by S M Mala
‘How?’
‘Finlay, steady on, it’s only dinner,’ said Marianne. ‘Sorry Sylvie, Andy mentioned it this morning and he seemed made up that you’re going out tomorrow night.’
‘Well he should have kept his mouth shut as it’s no-one’s business who I go out with and certainly not yours Finlay Chambers!’ she snapped and stood up before walking out, then storming back in again.
Finlay watched her and thought she looked gorgeous as he could see it had wound her up.
He hid his smile.
‘Can I point out I’m not an employee of the company and I can see who I like when I like. I would never compromise this business as I love it and I own a share. You think someone plying me with drink and food would make me agree for him to up the prices? You think I’m that stupid?’ she barked.
‘Hey, what’s going on here?’ said Stephen cheerfully, walking into the meeting room
‘It’s none of your business!’ she snapped as Stephen put his hands up in the air.
‘I was only asking.’
‘Well don’t ask!’
Sylvie then stormed out and towards her office, slamming the door and sitting at her desk.
‘She’s going on a date with Andy Simmonds tomorrow night,’ smiled Finlay, watching Stephen’s face turn to rage. ‘I think she’s a bit edgy about it.’
‘Finlay! I told you that in confidence!’ said Marianne, before shaking her head. ‘Why can’t you be nice to her?’
‘I’m trying but she doesn’t like me at the moment.’
‘I don’t blame her!’ huffed the woman.
He stood up and walked past them before heading towards the office and sitting down at his desk. Slowly he glanced up to see she was concentrating hard on something before glancing at him.
‘How’s my aunt? Do you think she’s up to the job?’ he said cheerfully, noticing Sylvie was trying hard to keep her composure. ‘Did you ask her for references?’
‘Don’t speak to me,’ she replied and carried on working.
‘Why him?’ he said, sitting forward. ‘Why on earth would you want to go out with him?’
‘I told you don’t speak to me.’
‘Sylvie, you know he’s-.’
‘He asked me,’ she said and glared at him. ‘He texted me yesterday when I was at lunch and … well I didn’t say yes, Nalini had the phone and said I’d go. And you know what? I’m pleased she did. I don’t ask you what you’ve been up to so let’s keep our personal lives out of the office and away from each other.’
There was silence for a moment before he wondered if he should change his tactic.
‘You know, maybe I’m judging the guy a little harshly. He seems to like you and that’s good. You’re around the same age and he’s got kids, you have things in common. I know you’d never jeopardise the business so go out and have some fun, you deserve it Sylvie, you really do.’
For a moment she looked at him and they held each other’s stare as she smiled then nodded, before getting up and walking down the stairs. He left his seat to see where she was going and noticed she went straight out of the building. Running across the other side of the office, he waited to see where she was heading to and realised she wasn’t there. He looked around and there was no sign of her.
Finlay ran down the stairs and through the door, taken back by the cold air for a moment, and then walked to the back of the warehouse when he spotted her standing, shaking from the cold and staring hard at the ground. Then she turned her head and looked at him before walking past and back into the building.
‘Interesting,’ he mumbled, not sure what was going on, as he followed her back up the stairs.
Sylvie sat down at her desk and started to work as he didn’t know what to say.
‘Thank you,’ she said quietly as he quickly looked at her. ‘For giving me your blessing, it means a lot to me. I’m happy you can see what I need and who I’m suited to, it’s something I could never have gauged myself.’
‘Sure,’ he said, feeling that somehow his little speech had backfired and there was a slight tinge of sarcasm in her voice. ‘And, when you get a moment, I’d like to talk to you about what happened between us so we can clear the air.’
‘I know what happened,’ she said and smiled at him, the warm one he knew so well when they were in bed together. Sylvie stood up and unplugged her laptop before putting it into her bag. ‘I thought there was something more between us and there wasn’t. I was reading the wrong signals and you put me straight. It’s fine now. I can move on with my life and maybe Andy is the one for me. You never know. I appreciate you pointing it out.’
She then grabbed her coat and walked out.
Finlay couldn’t describe it but something plummeted inside him, realising he’d lost her and he didn’t know what to do as it was all escalating out of control.
Sylvie smiled and nodded in all the right places and as much as she felt comfortable with Andy, it wasn’t the same as Finlay. He was being attentive and funny but she knew, in her heart of hearts, she might be in love with the pompous posh arsehole.
That just made her feel desperate to force herself to find Andy more attractive but it wasn’t working.
He looked very handsome, beautiful skin, nice teeth and smile, muscular build, and a great personality but she kept thinking about Finlay. Him giving his blessing was the final kiss off that he wanted to get rid of her.
Her heart crumbled again as she sipped her wine.
‘You think he wants to sell the business?’ Andy asked, filling up her glass. ‘That’s the plan?’
‘Alice isn’t happy and they’ve given us until the end of the year. I don’t have an extensive advertising budget. Our marketing is minimal and we need to do something. I need to do something. Piers wants to keep out of the way, as his wife has got the arse, and thinks Finlay being with us will help overcome his current problem.’
‘Problem?’
‘Personal, nothing major,’ she said not wanting to reveal too much.
‘He doesn’t like me,’ Andy smiled, before taking a sip of his wine. ‘I could tell from the moment I saw him. Not sure why.’
‘He didn’t like any of us at first, certainly not me,’ she said, wishing he liked her now and realising they were on their second bottle of wine, making her liable to blab about something. ‘Slowly he’s warmed to the others.’
‘But not you?’
‘Nope!’
‘Funny that because when you were at our party, I noticed he couldn’t keep his eyes off you,’ smiled Andy and she knew the quizzical look she was receiving. ‘He followed you around and I thought he more than liked you.’
‘That’s Finlay all over,’ she said, recalling the sex they had that night. ‘Let’s you think something when in reality it’s the exact opposite.’
‘You left together.’
‘Toby was babysitting for Daisy so it was easier to extract him from my home with his brother’s help,’ she said with a bright smile. ‘Anyway, I’m surprised you noticed because I’m pretty sharp when it comes to mischievous behaviour and you, my dear man, seemed to have a massive fan club that night.’
Andy smiled, that confident and reassured one that men give when they are screwing around but don’t want to say.
‘It took me a long time to get over the break-up of my marriage and gain my confidence back. When I did realise it was time to move on and start again, it was hard but I did it and I’m having fun,’ he laughed. ‘A lot of fun!’
‘Well good for you!’ she said, lifting her glass and gently clinking it with his.
‘Are you moving on?’ he asked with a wry smile as she tried her hardest to put on her winning smile but failed. ‘I see.’
‘I keep stumbling at the start and, I don’t know. I need to be there for Daisy. She’s nine at the end of March, such a big girl and this romance stuff, well maybe I’m just not made for it,’ Sylvie mumbled. ‘I certainly won’t let anyone in if they don’t understand that my dau
ghter comes first. That goes without saying.’ She noticed he was examining her face as she spoke and put that down to the fact he probably thought she was being too tough. ‘Then after all that shit with Rupert’s family, his mother, it makes me wary about getting involved with anyone again.’
‘Didn’t your husband go to the same school as Finlay?’
‘How’d you know that?’ she asked, seeing him half smile.
‘I did a very thorough search on ‘Chambers Caplin’ when we did business together and, of course, I know your husband’s name so I searched him too.’
‘Why?’ she asked, as he laughed. ‘That’s not interesting.’
‘It is for me when I can see they have more in common than you realise.’ Andy leaned closer as Sylvie stared into his eyes not wanting to admit it. ‘And you’re not attracted to Finlay at all?’
‘Toby’s better looking.’ She lifted her glass of wine and took a large glug. ‘Classically better looking whereas Finlay’s pretty good looking as he’s more pretty than he’s manly handsome.’
‘And me?’
‘You’re manly handsome,’ she smiled. ‘And that’s not to lead you-.’
He kissed her gently on the lips as she sat there feeling numb.
‘I’ll wait,’ he said quietly. ‘When you’re ready you know where to find me.’
Forty
He paced around his flat for most of the night wondering about Sylvie and kept checking his phone to see if she’d texted or if he should call.
Finlay woke up at around four o’clock in the morning and just walked in circles trying to figure out what he was feeling. It was driving him crazy then he wondered if she’d taken Andy back to the hotel room and he’d made love to her. His first reaction was to call the hotel and check if the room was being used but he knew that was desperate.
‘What’s wrong with me?’ he screamed into his hands before pacing some more.
All he could think about was Sylvie, nothing else, and he wanted it to be the morning so much, just to know she’d be back home with her child.
Then he had an awful thought that she might have taken that man into her home, made love in her bed and he felt sick.
‘She wouldn’t do that? No not Sylvie. Never!’
The panic was unbearable as he wondered if she would seek solace in a man who was suitable on paper for her but not in reality. Finlay looked at his email and realised there were messages from the lawyers and a few begging emails from Juliette.
He didn’t care about any of them.
All he cared about was seeing Sylvie and finding out what happened.
It’s what she told him on Thursday got him confused. She said she was reading more into it, into them, and that’s when he thought she liked him more than she was letting on. He couldn’t get that out of his head for two days and knew she was just moving on as he had told her to do… and with someone else.
He got showered and changed before heading out of his flat into the cold January morning air. It smelt like snow, the sky had the familiar colour before it started. Walking towards the station he realised it was coming up to eight thirty and he felt tired as he went west and got off at Gunnersbury station. Searching on his internet, he knew she’d be dropping off Daisy at her class but he didn’t know where it was and what it was called.
Then he stopped dead in his tracks thinking if she’d give it a miss and all three of them would be going out as a family for breakfast.
He didn’t know what to do.
He didn’t know what he was doing.
He just knew he was feeling confused and it was making him scared.
Turning around, he headed in the other direction and went towards the building, going in and sitting down at one of the packing desks.
‘Hello!’ he heard someone say, making him jump, and realised it was Samina holding a cup of tea and his aunt was standing behind her.
‘What are you two doing here?’ he asked as Rosalind stepped forward, kissing him on the cheek then putting a hand to his forehead. ‘It’s Saturday.’
‘He smart your nephew,’ smiled Samina, shaking her head from side to side. ‘We know it Saturday.’
‘Well, what are you doing here?’ he said, feeling more confused and wanting to be alone.
‘We work a couple of hours here on Saturday and Sylvie said we can take time off in week day. Your aunt need some training and she want to come in. Then I take her to Southall for lunch. What you do here?’
‘I was passing,’ he said and realised the pair of them didn’t look convinced.
‘Woman problem?’ Rosalind asked. ‘I know that face Finlay Chambers, just like your father’s when it came to skirt.’
‘What was Finlay father like?’
‘Like him,’ sniffed his aunt before grabbing his shoulders. ‘What’s wrong? That bitch wife giving you a hard time?’
‘Leave her! She have big black man!’
‘How do you know?’ he asked, shocked at Samina’s comment. ‘That’s private and-.’
‘I told her,’ said Rosalind brazenly. ‘It’s not like it’s a secret as everyone I’ve spoken to seems to know she was screwing around.’
‘I’m going,’ he said wanting to get away from his humiliation.
‘You think Sylvie sex with Andy Simmonds last night?’ asked Samina before walking towards the shelves, as his heart started to pound. ‘We run bet book to see.’
‘You’re betting on whether she has sex or not?’ Finlay said, unable to hide his disgust. ‘And how will you know? Ask her?’
‘She tell me,’ sniffed Samina before grinning. ‘He say he take her out and so he say if he give her big one too.’
Rosalind started to laugh as Finlay couldn’t break into a smile, feeling his gut churn as he sat down.
‘Oh!’ he heard his aunt say. ‘Oh my!’
He looked up at her smiling directly at him as Samina stepped closer.
‘What’s wrong?’ he gruffly asked, wanting to cry but putting it down to lack of sleep.
‘You like Sylvie.’
‘No I don’t!’ Finlay replied and went to stand up as his aunt held him down by the shoulders.
‘He love Sylvie but not realise because his wife like black cock with man and he feel guilty he like black woman too. But she not got cock and she not proper black,’ said Samina as Finlay flashed a dirty look. ‘Why you two demolish in afternoon? I see. I know.’
‘You’ve been sleeping with Sylvie?’ Rosalind said and took in a deep breath. ‘Seems it’s a good thing I’m here as, like your father, I can see you’re going to cock this up. Did you argue with her? Because when I came in on Tuesday there seemed a bit of tension.’
‘Sex,’ nodded Samina. ‘Lot of sex suspension in room, I feel it. That why I always offer tea.’
‘Sex tension?’ Rosalind said, raising her eyebrows. ‘Why, of course!’
‘Oh god, leave me alone!’ he groaned, rubbing his hands over his face. ‘This is the worse time to feel like this.’
Then he felt his hands being grabbed by his aunt as she stared into his eyes.
‘Finlay, are you in love with this Sylvie?’ she asked seriously. ‘Tell me.’
‘I don’t know… no… I like her… I’m not sure,’ he groaned again, starting to get upset. ‘I keep telling her things to push her away and then when it happens, I want her back. You know she’s forty eight?’
‘No!’ said Samina, genuinely looking surprised. ‘She look good, just like me!’
‘What about her age?’ Rosalind said with a frown.
‘I want a family and I can’t have that with her,’ he mumbled.
‘Your nephew fast! He still married and think about marriage again and baby!’
‘No, I’m not thinking about marriage but if my marriage isn’t working then I want someone who I can have a family with and it’s not her, not Sylvie. And then there’s the business and-.’
‘You’re thinking too far ahead,’ Rosalind sighed, shaking her head.
‘You like her? You love her? Try getting to know her better and see where that takes you.’
‘She’s totally unsuitable plus she works here and… god!’ Finlay felt like screaming. ‘I just want her!’
‘Then get her!’ said Samina, taking his arm and pulling his up. ‘If she sex with Andy Simmonds, he man who would use own product so it not proper sex.’
‘Oh Samina, you do make me laugh!’ said Rosalind who grabbed Finlay’s hand. ‘You’ve got too much going on at the moment but when you meet someone you like, it’s never really the right time. Why don’t you tell her how you feel and-.’
‘I’ve told her all the things that are wrong about her and me, I’ve said everything!’
‘Why you not tell her all things good, Finlay?’ said Samina with a grave expression. ‘Not look at her like bad smell look at her like smell sweet.’
‘She smells wonderful,’ he said, in all honesty, as the two elderly women smiled. ‘Don’t tell anyone, please don’t say a word. She’d go mad and I don’t want Toby to find out. She won’t talk to me you see, we had a falling out. I was a bastard to her and she doesn’t want to clear the air. I miss her so much and even her being in the same room, and me knowing I can’t touch her, it’s driving me mad.’
‘She drop Daisy off at class and go shopping when she not come here,’ said Samina, pushing him towards the door. ‘The school near Sainsbury, all singing and noise. Go find her before that Andy man come back and take her from behind.’
‘What am I going to say?’ Finlay asked, getting scared.
‘Tell her what you just say, silly English man.’
‘Rosalind, you can’t tell my mother or Piers. Please don’t say anything.’
‘Finlay run and see her,’ Rosalind replied gently, stroking his face. ‘I knew this place would be fun to work at and this is only my third day!’
‘And find out if she sex Andy Simmonds,’ hissed Samina. ‘I have ten pound say he put his hand up dress!’
‘You be good,’ she said, kissing Daisy, who was ignoring her and speaking to other like-minded children in her class, obviously embarrassed by their parents.
Sylvie walked out and into the cold air before examining her cut hand from the night before. She grimaced knowing how she did it and remembered the blood as well as Andy’s shocked expression. Slowly she walked towards the High Road when she felt the full throttle of someone running into her.
