don’t have to ride until the weekend, my seat just wouldn’t be secure enough right now. And sitting trot? Well, I can forget that for a while.
My signature for my email now set: Tharie Charles, Denim Designer: Milk&Honey, a small quote underneath: 'you can never be overdressed or overeducated', Oscar Wilde.
I have a meeting now in the office next door, so my happy little calendar on my computer tells me, a weekly fix here. We all sit around the table, note books at the ready, teacups steaming into the air sit on rubber embossed coasters, waiting anxiously for Daniel to arrive. It's a much smaller room than mine, but shares the window along the back wall. James is on the phone, he is whispering into his handset and smiling at it conspiratorially, he catches me watching, smiles and spins round, it’s a secret, not a very good one.
I get another message.
LC: “Just spoken to 'Stinky Pete', can he have tickets to Henry's show?” of course, he gets us discount on all our perfumes and colognes, one good turn deserves another.
TC: “I'll get a pair biked over once I’m out of this meeting” note to self....
James is still on his phone.
“OK babes” he says to his palm, a coughed splutter, “that sounds incredible.” Not quite quietly enough. “See you as soon as I can get out of here.” He swipes his phone off and looks at me guiltily, my own phone vibrates, its Pete, of course.
PF: “He’s just told me to get naked and wait for him.” I can't help looking up from my phone at the very guilty looking face of James Pearce. Lucky swine, what am I complaining for? I’m still sore from lunch.
TC: “Do it” good girl.
PF: “Already done it and opened the wine” nice.
TC: “So proud” true story.
PF: “So keep the meeting short so he can come round!” bingo.
I chance a second conspiratorial glance at James, he’s watching my fingers over the screen of my phone and guesses rightly I’m talking to my friend, the object of his attention. We smile in understanding.
Steffi just sits quietly, I'd almost forgotten she was here at all, we don’t notice her fuming, in fact, we don't really notice her at all. I feel the temperature in the room raise as Daniel walks in. He flicks me a conspiratory glance. “Sorry to keep you waiting,” he says, Newton follows him in with a fresh cup of tea and a plate of digestives, chocolate ones, I approve. He lays them onto the table in front of Daniel and withdraws from the room quickly. “Let’s do diaries please.” He begins opening his organiser, it’s embossed with the company logo, and he hands me one of my own as he sees me watching him. His eyes bore into mine, and his hand slips under the table top and onto my leg. Bloody hell. “Firstly Tharie and I will be in Tokyo from tomorrow, we’ll be back early next week.” His hand slides gently up and down my thigh, I’m loving it, and writing in my diary, well trying to.
Steffi adds, “I’m on holiday for two weeks from tomorrow.” I’m not sure why, but this pleases me greatly.
“James? Anything from you?” Daniel asks him, his fingers wraparound my thigh, between my legs, forcing their way up to part my thighs further, I manage to stifle a gasp of pleasure. I pretend to make notes, but it’s just my usual doodle of skulls and swirly lines, which reminds me...
“I’ll be doing some input, I need a logo for Milk&Honey” I interrupt, to give me something to focus on that isn’t Daniels fingers.
James glances disapprovingly, “I’m starting the email cascade of the new wave of RANDom developments, there’s twelve pairs as yet with no place to live.” James smiles at me and Daniel, he knows what his Brother is doing to me, he coughs for Daniels attention, and Daniel withdraws his hand.
Shame.
Throw a bone and be nice, “Steffi, are you going somewhere nice for your holiday?” I ask her as sweetly as I can manage, and fail completely, because she swipes me a loathing look in answer.
She almost spits the words, “somewhere hot, and away from here.” She answers with venom. I didn’t think it was possible to inject so much bile into a simple answer, but clearly I am wrong. Daniel sends Steffi a warning glare, it’s not the first-time she’s taken a dislike to someone in Daniels life I’d guess, she appears to deflate, collects