well.
She turned to look at him and realised that he thought this was somehow resolved now and it wasn’t. She was hurt and angry and had no desire to be with anyone who could lie to her so well.
“No. I am going home, alone. Very nice to have met you both Mr and Mrs Brooker, but Jon wasn’t entirely honest when he said I was his girlfriend. I am actually his ex-girlfriend because I have known enough liars to know that I have no desire to be saddled with another one, especially not with one that I love because that just let’s him hurt me even more.”
She stormed across the foyer and despite Jon’s frantic cries following her she got into the back of a cab and managed to give the driver her address before changing her mind, then burst out crying.
As Steph pressed the intercom, she knew how ridiculous she looked in a formal evening gown trying to gain entry to a hospital ward at ten p.m. The nurse who replied was stern and probably very busy and was certainly not going to let Steph, or anyone else onto the ward despite her crying protests.
“I am sorry, but visiting time is over, come back tomorrow,” she said and that was the end of the conversation.
Steph muttered to herself but thought that it was probably for the best that she had not seen her dad in her current state, but she had nowhere else to go. She couldn’t go home because Jon had a key, he knew where her family home was, and Eddie’s, and Steph didn’t want to descend on her other brother’s or sister’s homes, although Jess would be the best option if she found nowhere else to go tonight. Normally Lindsay would be her first port of call, but Charlie was Jon’s best friend and he may check for her there.
“Shit!” she said as she slumped in the chair of the communal area and wondered what time Brooker’s building opened because she had a shower room, toiletries and a change of clothes in her office and although Jon would certainly find her there, it was a safe place with all of those people around.
“Stevie?” called a voice behind her.
She stood and turned to find Chris in scrubs looking at her concerned.
“I could ask if you’re okay, but I was at the nurse’s station when you tried to get onto the ward and it seemed obvious that you were far from it and you seem a bit overdressed for the NHS.” He attempted to lighten her mood. “I am free for a while if you fancy a coffee and a chat?”
“Are you sure? I am at a loose end, but I am sure you must have better things to do,” she smiled.
“I do have other things that I need to do at some point, but nothing better, Steph, come on.” He reached for her hand to lead her down a corridor and into a locker room come staff room where he put the kettle on and made her a cup of strong tea.
“Can I tempt you to a Jammie Dodger?” asked Chris as he extended a half open packet of biscuits under Steph’s nose.
“No thanks.”
“Are you sure? They used to be your favourites.” He laughed gently as he waved the packet more vigorously in front of her face.
“Oh, sod it.” She took the packet and dunked a biscuit into her tea.
“So, why the posh frock and sad face?” Chris took the seat opposite her.
“That is a very long and messed up story.”
“Look, I can’t promise that I can listen to the whole story now, but I could make a start and if you still need an ear to bend, we could continue this later, when I am off shift,” he said sincerely.
“Okay, maybe if I give you the edited highlights or at least the lowlights. I found something out about Jon tonight that hurt me beyond belief,” she started feeling slightly disloyal to be sharing details with Chris of all people.
“Go on.”
“He lied to me, not a bad lie, but a big lie. I can’t believe he would do that to me, but he did and the worst thing is that he doesn’t really see why we can’t just forget about it, but I don’t think I can and I feel so angry with him,” she said feeling more confused as she tried to make sense of it in her head and out loud. “I walked out on him, at a very formal function and I didn’t know where I should go and I thought if I could talk it through with my dad it might make some sense, but . . .”
“But you’d missed visiting.” Chris reached across and took her hand in his.
“Maybe it’s for the best, you and him, he seemed a bit OTT to me and he warned me off you and got Mr Wright onside with his cash.” There was a definite sneer to Chris’ tone making Steph uncomfortable again.
“He just likes to be in control of everything,” she told him calmly before removing her hand from his.
“What will you do about work? He said he was your boss.” Chris shifted awkwardly in his seat looking slightly embarrassed that she had released herself from his grip.
“He is my boss, but I can’t do anything about that for now and my job is a very good one with lots of opportunities so I will have to see how things pan out there.” That really did seem to be the best immediate plan.
“Maybe your job won’t be that good now that you’ve dumped him.” said Chris and had her boss been anyone else, she would have probably held the same concerns, but she didn’t.
“I don’t think he employed me for being his girlfriend. I actually am very good at my job you know,” she said seriously and a little affronted.
“I’m sure you are, but . . .” started Chris.
“You know what, I should be going. I have a busy day tomorrow. Thanks for listening, but I think this, me bending your ear is a very bad idea.”
“Why don’t I call you?” Chris asked almost desperately making Steph feel guilty.
“Okay, or if you’re free one night,” she said and looked at the wall clock, “For dinner, as friends, old friends,” she suggested.
“Cool, I’ll call you,” he replied as she got to her feet. “See you then, Stevie,” he called as she left the room and headed down to reception to call a cab.
Steph got as far as the car park to her flat where she immediately saw Jon’s car next to her own and knew that she couldn’t face him, not yet. He would bamboozle her with his words and his touch and she would forgive him, she knew she would because she wanted to and she was so weak where Jon was concerned. The depth of her love for him made her weak and susceptible to his wishes and right now she couldn’t risk that. When they talked again she needed to be in some way resistant to him and prepared to hear the full story on Mrs Brooker, Penny.
Turning quickly, she headed to her car and got in with no clue where she could or should go, but she knew she had to go, to get away from Jonathan Brooker, to go somewhere he wouldn’t find her, not for a few days anyway.
Heading out of the car park she looked in her rear view mirror and wondered how she was ever going to recover from this, from Jon, from being without him.