TAILSPIN

by Jaimie Roberts

  I roll my eyes. “No. Tom and I walked to the restaurant, but these shoes are obviously not meant for walking.”

  He starts laughing. “So the big doctor man doesn’t have a car, and is not even gentlemanly enough to hire a taxi for your date?” He laughs again. “Fuck me. I’ve seen it all now. What kind of wimpy delinquents are people raising these days? I bet he had to order a certain meal because he has allergies or something.” I can’t help but smile at his comment. His mouth drops open. “Fucking hell. I’m right, aren’t I?”

  I try not to laugh. “No! He’s a vegetarian, so he would only eat lentils.”

  “Lentils?!” he screeches. “What a fucking tosser.” Shaking his head, he laughs as we walk farther. With each step, I feel like my feet are on fire.

  Once in the office, I quickly walk to my computer and fire it up. Devon stands behind me, which is unnerving. When I open the folder to the file I need, he leans over my shoulder to look. He’s so close I can smell him. I hate to admit it, but he smells really good.

  “That’s the one. Attach that and my CV to an email and send it over to me. I’ll do the rest.”

  I do as instructed and hit SEND, then turn to find him still lurking over my shoulder. “Done,” I say, swallowing hard.

  He says thanks, which surprises me because although I know he doesn’t really mean it, the word never leaves his lips for any reason. Our eyes lock, and I could swear there’s a spark of electricity between us … but, just like his sense of appreciation, it doesn’t last long. Before I know it, a snarl crosses his face as he straightens. Momentarily, I look away. When I glance back, I see him typing something on his phone.

  Once he’s finished, he looks back at me. “You can shut down your computer and I’ll take you home. I’ll be waiting outside.” Without another word, he walks out the door.

  I shake my head in annoyance before powering down. When the screen goes dark, I grab my bag, get up, and walk out to find Devon on the phone.

  “Yeah, I’ll be over in a half-hour. I just have to take my assistant home.” He punches the button for the lift before saying, “No, I’d never go there, so stop bringing it up.” He looks at me. “Just be ready for me.” He smirks. “Don’t you worry. I have a lot to get off my chest.”

  I purse my lips as the lift doors open. It’s obvious what he’s talking about, but I’m confused by his comment. It makes me wonder if he’s talking about me. Am I so hideous that even the thought of me disgusts him?

  As I walk into the lift, he says, “Listen, I have to go. See you soon.”

  Ending the call, he steps through and presses the ground floor button. He doesn’t say anything as we descend, so I also keep my mouth shut. I just want to get out of here, but the lift seems to take forever. I keep my eyes trained on the numbers as they slowly go down from eight to zero. I don’t look at Devon, but every part of my body can sense him. He’s completely oblivious to me, and yet, if I close my eyes, I can picture the way the lights in the lift bounce off his neat goatee stubble and the way his eyes shine when he smiles at something on his phone. No matter how badly he treats me, I can’t stop myself from wanting him with a passion so great it has a tight grip on my heart.

  With my eyes locked on the numbers, I may not be able to see him, but I know what he’s doing. He’s either busy doing something on his phone or pretending that he is, so he doesn’t have to talk to me. I don’t know why he can’t just be civil. Maybe I’ll ask him someday, but for now, I keep the words bottled up along with a million other things I wish I could say to him. Ritchie keeps telling me to bite the bullet and just say what’s on my mind once and for all. I have to constantly remind myself that doing so could cost me my job. I’m the best paid PA in London. I know it. Devon knows it. If I speak out of line, I could get fired. No matter how much I want to stick it to him, I keep my mouth shut, so I can continue to get paid and help my father with the debt of our family home. Without the extra income my mother brought in, my father struggles. I didn’t realise how much until I went over for a visit one day and found my father passed out—a drink and a mass of overdue bills on the table. It broke me to see him that way. I had already lost my mother, and I would fight to the death before I lost my father, too. Once I sobered him up, he begged me not to say anything to Charlie. We argued and then cried, but the one thing on the forefront of our minds was losing the home which held so many memories.

  “I can still hear her,” he’d said. “She’s singing in the kitchen as she cooks me my favourite meal or whispering softly as she tells you a bedtime story.”

  Not wanting those memories to disappear, I set up a standing order to send money to my father each month. It’s not a huge amount, but it’s enough to keep the roof over his head. In return, he insisted on putting my name down on the mortgage and began paying for life insurance. Despite my initial discomfort, I’m glad I walked in on him when I did. Otherwise, things would probably be a lot worse by now.

  Once on the ground floor, I breathe a sigh of relief and eagerly step through when the doors open. Carl smiles at me again. “How’s Edith?” I ask. Last week, Carl told me his wife was suffering from allergies.

  “She’s much better, thank you. She’s not sneezing half as much as she was.”

  “That’s good,” I say as I walk past.

  “You have a good evening now.” Carl tips his hat.

  “You, too, Carl.”

  Devon and I walk out to see Ian holding the door open for us. I climb into the car, and Devon quickly follows.

  “To Miss Bellingham’s residence?” Ian asks once he’s behind the wheel.

  “Yes,” Devon responds. “Then you can take me over to Miss Crawford’s.”

  “Very well,” Ian responds before driving off.

  As the car starts moving, I sit and wonder why Devon feels the need to rub his conquests in my face. Miss Crawford is a stuck-up catwalk model who lives off of coffee and cigarettes. She doesn’t like me very much, and the feeling is mutual. I’m not sure why she feels like I’m a threat. I haven’t done anything to her, yet she treats me like shit.

  “Is Ritchie home tonight?”

  Snapping my head to Devon, I catch his stare. For a moment, I see his eyes trailing toward my cleavage and then back up again. I can tell what he’s thinking … I look like a slut.

  “Yes. Why do you ask?”

  He sucks in a breath before looking out his window. “Just wondering. I thought he was dating that hot ballerina.”

  I almost roll my eyes. “He is, but she’s performing tonight, so they won’t see each other until tomorrow.” I frown, wondering why he’s so keen on knowing about Ritchie’s love life.

  “I bet he has fun with her,” he says under his breath, still staring out the window. I huff out a sarcastic laugh, making Devon snap his head toward me. “What was that?”

  “Nothing. I’m just glad my brother’s back. It was a nice surprise to see him today.” For the first time tonight, I see a genuine smile on his face.

  “It was. I’m actually going out with him tomorrow night.”

  I frown. “Me, too.”

  Devon’s face falls as if the news irritates him. “But he’s meeting his army friends.”

  Feeling the need to get back at him, I smirk. “I know, and I’m really looking forward to it. It’ll be nice to meet his friends.”

  The look on Devon’s face is priceless. Maybe he’ll cancel now.

  “Charlie is really going soft. Are you sure it was definitely him who returned from Germany? Maybe this bug he had messed with his head.” He shakes his own at the thought.

  I want to tell him he’s being a dick, but I keep my mouth shut. If he does come tomorrow night, I’ll just have to keep as much distance between us as possible.

  Thankfully, Ian comes to a halt outside my house. I’m about to get out when Devon grabs my arm.

  “For your inconvenience tonight, you can come in an hour later tomorrow. I will be in meetings until eleven anyway. Just don’
t forget my usual.”

  I know exactly what he’s talking about. That’s why I’ve given him the nickname “Mr Condom.”

  “Yes, sir,” I say with a hint of sarcasm.

  “See you tomorrow. Oh, and Andi?” he asks as I stand there, holding the door. I lean over so I can see him. He briefly looks down to my cleavage again before looking back up to my eyes. “There’s no need to thank me for rescuing you tonight. It was my pleasure.” He starts laughing. “You can close the door now.”

  Fucking arsehole.

  I slam the door behind me and watch as the car speeds off. All the while, I think of how many ways I can torture him and get away with it.

  I look up to my apartment. The lights are on, so I know Ritchie is home, probably dying to know how my date went. Thinking of Tom, I check my phone to see if he’s messaged. All I see is one from my father reminding me about Sunday dinner. I visit him as often as possible, usually making him a nice meal. Charlie will be there, so this Sunday will be extra special. I smile at the thought, and just like that, all thoughts of Mr Condom-Arsehole are gone.

  I start to walk toward the door, my feet screaming. I lean on a nearby tree and slip off my shoes. I only have to walk up a few steps, but I think I’ll need foot surgery if I put my feet through any more torture tonight.

  Once they’re off, the relief I feel is tremendous. As I lean my head back, I close my eyes on a sigh. It’s the best feeling in the world. I roll my shoulders and push away from the tree, proceeding up the stairs. Once at my door, I dig around in my bag for the keys and let myself in. Ritchie is sitting on the sofa watching The Walking Dead. He’s so engrossed in a scene, he fails to notice me. I can’t help myself. With a great, big mischievous grin, I slam the door as hard as I can. Squealing, Ritchie jumps. Popcorn flies out of his hand and lands all over him and the sofa. When he realises it’s me, I get the death stare.

  “Fucking hell, Andi. You nearly gave me a fucking heart attack!” I almost go into a full belly laugh as I drop my bag and shoes on the floor. “It’s not fucking funny. I could have seriously died of fright.”

  Walking toward the sofa, I pout as I sit down next to him. “Aww, diddums.” I grab some popcorn off his lap and eat it. “I keep telling you not to watch this show late at night. It gives you nightmares.”

  Trying to scoop as much of the popcorn as he can back into the bowl, he shakes his head. “You’re a fucking bitch, you know that?”

  I laugh. “And you’re a fucking knobhead, so I guess we’re both fucked.”

  He gives me a smirk. “You’re lucky you’re hot or you’d be down on your arse by now.”

  “Don’t be such a spoilsport,” I say around a mouthful of popcorn.

  He looks at his watch with a frown. “You’re back early. What happened? Did your date not go well?”

  As I settle back into the sofa, I huff. “Devon happened.”

  Confused, he places the popcorn on the table. “What do you mean?”

  “Devon turned up at the restaurant as Tom and I were in the middle of eating. He demanded I come back to the office because he needed his CV and a certain letter to be sent to these new hotshots in the States he’s trying to impress.”

  I can tell by the look on Ritchie’s face that he’s not impressed. “You’ve got to be kidding me?”

  I shake my head. “I wish I were.”

  He grabs a handful of popcorn before turning back to me. “When are you going to tell him to stick it, Andi? He’s nothing but an ungrateful eejit.”

  I look down for a moment. “You know I can’t. I won’t be able to earn anywhere near what I’m earning now anyplace else. Without it, my dad will go under. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if that happened.”

  “Yes, but at what cost? Do you think your dad would want you to carry on working for that arsehole if he knew how he treated you?” He knows I know the answer to that, but I don’t answer. Instead, he motions me closer. “Come here. Have a little cuddle with Cousin Ritchie and help him through this bloody episode of TWD.”

  I smile, grabbing the popcorn before snuggling myself under Ritchie's arm. “Hungry?” he asks, watching me stuff popcorn into my mouth.

  “Bloody starving,” I answer. “I only got to eat a few bites of my dinner.”

  He manoeuvres me away and then stands and points to the kitchen. “I ordered pizza earlier. There are still a couple slices left.”

  The thought has my stomach growling. “Ritchie, you’re a lifesaver.”

  “Get up, sleepyhead,” Ritchie sings as he opens my blinds. “It’s time for school.” The sun blinds me, so I turn over on a moan. “Come on,” he says, laughing as he shakes me.

  “What time is it?” I grumble.

  “It’s eight. You haven’t got much time to get Mr Holier-than-thou his condoms.” I don’t need to see him to know he’s rolling his eyes.

  “I don’t have to be in until ten. He’s letting me have an hour off because of last night.”

  Ritchie snorts. “Well, that’s really nice of him.” I watch him with one eye as he walks toward my door. “I’ll let you get some rest then. Some of us actually have to get to work early this morning.”

  “Well, I’m not going to be able to fall asleep again now that you’ve woken me up, am I?” I grumble with a gravelly voice.

  With his hand on my doorknob, Ritchie gives me an unimpressed look. “And this is the thanks I get for waking your arse up.” He shakes his head and starts to shut the door.

  “Love you!” I shout just before he closes it.

  “Love you, too, sweetheart.”

  Once I hear the front door close, I shut my eyes on a smile. I love moments like this when it’s calm and quiet, and I don’t have to get up. As I lie here, I think about Tom and then about Devon interrupting our date. If I didn’t know any better, I’d swear he did it on purpose. He’s never interrupted like that… Then again, I haven’t had a date since I started working for him. Last night was the first one.

  As I think of New York, my father, and my brother, I start to drift off again—until my alarm rudely interrupts me.

  “Ugh!” I shout, turning over and angrily switching it off. I then proceed to kick off my duvet like a petulant child. “I don’t want to go to work,” I moan. I especially don’t want to go on my condom-buying errand. The lady at the chemist must think I hump like a freaking rabbit.

  Knowing I can’t lie here all day, I force myself up and into the shower. At least today is Friday, and I can sleep to my heart’s content tomorrow morning. No doubt, Ritchie and I will go for our ritual Saturday morning greasy fry-up that’s bound to cure a raging hangover.

  Once I put on my usual—a dull, long grey skirt with a matching white shirt, which is equally dull—I apply some make-up, place my hair up in a bun, and put on my glasses. “There,” I think, staring at myself in the mirror, “I am a perfectly boring specimen of the human race … just the way Mr Condom likes me.”

  Once I grab my bag, I check the time. 9:30. I should have plenty of time to grab Devon’s condoms before he gets back from his meeting.

  Just as I think this, I receive a text, groaning when I see Devon’s name on my screen.

  Buy me a salmon and egg bagel on your way in. And don’t forget my usual. I’ll need you to type up some letters when I get in. I also have more information on the NY trip, so I’ll need you to make arrangements. Don’t be late.

  I would normally be pissed off by his text because he doesn’t even say thank you, but the fact that he mentioned New York has me grinning.

  I grab the rest of my things and walk out. I catch the two trains relatively quickly and pop into the chemist to buy the condoms before grabbing Devon’s breakfast from the local delicatessen. Although I’m not looking forward to work, the weather lightens my mood a bit. So does the thought that I may be booking our trip today. It’s the best part about my job. I’m good at making arrangements. They’re normally for other people, but I enjoy it nonetheless.

&nbs
p; As I’m waiting for the lift, Mandy walks up, seeing the chemist bag. She smirks. “I see Mr Robber-Johnny’s going to be busy again this weekend.”

  As we step into the lift, I laugh. “Of course. I have to get the extra large, you know? A part of me wonders if he really is that big … because if he isn’t, then he must have a secret stash somewhere with condoms of an appropriate size.”

  “Well, if that’s the case, he must be able to fill a closet with all the ones you’re buying him.” She points to the bag. “Anyway, enough about him. What are your plans this weekend?”

  Thinking about Charlie, I smile. “I’m meeting Charlie’s army buddies tonight.” The lift doors open and we walk to my office.

  She gasps. “Really? The big protective brother’s finally letting his little sister out of her cage?”

  I snigger. “I’m really looking forward to it.”

  She elbows me before resting her hip on my desk. As she does, her skirt rides up, showing her tanned legs. I’ve always been jealous of her legs. I’ve also always been jealous of the fact she’s obviously allowed to wear whatever she likes.

  “I bet you are! Can you imagine? All those hot men in uniform …”

  “They won’t be in uniform.”

  “I know, but that doesn’t stop a girl from fantasising over how good they would look in a set of combats. It’s not only that. They’re out fighting for our country and keeping us safe. You can’t get hotter than that.” She fans her face with a piece of paper and pretends to faint.

  “What are you like?” I say, taking my seat. “Besides, even if I did fancy any of them, I wouldn’t be able to act on it with my brother there. Not to mention Mr Condom himself. Also, they all have strict instructions not to get anywhere within touching distance.”

  She holds up her hand. “Hold on. Back up. Mr Condom will be there?”

  With a reluctant nod, I sigh. “Unfortunately.”

  “What a fucking bummer.” She looks away in deep thought and then her features brighten. “Hold on. I think you can use this to your advantage. Ignore what your brother says. I would flirt until the cows come home. After all the times Mr Condom’s entertained a bit of skirt in his office while you were out here typing his many letters, I would think he deserves a little tit for tat.”