Choosing Her Lover

Chapter 11

*****

In the endless theatre which is the lobby of the Haswell Offices, my desk sits centre-stage in the large central space, with doors fore and rear, staff elevators to the left and service elevators to the right. There is a constant play of people through the space, and it is my job to ensure that everyone and everything, ends up in the right place.

Amid this, the elevator doors open, and out steps James Alexanders, accompanied by a young woman.

She’s a stunner, with perfect features, a great figure and a head of brilliantly red hair which right now, is tied back in a ponytail. She carries herself like a princess, but nonetheless, in some way which is hard to pinpoint, she defers to Alexanders.

She walks ahead of him, but as she heads for the front exit, he is right behind her, his hand resting on the small of her back as she moves. Everything about the two screams of his ownership of her, his slit- eyed, almost aggressive possession of her speaking loudly.

Is she his wife? He mentioned that he’d married recently. Is this the girl that captured the attention of one of the most aggressive Doms I’ve ever known; her Master?

Certainly, everything in the body language of the two of them screams of it.

*****

The front doors whoosh open and in steps a familiar figure.

“Ben!” I say.

“Surprised?” he smiles, relaxing his grave features.

“Er…. yes. What can I do for you?” I ask. Belongs to (N)ôvel/Drama.Org.

“I’m here to pick up my sister-in-law.”

“Oh! Your sister-in-law? A bit of a coincidence there, then….”

He shrugs. “No, not really. I was with my brother when he got a call saying she needed a lift. Since you said you’d be working here, it gave me a nice excuse to come and find you, so I offered to come and pick her up.”

He’s seeking me out now? Should I be flattered or worried?

“That’s very sweet of you. Does she know you’re coming? Should I call her for you?”

“Yes, could you give her a buzz for me. Just tell her that Ben’s here for her. It’s Mrs Summerford, extension 4528.”

I call upstairs, to be answered by a young woman’s voice.

“Hello, is that Mrs Summerford? It’s Kirstie down in Reception. Your brother-in-law’s here for you.”

“Thanks. I’ll be there in a couple of minutes.”

Ben leans over my desk. “So, when can I see you again?”

Now how do I get out of this?

I shouldn’t have told him about where I was working….

I settle for prevarication. “Um, I’m busy tonight….”

“Tomorrow?”

“Not sure. I think I need to visit my sister. She’s a bit upset about her current boyfriend. I think she wants a girl-to-girl.…”

…. The elevator doors swish open and a young woman exits. It’s the redhead that accompanied James Alexanders.

She still looks great, casually dressed in jeans and a tee-shirt, her long ponytail swinging.

“Hi, Champ,” Ben calls to her.

“Hi, Ben. Thanks for coming.”

“No trouble at all. I, um…. I was looking for an excuse anyway….” His eyes cast my way.

‘Champ’ looks over towards me. “Oh, hello. Would you be Kirstie by any chance? Ben said that you’d started working here.”

“Er, yes I’m Kirstie.” I’m a little disconcerted.

Ben said…...?

“It’s nice to meet you.” She continues. “Ben’s never stopped talking about you the last week or so.”

“Really?”

Really? He’s been talking about me?

She steps forward, hand outstretched. “I’m Charlotte. Ben’s brother is my husband.”

The jig-saw pieces drop into place….

Ben’s brother is James Alexanders?

I stand, taking her hand. “Nice to meet you, Charlotte. And yes, I met your husband.” I get the briefest of glances at her other hand, which I can see carries several rings. They are rather beautiful, in a mix of red, yellow and white gold, but with the brief glimpse I get, I don’t quite catch the details.

“I’ve got to go now,” she continues, “but perhaps we can have a coffee together sometime, over lunch perhaps?”

“That would be nice.”

Ben winks at me. “Gotta go. Catch you soon?”

“Um, okay. I’ll call.”

*****

Mid-afternoon: everything is very quiet, and apart from giving directions over the phone to a couple of would-be visitors who have gotten lost en-route, I have very little to do.

I’m bored….

Bing! My mobile….

It’s Ryan….

….Yes!

“Am in town again tonite. u free?”

“yes am free. wot time? where?”

“early. pick u up from work? wot time u finish?”

“6pm but am in work clothes. need to change”

“I want to c u as u r :-)”

“gr8 c u then. lobby haswell bldg @6. u no where that is?”

“got sat nav. will find. c u ltr xx”

My mood improves dramatically. The promise of another of Ryan’s incendiary sex sessions casts a rosy light over the evening to come that was entirely missing before.

I’m not too sure what to make of him saying that he wants to see me as I am, but that doesn’t mean I can’t look good. I am wearing a very standard just-above-the-knee black skirt and sensible white blouse, but a couple of buttons slipped open at the top of the blouse and some surreptitious touching up of my makeup, soon have me looking less office-worker-like.

A scrabble through the drawers of my desk reveals that the previous incumbent left some big hoop earrings and a necklace behind, which I pocket to put on later. There is a bottle of perfume too, but I sniff it and decide to pass on that. I don’t care for cheap scent and, on the evidence of his after-shave, I suspect that Ryan feels the same.

At ten to six, just as I am clipping on the earrings and adding a glossy layer to my lipstick, Ryan walks in.

He looks good, really good. In an expensive and very well-tailored suit, he walks with an elegant ease and stands, hands in pockets, by my desk, looking down at me.

“Good evening,” he says. “It’s good to see you again.” And leaning over the desk, he kisses me, sending my heart banging and my panties flooding.

It’s not over-the-top, or overtly sexual. In fact, nothing about the kiss could cause any offence to a passer-by. But it is soft and exquisitely delivered, his warm lips pressed to mine, redolent of later promise.

Oh, God….

I want to simply melt into this man. His dark eyes hold me, all but hypnotised.

“I didn’t expect to see you again so soon.”

He shrugs. “I find myself looking for excuses to visit this city.”

I look away, abruptly bashful. For the first time in years, I’m becoming giddy over a man.

Calm down, Woman. A couple of good fucks do not a relationship make.

And you told him you don’t want a relationship.

And yet, here he is….

“When can you finish?” he asks.

“I’m just waiting for Sophie to come on shift, then I’m free to go.”

Almost as I speak, Sophie arrives, peeling off her jacket. “Hi, Kirstie.” As she replaces me at the desk, she very obviously checks out Ryan. “Going out for the evening?”

“We are, yes.” says Ryan, offering me his arm. “Ready, Kirstie?”