Honorable Intentions

by Pauline Saull

  He took a seat opposite her and logged onto his own computer.

  “That new consignment arrives from Indonesia next week. We’re going to have to make a lot of space in the warehouse for it. There will be some are big items.”

  Mel smiled. “I know. I’m really looking forward to it. I thought we might try and shift some of that cane stuff out quick…you know, a weekend sale?”

  “Sure.” Darren smiled. He was done with Mason…well, as far as trying to get any further information regarding lucrative listings from under his nose. But there was one final idea in mind…a turn of the screw so to speak. One that he could carry out, walk away from, and which would never in a million years be blamed on him. He’d been thinking about it for a while now and as the idea grew so did his excitement.

  »»•««

  When Jake walked into the office, Suzy was sitting opposite Brian at his desk, clearly discussing the contract placed before them. He thought she had never looked lovelier. Her hair hung in soft waves to her shoulders and she was holding one side of it back with her hand showing the tender arch of her pale neck. He remembered his lips resting there, the soft warmth of her skin, and how the pulse beat rapidly. Her slender legs were crossed and his lower stomach twisted with desire.

  He wanted her like crazy.

  “Hi,” he said brightly.

  “Jake!” Brian said with a wide smile. “We haven’t seen you for a while.”

  “No. My apologies. I’ve been busy at Northcote. I wondered…um,” he hedged, looking around at the four expectant faces, “why don’t we close shop for half an hour and take a trip out there. Since work’s started in earnest I’d like you all to see what’s going on so you’ll have a better idea of what we’ll be selling.” His eyes rested on Suzy.

  “Perhaps,” she said, “one of us should stay here to man the place.”

  “No!” chorused Ann and Lilian. “I’ll put the answering machine on,” Lilian said as she began clicking switches, “and divert the calls to my cell.”

  “And I,” Ann said with a smile, “will tell our esteemed customers we are out for a short while.” And she flicked the door’s BACK IN AN HOUR sign over.

  Jake smiled. He felt ridiculously happy because she was coming along.

  ∙•∙

  Somehow, Suzy found herself last in Jake’s car in the only seat left, the passenger one. As she fastened her seat belt she caught his glance and for all the resolve, disappointment, and anger which had clouded her judgment over the previous days, found herself offering a tentative smile. She thought he sighed with relief.

  It was easy to keep chatter going with the other three excitedly talking about the new apartments and when they would hopefully come to market, and Suzy felt an almost overwhelming sense of relief to actually be in his company once more.

  “You been okay?” he murmured.

  “Mm, thanks, yes. The office is busy. I expect we’ll be busier still soon.”

  “Do you think you could do with more help?” Jake shot her a glance.

  “No, actually we all seem to thrive on it.” Suzy smiled. “But rest assured I’ll let you know if it becomes too much.”

  “Ooh!” Lilian said with delight as they drew up before Northcote. “This is stunning, Jake!”

  The three passengers from the back climbed out and Suzy unclipped her belt.

  Jake briefly touched her hand. “I’ve really wanted you to see the changes,” he said.

  Suzy put her feet to the graveled drive feeling slightly light-headed. A single light touch from him had the ability to send her heart soaring.

  Madness.

  Builders appeared to be working everywhere. Inside the impressive entrance hall sheets were laid to protect the flooring, the oak staircase had been sanded back to golden glory, and painters and plasterers were busy at work.

  “This is the only part of the house we’re not knocking about,” Jake said.

  Suzy gazed around her, as delighted with the space as she had been on first inspection. “I think that’s a great idea. Won’t it make a fab communal area? You know, sofas, low tables, lamps, a few large planters.”

  Jake smiled. “That’s where you come in. Suzy…”

  “Oh, Jake I love this room.” Lilian had walked to the doorway of the living room. “Just look at that fireplace. Will this be one apartment?”

  Jake walked to join her. Ann and Brian had wandered farther down the hall toward the kitchen, leaving Suzy alone, and she watched Jake explaining to Lilian what he intended to do. He glanced over his shoulder and caught her look. For one electric moment their gazes locked and Suzy knew that whatever he said to her…because he’d been about to say something…she would believe it. Life is too short, she thought, to miss out on any time with him. Her bitter disappointment regarding any mistakes he imagined she’d made, or assumptions over her relationship with Darren, she would cope with.

  After examining the five would-be apartments downstairs, they wandered up the wide staircase onto the galleried landing. There would be six apartments here and Suzy stopped outside the open door of one which had views through a large bay window to the sea. A sign on the door said UNDER OFFER.

  “Oh!” she exclaimed. “That was quick. Nothing’s come through the office about it yet.”

  She turned to Jake, who looked slightly embarrassed as he rubbed his chin.

  “No. It won’t do. Amanda’s having it. So of course she wanted to simply do the deal through her solicitor. She’s, um bought it completely off-plan and is happy to leave me with the internal layout of it.”

  “Lucky lady,” Suzy said smoothly.

  “You will be involved with the décor, won’t you Suzy? Not with this one, I mean the rest of the apartments?”

  “I’ll look forward to it immensely,” Suzy said, hoping against hope that she didn’t come into too much contact with Amanda while she was working there. The mere fact that the woman had bought into the place so quickly caused her a moment of pure jealousy. What, she wondered, exactly was Jake’s relationship with her?

  After seeing the house Jake led them down to the edge of the garden, which delighted Suzy’s colleagues.

  “How wonderful,” Ann murmured, “to live in such a place.”

  The wind, crisp and cool with the tang of ozone, whipped around them, and white fluffy clouds scudded across the clear sky where gulls soared effortlessly on the thermals.

  “Indeed,” Suzy said, thinking of Amanda Roll.

  Lilian checked her watch.

  “Much as I hate to spoil every one’s fun, our hour is almost up.”

  “Okay.” Jake began walking back to his car. “Let’s make a move.”

  Lilian, Brian, and Ann were discussing what they’d seen. Ann, excited about the prospect of advertising the apartments, was eager to exchange ideas.

  “I’m lucky,” Jake said to Suzy, “to have such enthusiastic staff. It makes life a helluva lot easier.”

  “They are good…and a pleasure to work with.” Suzy sighed.

  “Tired?” Jake shot her a glance.

  She smiled. “No, but I think I’m ready for a break. Did I tell you, or sorry, should have asked first, but I’d like to take two weeks off over Christmas? Lilian and Ann are more than willing to fill in for me between when the office opens again on New Year’s Day for a week.”

  “That’s absolutely fine. You’ve worked hard since the takeover, Suzy. Er, going anywhere special?”

  “Well mum and dad did want me to go the Spain from Christmas Eve until the day after Boxing Day, but I’ve persuaded them to come over here instead. I’ll have to get my act together and do up the spare bedroom.”

  Jake laughed. “And the other week…when they’ve gone back?”

  “Oh, I dunno. Chill out time, see India, haven’t really thought about it yet. Maybe,” she said, looking at him with a lazy smile, “I’ll just be a slob and do nothing.”

  Jake pulled into the parking lot. “I can’t ever imagine you doing n
othing.” He removed his keys and twiddled with them. “Suzy, I would really like to take you out one evening. I feel I’ve let both you and myself down disgracefully with my behavior just lately and would like to make amends. Have you any free nights?”

  Suzy thought ruefully of the number of nights she’d sat alone recently watching the TV, reading books whose words she went over and over again through lack of concentration, and smiled.

  Free nights?

  “Any night this week would suit me fine. Or is that too soon? I wasn’t thinking…”

  “Friday,” Jake said. “Let’s make it Friday, shall we?” Everyone clambered out of the car and he reached across to unbuckle her strap. “Friday,” he said again.

  »»•««

  On Wednesday morning, with time to spare, Suzy drove out to Launceston and bought herself a new outfit; a pale green slim suede skirt with a pale cream knitted top, and delicately strapped cream medium heel shoes. She wanted to look special, or as near to it as possible, for Friday night. When she thought about the time they would have together, it made her feel quite giddy.

  She hummed as she drove along the coast road and down the lane to India’s. Two cars were parked there, so understanding there were customers, Suzy spent some time wandering around her friend’s very productive veggie patch. Henrietta followed at a discreet distance, scratching in the soil. Finally, Suzy saw the occupants of one car leave, so she made her way to the studio. As she neared the door she heard the unmistakable sound of India’s soft happy laughter, accompanied by a deep male voice. About to do a quick about turn she stopped as a tall, red-haired young man appeared in the doorway with her friend.

  “Suzy!” India cried. “How lovely to see you. Neil,” she said as she turned to the young man, clearly excited, “this is my very best friend, Suzy Porter. Suzy, this is Neil, my new accountant.”

  Hi, Suzy.” Neil laughed. “And I have the entertaining job of trying to sort your best friend’s books out, I hope it will be a lengthy process.” He turned to smile at India and Suzy stifled a smile of her own.

  Well!

  Neil hoisted the stack of folders farther under his arm. “I’ll call you,” he said quietly to India. “Bye, Suzy.”

  Both women watched silently as he walked to his car. When he’d climbed in and driven off, Suzy turned to look at her friend. They both raised their eyebrows and started laughing.

  “Isn’t he just the most delicious thing ever?” India said gleefully.

  “Well, yes, he is very good-looking. When did you meet him?”

  India slid her arm through Suzy’s. “I went to see old Mr. Pratchet because I’d had an enormously frightening tax bill, and you know me, hopeless with money. Anyway, the whole mess of my paperwork gave old Pratchet the heebie-jeebies and so he passed me on to his new accountant. Voila, Neil.” They’d wandered into the kitchen and India went to fill the kettle. “Chamomile?”

  “Have you any Yorkshire?’

  India laughed. “Just what Neil asked for. I do like a man who appreciates a proper cup of tea.” She pulled the packet out of the cupboard and stared dreamily at it. “I can’t believe how a person’s outlook on life can alter in a single moment,” she mused. “When we met and he smiled at me I felt as though I’d been hit by a sledge hammer.” She grinned. “A bit like you with Jake. Oh, but Suze…” She stopped to drop teabags in the pot. “Do you think he’ll consider me far too dipsy…I mean accountants are usually so level-headed aren’t they?”

  Suzy laughed. “Dipsy? No. I think he looked absolutely enchanted by you. And as for you…well, I’ve never seen you so enthralled before!”

  “Well, at least,” India said thoughtfully, “I can now completely understand how Jake Mason bowled you over so quickly. It’s quite a feeling isn’t it, my friend. Any news on that front?”

  Suzy smiled shyly. “We’re going out to dinner on Friday. I’m so excited about it I’ve gone a bit mad spending this morning.”

  “Show me,” India ordered.

  Chapter Twenty

  Suzy dressed carefully. The day had dragged. She’d taken the morning off and had gone out early to order a bed and bedside tables for the second bedroom, along with a tin of duck egg blue paint, spending the time until lunchtime applying three coats over the unevenly plastered walls. With blue and white curtains hung and new crisp bedding to add when the bed came, she was pleased with the result. But still the time until six o’clock loomed emptily ahead of her. After a bowl of soup she watched the lunchtime news, but was still unable to settle went outside and tidied up the small patio and garden patch. Her stomach churned with excitement whenever her thoughts drifted to the evening ahead. She had no idea where Jake was taking her and didn’t in all truth care. They would be spending, at last, some quality moments together again. Something which hadn’t happened since the time watching the wrens.

  But hadn’t he mentioned taking some time off? She wondered wistfully when that might be and with whom.

  Her mother rang in the afternoon to confirm that they would be arriving on the twenty third of December for four days and would hire a car from Heathrow.

  “What will you do after we leave, love?” her Mum asked. “We could have stayed over New Year, but Dad has so much going on at the club here now, what with karaoke and bingo. He’s quite the organizer.”

  “Dad…bingo!” Suzy laughed. “Don’t worry, Mum. I’ll probably spend a little time doing some walking if the weather holds up, and perhaps New Year’s Eve with India.”

  Putting the phone down Suzy thought the latter part of the conversation was wishful thinking. India, she felt sure, would be otherwise occupied over the festive season.

  Finally the time came to bathe and dress. The evenings were drawing in and becoming cooler, so Suzy pulled out a soft cashmere shawl she hadn’t worn for months, draping it around her shoulders as she sat downstairs to wait. She’d closed the curtains, but right at six headlights down the lane alerted her to Jake’s arrival, and as calmly as possible, she rose, collected her bag and keys, and let herself out. The evening was darkening quickly. Jake had climbed from the car walking around to open the passenger door, and as he smiled, even in the dim light, she saw the way his glance flickered over her and shivered deliciously.

  “Hi,” he said. “You look lovely. Will you be warm enough?”

  “I think so. You haven’t said where we’re going. Are we outside or in?”

  “Well,” Jake said, waiting for her to sit and swing her legs in. “It’s in, but with great views out. A surprise, a place which has apparently been closed for ages. That rather brash TV chef apparently inherited the place from an old aunt…you know the one I mean, Brandon something or other? The food is supposed to be superb.” He closed her door and walked round to take his place behind the wheel.

  “You mean the old Art Deco place on the bay?” Suzy asked.

  Jake nodded.

  “Well he kept that quiet. There’s been no news about it for months. Early in the year there were rumors it was about to re-open, but nothing since. I thought it had all fallen through. It will be nice to see the old place working again. Mum and Dad used to take me there when I was young for special occasions. I’ve always loved that style of building and furniture. It must have been his aunt who ran it then, she made the most divine poached salmon salad and egg custard tarts, I remember.”

  Jake shot her a quick amused glance as he started the car. “You’ve never mentioned a liking for Art Deco before. Why not go for that in the apartment’s foyer?”

  “Well, yes. I think that’s a great idea. The hallway calls out for it really, doesn’t it?”

  “Yeah. Potted palms, squishy sofas, big lamps…”

  “Aspidistras?”

  “Whoa!” Jake laughed.

  Suzy settled back. She felt giddily happy as they discussed further ideas. He suggested that they could perhaps gather some interesting notions from the evening ahead.

  Suzy agreed. “I’m really looking forwar
d to it.”

  “What?” Jake grinned. “Our evening or the dressing of Northcote?”

  “Both of course. Though as for the dressing part I think I’ve found a new furnishing supplier.” She bit her lip, loathe to start discussing her fears regarding what she considered to be Darren’s betrayal of her.

  Jake swung down a country lane. “Good. I’m pleased about that, not,” he added hastily, “that I want to influence your decision. Did the guy accept your decision?”

  In the darkening interior Suzy couldn’t see his face clearly, but definitely heard the edge in his voice.

  “Yes.” She smiled. “It was nothing I couldn’t handle. Oh, wow!”

  They’d stopped outside the old hotel which, as Jake commented, was lit up like the proverbial Christmas tree; hundreds of fairy lights were strung through the mature trees lining the curved driveway with additional lights blazing from every window. The parking lot was full.

  “A good sign,” Jake said.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  “So, what do you think?” Jake poured her another glass of champagne.

  “I love it. But,” Suzy said, leaning forward, “I also think it will cost an absolute fortune to replicate the look. This furniture is fantastic. Where on earth do they get such great material from, I wonder?” She smoothed her hand across the vibrant yellow and orange cotton.

  “Dunno. But we’ll find out later. What did you think of dinner?”

  “Excellent.” Suzy smiled. “Almost as good as his aunt’s.”

  Jake laughed. Across the candlelit table Suzy thought he looked more handsome than ever, and it hadn’t gone amiss that clearly other women thought so also. Two young attractive females at the table next to them had both been casting covert glances his way.

  Yet he was with her, and his attention never wavered.

  Jake declined dessert but Suzy tucked into a generous slice of blackberry and kiwi cheesecake. Jake watched her.

  “Lovely to see a woman who actually enjoys her food instead of pushing it around her plate,” he said.