of the olive bread we bought at the market.
I thanked him and he set my legs over his as he sat down and pulled out a folder. We liked to turn the TV off and relax in the evening, just the two of us like it had always been.
“What are you reading?” I asked.
“Background on some fighters. There’s a title conference coming up and we’re covering the match. I thought I’d do some research on them.”
“Who are they?”
“A guy called Cyclone and Andy Mallone.”
“Never heard of them.”
“Why would you have?” He squeezed my leg and continued reading.
“Yeah, right.” I looked down at my diary and tried to ignore the nauseating nostalgia that made my skin prickle.
“Thomas?”
I knew dropping my voice and massaging the inside of his thigh with my toes would grab his attention. It did. I parted my legs, inviting him closer and he took the opportunity, moving between them and dragging my nightdress up.
It wa s time to forget.
Twenty
I could do it, I knew I could. I finally believed that I had the gumption to win this battle. I was going to be a champion.
November 30 th , 2009.
“Skye!”
I jumped when Nina yelled my name from her office; I shot out of my chair and smoothed my dress down as I scurried along the short hallway. I checked my nail polish and touched my hair to feel for grease. I thought I was fine.
“Yes, Nina?” I asked stepping into her office and seeing a stressed Nina pacing the floor. She marched so furiously I was sure she’d leave tracks in the carpet. “Everything okay?”
“No.”
She continued pacing, continuously smoothing down her suit jacket, but there wasn’t a crease in sight.
I stood with my hands behind my back and waited. Eventually she stepped behind her desk, sighed and sagged in her chair.
“Can you go and get me a coffee?” She mumbled, tossing her glasses onto her keyboard and pinching the bridge of her nose. “And bring your diary back with you.”
I nodded and rushed out of the office.
“You okay?” Amanda asked when I fell into the coffee room and began putting together Nina’s order.
“Something’s up with Nina. I think I’ve done something wrong.”
Amanda winced; we’d seen people after they’d felt her wrath. Most of them left in tears or as white as a ghost.
“I’m sure you’ll be fine.”
“Yeah, tell me that when I'm out on my ass.”
“Good luck.”
She gave my shoulder a squeeze as I turned to leave. I struggled to walk fast enough back to my desk without spilling the coffee. I grabbed my diary and as I hurried back to her office, I prayed she wouldn’t mind the multiple sticky notes that hung from the pages. Her PA, Erika, had been adding to my to-do list for weeks. Maybe I’d forgotten to do something she’d asked. I shoved it under my arm and opened the door. Nina was massaging the back of her neck and staring at her computer screen when I placed her coffee in front of her and sat down.
“Have you booked flights before?” She asked.
“Yes.”
“Meeting rooms? Meetings with clients? Have you spoken with our advertisers? Photographers? Printers?”
“I have before, yes.”
She held out her hand for my diary as she inspected her cappuccino and I handed it to her. She flicked through the pages, reading my notes.
“You look organised.”
“I am.”
When I first got promoted to office manager, Thomas gave me some pointers on prioritising and organising, so I was confident.
“Right,” she slammed the diary on the desk and I watched the post-its hang on for dear life. “Here’s the deal.” She chose that moment to take a sip of coffee. “Erika is leaving. Her boyfriend is relocating to Leeds and she’s going with him. You don’t have a boyfriend, do you?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Ah, yes. Thomas Radley,” she purred and swooned in her seat. “That’s fine.”
Would it not have been fine if it was someone other than Thomas?
“What do you need?” I asked, preparing to step up.
“A PA…I
I thanked him and he set my legs over his as he sat down and pulled out a folder. We liked to turn the TV off and relax in the evening, just the two of us like it had always been.
“What are you reading?” I asked.
“Background on some fighters. There’s a title conference coming up and we’re covering the match. I thought I’d do some research on them.”
“Who are they?”
“A guy called Cyclone and Andy Mallone.”
“Never heard of them.”
“Why would you have?” He squeezed my leg and continued reading.
“Yeah, right.” I looked down at my diary and tried to ignore the nauseating nostalgia that made my skin prickle.
“Thomas?”
I knew dropping my voice and massaging the inside of his thigh with my toes would grab his attention. It did. I parted my legs, inviting him closer and he took the opportunity, moving between them and dragging my nightdress up.
It wa s time to forget.
Twenty
I could do it, I knew I could. I finally believed that I had the gumption to win this battle. I was going to be a champion.
November 30 th , 2009.
“Skye!”
I jumped when Nina yelled my name from her office; I shot out of my chair and smoothed my dress down as I scurried along the short hallway. I checked my nail polish and touched my hair to feel for grease. I thought I was fine.
“Yes, Nina?” I asked stepping into her office and seeing a stressed Nina pacing the floor. She marched so furiously I was sure she’d leave tracks in the carpet. “Everything okay?”
“No.”
She continued pacing, continuously smoothing down her suit jacket, but there wasn’t a crease in sight.
I stood with my hands behind my back and waited. Eventually she stepped behind her desk, sighed and sagged in her chair.
“Can you go and get me a coffee?” She mumbled, tossing her glasses onto her keyboard and pinching the bridge of her nose. “And bring your diary back with you.”
I nodded and rushed out of the office.
“You okay?” Amanda asked when I fell into the coffee room and began putting together Nina’s order.
“Something’s up with Nina. I think I’ve done something wrong.”
Amanda winced; we’d seen people after they’d felt her wrath. Most of them left in tears or as white as a ghost.
“I’m sure you’ll be fine.”
“Yeah, tell me that when I'm out on my ass.”
“Good luck.”
She gave my shoulder a squeeze as I turned to leave. I struggled to walk fast enough back to my desk without spilling the coffee. I grabbed my diary and as I hurried back to her office, I prayed she wouldn’t mind the multiple sticky notes that hung from the pages. Her PA, Erika, had been adding to my to-do list for weeks. Maybe I’d forgotten to do something she’d asked. I shoved it under my arm and opened the door. Nina was massaging the back of her neck and staring at her computer screen when I placed her coffee in front of her and sat down.
“Have you booked flights before?” She asked.
“Yes.”
“Meeting rooms? Meetings with clients? Have you spoken with our advertisers? Photographers? Printers?”
“I have before, yes.”
She held out her hand for my diary as she inspected her cappuccino and I handed it to her. She flicked through the pages, reading my notes.
“You look organised.”
“I am.”
When I first got promoted to office manager, Thomas gave me some pointers on prioritising and organising, so I was confident.
“Right,” she slammed the diary on the desk and I watched the post-its hang on for dear life. “Here’s the deal.” She chose that moment to take a sip of coffee. “Erika is leaving. Her boyfriend is relocating to Leeds and she’s going with him. You don’t have a boyfriend, do you?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Ah, yes. Thomas Radley,” she purred and swooned in her seat. “That’s fine.”
Would it not have been fine if it was someone other than Thomas?
“What do you need?” I asked, preparing to step up.
“A PA…I
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