Mum, I hear you,” bingo. “I’ll remember to water the plants next time I’m there.” There is then a long pause, his Mum is good, like mine, he rolls his eyes at me, “it was just a girl..." Mums, they take their time, and they get the job done. He walks slowly over to me a very handsome man, built bigger than Daniel but there are similarities in the eyes, the shape of his face and underlying bone structure, and the hair colour is the same..."OK, see you later Mother, bye....bye." Two enormous manly strides and he’s at my side hand outstretched warm smile on his handsome and craggy outdoorsy face. A well-mannered, immaculate chap, my Mum would like him.
“Only Mum's can drive you that crazy,” I say to him smiling and shake his hand, nodding in understanding.
A big friendly smile, "I’m James, Danny’s brother.” He smiles a friendly non predatory smile at me. The centre of Pete's current world, I am instantly at ease. “We'll be working together briefly, I am on the menswear side with Steffi part time.” He gesticulates to Steffi an odd look crosses his face…could be disapproval, I can’t be sure.
“Hello.” And I withdraw my hand back to my parka pocket, “I'm Tharie Charles, but, you probably know that already?” Understatement I expect, Pete loves to chat about people she knows more than anything, and she knows a lot of people.
“Once you're oriented, I’ll leave you to get on with it, it'll be your baby Tharie." His handshake lasts a little too long, warm friendly large hands, callused like mine. He looks at me, my eyes, smiles an infectious smile, we both laugh, we're thinking about Pete aren't we? "Another tea?" He asks. So this is the object of her desire, James Pearce, small world. I do want tea, my head is beginning to hurt from withdrawal.
"God yes, gasping." I try not to sound desperate but fail, but I need a constant supply of tea to keep me anchored, calm. If I don’t get enough the headache comes, hard and thumping, it's withdrawal, this thought stops me thinking.
James presses a button on the desk, “Newton, two teas down here please, Danny will be here soon."
"Okay, coming up." A disjointed voice comes from nowhere. Then I hear a voice from above, I shoot a look upwards, Newton is leaning over a balcony two stories above. "Tharie, did you like your tea how I made it?" He calls down.
"Yes, perfect, thank you, and thanks for the horsey cup too, I love it." Clearly happy with the praise, suspect his work goes unnoticed around here, he disappears. James looks at his phone as it vibrates, he too is attached to the device in a profound way as I am myself.
How long to that tea?
Later in chapter five, Tuesday:22ndoctober2013, my new boss
The front door hisses open and Daniel walks in, all eyes look his way, his presence clearly having effect on everyone in the room, glancing at Steffi, she's watching him, staring, still has feelings for him. Should I be worried I wonder?
Tea, I sip some gorgeous hot brown liquid, that's nice.
Looking sexy as hell Daniel fixes his gooseberry eyes on me. With jeans sitting oh so low on his slim hips, a deep masculine stride of confidence and grace. Never taking his eyes off me, those smouldering beautiful grey green eyes. Like he's beginning foreplay just by looking at me my whole body starts to tremble, and I feel a little lightheaded. I sip my tea again for something to do, to calm my arousal, god I love tea. I guess the second cup is for him.
BG, half-pass to the left. Nope, not working.
Wearing black from head to toe and looking hotter than even my brain remembers, and my brain is good…very good. My breath suddenly leaves my body, and it hurts across my chest. He rushes over to me, I suddenly remember my sunglasses are still on, I slide them onto my head. "Tharie, are you OK?" He asks in a whisper and with real concern in his voice, his hands are on my shoulders. He smells great.
"Nothing a few cups of tea won’t cure." I quip. I catch myself staring again, but this time I’m not embarrassed, in all likelihood this man undressed me last night, there aren’t many secrets left between us now, Wonder Woman pants included. How wrong I am, as it will turn out. Plus, did I mention he smells great?