This time? There weren’t going to be any interruptions.
21
By the time I made it back to my switchboard I was a shaking mess of confusion and worry and hormones. A stop at the loo to put myself back in order hadn’t helped much. I knew enough to realize I was in deep, serious trouble, but then I also didn’t have any earthly idea about how to get out of it either.
Neil wanted to fuck me. In his office.
And I would have let him.
What in the hell had gotten into Neil? Caveman plus Greek god equaled big problems for me. If Ethan hadn’t interrupted we would’ve been going at it hard on his desk at that moment. Jesus Christ…
I sat there for a minute and tried to process what had just happened with Neil in his office.
What did all this mean coming from him? Was he trying to torture me?
Did he just expect I would sleep with him whenever the urge struck? Was that payback just then for leaving him all those years ago? Was he just being a manipulative bastard and trying to guilt me back into his bed because he thought he might get away with it?
Well, if so, then he was a delusional bastard as well as a manipulative one. I sat and seethed in my chair, getting angrier and angrier with every moment that passed.
I opened up my email and started typing.
TO: nmcmanus @bsiltd.co.uk
If you think I’m allowing you to drive me home tonight you are bloody dreaming. LEAVE ME ALONE.
I had some hope he really got my message, both literally and figuratively, because this time he didn’t reply. Maybe some sense had been smacked into that thick head of his when the boss caught him trying to have sex with an employee on work premises. Wasn’t my fault. This one was completely on Neil. He made the mess. He could sort it out.
Once five o’clock rolled around, I’d calmed down enough to think about my self-defense class. Maybe I’d learn some techniques I could use on Neil if he tried to seduce me in his office again.
Would there be a next time? There can’t be a next time, stupid.
I told myself to shelve the matter for the time being, as I had to focus my attentions on the class I was about to attend. I left the locker room adjacent to the training facility dressed and ready. The memo h
ad suggested comfortable clothes and shoes for the class, so I’d brought a bag along with me today with trainers and work-out gear.
I came out into the main room where I was supposed to meet the instructor, someone named Terrence. The classes were one-on-one, to maximize the benefit of the time allocated. Apparently BSI didn’t mess about when it came to this stuff.
The lights were on, and there was a Power-Point set up in the back, but I didn’t see anyone in the room.
“Hello?” I called out but was met with silence.
I walked over to the mat in the center and looked around the room. Typical work-out facility with weight machines and treadmills, free weights and assorted equipment for training in the martial arts. Probably did the whole Krav Maga thing here too. It was quite the rage and I had friends that never missed a class.
I’d keep an open mind, but I wasn’t into that sort of thing really. I preferred taking walks outside, or maybe Pilates, or yoga in the park. I was into more mellow forms of exercise than what could be had indoors behind the walls of a gym.
I heard the sounds of the double doors opening behind me and turned to see.
Not my instructor named Terrence.
Neil?
Neil. Dressed all in black, nylon joggers and a long sleeved dry-fit that followed the form of his chest and arms like a second skin.
He walked slowly towards me; his eyes predatory again as they devoured me.
“There’s been a change of instructors. I’m afraid you get me.”
“What the h-hell?” she stammered, her expression one of furious beauty, as well as utter contempt.