I stared at the fly going round and round the light bulb. I think it was a she fly but that might just be my flight of fancy.
 
Working Girl ~ A Day In The life ~ Final Chapter
 
By Susan Brown
 

 
 

Part 2 of 2

Previously...

I was already going stir crazy after two minutes and I wished that I had at least a ball and that glove thingie that Steve McQueen had to while away the days in captivity. At least I had on that nice dress, so it wasn’t all bad but, as you can imagine dear patient reader, I was not really a very happy bunny.

And now the dramatic conclusion...

I stared at the fly going round and round the light bulb. I think it was a she fly but that might just be my flight of fancy.

Anyhoo, there I was sitting on a hard bed. I wasn’t too keen on lying down on it as there were certain unmentionable type stains on the blanket that probably made it a health hazard. My mind went back over the previous few hours wondering at first what I had done wrong. I went into the shop, tried on the dress that I would have died for. Then because of the poor light, I stepped outside to have a closer look and I was nabbed by some shopkeeper type person and a gorilla security guard. They wouldn’t listen to me and chucked me into this less than nice cell.

I got quite excited as the fly landed on my leg and sort of looked at me. I was just going to strike up a meaningful conversation with her when I heard a noise coming from the door.

The door crashed open, making me and my fly friend jump.

‘Ello,ello, ello, what's going on ‘ere then?’

It was Mick and Dave, two of the police force’s finest bumblers.

They walked into the cell and closed the door behind them. What with it only being a tiny space, it was now getting a bit crowded what with those two, me and of course my fly.

Dave spoke up as Mick got out a grubby notebook and pencil.

‘Well Miss, looks like we have a situation here?’

‘Pardon?’

Mick coughed and then looked at me with those piercing slightly cross-eyed…erm eyes.

‘On the morning of the 21st inst at 11.05 am, you were observed exiting the shop known as Fashions Boutique wearing a garment that did not belong to you. The said garment is in fact that is the one that you look very nice in at the moment, if I might make so bold…’

‘Mick.’

‘Sorry Dave; you were apprehended by the manager of Fashions Boutique and a security officer. You were unable to give a satisfactory answer as to why you removed yourself from said premises without buying the item in question. Have you anything to say in your defence?’

‘Yes…’

‘I must warn you that you do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something which you later reply on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence.’

‘But…’

‘I’m glad you said it like that Mick,’ interrupted Dave. ‘I still get sort of mixed up with the old and the new caution. I think the old one where we say: 'You are not obliged to say anything unless you wish to do so but what you say may be put into writing and given in evidence' was more meaty and straight to the point. Do you remember the days when you could just clip the bleeders around the ears and…

‘Dave.’

‘Yes Mick?’

‘Can I get on?’

‘Right…sorry.’

‘Now Miss, or do you prefer Ms?’

‘’Erm…Miss will do thanks.’

‘Right, can you explain your movements on or about the aforementioned time and at the previously specified place?’

‘Pardon?

Dave butted in.

‘Did you do it Miss?’

‘What?’

‘Nick the dress?’

‘No, I was just trying to see what it looked like in good light.’

‘Sounds fishy to me?’ said Mick.

‘Shouldn’t that be smells fishy?’ said Dave.

‘Probably; look Miss, we know that you’ve helped us with our enquiries on previous occasions and in the past, a quick bribe…I mean donation to the police benevolent fund, would smooth the way and sort out any little infringements, but now things are different and we have to go by the book. We will make further enquiries and in the fullness of time will submit our report to the relevant party or parties for action if and when such action is deemed necessary.’

‘Pardon?’

‘We’ll let you know.’

‘Does that mean that I’m stuck here on bread and water?’

‘No Miss, I’m sure cook can come up with something more appetising like rock cakes or jail bird pie...’

They both laughed at their little joke and with a smile and a wave, left me alone with my thoughts and my little fly.

I tried to hold a conversation with my friend, but she wasn’t very big on small talk and wouldn’t sit still long enough for any sort of meaningful conversation. I ended counting the rivets on the walls and after that riveting pastime finished, I fell asleep…

It seemed like hours later that I once again heard the sound of a key scraping in the lock.

Looking up as the door squeaked open; I saw that it was the security guard.

My legs turned to jelly as he stomped in giving me a look that made me feel that he was going to do me personal harm. I was too young to die. I hadn’t been ravished properly by Tim yet and I needed my plumbing fixed before he could do that.

The fly must have been male after all because it deserted me and flew out as soon as he saw the freedom of the open door. ‘Men have no staying power or loyalty, do they?’ I thought bitterly.

He coughed.

Then he spoke.

‘The captain wants to see you.’

‘Why.’

‘Not been told that.’

‘Okay,’ I said, glad that I would be out of this rat infested, well bed bug infested cell and pleased that would see the sky again before I walked the plank or whatever a captain was allowed to do on a ship — I was a bit sketchy on this as I hadn’t been up in front of a captain before. I knew that he could marry people so he must have quite wide sweeping powers. I just hoped that he wasn’t a Captain Hook clone re the plank possibility.

I wasn’t terribly happy that gorilla man was holding my arm as we walked along. Did he really expect me to escape and where would I go anyway, as there was a lot of wetness between here and the shore. Mind you. I was a very good swimmer as long as I was going straight down.

A few people looked at me strangely as we passed them, wondering no doubt who this hardened criminal was. Eventually we arrived at the captains’ door. I knew it was that because the sign said so.

Mr Gorilla knocked on the door with his hairy fist.

‘Come in,’ I heard faintly.

We walked in and I was confronted by a strange sight. Sheila’s was sitting behind a humongous desk wearing a sort of a sailor suit and a hat that said Captain on it. She was smiling and I kind of knew that something strange was going on here.

‘Thanks Charlie.’

‘No problem Miss.’

The gorilla looked at me and smirked, then chuckling and shaking his head he left us alone.

‘Wwwwhat?’ I said coherently.

Sheila got up and walked over to me.

‘How are you hun?’

‘Hhhow? What…SHEILA!’

‘Not making much sense love,’ she said as she walked me over to a chair and sat me down, ‘it must be the shock of being arrested and thrown into the brig.’

I took several deep breaths and reached into my inner self…I saw it on television once and thought that it was a cool way of calming down. Last time I tried it, I fell asleep.

‘Stella, what the fcuk is going on?’

‘Language Toni!’

She brought me a drink from the drinks cabinet and handed it to me. I took it down in one, not knowing if it was poison or lemonade. After my eyes uncrossed from drinking a tumbler of gin with a mere smattering of tonic, I was ready to listen in a more relaxed way.

‘Well when Mrs Slocombe from the shop came here, I was right in the middle of helping the captain inspect my porthole. Luckily she knocked before barging in so we were able to, shall we say; disengage from our activities before she came in with Charlie.’

She stopped for a brief moment to refill our glasses before continuing.

‘’Captain Peacock,’ she said as rushed up to the desk. ‘We have caught a thief.’ Well to be interrupted by something as trivial as that was a bit annoying. A murder perhaps but a thief…anyway, she explained what had happened. This hardened criminal had been caught red handed outside the shop wearing one of the shops designer dresses and the said thief was now under lock and key in the brig.’

‘I’m not a thief!’

‘I know that; anyway, the old bat had a video of the whole sordid incident and after we looked at it carefully, it was obvious that she hadn’t bothered looking at it before arresting you and that you were stupid, idiotic and clueless, but entirely innocent. After all, you had left your handbag and clothes in the changing room, so you would have had to come back into the shop anyway. I told the captain that you were a dizzy blond and…’

‘I’m not dizzy!’

‘Yes you are, love…but don’t worry it’s one of your endearing qualities, that and the fact that you are simply nice or is that nice and simple..?’

‘I’m not simple, either. My teacher told me I was precosian….precot…pre…clever.’

‘How old were you?’

‘Six and a half; I’d just done a crayon drawing of my house. It had mummy and daddy in it and the sun and…

‘Perhaps we can go down memory lane a bit later love; anyway after viewing the evidence and considering the matter further, the captain agreed that there was no case to answer and he frees you without a stain on your character.’

‘Well I do have a stain on the dress. I don’t know what it is but it looks a bit iffy. Where is he?’

‘Who?’

‘Your boyfriend, the captain?’

‘Erm, in his cabin recovering.’

‘From what.’

‘Never mind; let’s go and get your stuff and did you still want that dress?’

‘Not really, it’s got those stains on it now.’

‘Where from?’

The bed I’ve been sitting on for hours.’

‘It wasn’t hours; it’s only about an hour and a half.’

‘It seemed longer.’ I said, thinking wistfully about my friend the fly and whether he (or she) managed to find happiness.

‘Never mind that now, let’s go and get your stuff.’

The manageress of the shop wasn’t too keen to take the dress back, but as Sheila threatened her with wrongful arrest, she reluctantly agreed to take it back.

I was able to change into my own clothes and we left the shop in a hurry as Mrs Slocombe was shutting up so she could go and see to her pussy, whatever that was.

We went back to our cabin and changed into something more comfortable and half an hour later, we were sitting by the side of the swimming pool drinking something pink and bubbly with fruit and a little umbrella.

I was wearing a canary yellow bikini of all things. I was against it at first as I thought that my optional added extras would show up beneath its scantyness. But Sheila had chosen wisely; the cups were quite full and had little secret pockets in them (for those girls who need help). The pockets entrapped my pink boobies making them look quite realistic in the breast department. Down below, I had pushed my shrivelled grapes up into me without much more than a minor scream and had my somewhat poor excuse for a penis taped up and out of the way so I had a nice smooth crotchy area. I hadn’t tried to do a wee wee with this plumbing arrangement and I hoped and prayed that nothing would come adrift when that happened.

Shutting my eyes, I relaxed a bit, letting the tension drift away and soon I was asleep in the land of nod…

It was a vivid dream. We were on the Titanic and the ship was going down. I was wearing a long satin evening gown and the deck was full of people screaming and shouting. The band was playing a tune called Song D’Automne…I had no idea how I knew the name…anyway, Tim, who was handsome in his evening dress suit and sported a rather full moustache, was pressing me to him and whispering sweet nothings into my shell-like ear.
Then he looked at me.
‘You must go, darling, it’s women and children first.’

‘But what about you? I cannot bear…’

‘Not another word, my darling. , We’ll meet again, Don’t know where, Don’t know when…’

Then I felt something icy hit me on the chest and I screamed…

Waking up, I looked down on my chest and saw a lump of ice cream sliding down and going under my bra. Sitting up suddenly I saw the child…he was picking his nose with one hand and holding the remains of a cone with his other.

Now I like children, I was one myself once, but I strongly think that this little boy was not a normal child and somewhere on him was a birthmark shaped like 666.

Before other devilish thoughts passed my mind, the child’s mother came over.

‘Sorry about that, Little Damien can be a bit of a handful…’

She pulled the screaming boy away and I got up and went over to the cold water shower by the side of the pool. I soon got rid of the sticky white mess and returned to my lounger just in time to stop a young German girl putting her towel on it and claiming it for her own. Sheila was still asleep, no doubt still tired from her Olympic Games with captain and her post-coital drinks.

I settled down again and started steaming slightly as my wet cozzie dried in the strong sun. A shadow fell across my vision, looking up I saw the strong manly body of Tim!

‘Hi, sweetheart.’

‘Hello,’ I breathed, taking in his muscles and well proportioned body as he stood there in his Speedos. In the parofie …parifer… corner of my eye I could see that he either had a large sausage down his trunks or I was going to be a very lucky girl one day.

‘Fancy a dip?’

‘Yes please, where do you want me?’

‘I mean in the pool.’

‘Oh,’ I said, blushing at my Sheila like comment, ‘erm, I can’t really.’

‘Why not, babes?’

I loved the way he said that and I went all goose pimply and gooey inside.

‘Well, last time I went into the pool I had a bit of an accident in the boobie department.’

‘What happened?’

‘They came adrift and the lifeguard had to rescue them.’

Tim, of course knew all about me and the bits that I did and didn’t have, but I realised that we had been talking rather loudly and half the people around the pool were looking at us rather strangely. I dug Sheila in the ribs and she mumbled something about I’m free, Captain Peacock and turned on her side, so no help there.

‘Let’s go somewhere quiet,’ said Tim.

I reached for my robe and stood up leaving Sheila to sleep in peace. We went to the nearest bar and sat on stools looking over the railings to the ocean beyond. It was lovely, not windy and the sun and the sky made the sea a deep blue…it was ever so romantic.

‘May I take your orders,’ said a slightly Irish voice.

It was Patrick, my friendly Irish barman and font of all knowledge.

‘Hello, Patrick.’ I said.

‘Hi, miss, I’m glad that you two young things made it up.’

‘So am I,’ I said taking hold of Tim’s hand and smiling shyly. ‘What are you drinking, honey?’

‘Lager please.’

‘That’s one lager and a claw hammer please.’

‘I assume you mean a screwdriver miss?’

‘Probably.’

Chuckling for some reason, Patrick went off to sort out the drinks while Tim and I stared into each other’s eyes.

Not a lot was said, we didn’t need to talk. We just savoured the moment. Soon the cruise would end and things were a bit up in the air. I wanted to get as close as possible to Tim, but I knew that I had to sort some things out for myself before I could truly, madly, deeply fall for this man. I was close, really close to taking the final plunge and get my plumbing sorted out, but I knew that I had to go through a few hoops before I could do that. Did Tim want to wait and could he accept me and my luggage…I mean baggage?

‘A penny for your thoughts?’

‘I don’t want it to end, and yet…’

‘You are worried about the future?’

‘Of course…I wish the cruise would never end, like the Mary thingie.’

‘Rose.’

‘No,’

‘Tyler-Moore.’

‘No, you know Mary Whatsit…’

‘Celeste?’

‘Gesundheit.’

‘Pardon?’

‘You sneeze…oh Mary Celeste.’

‘That’s the one it sailed on forever…’

‘But, Toni, no one was aboard.’

‘Oh…well anyway you know what I mean. I have issues, you have issues we all have issues.’

I had that nursery rhyme going around my head, ‘An issue, an issue we all fall down’ but shook my head as I realised that I had mixed my metaphors again. I was brought back to the present by the deep sexy voice of my Tim.

‘That’s a bit deep. Look I still want to see you if you want and who knows, things could work out.’

‘You know I hope for that more than anything.’ I simpered.

‘One slight problem that needs to be sorted out.’

‘What's that, my darling?’

‘Technically, I’m still married.’

~*~

I was trying to be very calm, thinking thoughts of daffodils, oceans breezes and stuff like that, I was going to do few of my deep, relaxed breathing exercises but I had no time for that so I just picked up his glass of lager, threw it in his face and walked off in a dignified manner. He bleated something about, ‘wait, I can explain,’ but a girl has her standards. I wasn’t like Sheila-if it moves, hump it. I was a good girl who would have probably been a convent school girl if I hadn’t been born in the wrong body.

I got back to the cabin and flung myself on the bed, crying my eyes out. I came on this cruise to forget my problems at home and have a good time. Since then all manner of maham…mahoon… hang on, that’s right mayhem had happened to me.

I was beginning to think that God didn’t like me. Perhaps he thought that I was an abhorin…abhorating…naughty person.

I jumped slightly as I felt a hand on my shoulder.

‘Toni, are you all right?’

Looking up through bleary eyes, I could see Sheila, looking worried.

‘What's up sweetheart?’

‘He…He…He.’

‘He what?’

He’s a slug.’

‘Who’s a slug?’

‘T…T…T…Tim.’

‘Why, what’s he done?’

‘He’s mmmm…’

‘Mad?’

No, mmmm…’

‘Missing?’

‘No, mmmm…

‘Misogamistic?’

‘N…what’s that mean?’

‘Hatred of marriage, I know all about that one.’

‘No he doesn’t hate it, he is it?’

‘What?’

‘Married.’

‘Married!’

‘Mmm.’ I sniffed.

‘The bugger; I’ll stuff his balls down his throat!’

‘All that would do is get you into trouble. No, I cocked up so I have to take the consequences. I’m now officially off men. I think I’ll go and live in Switzerland and find a convent, I hear that the place is alive with them…’

‘You can’t do that.’

‘Why not, is it because I’m not a real girl? I’ll have the op first and then I’ll go and do a Maria. Let’s face it I’m still chaste and vaginal.’

‘I think you mean virginal; no, you’ll be hauled up in front of the Mother Superior and she’ll make you go and look after some horrible kids…Mind you, you could marry the father and climb every mountain…look this is getting weird, you are not going to be a nun. Just because one bloke slimes you, it doesn’t mean they are all like that.’

‘You can talk.’

‘I don’t know what you mean.’

‘How many times have you fallen in love and been engaged?’

‘That’s beside the point. My Man is out there somewhere and if it takes me going through half the population of the UK to find him, I will.’

I smiled, as I could see her doing just that.

‘That’s better; you can smile, now let’s forget about Tim and other men and decide what we are wearing tonight at the Last Night Ball.’

‘I won’t go.’

‘Won’t go! You are going. Everyone goes, it’s obligatory.’

‘It’s all right for you, you have the Captain, I don’t want to be a wall flower.’

‘I won’t be with the captain?’

‘Why not?’

‘That bitch of a purser told head office about us. There is a strict rule about no nookie with the passengers. He’s been given a yellow card, one more hit and he’s out on his elbow.’

‘Sacked?’

‘Yup.’

‘Are you upset?’

‘Not really, he had no staying power. I ask you, what man can’t do it more than six times in one day.’

‘I wouldn’t know.’

‘True, dear, true; mind you,’ she said wistfully,’ he is a nice man, sort of soft and cuddly…’

~*~

After many arguments, tantrums and throwing my dummy (soother) out of my pram, I sort of agreed to go to the ball, being influenced by a certain dress that found its way on to my bed whilst I was in the bathroom.

As I walked back into the bedroom, I stopped dead at the lovely thing draped over the bed covers. How can I explain it…It was a strapless floor length evening dress, teal coloured with a lace-up fastening at the back. It had a waterfall drape at front with crystal details on edge. The dress also had a gorgeous pleat detail across the middle. It was satin underneath with an organza overskirt. It came with a petticoat of the same colour and I couldn’t wait to try it on. There was a little card sitting on top of the dress and I picked it up. It said.

Toni, I hope that you had a wonderful time on your cruise. This is a little extra gift for you to enjoy at the Last Night Ball.

Your loving Uncle.
XXX

On the floor by the bed were some matching high heeled shoes. I sat on the bed and started crying.

‘Crying again, what got into you?’

‘I’m happy!’

‘So you now cry because you are happy. Don’t let anyone persuade you that you are not a girl, you have more mood swings than any girl I’ve ever known.’

It only took two and a half hours to get ready with the help of the salon and, in a limited way, Sheila, who was a bit stuck because she wanted to make herself ravishable for her many admirers and hence took almost as much time as me to get ready.

Eventually we were finished. Sheila looked lovely in her red satin cocktail dress. Her makeup was a bit heavy, but as she said, she wanted to stand out a bit.

I on the other hand looked in the mirror and saw a very pretty girl. Any thoughts of me returning to being Tony flew out of the port hole and it was obvious to me, despite my terrible heartache over Tim, that Toni was here to stay!

My chest felt strange as I had, with the help of Sheila and some special glue, anchored my boobies to my chest. They felt heavy, but much more natural and part of me. Some makeup hid the joins and you couldn’t tell that they weren’t natural. It was a weird feeling having these things sway about like rubber pendulums and it was a good thing I was wearing a dress that had its own bra department that held them firmly in place. The dress fitted me like a glove, well it would have if it had been a glove and on my hand…look you know what I mean. Anyway, the dress looked lovely and it made me feel like a princess.

Everything else was just right too. The salon had given me the full works nails…fingers and toes in a lovely shade of salmon pink. Waxing (ouch) was done without anaesthetic and I was a brave little girl for only whimpering and not screaming the house down. I then had what was called a Deep cleans and massage to tone up and invigorate Madam. Then I was given a luscious, subtle but delicious makeup…makeover. They did things with my eyes and lips that made me look lovely, vulnerable and yet sexy all at the same time. (Getting good at these description’s aren’t I?)

This was followed by a major overhaul of my hair, which had been put up and had lovely cascading curls that shaped my face and made me feel very pretty. I also had a thin diamond tiara in my hair and it sparkled in the light as I moved my head. To complete the picture, I had a beautiful diamond pendant around my neck with matching earrings…a prezzie from Sheila. I don’t think that they were real, but they were a wonderful gift from a wonderful person.

As we entered the ballroom, I could see many pretty women, but I could see that we had not disgraced ourselves by the looks and smiles, some nice, some a bit envious, that we were given as we were led to the captain’s table. The Captain and four other men got up as we approached. One of the men, a rather portly but nice man helped me onto my seat while the captain himself assisted Sheila. I could see his hand linger on Sheila’s arm and hoped that he would not get into trouble for getting involved with her.

There were two other women at the table–both over sixty and dripping with so many diamonds and pearls–I was surprised that they didn’t fall over with the weight of them. It’s a good job I’m not catty!

We had some small talk, everyone saying how lovely or smart they looked, but I wasn’t paying much attention as I was looking around to see if Tim was here. I saw no sign of him and was kind of relieved as I didn’t want any unpleasant scenes.

The meal was lovely and consisted of several courses. With the meal, there were several wines, depending on what we were eating. I was careful not to overdo the drinking as I know that I’m not at my best if I have too much. Sheila had no inhibitions and was drinking like the honorary Australian she is. She was made an honorary Australian after a party of medical students came over on an exchange and she drunk half of them under the table. I’m not saying that all Australians drink a lot, they don’t I’m sure, but those that do drink are rather good at it.

The captain was a rather nice man and he had us in stitches with various stories about life on board ship. It was obvious to me that he and Sheila had unfinished business and I was pretty certain that when the cruise was over, they would continue where they had left off.

Once the meal was over, I detached myself from the dinner companion who had tried to impress me with his money and tales of how wonderful he was. I think he wanted me to go to bed with him, but when I told him that, one I was on, two a lesbian and three, thought he would do better with a horse; he got the drift and drifted off. I was at last getting a bit more assertive. No more was I going to be Little Miss Nice Guy…erm Girl. Then my niceness crept through my tough persona; did I hurt his feelings, was I a bit too strong with my rejection?

Leaving Sheila and Captain Peacock to themselves, I wondered about the room, smiling and nodding at people and all the time looking for the rat Tim, but there was no sign. It was a pity really as I wanted to say a few more cutting things to him. Over in the distance I saw the Hated Davis (my ex-landlord) and his oxygenarian partner smiling and holding hands in the corner. I was happy that Davis had found love but still wondered what she saw in him. I was going to suggest that she got some new glasses and upgrade her hearing aid but I think that it would have been a bit cruel.
The band started up and several people including the captain and Sheila got up to dance. She looked happy and he looked tired. No wonder after what Sheila had put him through. Also on the floor were Ronald and Derek having eyes only for each other. They were sweet couple and I heard on the grapevine from work that they intended to marry in the Seychelles next year; I hoped that I would get an invite!

I found myself a seat away from the noise and just enjoyed watching others dance. I had several requests from men to dance with them but I said no as my feet were aching slightly. I drank something, I’m not sure what, it was fruity and it was called a punch. It did have a bit of a Kick though!

I heard a cough and looked up. In front of me wearing evening dress suits and looking vaguely like a pair or is that a couple of penguins; stood Mick and Dave.

‘I’m sorry Miss; you have to come with us.’

‘Why?’

‘You need to be questioned further regarding the incident of the 21st i.e. this morning.’

‘But it’s all been cleared up, I’m innocent.’

‘We still have the file open Madam I mean Miss and we need to sort out a few details don’t we, Dave?’

‘Yes, Mick, we need to cross the i’s and dot the t’s.’

‘But…’

‘No more questions, Miss, we don’t want a scene, do we?’

I looked around in vain for the Captain and Tennille…I mean Sheila, but I couldn’t see them through the press of bodies gyrating on the dance floor.

I sighed, picked up my wrap, and followed Mick and Dave out of the dance room and into the comparative quiet outside.

I kept protesting my innocence as we went down the corridor. At the end, Mick knocked on a door and motioned me inside. I went through; it was a bit dark in there. I heard the door click close behind me. I turned to try and open it again when I heard a voice.

‘Toni.’

I turned back, knowing who it was. In the dim light I could see that it was Tim.

My eyes were getting used to the comparative darkness. We were in a large state room. He was standing by a table; on the table was a bottle of champagne, two tall flute glasses and a single red rose. He picked up the rose and walked over to me.

‘What's going on?’ I whispered.

He handed me the rose and walked me over to the table, sitting me down. I should have shouted and screamed, but I didn’t. I should have told him where he could shove his rose, but I didn’t. I just sat down and as he sat opposite me and poured out the champagne; I just said nothing. Perhaps it was the shock at seeing him, of being plucked away from the ball by Mick and Dave…

‘Toni, I need to explain things. You left in a bit of a hurry and I gave you the wrong impression…’

‘What do you mean ‘wrong impression’,’ I said finally finding my voice, ‘You told me that you were married; you lied to me, I never knew that…’

‘Please,’ he said holding his hand up, ‘let me explain; if you want to leave after that, I won’t stop you.’

I sat there and waited. I decided that I would give him five minutes and that was it, I was going to slap his face and then go and get those bloody policemen and feed them into the furnace…’

He coughed and then looked at me.

‘I told you that I was technically married… I am, to my job.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘You know that I work for your uncle?’

‘Yes.’

‘Well part of my job is to be a security consultant but I’m also a bodyguard. In my contract, I’m not supposed to get involved with my employer or any of his staff as it might compromise me in the event of things going wrong. I could lose my objectivity and may affect the way I do my job. It’s a good rule and normally it wouldn’t be a problem. But then I got assigned to you; your uncle was worried, with good cause that you would be a target, that’s why I was assigned to look after you. Then I went and fell in love with you.’

‘So you aren’t married?’

‘No, not even to the job now, as I have resigned and am going freelance and setting up my own company. I’m going to pay other people to take the risks and I’m going to sit back and enjoy my life a bit more.’

‘W…what does that mean for us?’

‘Well, I have to ask you a few questions. Do you love me?’

‘Yes,’ I whispered, my heart beating like a big base drum.

‘Can you bear to be without me?’

‘No.’

‘Will you marry me?’

‘Absolument!’

The End?

Please leave comments...thanks

My thanks go to the brilliant and lovely Gabi for editing and pulling the story into shape.