by S M Mala
‘I think you’re misjudging me here.’
‘We’re not going to fall in love and this even won’t be a tumultuous relationship because it will never get that far. I’m lonely and you’re sad, so I suppose we need each other, right now, in our lives. In a few years from now you’ll barely remember being held up in a hotel in Chiswick trying to close down a sex toy distributor. You’ll be too busy chasing your twin boys round the garden of your new French chateau, because I reckon your apartment on the Cote D’azur won’t be big enough.’
Finlay sat up as she did the same thing and stared at her as she started to smile.
‘You’re using me and I’m using you. That’s what you mean, isn’t it?’ He laughed, his rich joyous sound coming from his lungs. ‘I’m using you for sex and you’re using me for the same thing with the underlying problem being you want to keep that place open and I want to shut it down.’
‘You’re very smart for an inbred,’ she said as he pinched her nose. ‘And we haven’t had sex.’
‘Yet,’ he sighed. ‘I have your letter confirming the agreement to keep that place open. Everyone got them posted on Friday.’
‘Why didn’t you post mine?’
‘I don’t have your address on file plus I wanted to hand it to you personally. But I’ll give it to you tomorrow morning.’
‘The letter or attempted sex?’ she teased and was met with a wry grin.
‘We have to schedule times when we work and play together. What about tomorrow?’ Finlay said eagerly.
‘Definitely not at work for play and I can’t do Tuesdays,’ she said kissing his cheek and jumping to her feet while searching for her boots.
‘Why not? You leave at ten!’
‘I have tap dancing lessons.’
‘Oh my god! That’s what you were doing!’
His laughter was louder than usual.
Twenty six
Piers just glared the following morning when Finlay was summoned for breakfast. All he had on his mind was how he was going to get Sylvie into a corner first thing, plus he still thought it was funny she was taking tap dancing lessons.
His libido, as well as his good mood, had suddenly shrivelled when he glanced at his stepfather.
‘I think you’ve been terribly unfair,’ Piers said quietly. ‘The business can do well. Do they know your plan to close it down or sell it off?’
Finlay examined Piers closely. He looked better than before but still, after the weeks of recovery, he wasn’t well. The weight was going but his anxious expression was still there.
‘Everyone was given letters last week and no one has said a thing,’ he replied. ‘I think some will see it as a challenge.’
‘Sylvie will be your challenge.’
‘Oh, she is a challenge,’ he said sipping his coffee and trying not to smile. ‘I like her.’
Finlay noticed Piers gave him a quizzical look before frowning. Then his mother walked into the room, holding a newspaper and handed it to Piers who just looked at it, as she then placed it next to him.
‘You might as well not go back into ‘Good Vibration’. The worst thing you could do is to try and help with the intention of pulling it away from them. How can you be trusted to make sure it doesn’t go tits up on purpose? I need to speak to Sylvie,’ Piers said and got up quickly before weakly sitting back down.
‘You’re not going anywhere and if you have to, I’ll arrange for her to come when I’m out,’ his mother said gently.
Finlay noticed Piers scowled at her before looking angrily away.
‘I’m not a child, Alice. Don’t treat me as one. I know you think you humoured me by letting me set the business up, but it has true potential and so do the people who work there. I think it’s a funny coincidence that Finlay comes over just as the turnover is improving. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you wanted him to give it the kiss of death.’
Alice closed her eyes for a moment before looking at Finlay and he could tell she was very upset. It was evident things weren’t going smoothly between them.
‘I’m going in this morning.’ Finlay stood up. ‘I like the people who work there, they cheer me up.’
‘So you’re using them until you sort your differences out with Juliette?’ Piers replied and Finlay heard the venom in his voice. ‘Then you’ll cast them aside very much like you’re doing to me.’
‘Piers you’re being really unfair?’ Alice said sharply as Finlay walked out of the room.
‘Tell me, who’s really being the unfair one here?’ he heard his stepfather reply.
After he parked his car outside the building, he sat for a moment, thinking about Piers and what he said. The man was right as Finlay was using that place to detract him from Juliette and the baby. As he looked up he saw Sylvie walking outside and speaking to a man getting out of a car. There was a quick embrace and a few laughs before she walked back in.
A thud of guilt hit him as he knew he was probably using her more than anyone else and she knew it. He buried his head in his hands, confused by what he was expected to do with everything in his life. Then he jumped on hearing someone banging on his window.
‘Finlay! Finlay, you try to commit suicide? You need to turn car on,’ Samina said peering at him through the window. ‘I get attachment so you can insulate.’
Her neck was wrapped in tinsel. He wound down the window.
‘I think you mean ‘suffocate’ and anyway, I was just thinking,’ he replied and examined her attire. ‘Why are you covered in decorations?’
‘It nearly Christmas!’ she said stepping back and doing a twirl.
‘It’s the 13th November,’ he replied as she shrugged.
‘Nearly Christmas!’ shrugged the woman before walking back to the building.
Slowly he got out the car and followed her in. The noise of the music was unbelievably loud as there was so much hustle and bustle. It was after ten and he knew Sylvie was going to leave soon, so he ran up the stairs and saw her sitting at the desk.
There was an involuntary jolt in his chest when he looked at her. Examining her beautiful profile, what he was feeling confused him for a second. He walked up to her and handed over an envelope. As she took it from his hand, she gently stroked his fingers and smiled.
‘What time do you finish tap?’ he asked and then smiled, before laughing.
‘You’re one of a few people who know. Piers thinks it is a good thing to do.’ Sylvie grinned and he felt happy seeing her as he sat down. ‘And before you ask, I’m shit at it.’
‘I’m in need of human kindness,’ he said honestly and grimaced.
‘You know, I’m very busy trying to save my company from evil people called ‘Chambers Caplin’. One of them, in particular, is a rather mean man but he has beautiful green eyes so I can forgive him.’
‘Sylvie, I don’t want to use you,’ he blurted out as her smiled faded. ‘I do like you, in an odd sort of way.’
‘You have your moments, Finlay.’ She let out a small sigh. ‘I know you went to see Piers this morning. He’s not happy with you but mainly Alice. And he’s not impressed that I seem fine with the whole thing.’
‘Why are you fine about it?’
‘Because I’ll make sure you don’t close us down.’
The look she gave him wasn’t of defiance, it was more apologetic and he wondered what she could do to stop it.
‘Will seducing me help?’ he asked wearily.
‘Not really but I’ll put it down to the perk of my job. I can get back to the room for twelve thirty? I’ll need a shower as tap gets me pretty sweaty.’
Finlay started to laugh then the door was flung open as Samina and Pria rushed in.
‘She not let me put Christmas tree up!’ said Samina loudly, gesturing to Pria who was pulling a face. ‘I tell her, it nearly time.’
‘You’re a bloody mad old woman!’ screeched Pria. ‘She’s not done any work today and all she wants to do is dress herself up like an old Christmas tree, innit?�
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‘You girlfriend not give you one with that big black vibrator I saw you take yesterday?’
‘I paid for it so don’t make out I thieved!’
‘Finlay, we might be dead next year and never get to celebrate Christmas again,’ pleaded Samina. ‘It make me happy and where Christmas party this year? I need to plan!’
‘For what?’ grimaced Pria before turning to Sylvie. ‘Don’t let her get her own way again!’
‘With what?’ Finlay asked, noticing Sylvie was ignoring the pair of them.
‘Don’t fall for it Finlay,’ he heard Sylvie whisper.
‘I want big party!’ announced Samina stretching out her arms. ‘We have lot of fun! Last year was very good indeed. We got barred from a pub because of wild dancing.’
‘Samina threatened someone when they turned off the bhangra,’ sighed Pria. ‘I’m seriously not going to any party she organises and tell her she can’t put the decorations up!’
The younger woman walked out of the office as Samina started dancing. Finlay smiled at her spritely steps then noticed Stephen walk in and sat down in a chair next to Sylvie.
‘Go away Stephen, you make Sylvie sick,’ said Samina, still dancing as Finlay started to laugh. ‘Last Christmas man who own big vibrator company want to kiss Sylvie under mistletoe and Stephen get him kick out. Sylvie could have had sexual incontinent for Christmas!’
‘Out!’ Sylvie said and glared at the woman as Finlay imagined having sexual ‘incontinent’ with her and tried to stop smiling, only to notice Stephen’s cold glare.
‘I go but we need to arrange party!’ Samina replied, dancing out of the office.
Sylvie met Finlay’s eyes then looked to the side at Stephen.
‘What can we do to help you today?’ asked Finlay cheerfully as Stephen turned to speak to Sylvie and ignored him.
Finlay cast his eyes over her top half and imagined his head buried in between her breasts before blinking his way out of his thought.
‘Are you trying to avoid me?’ Stephen asked accusingly.
‘I officially work twenty hours but I do a lot more. I had to come in on Saturday to do extra work. I should be a part time worker not a part time mother.’
‘I see,’ Stephen huffed. ‘So you’re not avoiding me? We need to talk about the business and-’
‘I will have meetings with Finlay on a daily basis.’
‘Why can’t I come?’
‘I only want Finlay to come. Listen, I need to press on. Do you mind?’
Stephen stood up, shoved the chair back and stormed out as Finlay watched him walk off then turned to look at Sylvie.
‘So you only want me to come?’ he asked with a smirk, realising she wasn’t looking at him.
She sent a message.
‘Yes.’
Then another one followed.
‘I do have quirks… I don’t like bits of my body so I keep them covered like my feet and I won’t be able to get naked in the cold light of day… old lady and body issues. You’ll need to make sure you don’t have germs and get condoms. I still get embarrassed buying them.’
‘Oh my god, you have been thinking, haven’t you?’ he said, his heart starting to thump very fast seeing where it was all leading to.
Sylvie sent another message.
‘We can stop at any time if you feel uncomfortable. I don’t want you to do anything you’ll regret and I might do a wobbly also so it’s best to know where we stand on this.’
‘Can’t you skip tap?’ he said getting hot at what may or may not be happening later.
‘And another thing, let’s take it slow.’
‘Jesus, it might be fast,’ Finlay replied as he tried to reposition himself with his growing hard on. ‘Really quick at this rate.’
She burst out laughing.
Sylvie showered and moisturised before putting her socks on. She decided to change her clothes as she headed to the hotel. Before she left, she looked at a picture of her husband and felt guilty for a moment before realising she had to do something to move on instead of continually going backwards.
Using the side door to get to reception, she walked up the stairs and down the corridor. It occurred to her he might not be there or Finlay could have got scared. Just as she was about to put the key card in, he flung open the door and pulled her in.
All the blinds were drawn and it was very nearly black, except for a grey haze in the room.
‘You’re shy,’ he smiled, before handing her a glass of rose wine. ‘I thought you might need this for Dutch courage even though I can’t stand the stuff.’
‘I like your seduction technique,’ she laughed and realised her hand was shaking while holding the glass. ‘This might go horribly wrong.’
Sylvie knocked back all the wine as Finlay laughed.
Gently he took her bag then pulled off her jacket as she bent down and unzipped her boots. Sylvie checked to see her socks were on and then noticed his bare feet. He had beautiful long toes and she felt nervous again knowing she had a major flaw. As with him, even his feet were perfect.
‘Are you stuck?’ he asked as she was still stooped over.
‘I’m too old for you,’ she moaned while standing up. ‘Finlay, this experience might put you off for life.’
‘Shut up,’ he said as he leaned down to kiss her.
He then pushed Sylvie towards the bed until he’d managed to place her head on the pillows, the sheet and blanket flung back.
Then they started to kiss, gently at first and then passionately. She was aware where his hands were going and the way he stroked her up and down before squeezing her breast. His mouth traced her neck then she felt him tug up her vest until she was in her bra. Sylvie pulled off his t-shirt as he lay back on top of her, pushing down her trousers as she undid his jeans and they kicked off their clothes before wrapping their arms around each other.
Feeling self-conscious, she rolled him over and lay on top, undoing her bra and letting her breasts fall on to his chest as he kissed her face. Finlay then rolled her back and his head went down as she felt his lips on her, licking the skin and gently biting on her nipples. He took one in each of his hands and massaged them as Sylvie gasped before his tongue searched her mouth.
Finlay reached out and she could see he was looking for a packet of condoms. Turning slightly she got hold of them as she went on her side. As she turned, he was looking at her and she felt shy for a moment.
‘You’re gorgeous,’ he said and knew he was being nice, as she pushed him on his back and pulled down his boxers.
‘Here goes nothing,’ he said quietly, as she looked at his erection and smiled before rolling the condom down his shaft, seeing him take a deep breath.
His size seemed pretty good, perfect from the look of it.
Sylvie pulled him on top as well as the sheet so it was darker and felt his lips trace her face as Finlay tugged off her knickers. Opening her thighs, she could hear her heavy breathing as his weight crushed against her skin.
She could vaguely make him out from the dark, just feeling his skin, feeling his breath and experiencing his lips on her own, their tongues moving in unison then slowly she felt him start to budge his way in. Holding onto his shoulders it took about four pushes to get inside as she groaned out, feeling him move slowly as they kissed again.
His fingers were caressing her skin as she shut her eyes.
To her horror a picture of Roo’s face came into her head as she forced her eyes open, realising that’s what she wanted, to see if he was like her husband then she heard Finlay groan as he moved faster then got a shock.
There was a painful sob from Finlay, who then stopped, pulled out and leapt from the bed.
Running around like a mad man, he searched for his clothes as he pulled off the condom and flung it to the floor.
He was upset as he made love.
He thought about Juliette and how she could let someone screw her, knowing how much he loved her.
The last thing
he wanted to do was make small talk with Sylvie, who still seemed submerged by the covers.
As he rushed out, Finlay didn’t bother to see how she was, just wanting to get away as fast and as far as possible.
Twenty seven
Sylvie felt terrible when she eventually got out of the bed, after weeping uncontrollably, seeing her clothes strewn all over the floor and Finlay literally sprinting out of the room.
She looked at her foot to see if her socks had come off and but they were still on, then she noticed the condom. Getting a tissue from the side she picked it up, covered it in toilet tissue before flushing it down the bog.
There was an overwhelming urge to cry again as she felt guilty knowing she had now truly broken the last bond with her husband by having very quick sex with another man, who couldn’t wait to leave her once he deposited his juices in a plastic sack.
And deep down she hoped it would remind her of her husband, what it was like when he made love to her. She guiltily blinked back the tears knowing she’d used Finlay and he was nothing like Roo.
At least her husband would actually stick around for post-coital conversation.
It wasn’t even one thirty as she showered and changed, tidying up the bedroom before sitting down and drinking the remainder of the rose wine left in the chill bucket. She sat there for a moment, closing her eyes, wondering if Finlay was okay. It was evident the whole thing completely disturbed him and her mind ticked over if she did something wrong and if she did, she had no idea what.
By two she left the room and decided it was best to forget it ever happened.
The following day, her daughter’s cheerfulness made her feel brighter but she was having a problem looking at pictures with her husband in, aware he was looking at her accusingly.
‘I did nothing wrong,’ she muttered again and again before logging into work and seeing her emails.
There was no word from Finlay.
