The Debt

by D A Latham

  "Ok, I'll be thirty seconds." I put down the receiver and pulled on my trainers, before grabbing my key and racing over to the main house.

  Shari had her jumper pulled up over her nose when I stepped into the hall. "It stinks, it needs clearing up," she said, her voice muffled by the jumper. She pointed to a line of diarrhoea which had been trailed the entire length of the hall. Both Bruno and Roxy were pacing, both looking downcast, they clearly had stomach aches.

  "I need to get them outside first," I said, "They don't look well. What have they eaten?" I glared at her. They'd been fine when I'd left them a few hours earlier.

  "I gave them Aaron's dinner, that's all," she said. "He decided to go out at the last minute."

  "What was it?" I barked, watching the dogs.

  "Oh, only some curry I'd made, nothing much. Now clear this up, I can't deal with this smell."

  "You gave curry to two dogs on a raw food diet?" I demanded, aghast. "They'll be in shocking pain."

  "Fuck the dirty little shits, just do as you're told and clean this up before it damages the stone."

  "I need to get them outside first," I said, standing my ground. Shari stalked up to me, her eyes blazing with anger.

  "If you don't do what you're told and clean this up immediately, I'll rub your fucking face in it, then have you slung out so fast your feet won't even step in it." She was leaning in, about six inches from my face. I flinched. She pointed to a roll of kitchen paper she'd gotten out. Meekly, I took it and knelt down to start scraping the slimy faeces off the expensive limestone.

  I had no time to glove up, or even find more suitable cleaning equipment, so I quickly had shit on my hands. Shari was still shouting about the smell, how it would make her ill, even though she wasn't the one up to her elbows in it. "Do it quicker," she screamed, "I can't bear this smell."

  "You need to get the dogs outside,” I told her, “Just open the front door, let them out."

  "I'll be too cold," she snapped back. "And don't tell me what to do. You're just staff, don't forget it." I fantasised about slapping her around the face with my shit-covered hand.

  I was on my hands and knees, cleaning, when it all happened, so I couldn't see in what order events unfolded. I heard Shari scream as Roxy exploded with diarrhoea. I saw it spray up the leg of Shari's expensive trousers, as well as over the floor.

  She became hysterical, screaming as though a bit of shit would kill her, shouting that she'd kill the effin’ dog. Both dogs were pacing, clearly in pain and no doubt both very upset and ashamed.

  "I have got to see to the dogs," I yelled. "They're in pain and they'll just go again. If you'd let me get them out in the first place when you stuffed them full of curry, it wouldn't have happened."

  "Fuck the dogs, what about me?" She screamed. Bruno made the mistake of pacing near her. She drew her leg back to kick him.

  That was when I became aware of Aaron and Marcus in the doorway. I had no idea how long they'd been there, or how much they'd seen. "Shari, don't you fucking dare," Aaron growled. "Get upstairs." She did as she was told, letting out a huge sob and running up the ornate staircase, leaving shitty footprints almost all the way to the top. Aaron strode after her, muttering “Sorry Sally” as he went past.

  "Can you let them out please?" I asked Marcus. He sprang into action, leading the dogs out of the front door and onto the drive where they could let go and rid themselves of whatever had caused the problem. I surveyed the carnage in the hall. I needed more than a bit of kitchen roll to clean it all up.

  In the utility room, I filled the mop bucket with hot soapy water and washed my hands. Back in the hall, I began by washing Shari's footprints off the stairs before tackling the main mess, all the while listening to the shouting and hollering going on upstairs. I'd just refilled the mop bucket with clean water when Marcus brought the dogs back in.

  "What on Earth did they eat?" He asked.

  "She said she gave them curry. I shouldn't have listened to her and just got them outside, but she was screaming at me to clear up first," I told him. I wasn't sure how long they'd been at the door, what they'd seen or heard. "I need to check them over."

  Marcus took the mop from me, and began sweeping it over the few remaining smears. I felt around Roxy's tummy. It was gurgling like mad. "This must've been really painful," I commented. Both dogs pushed their muzzles into my shoulder as I checked them over, their expressions sad and ashamed. We could hear shouting upstairs, then a crash.

  "I hope that wasn't the Orku vase going for a Burton," said Marcus. "It's a one-off. I just hope she's not such a philistine that she'd chuck it at him." We heard another crash and more shouting.

  "I think I'll walk Roxy and Bruno back to the flat," I said. "It'll do them good, plus I'm sure they'll be up all night with tummy aches."

  "What the Hell was in that curry? No wonder Aaron wanted to eat in the pub."

  "Onions probably. It’s poisonous to dogs, and gives them horrible tummy pains and rotten gas. Hopefully they've expelled it all quickly, but I'd rather keep an eye on them, just to be sure." I glanced down at my pyjamas. Not only were they vile to begin with, both knees had shit on them. I needed to get them off and get in the shower. The stench was firmly embedded in my nose and it was making me feel queasy.

  "OK, and Sally? I'm sorry about her behaviour."

  "Not your fault," I said, before leading the dogs out. We walked slowly back to the flat, even though it was bitter cold, just in case they needed to go again. They plodded along beside me, sorry for themselves. The walk helped though, as Bruno managed to clear out a bit more.

  Back in my flat, I dug out my old duvet and set it down for them, as well as filling the washing-up bowl with fresh water in case they needed a drink.

  I stripped off my pyjamas and jumped in the shower. As the hot water rinsed over me, the full impact of that night's events hit. The way Shari had spoken to me, the way I'd jumped to her orders, even though I'd known she was wrong. I cursed myself for having been such a weakling that I'd ignored the dog's plight in favour of appeasing her.

  I was glad they were having a row. I hoped that Aaron was putting her in her place. She was the second rudest woman I'd ever come up against. Miss Gadd took first place, and I hoped I never met anyone worse.

  With my body clean, I dried off and put on fresh pyjamas before making a cup of tea. The dogs had ignored the duvet and made themselves comfy across my bed. I smiled at them; pleased they'd felt well enough to get some sleep. I squeezed into the inch they'd left for me and sipped my tea. It was gone midnight.

  They woke me up three times during the night to be taken out to expel a little more curry. The final time was at around four in the morning. I stood bleary-eyed on the lawn while Roxy had yet another poo. Bruno had joined us and was sniffing the ground, as though he was going do the same. We were interrupted by Aaron and Shari walking across the car park to the garage, both laden with bags. She looked as though she’d been crying.

  "Hey guys," said Aaron, rubbing Roxy's head as she forgot about her poo and bounded over. "Still poorly?" He asked me.

  "All night," I said. Shari blanked me as though I wasn't there. I watched as they loaded bags and a suitcase into her car. Aaron got into the passenger seat, I guessed to let her out of the estate, and sat grim-faced as she drove off. A few minutes later, he jogged back up the drive. I was just about to go back inside, but he called out to me.

  "She's gone," he said. "I'm really sorry about last night, what she did to you." I just shrugged, not sure what I was meant to say. "Thanks for taking care of Roxy and Bruno for me."

  "That's OK; it's what I'm here for," I said. "Listen, I'm frozen. I need to get back inside."

  "Are you making tea?" He asked, following me in. "I've got to be at a meeting in the city in three hours, so there's no point going to bed. These two won't let you get any sleep either by the looks of it." He followed me up the stairs and sprawled on the sofa while I switched on the kettle. The dogs both jumped onto
my bed and lay down, oblivious to the fact I'd had barely any sleep.

  "I've ended it with her," he said. "I should've done it a while back really, Marcus told me she'd been acting like Queen Bee around the staff."

  "So why didn't you?" I asked. I was curious.

  He sighed. "I'm in the final stages of a big deal at work. I suppose I just couldn't be bothered with all the hassle. It's always a pain, saying goodbye."

  "It's taken you all night," I pointed out.

  "Only because Shari had squits as well," he said smiling. "She kept having to rush to the loo. Made packing her stuff up a bit slow. Fuck knows what she put in that curry."

  I shuddered. "It smelt pretty rank when it was squirting out of the dogs." I paused. "So where did Shari go?"

  "Her mother's. For all those 'friends' she purports to have, not one of them would put her up for a few days. Ironic that."

  "Are you upset?" I asked, handing him a mug of tea.

  "No, I'm pleased. I'd let it go on far too long. Marcus was talking about leaving earlier, over dinner. He just couldn't put up with her any longer, so it's done everyone a favour really."

  "She was horrible to him. I heard her shouting at him. She was really rude to me too, before last night," I told him. He rolled his eyes.

  "Now she told me everyone was really nice to her, and what a happy household I had. It was a bit of a shock being told by Marcus that he wanted to leave because of her and then walking in to hear her abusing both you and the dogs. She even tried to tell me you'd poisoned them yourself to get her into trouble."

  I went cold, fear prickling the nape of my neck. "Did you believe her?" I asked.

  "Course not. As soon as she said she'd given them food she'd prepared, I knew what it was. I'm just bloody glad I didn't have any." I could tell from his smile he meant it. I relaxed. "Why would you think I'd believe such an outlandish claim?"

  "I'm one of life's unlucky people I guess. If there's a lie to be believed that'll cause me trouble, it's usually accepted as fact."

  "You don't look unlucky. I mean you have an amazing figure, a pretty face. You've got a wealthy boyfriend. Personally, I'd say you were one of life's winners."

  I gaped at him, processing his words. I could feel my cheeks turn a little pink with embarrassment at the compliment. "Thanks, but my body's pretty scarred up from an accident. I'm a bit shy about it."

  "Mum told me you'd lost your parents in a car crash. It's how I lost Dad too. I bet the scars on my arm are worse than yours." He stood up and pulled his sweater over his head. Underneath, he was wearing a tight white T-shirt. He showed me his right arm, pulled the sleeve up to his shoulder. Two long, white scars snaked from his wrist to his elbow. Above that, the flesh was lumpy and misshapen, identical to my thigh. "Gross eh?" He said, seemingly unembarrassed by it.

  "I see your arm, and raise you my leg," I quipped. If he could be blasé about his mangled arm, so could I. I rolled up my pyjama bottom to expose my thigh.

  "Wow, that's a great scar," he said, "and an even better thigh. Is there any other parts of you I should see?"

  I giggled nervously, shyness kicking in. "No," I said, quickly unrolling my trouser leg.

  "Why are you so shy around me?" He asked softly.

  "Because you're my boss," I said.

  "If I wasn't your boss, would you still be as shy?"

  I shrugged, "I don't know. What I do know is that I can't afford to lose this job."

  "But you're Drew McCarthy's girlfriend?" He seemed genuinely puzzled as to why I needed my job so badly.

  "So everyone keeps reminding me. It's a shame I don't get full girlfriend perks though," I blurted. Instantly I regretted saying it. I felt disloyal and greedy. Just because Aaron showered his girlfriends with money and gifts didn't mean that Andy had to.

  "So what are you not getting from Drew that you'd like?" He asked, his voice gentle but insistent. I paused and thought about it.

  "I wish he'd stop taking me out to eat and buy a bag of groceries instead," I said. Aaron laughed. "It's not funny," I snapped. "I'm on bare pasta until payday, while Andy thinks a meal out twice a week is taking care of me. I bet he won't be eating pasta for breakfast." Aaron laughed even louder, waking the dogs.

  "Does he know?" He spluttered, trying to control himself. I shook my head. "Well then tell him. Doesn't he give you any spendsies?"

  "Don't be daft. I wouldn't ask him either. I'm not a charity case." As soon as I said it, Aaron's eyes bored into me. He wasn't as pretty as Andy, but was handsome in a more masculine way. I shivered involuntarily.

  "Are you cold?" He asked. "It's quite warm in here."

  "I'm fine, just tired I guess. How are you going to cope with working after no sleep?"

  He waved his hand dismissively, "I'll be fine. Used to regularly pull all-nighters when I was making a name for myself. I might come home early though. At least you can catch up during the day."

  "I'm working," I reminded him.

  "You've been up all night," he pointed out. "I'm sure those two'll be sleeping it off today. Use the time to get your own beauty sleep." He stood up. "I need to go get ready, I need to leave in an hour, and I'm bloody starving. Don't suppose you fancy sharing some bacon and eggs with me?"

  "Better than pasta," I admitted. I pulled a dressing gown over my pyjamas and followed him back to the main house. He went off for a shower, while I cooked bacon, sausage, eggs, and toast. It was all very cosy and domestic.

  Aaron polished off his breakfast at possibly the fastest pace I've ever seen anyone eat without being bad-mannered. I felt quite sorry for the dogs salivating by his side. They were on a strict twelve-hour starvation regime to calm their stomachs.

  "That," he said, mopping the last bit of egg with his toast, "was delicious." I beamed at his praise, pleased to have managed such a nicely-turned-out meal despite a lack of practice. I also enjoyed the food, it being a considerable step up from what I was expecting to eat.

  After he'd left for work, I cleared up, loaded the dishwasher, and nipped home to get dressed. Our walk was short, both dogs seeming a little tired from their upsets. I put them to bed in the boot room and prepared to head back to the flat for some sleep. Marcus, who had fancied a latte and a good bitch about Shari, interrupted me. He seemed as bright and perky as normal. I wondered how he’d slept with all the noise going on in the main house.

  It was another hour before I finally fell into bed, delirious with exhaustion. I never had been good at staying up all night.

  A loud hammering on my front door woke me up. Disorientated and aware the light was starting to fail, I glanced at the clock, it was nearly four o'clock. Stumbling downstairs, I called out "Who is it?"

  "Ocado delivery," said the voice behind the door. Frowning, I opened it. A delivery driver was standing surrounded by crates of carrier bags. "Delivery for Miss Higgs. This is the right flat isn't it?" He enquired.

  "Yes, I'm Miss Higgs," I confirmed, "but I didn't place an order." He flicked through his paperwork.

  "It was ordered by Mr Pryce, for delivery to this flat. Shall I bring it all up the stairs for you before I tell you about the colour-coding on the bags?"

  I stood aside to let him in. Expertly, he carried in a vast stack of crates, leaving only a few bags outside. I grabbed them and followed him upstairs. "Are you sure it's not for the main house?" I asked when I got to the top.

  "It says your name and address on the order, so I'm certain it's for you."

  It took a while for him to explain their systems, with different types of groceries in different coloured bags, then a further twenty minutes to put everything away. Aaron hadn't stinted at all, buying expensive meats, fish, and top-quality coffee. I wanted to cry at his kindness. It was probably the most thoughtful, generous thing anyone had ever done for me. He'd even included half a dozen bottles of wine and a huge bar of chocolate.

  I headed over to the main house to feed and walk the dogs, having neglected them all afternoon. I found them in front
of the fire in Marcus's office, flat out. They raised their heads when I walked in. "Hiya, just come to get them to give them their tea and a walk. Have they been OK?" I asked.

  "They've been asleep almost all afternoon. I think everyone was shattered after last night."

  "Did you organise that Ocado delivery for me?" I asked, "It was incredibly thoughtful."

  He seemed genuinely puzzled. "Nothing to do with me. I can't lay claim to that one." He paused. "Why did you think it was me?"

  "Because it was from Aaron's account," I replied.

  "Must've been him then, probably felt bad ‘cos you were up all night and got covered in shit."

  "Yeah, probably."

  I was just grating some swede into the dog meat when Aaron arrived home. His stubble seemed longer, making him look tired and weary. "Hiya. You OK?" I asked.

  "I'm exhausted," he said, flopping down onto one of the kitchen chairs. Roxy and Bruno forgot their impending dinner for a moment and raced over to say hello. "Well, hello you two. Are you feeling better?" Bruno licked his hand.

  "I think they're fine now. I'm going to give them their first feed since last night, then take them out to see if it goes straight through them."

  "Good. I'll join you. Let me just get out of this suit." He disappeared upstairs.

  The dogs ate with gusto, no signs of any residual soreness on show. As soon as Aaron reappeared wearing jeans, boots, and a padded ski jacket, we set off. The four of us walked in companionable silence for a while, enjoying the quiet of the woods in the dark. Eventually, I broke the silence. "Thank you for the Ocado order, it was incredibly thoughtful of you."

  "You're very welcome. I hope I ordered the right things?" I could make out his Sphinx-like smile in the moonlight.

  "It was perfect, thank you." I hesitated. "It was actually the nicest thing anyone's ever done for me."

  "Really?"

  "Yeah, really." I felt incredibly disloyal to Andy, but Aaron had shone a big spotlight onto his failings. Andy had only helped me when there'd been something in it for him. Aaron had just listened and done the right thing.