On Her Own Petard - part 21

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On Her Own Petard
by Ceri

With Uncle Bob's words of praise ringing in her ears, and his coffee cup in hand, Stevie strode down the corridor. It was a little and ladylike she knew, but Stevie did not relish the prospect of meeting her former manager while she walked to the kitchen area.

Internally she was breathing talk huge sigh of relief, when two steps from the doorway, she heard the unmistakable clatter of breaking glass. Unsure of what awaited, Stevie took those last few steps in a hurry, pulling up suddenly in the doorway.

Poor Edna knelt on the kitchen floor, coffee jug handles in hand, surrounded by shards of glass. It was a few moments before Stevie fully took in the scene.

'Edna be careful,' the teenager shouted, 'you're already bleeding!' Looking around, as if seeking whoever spoke, the older woman flashed the newcomer a smile, and then crumpled.

Taking two giant steps the young office junior reached her falling colleague in time to catch her before she landed amidst the puddle of broken glass.

Dragging the matronly Edna clear of the jagged shards, Stevie tapped her burden gently on the cheek. 'Edna wake up,' she pleaded, 'who's the first aider on this floor?'

'Stevie,' Edna moaned, 'you saved me.' Stevie demurred, and asked again who the first aider was. 'Margarette, but she's off to day.'

'Never mind,' Stevie told her, as she placed her bloody charge in a handy chair. She had seen a first aid kit in one of the drawers a few days before.

'Oh God,' Edna moaned as she looked down at her blood spattered pantyhose, and Stevie turned in time to catch her as she fainted once more.

'I'll have to take your tights off,' she told the older woman.

Some of the cuts were quite deep, and might require stitches, Stevie told the swooning Edna.

'We ought to get you a nurse's uniform,' someone said from the doorway. Turning, Stevie saw that several people had come in, yet no one offered to help.

'I've called for an ambulance,' someone said from the crowd's rear.

'You'll live,' Stevie told a rapidly whitening Edna, as she smeared anti-septic on her blushing.

*****

'You've done a good job,' the handsome paramedic told Stevie.

'It was nothing really,' she replied, while blushing deeply.

It took a few minutes for the crowd to disperse once Edna handed been wheeled away. Alone at last Stevie set the depleted kit on the counter, and wondered how she'd make coffee now.

Uncle Bob despised instant coffee, but with both percolaters broken there seemed no alternative. Then Stevie remembered how surprised she'd been, to find him drinking coffee. Whenever he visited her parents, uncle Bob always asked for tea. In fact he was quite first stickler for how he liked it.

While rooting around for the first aid kit, she'd spotted a bag as stainless steel tea set. Swilling the pot and milk jug in cold water, Stevie looked for tea bags. They weren't his favourite brand, of course, but they'd do for now.

'Three minutes,' Stevie said aloud, while staring at her wristwatch. Carefully fishing out the teabags, so as not to spill anything, she lifted the tray and set off. At least she had a good excuse for taking so long.

Mr Posner emerged from the doorway as she approached, a faint odour spanning the meters between them.

'You're burning bridges then, miss Weston,' he said in a matter of fact way. There was no real venom in his words, but it was clear that there'd be no return to accounts for her. Another nail in Steve's coffin, she thought.

'Oh God, if I weren't involved elsewhere, I'd ask you to marry me,' uncle Bob said, setting down his teacup.

'See what you've started now,' Belinda said, eyes narrowed. 'Anyway, Ms Hawker called; she wants you to come up. It sounded quite urgent.'

'But it's only four fifteen,' Stevie said, turning back to her manager, who was pouring himself another cup of tea. Sighing contentedly after a first sip, Bob motioned her away.

*****

Arriving at the interview room's closed door, Stevie wondered what she done wrong. It had been a very busy day, what with interpreting, undermining the head of Accounts, and bandaging up poor Edna, she'd probably broken any number of rules. Hopefully Ms Hawker was in a charitable mood. Chances were she wasn't. Tentatively Stevie knocked, and waited to hear a terse "come in".

Ms Hawker - it was undoubtedly Ms Hawker, not Penny - was perched on the desk's edge in a predatory manner. 'Don't dither in the doorway, miss Weston,' she said, and pointed at the carpet before her.

Stevie scuttled forward, in quick inch long steps until she was practically touching the HR head.

'Very good.' It was very softly spoken, and Stevie wasn't even sure it had been said when suddenly Ms Walker caught her head in both hands, and fiercely kissed the bewildered office junior.

If Stevie had considered herself kissed before, her judgement was severely called into question. The lips fixed on hers, seemed to have a gravitational pull all of their own.

Penny felt the teenager stiffen, and fall against her limply, breaking the kiss. 'Did you just…' She asked, letting the question trail off.

'Sorry,' Stevie said, without looking up.

'There is no need to say sorry, you beautiful girl,' Penny said softly, 'no one has ever done that for me when I'm kissing them.'

Stevie looked up into Penny's eyes, reddening like a beacon while the older woman's arms enfolded her.

'You must have really needed that,' Penny said, palming the damp fabric between Stevie's legs. 'We'd better get you home, and into dry knickers.'

*****

'Inconceivable! It's not even half past four.' Debbie stood at a window overlooking the car park, along with everybody else in Human Resources. As Ms Hawker's personal assistant she was expected to know everything her manager knew, and yet aside from a hurried goodbye, Debbie knew nothing.

'She never goes home before five, even when she had appendicitis,' someone said.

'Look then she is!'

Debbie looked where a half-dozen fingers pointed, and saw two figures walking towards the named parking spaces. From nine floors up it was difficult to identify people, but the blonde woman with the blue top on, was certainly Ms Hawker. And it wasn't a huge leap to say that the brunette walking alongside, was Stevie Weston.

'Of they holding hands?' Several people asked the same time.

'We really should have a pair of binoculars in the office.'

'God no,' said Debbie, 'people are paranoid enough already.'

Everyone stepped back from the window when them BMW pulled off. But there was still an excited hubbub, when it was noted that there manager's computer was still switched on.

Debbie, who sat closest, jostled the superior's desk, which cleared the computer's screensaver.

Discreetly, Debbie peered at the monitor, seeing only an almost blank personnel record. The only item of information filled in, was the name "Miss Stevie Weston". Which didn't explain why Penny had been staring at the screen all day.

'We'd better crack on,' Debbie said to everyone, 'you know she'll check up on us first thing.'

*****

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Comments

After 7 years?

You suddenly decide to surface a new episode? I liked the story and your writing.

Gwen

from the beginning

like Matthew Weiner and Madmen I've known how it ends for years - thought it was time to share :)

Pleasant Surprise

Thanks for the new posting of Stevie's adventures. I hope this means you are doing well.

It's getting better and

It's getting better and better,love it.XXX Frank

nice

glad to see story back. hope for more soon. keep up the good work.
robert

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sorry new readers

I should apologise to any new readers, trying to dip in to the story. It's taken eight years to get this far, but all the events take place in about week and a half.

Unbelievably, I've not been to work for four years, but I'm still having tussles with HR, which brought me back to Stevie's story. Hopefully I can get back to regular posting, and I can get to the point where Stevie decides. After that we'll have to see :)

Out of storage

Podracer's picture

So glad that you posted this chapter, as I would have missed reading the rest of the story, and enjoying the read, this morning. Yes I was up early. The first chapter seemed to set the wrong scene but then the story evolved into a fine romance and life adventure. Next episode please?

"Reach for the sun."