There was sorrow in Lilly’s eyes, and it touched Rachel. “So, where’s Keri?” She asked.
Lilly looked at her somewhat perplexed and then she said, “Of course, you wouldn’t know about this as you’re not from around these parts.
Keri was an aspiring actress. She went to classes here in London. She was also a fan of the musicals and watched as many shows as she could afford. And that’s when she got involved with him.”
“Him?”
“Daniel Morris.”
Rachel shook her head.
“You don’t know him? He’s been in a few BBC programs, rough piece of work, really fancies himself. Anyway, he befriended Keri and got her involved in all sorts of stuff. Not that she’d ever admit it to me. All I knew, is a number of times she’d turn up for work looking more than worse for wear. Sometimes, she’d just burst into floods of tears, but when I’d ask her about it, she’d tell me she couldn’t say. Then, suddenly, one day, she didn’t show up for work at all. Didn’t leave a note for anyone, nothing. She just vanished. Of course, the police questioned that nasty piece of work. He claimed he hadn’t seen her in weeks. That was a year ago. To this day, the police still haven’t found her.”
“That’s terrible,” Rachel whispered.
“Aye. I’m sorry, love. Me and my big mouth. It hasn’t exactly been a secret around here. It was all anybody could talk about for months but, of course, like most things, she’s faded from everybody’s mind, but not mine.”
“I’m very sorry to hear it, Lilly.”
Rachel felt awkward and wondered if she should lean over and hug the woman, but she decided against it.
“I loved that girl as if she were my own. Needless to say, I was over the moon when that so and so got his just deserts a few months later. He was arrested, for possession I think.”
“It all seems so very sad. You’ve been through a lot. It must have been terrible for you.”
“Aye,” Lilly nodded. “It wasn’t easy. But you have to move on, don’t you. I learned a long time ago that there’s no point dwelling in the past.”
The irony of that statement, when compared to the state of the room, was not lost on Rachel.
However, after mentally castigating herself, she asked, “So, how have you coped on your own?”
She was genuinely interested, but also keen to establish whether or not there was any chance of her getting a job here.
“Well,” Lilly began, tapping the computer monitor, “At first, I tried this. The sales pitch was that it would allow me to man this place, singlehandedly, twenty four hours a day, seven days a week with little or no input from me. The reality; three thousand pounds and three days of training later, I’m none the wiser. All that touching and clicking is beyond me. Give me a pen and paper any day.”
Rachel smiled. “So, what did you do?”
“Well, I had a few girls in, but none were really up to it. You see, they were particularly young girls, not unlike yourself, and didn’t seem to have much actual secretarial experience.”
“Well, I have had a lot of that,” Rachel said, quickly.
“And of course, the night shifts didn’t help.”
“Night shift?”
“Yes, this is a twenty four hour service, hence the name. I’ve had to put in most of the hours and hire temps for when I’m not here, but that’s working out expensive.”
“Oh.” Rachel uttered.
“I know. It didn’t appeal to them either. Unfortunately, it is a prerequisite for the job.” Lilly said, meeting Rachel’s eyes as if she were reading the girl’s thoughts.
Rachel hesitated. Yes, she liked the idea of this job and yes, it actually sounded exciting, since she might even get to speak with some of the celebrities, but night shifts? It must get lonely, and maybe even scary.
She said, “It’s just; I came down here to be with Jay and…”
Lilly smiled, knowingly. “That’s okay love, I understand…”
“…Oh no…”Rachel blurted out. “It doesn’t mean I don’t want the job, just it isn’t exactly what I had in mind.” She paused a second and then asked, “How often will I be required to work nights?”
Lilly thought about this. “It’s up to you, really. I appreciate you will want to spend time with your boyfriend. And I will try my best to work around you.”
“How about every other night to start with?”
Lilly smiled. “That sounds reasonable.”
“And would Jay be allowed to visit me?”
Lilly wrinkled her nose as she pondered the idea. “Well, I would expect something like that to be against company policy.”
Rachel’s shoulders slumped.
“But, as we don’t particularly have a company policy with regards to visiting boyfriends, then I would say that would be fine…”
“Great!” Rachel exclaimed with a big grin
“…on the understanding that it would not in any way interfere with your work because if it does, I will have to reconsider. Is that clear?” Lilly’s eyebrows lifted, in an expression that reminded Rachel of her old school teacher.
“Clear. So,” she shrugged her shoulders, “Have I got the job?”
“Just as soon as you have learned how to use this,” Lilly said, nodding at the switchboard.
“Really?”
“If you want it.”
“That’s brilliant! Thank you, Lilly!”
“Don’t thank me yet. You haven’t heard about the pay.”
Rachel paused, Lilly winked at her, and then added with a big smile, “It isn’t that bad.”
“So, when do I start?”
“Tomorrow okay for you?”
“No problem,” Rachel said, although she would have liked to have settled in and had a look around the area before getting stuck into her new post.
“Perfect. Of course, because of the kind of tenants we have here, I am going to need some references for the past three years, you’ll also need to sign a non-disclosure agreement, and I will have to run a check with the police, if that’s okay?”
“Oh, of course,” Rachel replied. “So, who exactly do you have living here anyway?”
Lilly smiled mischievously, “Pull that chair little closer, love, and I will fill you in.”
She explained how the antiquity that was the switchboard worked, how to plug in the headset, and how to answer and release calls. She also made Rachel write down a list detailing all the room numbers and their inhabitants.
Lilly already had a list, but she wanted to be sure that Rachel made and was aware of her own.
She went on to say that all of the tenants took their privacy very seriously. It was very important that Rachel not divulge or discuss anything she learned from Night & Day with anybody, especially members of the press. Her contract would reflect this.
Then, in the next breath, the woman was dishing out the dirt about each and every one of the celebrity tenants, covering each floor, room by room.
Rachel listened with incredulous wonder. She’d actually heard of some of the people Lilly was talking about. It was beyond her imagination that she would actually be living in the very same building.
The storytelling continued into the evening after more coffee and several biscuits.
Before long, Rachel found herself viewing Lilly not as her boss, but as a dear long lost aunt.
16 The Invite
Later that evening, Rachel was changing into one of the few dresses she owned; a black maxi dress. And while she’d choose jeans over a dress any day, she did love how sexy this one made her feel.
Rachel had planned on an exploratory shopping mission after her so-called interview, but she’d been unable to extricate herself from Lilly’s chat happy stories.
Not that she had tried very hard. She was having fun, and would often remind herself that this would be her new job, and she couldn’t wait to get started.
Of course, this meant that when she finally returned to the apartment it was to a bare fridge, but fo
r a couple of bottles of mineral water, half a bottle of milk, three eggs and a very sad lemon.
Luckily, Jason had returned sooner that she had expected and had brought with him a bunch of flowers, a box of chocolates and a dinner invite. When Rachel asked where he was taking her, he told her it was a secret, but that she should dress in her poshest frock.
“I think it’s going to work out. I think I’m going to like it here,” Rachel said, raising her voice so Jason could hear her from the bathroom.
“I did say you would. You just need to give yourself time to settle in,” he replied.
“I was thinking of having a chat with the neighbours. See if they have any vacancies,” Rachel said quickly and waited for a reaction, as she sat in front of the mirror and began to touch up her makeup.
Jason came out of the bathroom and sauntered over to the walk in wardrobe. Rachel could see his reflection in the mirror, and she momentarily stopped what she was doing, to admire his sculpted body and his shower wet hair.
She loved him.
Okay, so he had been off earlier, certainly not as considerate as she would have liked, but she knew he could be very sweet when he wanted to be. She also loved his intelligence and admired the fact that he, not unlike her, had endured hardship, and had worked very hard to get what he wanted from life. He was tenacious. Focused. Everything she admired in a man, and, most importantly, he was hers.
Yes, he did have an edge, especially on a bad day, but it was this same edge that she found attractive. That, as well as the fact that he had the most perfectly formed rear, she thought, as he slid into a pair of briefs which he filled nicely.
He then turned to her and asked, “What did you say?”
She smiled. “I was going to see if I can get a job.”
“What?”
“I know you weren’t that keen, but I think…”
“…Wait, wait, wait,” Jason interrupted, as he pulled on a Ralph Lauren shirt. “You went to look for a job?”
“Well, I found a card in one of your books.”
“I don’t read books.”
“What do you mean, you don’t read books? You’ve got a shelf full of them.”
“They were gifts.”
“Well, whatever,” Rachel continued, “anyway, I lied, I’m not going to look for a job; I’ve found one!” She said, excitedly. “Right here in the building. Working for the answer service downstairs. I start tomorrow.”
He stepped into a pair of black trousers and paused.
“Rach, we talked about this.”
“I know we did, and you said how you felt about it, but I didn’t get a chance to tell you how I really felt. You know me, Jay, while the idea of being a kept woman sounds appealing, it isn’t who I am. You know I like my independence.”
She decided against telling him about the shifts. Now wasn’t the time. She just wanted to go out and enjoy the evening.
“But why would you want to work there of all places? This is London. There’s loads of opportunity out there.”
“Because it seems really interesting.”
He observed her for a long time then, “You’re mental, you are,” he said.
“I know. But that’s why you love me, right?”
He tucked his shirt into his trousers, buttoned them up, stood behind her and watched her reflection in the mirror.
“What?” she asked.
He put his hands on her shoulders and smiled one of his boyish smiles. “You look good,” he said, earnestly.
Rachel grinned. “Why thank you, kind sir. It’s really sweet of you to notice.”
She felt a warm feeling inside. It was the first nice thing he had said to her since she had arrived here.
“I love you,” he said, bending down to kiss her full on the mouth.
And things just kept getting better.
When the kiss was over, she laughed, noticing a pink sheen to his lips, “You’re wearing my lipstick now.”
“Does it suit me?” he asked, pouting and pulling faces at the mirror, sending her into a fit of giggles.
“Umm, no, not your colour,” she said, dabbing his lips with a tissue. “So, where are you taking me tonight?”
“Well, I thought we would go across to the West End. You know, have something to eat and catch a show.”
Rachel beamed with excitement. She’d never been to a London theatre before, but had wanted to for years.
“You ready?”
“Am I ready? I’m already out the door,” she said, standing up.
They stepped out of the brightness of the apartment into the dimly lit corridor. Rachel looked up; the recessed lighting was casting pools of light on the carpet yet, unlike earlier, they seemed somewhat inadequate, as if too weary to continue performing the task for which they were installed.
She spotted a man with a long coat at the end of the corridor, next to the elevators, and called out to him, “Excuse me! Could you please hold the lift for us?”
She turned to Jason, who was just pulling the front door shut.
“Hurry, he’s holding the door for us.”
She took his hand and hurried him down the corridor.
“Who is?” He asked.
She followed his gaze; the lift doors were closed.
“Oh, thanks a lot.”
Jason pressed the arrowed button to summon the lift. Then, noticing her frown, he asked, “What’s up?”
“Well, there was a man here just a few seconds ago. I asked him to hold the lift, but now he’s gone.”
“I didn’t see anyone.”
“He was standing right here.”
“Are you sure?”
She looked at him, hands on hips, “Of course I’m sure,” she said, mildly irritated.
“Well, I can’t see how,” he nodded at the floor indicator, “the lift’s still down in the lobby.”
Rachel looked up; it was.
“Can’t be. He was just here …”
Jason laughed and made a display of shaking his head. “And we haven’t even started drinking yet,” he said, jabbing the button again as if doing so might speed the thing up.
At night, the Heron Heights lobby was a futuristic spectacle of glass, metal and light.
The lift shaft was the main feature. It stood, like a Roman statue, in the centre and was encased in a glass cubicle with four gleaming metal struts, bejewelled by hundreds of LED lights that disappeared high into the ceiling, like a runway to heaven.
A trio of men stood to the far side of the room. Next to them, a silenced flat screen monitor beamed images of a Sky News segment about racing cars. It featured close-ups of a grinning driver in a red jumpsuit.
Nearby, seated on one of the chocolate leather divans, two smartly dressed women were deep in conversation.
When they stepped out of the elevator, Rachel took a moment to admire her surroundings. The place looked completely different by night, and it was stunning.
When she noticed she was being watched by a series of close circuit cameras, she waved, making one of the reception desk security guards smile. He then went back to flick switches with an air of utmost importance.
Rachel broke into an excited squeal when she spotted a couple walk through the revolving doors, and she actually recognised one of them.
“So you found him then?” Ashley asked.
“Yes I did, thank you,” Rachel replied, linking Jason’s arm.
“Jason, this is Ashley….”
“…Marshall. I think I’ve seen you around.”
“Likewise,” Jason nodded with a smile.
“Wow, you mean you both live in the same building and haven't ever spoken to each other?”
Ashley leaned in and in a lowered voice said, “The people who live here tend to keep themselves to themselves, Rachel.” Then she wiggled her nose, implying that most of the tenants were snobs.
“Oh, I don’t know. You were nice enough this morning when I was stuck out there all on my lonesome, under the driving, freez
ing rain,” Rachel replied.
She was obviously teasing Jason.
Both women smiled, conspiratorially.
Jason pulled a face and said slowly and deliberately, “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“And you. This is Rupert,” Ashley said.
“Pleasure,” Rupert said with a big smile and shaking both their hands.
“So, are you on your way out?” Ashley asked.
“Yes, going over to the West End to have something to eat,” Rachel beamed with excitement.
“Are you not dressing up for the occasion?” Ashley asked.
Rachel must have looked mortified because she quickly added, “as in Halloween costume.”
“Oh no, we’re not going to that kind of event,” Jason said.
“Well, good luck out there, because the ghosts and ghouls are already on the rampage, and there’s no knowing if you’ll make it back alive.”
It was Rupert’s contribution,
Ashley looked at him.
“What?”
They laughed.
“Why don’t you join us?” Rachel offered.
“Oh, no, that’s sweet of you, but after the day I’ve had, I’m just going to vegetate in the bath while he orders pizza.”
“Really?” Rupert asked.
“Yes, really…”
The sound of crying drew their attention to the entrance where a man with wavy black hair, wearing a quilted jacket, stepped through the revolving door. He was holding the hand of a little boy, who looked about five years of age, with blonde hair and teary grey eyes. He was obviously unhappy about something.
Behind them, a wafer thin blonde, carrying two shoulder bags followed them inside.
A smile spread over Jason’s face; “It’s Darren.”
“He was just on TV,” Rachel uttered.
“Yes, he’s superb,” Jason replied.
“You think so?” Rupert asked.
“Oh yeah,” Jason said, not taking his eyes off the man who nodded at the duty guard and hurried over to the elevator. “I reckon he’s without a doubt the new Lewis Hamilton.”
“Uh oh, here we go,” Ashley said, rolling her eyes as the two men launched into a discussion about Darren Stanton’s talents as a racing car driver.
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