nearly pressed flat to the desk. I try to do all I can not to get into these situations. I try everything to get him to leave me alone without actually saying to him, ‘Back the fuck off!’
If this was some stranger in a nightclub, my inclination would be to knee him in the bollocks. But this is my boss. What can I do? Physically assaulting him would not enhance my promotion prospects.
Tyler angles his hips into mine and I jam my clutch bag between us to try to stop him attempting actual penetration. It reminds me of when I used to go to school discos and the local heartthrob would try to grind his groin into you during the slow dances. I sort of hoped that men got more sophisticated as they got older. It seems not.
My clutch bag is proving quite an effective method of contraception, but I’m feeling very uncomfortable with this situation. His
wife
is in the very next room, for goodness’ sake. Has the man got no shame?
Then, just as I’m thinking that I’ll have to say something or push him away, Josh Wallace appears.
‘Tyler!’ He claps him on the back and Tyler straightens up pretty swiftly.
I almost sag with relief.
‘Josh. Good to see you.’ In truth, he looks as if Josh is the last person on earth that he wants to see.
‘I brought a drink for you, Louise.’ He holds out a glass of champagne, which gives me the perfect excuse to extricate myself from Tyler’s clutches. While Tyler is distracted, I move away from the wall and towards Josh.
‘That’s very kind. Thank you.’
‘I need to talk to you, Tyler,’ Josh says. ‘When you’ve got a free moment. But for now, can I whisk this young lady away from you? Dinner’s about to start.’
‘Is it?’ Tyler takes in the rest of the room and realises that the tables are filling.
‘Catch you later.’ Josh takes my arm and adeptly steers me away.
‘We’ll have a dance when the disco starts,’ Tyler shouts after me.
Not if I can avoid it, I think.
‘That was a very timely intervention,’ I whisper to Josh when we’re out of earshot. ‘I can’t thank you enough.’
‘Tyler’s all right,’ Josh says. ‘He’s a bit of a lech, but I think his heart’s in the right place.’
‘It’s not his heart I’m worried about.’
Josh laughs. ‘I hope it’s OK, but I did a bit of furtive jiggling with Veronica’s table plan. She’d put me next to Ken Jones from IT. I don’t drink, but I might have been tempted to start. I never understand a single word he says. Everything goes right over my head. I thought I could find much more agreeable company than that and I switched place cards. He’s now with the moaning minnies of Alginate Sales and I have you sitting next to me.’
I like the thought that he finds me ‘agreeable company’. It sounds so very Jane Austen.
‘Where did Karen go?’ I scan the room for her, but I can’t catch a glimpse, even in that hot-pink dress. ‘I thought I might be next to her too.’
‘I did a bad thing,’ he confesses with a sheepish grin.
I wait to hear what.
‘I sort of jiggled her on to another table as well.’ He flicks a thumb behind him to indicate where. ‘You don’t mind?’
‘Not at all.’ I try to hide my smile. Poor Karen! She’ll be heartbroken. ‘I’m just glad of a friendly face.’
Josh pulls out my chair for me and gratefully I sit down. When I glance back at Tyler Benson, he’s staring straight at me, face as dark as night and frowning.
Chapter Eleven
The light touch of a warm hand making contact with the bare skin of her shoulder made Kirsten jump.
‘Hey,’ the voice behind her said softly, ‘Kirsten Benson, as I live and breathe.’
Spinning round, Kirsten was aware that her mouth was suddenly dry, and it wasn’t entirely to do with a dearth of champagne. She’d know that voice anywhere. Even after all this time.
This was like a dream. No, a nightmare. No. Definitely a dream. Her vision went blurry and everyone else receded into the background, fading to
If this was some stranger in a nightclub, my inclination would be to knee him in the bollocks. But this is my boss. What can I do? Physically assaulting him would not enhance my promotion prospects.
Tyler angles his hips into mine and I jam my clutch bag between us to try to stop him attempting actual penetration. It reminds me of when I used to go to school discos and the local heartthrob would try to grind his groin into you during the slow dances. I sort of hoped that men got more sophisticated as they got older. It seems not.
My clutch bag is proving quite an effective method of contraception, but I’m feeling very uncomfortable with this situation. His
wife
is in the very next room, for goodness’ sake. Has the man got no shame?
Then, just as I’m thinking that I’ll have to say something or push him away, Josh Wallace appears.
‘Tyler!’ He claps him on the back and Tyler straightens up pretty swiftly.
I almost sag with relief.
‘Josh. Good to see you.’ In truth, he looks as if Josh is the last person on earth that he wants to see.
‘I brought a drink for you, Louise.’ He holds out a glass of champagne, which gives me the perfect excuse to extricate myself from Tyler’s clutches. While Tyler is distracted, I move away from the wall and towards Josh.
‘That’s very kind. Thank you.’
‘I need to talk to you, Tyler,’ Josh says. ‘When you’ve got a free moment. But for now, can I whisk this young lady away from you? Dinner’s about to start.’
‘Is it?’ Tyler takes in the rest of the room and realises that the tables are filling.
‘Catch you later.’ Josh takes my arm and adeptly steers me away.
‘We’ll have a dance when the disco starts,’ Tyler shouts after me.
Not if I can avoid it, I think.
‘That was a very timely intervention,’ I whisper to Josh when we’re out of earshot. ‘I can’t thank you enough.’
‘Tyler’s all right,’ Josh says. ‘He’s a bit of a lech, but I think his heart’s in the right place.’
‘It’s not his heart I’m worried about.’
Josh laughs. ‘I hope it’s OK, but I did a bit of furtive jiggling with Veronica’s table plan. She’d put me next to Ken Jones from IT. I don’t drink, but I might have been tempted to start. I never understand a single word he says. Everything goes right over my head. I thought I could find much more agreeable company than that and I switched place cards. He’s now with the moaning minnies of Alginate Sales and I have you sitting next to me.’
I like the thought that he finds me ‘agreeable company’. It sounds so very Jane Austen.
‘Where did Karen go?’ I scan the room for her, but I can’t catch a glimpse, even in that hot-pink dress. ‘I thought I might be next to her too.’
‘I did a bad thing,’ he confesses with a sheepish grin.
I wait to hear what.
‘I sort of jiggled her on to another table as well.’ He flicks a thumb behind him to indicate where. ‘You don’t mind?’
‘Not at all.’ I try to hide my smile. Poor Karen! She’ll be heartbroken. ‘I’m just glad of a friendly face.’
Josh pulls out my chair for me and gratefully I sit down. When I glance back at Tyler Benson, he’s staring straight at me, face as dark as night and frowning.
Chapter Eleven
The light touch of a warm hand making contact with the bare skin of her shoulder made Kirsten jump.
‘Hey,’ the voice behind her said softly, ‘Kirsten Benson, as I live and breathe.’
Spinning round, Kirsten was aware that her mouth was suddenly dry, and it wasn’t entirely to do with a dearth of champagne. She’d know that voice anywhere. Even after all this time.
This was like a dream. No, a nightmare. No. Definitely a dream. Her vision went blurry and everyone else receded into the background, fading to
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