‘Don’t cry, Toni. You mustn’t be upset. We are going to have a great time, as long as you do as you are told. I’m into bondage and I can’t wait to tie you up. Leather and PVC is so nice, don’t you think?’

As he wittered on, I looked at him, smirking, almost drooling at the thought of what he intended for me or, more to the point, to do to me. I felt physically sick. Why had I fallen for his charm? How could I be so stupid and naíve?

I took a tissue out of my handbag, wiped my eyes and blew my nose.

I shakily stood up and said, ‘I have to go to the loo.’

‘Hurry back sweetheart, I want to you tell all of my plans for you. We are going to have such fun.’

The smirk on his face showed all the supposed superiority of a man who was just about as full of bullshit as anyone could be. He made me shiver with revulsion. I think he actually took my shivering for eagerness on my part!

‘I’ll be waiting so don’t be long, honey.’

I went into the toilet and sat in a cubicle crying my eyes out. Sobs wracked my body. I could see streaks of mascara on the toilet tissues I used to wipe my eyes.

After a few moments I got myself back together, relatively speaking, dried my wet face, opened the door and headed for the basins.

As I walked out, I realised that I wasn’t alone. There was an older woman, perhaps forty or so, looking at the mirror and touching up her lipstick.

She looked over at me, smiling and then frowned.

‘Are you OK? You look like you have been crying, time of the month or man trouble? It’s normally one or the other.’

I looked at her not feeling much like conversation; still, she seemed nice enough.

‘Man trouble, I suppose.’

‘Do you love him?’

‘God, no!’

‘Is he pestering you?’

‘Yes, I have just started working for him and he wants me to do things that I really don’t want to do.’

‘Is the job important to you?’

Yes it is. But not at any price.’

‘So this man has made sexual advances to you and you don’t want to play?’

‘Yes.’ I whispered.

‘Well, hon, it seems that you have two choices, stay or go. If you complain about sexual harassment, it’s your word against his and if he’s been there a lot longer than you he will be believed unless you have proof. I know it’s not nice, but if I were you I would simply leave. You would be surprised how many of these cases fail. No job is worth this sort of unhappiness. One thing though, if you get the chance, kick him in the balls, hard and scratch his car. Those are the two biggies in most men’s lives. I don’t usually recommend breaking the law, but a girl has to protect herself. Also once you have left, see a solicitor and try to get compensation. Some firms don’t like the bad publicity, even if there isn’t cast iron proof of harassment and you might get something, if only to make you go away. Now sort your face out so you can go out in public without looking like a panda.’

‘Thanks for the advice.’ I said as I tried to sort out my ravaged face.

‘Don’t mention it. Here’s my card. If you do need any help, call me.’

I took her card. It said ‘Melanie Griffith’ Solicitor.

‘Look after yourself, bye now,’ she said as she left.

I put the card in my handbag, finished off my lippy and left the loo.

But instead of going back to the table I went out onto the busy street and didn’t look back.

Feeling slightly numb after what had happened I couldn’t think clearly, plus I needed to consider what Melanie had told me. To do that I needed to get as far away from Roger as possible. Well that was her thoughts plus my feelings and then I saw a black cab passing (it wasn’t a BMW, I made sure) and hailed it.

‘Where to love?’

‘I don’t know.’

‘Well you need to go somewhere; otherwise you're wasting your money.’

‘Home I suppose.’

I gave him my address and in a short while I was sitting on my bed, taking my shoes off and lying back on my bed, exhausted.

I must have dozed off and jumped slightly when I heard the phone ring.

I didn’t answer it not wanting to talk to anyone.

Some time later I opened my eyes to a darkened room. I must have been sleeping for longer than I thought.

A little groggily I got up, switched the light on and went into the kitchen to make some coffee.

My thoughts shied away from what had happened today. It was distasteful and worrying. Mindless activity, that's the shot. Coffee making fitted the bill.

Slumping down into the old beat up settee I sipped my steaming coffee and thought about what I wanted to do; not about work or Roger but now or in the next half hour or so. I didn’t want to think at all about the future just at the moment.

The cup emptied itself after a whole bunch of sips and I was still undecided what to do. Sheila was doing a long shift at the hospital and I wouldn’t see her until the morning. I was still a bit fuzzy after all that had happened and my brain was obviously not in gear.

‘I’ll have a shower.’ I thought, ‘it might make me feel a bit better and wake me up at the same time.’

So all decisive I stripped off my office clothes, folded them neatly on my bed and headed for the shower.

As the hot water hit me, all the knots in my muscles seemed to soften and ease. I stayed in the shower 'till just short of wrinkly and then towelled myself off, using one of my newish white fluffy ones.

Carefully wrapped in big white and fluffy softness,I went over to my wardrobe and picked out a long denim skirt and white smock top.

I had sort of decided to go for a walk down by the river. It was a nice evening and perhaps the walk will help me decide what to do. Walks are sometimes good like that.

Now I had a plan, I felt a bit better and automatically put on my panties, bra, skirt and top, not thinking much about dressing and the fact that a few short months ago I had never put girls’ clothes on before.

Quickly applied my makeup, not too much; it wasn’t as if I was going clubbing or anything.

The phone rang again and once again, I ignored it.

Checked myself in the mirror, nodded to the reflection, picked up my shoulder bag and keys and went out for my walk.

The roads were still a bit crowded with people going home from work.

Eventually, I found myself down by the river, sitting on a bench.

Several pigeons thought that they could extract food from me but soon got fed up and decided that it was more productive to poop on the statue of a long dead mayor, fifty yards away. Worked for me.

I looked at the river flowing silently past where I sat. The trees were floodlit in several places and the reflection on the water was lovely.

It was so peaceful here. Birds were calling each other in the treetops. The moon, nearly full was low enough to reflect across the gently flowing (current of) water, rippling in front of me. Only the murmur of traffic in the distance could interrupt the total tranquillity of the scene.

Tears started trickling down my face as I reflected on my future.

I could not go back to work. The fact that I didn’t return after lunch and had walked out on Roger was enough to make me realise that I was most likely finished there.

Anyway, the thought of seeing Roger again made me shiver with horror.

‘So what next,’ I asked myself.

Tomorrow, I would look in the situations vacant columns to see if there were any jobs about. I'd been able to get one job, so there must be others.

It was getting a bit chilly and I was getting goose bumps on my naked arms so I decided to head home. But first I had an unpleasant job to do.

There was a newsagent on the way to the river. It was still open and I went inside, bought some writing paper, an envelope, stamp and a biro.

Next stop, the library; it was closing soon, so I had to be quick. I sat down and wrote a letter to Pippa.

~~Dear Ms Prendergast,

I regret that I will not be able to continue working at the office for personal reasons.

I am sorry that it did not work out and hope that you are able to find someone else soon.

Could you please forward any paperwork that I need to have to my home address?

Yours sincerely

Toni Summers. ~~

I put the letter in the envelope, sealed it and put Pippa's name on the front.

I was about to put a stamp on the envelope but changed my mind, I would hand deliver it and leave it at reception or with the security guard or something.

I caught a bus and I was able to get off, just down the road from the tall office building which, oh so briefly held all my hopes and dreams.

As I walked up the steps, looking up there were still many lights dotted around the building where people were, I assumed, still working away.

The doors opened silently and I could hear the loud tap tap of my shoes as I walked across the marble floor leading up to that impressive reception desk.

There was a security man sitting at the desk reading a newspaper.

He looked up with a smile as I approached.

‘Hello, miss, can I help you?’

I could feel myself getting upset as he spoke.

I blinked away the tears, ‘ erm, can you please make sure that Ms Prendergast gets this, tomorrow morning?’

‘Of course miss, are you all right?’

‘I’m fine, thanks’. I said as I quickly turned away and ran straight into someone in a leather bike jacket.

‘Ooh. Sorry dear, didn’t see you. Did you see her Ronald?’

No. luv, I only have eyes for you. Oh you’re erm, no don’t tell me. On the tip of my tongue. Erm, Sammie? No, no, Toni. You’ve started here then, I told Ronald that we must look you up as soon as. Didn’t I Ronald?’

‘Yes, Ronald, you did. You got quite boring about it.’

‘Bitch.’

‘Don’t call me bitch or I’ll make you do the washing up tonight.’

Of course I did the most logical thing imaginable and laughed. My sides were splitting as I watched those lovely men go into a spat. They obviously adored each other and it occurred to me as I was laughing that some people had all the luck.

Of course my laughter turned to tears and I before I knew it, I was being led over to the staff restaurant and sat down in one of the comfy chairs, of course it farted as I sat down. It would.

A hot drink was pushed into my shaking hands and Derek taking charge ordered me to drink it.

‘Now, dear, tell us all about it,’

‘Ooh I do love it when you come over all masterful. Yes, come on love, we’re all ears,’ chipped in a concerned Ronald.

I looked at them, holding hands and with a worried look on both their faces.

‘To hell with it,’ I thought, ‘someone had to know about Roger, so he can be stopped from doing bad things to someone else.’

I told them all about what had happened today and what Roger had said to me. Their mouths dropped in unison when I told them about the blackmail, the fact that I still had male equipment and what Roger said that he wanted to do to me.

‘Yuk.’ Said Ronald, ‘bondage that’s so passé.’

‘I don’t know,’ said Derek, ‘I would love to tie you up and…’

‘Derek, ladies present!’

‘Oh sorry love; it s my wicked imagination taking over, anyway, if it’s between consenting adults there’s no problem, but to force you… I’ll scratch his eyes out!’

‘That’s my boy,’ said Ronald affectionately.

‘So, Ronald, what are we going to do? Let this lovely young thing leave before she’s really started or are we going to do something about that slime ball?

Derek looked at us both and just said, ‘I have a cunning plan…’

‘ Ooh do tell then.’ said Ronald as I felt a twinge of hope.

Derek just grinned with a cat and canary, or was it cream, look. Well both probably from the expression.

To be continued...