Sophie's Throughway (16 page)

“Colin..?” I snapped him out of his reverie.

“Yes babe. What's up?”

“What time shall I meet you tonight?”

“Starts at 6.30pm so how about 6pm at the Slug and Lettuce?”

“Yeah, that's great. I'll see you later.” I slipped out and left him to his work.

When I arrived home and entered the hallway, I heard Brendon on his mobile to someone.

“You're a dickhead and if you don't sort it out I will never talk to you again. You're a fucking waste man.” He ended the call and looked as angry as hell.

“Who are you talking to?”

“Luke. Shithead,” he snapped.

“You really don't have to swear all the time you know. You are quite capable of stringing a sentence together without profanity. You're not a complete reprobate.”

“I'm an articulate reprobate, Mother.”

“What's he done to upset you?” I asked carefully. Usually he'd tell me everything. Often things I didn't want to know and information that teenage boys should keep to themselves. I never knew if he did it for the shock factor or because it was how he was.

“He's put two things up for sale on eBay that he didn't even have. Anyway, a couple of kids have bought them and he's taken the money but obviously not sent the goods because they don't exist. You can't fucking do that to people.”

“That's
terrible
. I hope he's going to give them the money back,” I said somewhat concerned.

“Well I'm not talking to him unless he does and I want proof that he's done it. If he doesn't I'm going to smack him one.”

Brendon had a very keen sense of right and wrong which was amazing since he couldn't apply it to himself. He was often in trouble around school for interfering in fights or stopping teachers from shouting at pupils. He was like a real life vigilante: Judge, jury and executioner. He would have made the perfect Judge Dredd.

“You can't hit people and I know you won't,” I said, “but he should not be being fraudulent to people.” I considered my own misdemeanour on eBay but at least I'd refunded the special lady.

“Yeah, but he doesn't need to know that and I feel like punching him.”

His phone beeped and he looked down at another message. “Ugh..” He said out loud to it. “Are all girls this needy? I'm sick of getting constant texts, it's pissing me off.”

“Yes, Brendon they are, especially if they like you. Get used to it and be nice. She's a lovely girl and you're very lucky.”

I went upstairs and jumped in the shower ready to go on my evening junket. I chose a simple black dress from Whistles that was always a winner and one of the few things that hadn't made it to my eBay pile. I called a taxi and waited for it with a nice glass of wine as I changed over handbags. I walked round in bare stockinged feet until the taxi arrived as my black court shoes were going to kill me, I knew it. Thank God I'd be mostly sitting down.

I shouted goodbye to the kids and added a “And do not ring me unless it's absolutely necessary Brendon! I'm out with my boss and I'll be back when I'm back!”

The Slug and Lettuce was relatively busy but I spotted Colin in an instant. He had that edgy style that just set him apart from everyday people. He was wearing a dark, navy Paul Smith suit and Pale blue shirt. He looked effortlessly classic.

“You look great!” I grinned, “that really brings your eye colour out.”

“Thanks Soph, and back at ya! I got you a vodka and coke..You still drink that right?”

“I'll drink anything Colin. And yes I do. Thanks!” I'd not had a vodka and coke for ages and I made a mental note to rectify that.

We talked about work for a while and then had to hurry to the restaurant.

There were a few people I recognised on the guest list when we arrived- Paul Hymes being one of them. He came straight over to Colin and shook his hand and
planted a kiss on mine when I went to shake it. I wiped it off on the side of my dress as soon as he let go and focussed his attention on my boss.

We got seated at a nice table near the window and got ready for our food. It was a pre-set three course meal to sample their new menu.

A bottle of house red and white wine were already on the table. I hit the red instantly. I was going to make the most of this meal as this kind of thing was now decadence to me and would serve to be a memory of the good old days.

The food was outstanding as was the service and I loved it in this place. Colin and I got through the wine with ease and ordered another bottle. We spent the evening chatting and laughing about all sorts of things from the boring to the ridiculous. We even explored my phone box idea a little further and how we could set it up. It got more absurd the more we drank but we talked about it like it was a new and exciting venture.

“Shall we have some champagne?” Colin asked, as he poured the last of the wine into our glasses. I was already
feeling warm and tingly which didn't help with my ability to say no.

“Oh, go on then,” I said with a big grin, “So how's Trudie?”

“Soph! I was having a really good night ‘till then!”

I started giggling. “Sorry.”

“Meh. She's been encouraged to move on.”

“Colin! We need to find you the right woman. They're always amazing anyway so what is it that's missing?”

“He leant forward, elbow on the table and a finger on his lips as he pretended to ponder this question. “Hmmm…” he looked at me across the table. “The X factor.”

I laughed. “Ok Simon Cowell, and what
IS
your X factor?”

He looked at me very seriously for a few seconds. I wondered if I'd upset him a little by asking too many personal questions. I really shouldn't drink so much.

“It's an unquantifiable thing Soph. Let's go and research it. Come on! Let's go to the office with this champers and watch a film and make plans for phone boxes and figure out the X factor! I need to get out of here now.” He picked up the bottle and made his way to say thank you to the owner.

I sat there surprised. Well OK then. Colin was obviously as tipsy as me!

We made our way down the street, arms linked and laughing at our own stupidity. We got to the office and through the glass doors.

“What's the alarm, Soph?”

“What? Err… 2, 0, 4, 9…” it took me a while to remember. “You should know that Colin!”

“I do. I just want to make sure you're awake.” He giggled as he punched in the numbers and we went through the office doors. It seemed weird to see it all dark and quiet. I followed Colin through to his office and he put the wall lights on.

“Music!” he said out loud to himself as he opened iTunes on his computer. “Go get glasses Soph, we have the world to save!”

I went to the kitchen and looked for glasses. I couldn't find them so I got two mugs instead.

“Mugs?! You philistine, Sophie Rhodes!” Colin went to pour the champagne into them anyway as we stood at his desk. We lifted our mugs and knocked them together as The Kings of Leon played in the background.

“Here's to..stuff..” I said.

“Stuff?! I can't believe I let you write for me,” he smirked, “here's to the mysteries of life, Sophie.”

I raised the mug to my mouth and took a great big mouthful of champagne. The bubbles exploded tenfold in my mouth and burst forth, spilling down my chin and onto my dress.

“Arrr…” I squealed, bending forward and trying to brush the fizzing liquid off my Whistles frock. My hair had fallen into my face and strands had stuck to my champagne lips. I felt Colin's hand gently remove my hair and tuck it behind my ear. I looked up at him as he very
slowly took the mug from my hand and put it on the desk, not once taking his eyes from mine. His hand came to my face as he stepped closer and rubbed his thumb softly over my wet lips before he lowered his mouth onto mine.

 

Chapter 20

Colin's hands cupped my face as he gently kissed me, slowly exploring my mouth. My head was spinning with a million fuzzy thoughts but I didn't pull away from him. He broke away smoothly, his face still close to mine, his lips millimetres away as he looked down into my eyes. I was dizzy and breathless and didn't know if it was the result of the wine or I was actually swooning. Maybe this was a bad idea. He was my boss. OK, soon to be ex boss but I'd still be working on and off for him. My head was saying stop but my body was screaming go for gold.

“Colin…I don't think…”

“No. Don't think,” he whispered, as he lowered his mouth to mine again. This time his kiss was harder. His hand travelled to the nape of my neck, twisting my hair between his fingers. He pulled firmly on my tousled locks forcing my head back and pressing his mouth down with more passion; his tongue teased and sought out mine, probing and playful. I played back. I was lost in his kiss, becoming submissive to his need. His hand slowly slid down my stretched neck and over the veil like fabric of my dress and softly glanced over my breast. It was momentary,
but I felt my body respond to his touch. My back arched slightly, pushing me into his solid abdomen, the yearning in the depths of my core building in waves of rampant desire. He released my hair and moved both hands gradually down my sides, following the contours of my body, over my hips where he held me firmly and pulled me closer to him. I felt him hard against me and my body pulsated with want. He gathered the fine material of my dress up to my hips. I felt the fabric tickle my outer thighs as it moved up over the fine denier of my ‘hold up' stockings. Artful hands moved to the rear of my body and squeezed the round flesh of my buttocks. He buried his head into the curve of my neck as it met my shoulder, sucking and biting gently on my warm skin and lifted me up effortlessly, seating me on the edge of his desk, sweeping papers to the floor with no regard. He parted my knees and moved his body in-between me as he ran his palms up my stockinged legs, pausing where the sheer nylon met the soft naked flesh of my inner thighs. I felt my limbs begin to tremble as they gripped his hips and I slid my fingers just under the waistband of his trousers, moving them to meet together at the buckle of his belt which I started to undo with deliberate slowness.

“Oh, Soph…” he groaned. He reached round to the back of my dress and undid the zip inch by inch as we both stared wantonly at each other. His soulful blue eyes now looked more needy and the same navy blue colour of his suit. I took a sharp intake of breath as he pulled the dress from my shoulders and let the material fall in folds at my
elbows. I could feel my heart beating in every part of my body.

“Oh my God…” I whispered as I gazed upon his parted lips. He stared down at me and I could feel his breath, hot on my face as he drank me in.

 

Chapter 21

I woke up with a start just before my alarm went off and for a split second I felt normal. Then it all came back to me in a nasty flash and I felt like a slovenly whore. Jesus Christ, I slept with my boss. I sat up in bed and tried to collect my thoughts which proved extremely difficult in my hungover state.

“Oh.My.God.” I kept repeating out loud as remnants of the evening came flooding back to me. How the hell was I going to deal with going to work today? What a hideous nightmare. I remembered it being well past 2.30 am when I'd finally got home. Colin had insisted on riding back with me in the cab to make sure I got there safely, which was nice of him. As I'd made to get out the car he'd pulled me back and kissed me long and slow, not giving a toss about the waiting taxi driver. I remembered hoping that Brendon wasn't still up as he would have gone spare if he'd seen me with another bloke. As far as he was concerned my role was ‘Mother to Brendon – end of story.' I was surprised he hadn't rang me, that was
most
unusual, but he'd left every single light in the house on like normal. I'd tiptoed around the various rooms
switching off lights and closing doors, trying not to fall over and then deliberately falling into my welcoming bed with a stupid smile on my face. Next thing I knew I was here, in the bright light of morn, where everything didn't look quite so pretty.

I teetered downstairs and made some honey on toast. I wasn't that hungry but I needed sugary carbohydrates to make me feel better. And tea. Lots of it. I heard the thumping sounds of Brendon coming downstairs. He walked in and glared at me. He looked as shattered as I felt.

“Where the hell were you last night? What time did you get in?”

“Morning!” I smiled with fake cheeriness. I really didn't need the Spanish inquisition right now. “I can't remember,” I lied, “it was fairly late.”

“Well it was way after midnight when I went to bed… Why were you out with your boss so late?”

“It was an important restaurant review.” The World Service menu paled into insignificance next to the desserts that had followed at the office. I experienced a sudden sense of thrill and fear as I thought about it.

After dropping the kids at school and making my way to work I spent the whole journey planning on how I was going to react to Colin. What I was going to say, how I was going to say it and how cool and composed I was going to be. I was thankful that this was my second to last day at work and this hadn't happened in the midst of my career. As I approached the office from the street I was
reminded of last night, like I was doing the walk of shame. I was dreading going in. I felt like a naughty schoolgirl which was ridiculous and I urged myself to get a grip.

I walked into the office and said a general ‘Good morning' to everyone around. I looked down the bottom of the corridor to Colin's office as I made my way to my desk. I saw him standing talking to someone on his mobile and he watched me as I made my way through. I broke my gaze away as I couldn't handle it. He was far enough away that I couldn't tell what he was thinking, thank God. I felt like a stupid, bloody teenager.