“Go on, you have my word.”
“Davis might have been undermining the company, and the figures aren’t adding up. We have to investigate the matter. If things were running well, I’d have no issue with your promotion, and training you to do it, but right now, I need more than a trainee, and I need you on top of accounts, I can’t let the day to day running suffer. I hope you understand.”
“Of course sir, thank you for your honesty.”
“I’m not saying never, just so we’re clear.”
Suzy nodded and left. She was crushed, she understood his reasons, but still. She wondered who the new manager would be.
Townslee rang the number on the website he had been directed to and smiled. The only person he could think that was appropriate for the job answered on the third ring.
Nathan looked at the contact ringing him, and his pulse picked up. The brief conversation they had made him curious. He had reached out to every one of his contacts, including Townslee, but he never expected to hear from him, it would too much like a wish.
He couldn’t quite believe that he was heading north three days later, his bags in the back on his way to Chadford. He couldn’t wait to see Suzy. He was nervous, excited, he hoped that she still felt something for him, that their chemistry was as strong as ever, it was the sign he had been looking for, he would win her back. He rang her, but her number had changed. He hoped she was okay, and that it wasn’t anything to do with Zach.
It was a long but pleasant drive, July was warm. He remembered back in May, going to Cass’s grave and asking what he should do. Now he knew, he had to fight for her, if she still cared for him that was.
This was a temporary gig, but he could live anywhere and do this job. Doing this favour for Townslee could open doors, gain a reputation. But he could have his base in Chadford, with Suzy.
Suzy stifled a yawn on Friday morning. She hadn’t slept again. She cleaned her glasses and tried to focus. She had a plan though. She was going to go out soon, and try to pull, she wasn’t going to have sex, but at least flirt, maybe a snog. It was a solid plan.
She felt sick at the idea though. She wasn’t entirely sure if it was the contact with a man she dreaded or the fact that it wasn’t with Nathan.
She hadn’t seen him for six months, and her whole life had changed in the meantime, she really needed to move past this. Another man was the answer. Had to be, but she had a feeling that Nathan had ruined her for other men in that she would never be satisfied, always comparing them to him, and that Zach had just ruined her.
But that fucker was dead, and he hadn’t taken her with him. She had won. Sort of.
She was in early, the office blessedly quiet. She tapped away, answering her emails when the lift pinged. She didn’t look up for a minute, only when she felt eyes on her did she.
Townslee was standing there, smiling, but she didn’t look at him. The whole world skidded to a halt, and she wanted to get off. Nathan fucking Maxwell. She couldn’t believe it. She realised she had stopped breathing, and for all she knew an hour could have passed.
She took a slow steady breath in. Well didn’t that just make her fucking life. Townslee was giving him the job, and he was going to be her boss. She wanted to throw her computer at him. At them both, why him, why had he lured the fucker here.
Townslee was walking towards her. Oh shit. Shit shit shit.
“Ah, I’m glad you’re in, bright and early, but the panic is over. You remember Nathan.”
“Yes of course. Mr Maxwell.”
Nathan looked at the woman he loved. She was not the woman he loved, there was something terribly wrong with her. She was pale, sunken, and she looked exhausted. She had lost weight, but she looked toned. Her clothes were conservative, no heels, no makeup.
It wasn’t her. He blinked a few times, and Suzy saw his disappointment. As it should be. She was a ruin of the person she once was. Nathan deserved better than that didn’t he? After all the things he had lost in his life, he deserved someone who could give him love. She didn’t know if she could kiss. She couldn’t give him a family, she had nothing but bitterness and nightmares.
“It’s good to see you again Ms Martin.”
His voice, that deep gentle tone warmed her heart. She wanted to cry, to throw herself at him. She wanted that warmth again. She was cold, too cold.
She sat down and went back to work, but she didn’t see the screen, she didn’t acknowledge anyone as they came into the office, she worked.
The pain cut through her, everything that Zach had said and done, all that he had taken from her, nearly choked her.
She was wrong, Zach had won, he had taken away her hope.
Malcolm approached her desk, with an odd look on his face at lunch, she was working through it as he stood there, like a twat.
“Don’t start. I don’t have time.”
“Did you know?”
“What exactly?”
“That Davis was going, or that he was coming back.”
“Neither. Townslee told me shit. And you don’t have to worry your sensitive little head about it, there’s nothing between us.”
“And you’re okay with that?” The sarcasm made her want to smack him.
“I’d have to be human first, and we all know I’m not. Right?”
Malcolm left her desk and she shook her head. Mia dropped a sandwich off at her desk. They shared a look and Suzy rolled her eyes. She ate it as she reviewed her work.
After lunch, Nathan asked for a meeting. Of course, why not.
“Where’s Townslee gone?” No nothing, no hello, no acknowledgment of who he was to her once.
“Back to London. How are you?”
“Fine. What do you wish to discuss?”
“I tried to call you…”
“I lost my phone, I have no interest in discussing personal matters Mr Maxwell, I have work to do.”
He stared at her. “Okay. Any problems with the accounts?”
“No.”
“Suzy.” He looked at her gently, almost with pity. She wondered how much he knew, why he was back, what he wanted. He couldn’t have it, not with her.
“If there’s nothing else.”
“Why are you so cold, Suzy, I’d like to talk to you.”
“No. First and last time. Mr Maxwell. No room for manoeuvre.”
She left his office, furious, with him, with herself. Ones does not fuck where one works. She barked and snapped all the afternoon, and went to the gym, she was gone at five, fuck it.
Ray took one look at her when she joined him on the mats.
“Someone’s not happy.” She flipped him the finger as they started. She got on the exercise bike. “Want to talk about it?”
“Nope.”
“Want to punch the crap out of something?”
“Yes please.” He pushed her hard in her cardio, and after that, he worked with her on the punch bag. She was pissing sweat when they finished.
“Better?”
“A little. Thanks Ray.”
“I know. About what happened. I mean, I didn’t at first, but it clicked later.”
“Ah.”
“I’m not trying to be a dick, but I just wanted you to know that, whatever you need from me, I can help.”
She considered it. “Wanna grab a drink?” she didn’t know why she asked.
“Well, I’m not supposed to fraternise with my clients, but apart from that, I’m spoken for.”
“Shit, I’m sorry, I don’t know why I asked.”
“Why did you?”
“My ex, who I worked with for a bit is back. I don’t think I can handle it. I’m so all over the place, and I’m trying to work out who I am now. I hate being touched. You can sense that about me, I know. You’re really considerate. I want to be able to go out, to have, to…reclaim that about myself. But he’s just turned up, and I’m…”
“I get it. You know I’m gay right?”
“No.”
“Me and my boyfriend,
Raz, are going out next weekend, to Kink, at Passion House.”
She grinned. “I know it well.”
“Yeah? Well we have tickets, we could try to get another one, Raz wouldn’t mind you coming with.”
“That’s okay, I can get on the VIP list, I could bump you guys up. I know the owner.”
“A threesome then?” She laughed, she knew he wasn’t serious. “It might be a good way to let off some steam. We can get down, have fun, with no implications. You’ll be safe. We don’t mind a bit of play, and it’s Kink after all. Pretty much anything goes.”
Suzy grinned. Kink was an infamous night at Passion House. They only did it four times a year, and it was ticket only.
It was as weird as you wanted it to be, but there were always some great DJs, the atmosphere was great, and people dressed up as the name suggested. Beyond that were the VIP rooms upstairs, but she had only done that a few times, and it wasn't for her. She wondered what to wear. Ray was right, she would be safe with them.
Nathan sat in the office, balls deep in the shit storm left by Davis, but all he could think about was Suzy. She wasn’t the same person. He didn’t understand it.
He didn’t accept it. The startling realisation that he was not much better than Zach in that regard. He shuddered. He only wanted to know what was wrong. To talk to her. Something had happened and he needed to know what.
He finished up and went to the gym, he sorted his paperwork out with them and changed. He stepped onto the floor and saw her. She was stretching out on the mat with the kickboxing instructor, and caught the last part of their conversation.
A Fucking threesome? He turned around and went back to the hotel. It was a nice place, better than he had expected. He checked the website for the club they had mentioned, and saw what Kink was. Rules went out the window for Kink, people put their inhibitions aside and had fun. He felt sick. She had moved on, more than moved. He was devastated. He looked at the website. The small ‘purchase ticket’ tab called to him. Fuck it. He bought one.
Fourteen. Free love and the price to pay
Suzy met her dad as if he were a stranger, and neither knew the other. It was awkward, but with the distractions of a three and a two year old, they got along pretty well.
Mike watched his eldest girl play with her niece, he knew she would never have her own now. He was partly to blame for that. If he had been a better father, they could have protected her from Zach more, but they hadn’t.
At least she didn’t have to go through a trial, she wouldn’t have that pain. She had to give several statements in the aftermath of a police shooting, and both officers received commendations for their bravery.
He left the dining room and went outside. Suzy followed him, handing back the toddler.
“Dad?”
“Sorry. I’m so sorry Suzy, for everything. For all things I didn’t do, all the things I did.” She swallowed the emotion, seeing tears in her dads eyes made her want to bawl.
“I’m trying to find my way through this dad. To remake myself, to look for anything good here.”
“And?”
“I’ve been alone for so long. I don’t really remember what having a family feels like. I do now, Amy’s been wonderful. Dad, even if it’s late, and even if it’s only now again, it makes me happy to have to as my dad again.”
She couldn’t hold it back, and she cried. Her dad pulled her into his big bear arms and hugged her tightly. She couldn’t remember the last time he held her. She sobbed into his shirt, and he rocked her back and forth.
Amy stood in the kitchen crying, and after giving them a few moments, went and joined them. Brendon Martin held his two daughters with all the love he could give them, until they made crushing sounds, and they laughed.
Suzy had slept fairly well Sunday night, although Nathan was hovering at the back of her mind, even he couldn’t dim her mood after Sunday lunch with her dad. With her family.
She was actually in a fairly good mood until she saw Nathan. Then whoosh, it was gone, like a ferret out of a trap.
She hadn’t let herself really look at him. He was tanned, his hair was a little longer on the top, a slightly different style, she liked it.
He wore a new tie. She blinked at herself in the meeting. Her one contact moved about, and she was pissed off in a second. She was having a hard time getting back into them. Like her life. She smacked herself in her mind.
Nathan didn’t acknowledge her. He spoke quickly, eager to get on with work. Poppy looked at Nathan and looked at Suzy.
Poppy brought her a coffee after the meeting. She spoke quietly.
“How are you, with you know?”
“I don’t know. No I do, I’m okay, there’s nothing between us. It’s just awkward. Do you still fancy him?”
“A bit, only because, let’s be honest, who doesn’t?” Suzy laughed. She liked Poppy. Ever since that thing in the pub, Poppy had been in her corner, and was more or less her assistant.
Poppy kept her opinion to herself that Nathan had a thing for her still, it was the way, or rather, the way he didn’t look at her.
“Ms Martin?”
She took a slow breath and looked at Nathan. She went at his call to his office and gave a pointed look at Poppy, who pursed her lips and went back to work.
“Yes, Mr Maxwell.”
“How far behind are we on the Taylor Account?”
“Which account? There’s no Taylor on the board.”
Nathan scrubbed his face. “That’s unacceptable, it’s been through technical…”
“No Mr Maxwell, it hasn’t. Have IT check my machine, all accounts run to me, I assign them out, they come back, I audit, they go out, they are processed, then it moves over to logistics. There wass no Taylor account sent to me. Come, see for yourself.”
He followed her back, the scent of her perfume, her smell, made him want things he couldn’t. A fucking threesome, he hadn’t gotten over that snippet.
She showed him how the accounts work. There was no Taylor.
“Shit.” He muttered under his breath.
A lot of money had been moved about for the Taylor account, a huge contract that required a huge amount of machines and software. Which had all been paid for.
“Has there ever been a Taylor account?”
Malcom looked over, his face paling. Suzy caught it. “Ask him.” He frowned at the sneer in her voice, and he looked over to Malcolm.
“Come with me.” He left Suzy and Malcolm followed. It looked like shit was about to drop, and she was so glad it wasn’t hers.
By Friday, Nathan was shattered. He had suspended Malcolm, accounting was in audit, and Toby was pursuing the consequences of embezzlement. The fallout could kill the company, and it was up to him to sort out the mess, they would get there, he hoped. Davis and his lapdog would face the consequences. He doubted they’d get the sixty five thousand pounds back that was missing.
He went back to the hotel, leaving it behind him, to focus on another problem. Suzy. He looked at the ticket on the desk, and the mask sent out with it. A gold and white volto mask, but the mouth and chin was cut away. He read the back of the ticket again and wondered what Kink really was.
The last time he had sex was Christmas, the last time he had been with Suzy.
He wasn’t sure if he had to turn up in the mask, or put it on inside. He didn’t know what to wear. He glanced at the ticket, ‘anything goes as long as there is consent and safety’. Anything goes. He took a breath, put the mask up to his face, and looked in the mirror.
He got waxed on Saturday morning, and the cool aloe vera on his balls soothed him as he walked out. The woman who waxed him was the same as before, she was the best he had come across. He was restless at lunch, and almost went to Suzy’s flat. Maybe convince her not to go with the kickboxing guy, and be with him.
He almost got in his car, but he wouldn’t crowd her, he didn’t want her to think he was a problem. He wasn’t, he was the solution.
He wore a bl
ack fitted t-shirt and black jeans and boots, he couldn’t go wrong with that, it wasn’t black tie, it was a club, with house music.
He waited until ten, doors were at nine, so, things would be underway, but hopefully, she would still be there.
He took a taxi and wandered along Town Hill. He saw a few people in the masks going in, while there was a massive queue outside. It was quite the event.
He put his mask in place as he walked past the queue, his heart pounded, he had no idea what he was doing. He was ushered inside, offered a glass of champagne and a shot, well his two hundred quid bought him a bit of service. He necked the shot and drank the champagne.
His hand was stamped and a pretty woman in a gold corset and not much else asked him if he was alone. He nodded.
“First time?”
“Yeah.”
“Anyone caught taking drugs will be handed over to the police. Any preferences, men, women, both?”
“I’m not looking to hook up.” She put a red wristband on him and opened a door, it had opened and closed several times as people milled about the lobby, the bass came and went. It had looked so different when he was here last.
He nodded at the woman as he wandered into the club. It was wall to wall people, and everyone was half naked, it wasn’t far off an orgy. He was wearing more clothes than anyone else, a woman took his hand and smiled. He shook his head and moved to the dancefloor, he’d never find her in this. Not everyone wore masks, and not everyone wore wristbands. It looked like VIPs did. There was a small collection of them on a raised dancefloor.
He shouldered his way through as he looked about, he was more or less the only man in a top. A woman who was only wearing hot pants and heels, sidled past him, he blinked as he took in each person wearing a gold mask.
Then he saw her. That was her hair, that was the way she moved, and those were her patent heels. She looked incredible.
Her hair was in loose waves and she wore a white playsuit. It was backless and she wore no bra, the halter neck covered her front, but the shorts were so short, he could see the bottom of her arse cheeks. Her figure was still curved, but she was a little slimmer, and toned.
Saving Suzy (New city Series Book 2) Page 16
