This is the second install of David, Holly, and Sophie's story. Many thanks to Bill and Dave for pre-reading and providing valuable feedback and, of course, I owe much to Vandemonium1 who is endlessly supportive and always helps me dig a bit deeper.
This chapter comes with the usual warning -- I've done my own editing which is never a good idea as one becomes far too familiar with their own words and therefore misses little mistakes. My hope is that they are few and don't detract from the overall story.
Happy Reading,
CTC
IF YOU TRULY LOVE ME
CHAPTER TWO: SOPHIE
AS I SIPPED my wine, a nice Shiraz from the Hunter Valley region, I did a leisurely look around at my new colleagues. The company appeared to be just as the lovely Holly Prescott had described at my initial interview: a relatively small boutique publishing outfit that fostered a family feel. The fact they'd organized a small welcome party for me that included the spouses and significant others of the employees backed up her claim.
I had a good feeling about my move. There wasn't much of an increase in salary, but the cost of living in a regional city was markedly less than that of Melbourne so at the end of the day I'd have more dollars left in my pocket. It was also situated in a prime location—only an hour or two from Sydney. For me, it meant weekend trips to check out the Sydney night life without the hassle of having to deal with the regular weekday commuting nightmares associated with living in a large city.
And, if I was being honest, the delectable owner of the firm was an added incentive to make the move.
I looked with curiosity at the husband of my new boss.
David Prescott.
I watched him place his order with the barman at the makeshift bar they'd set up. He wore his confidence like a second skin, as easily as he did the perfectly cut white shirt hanging from his broad shoulders. And why wouldn't he? Nature had blessed him in more ways than one.
She'd given him a full head of hair the colour of light oak, not fair, but not light brown either. The overhead lighting picked up the blond streaks. I ventured they were gained naturally rather than artfully placed there by some talented colourist. He wore it brushed back from his forehead. At his temples, a smattering of grey, but, as was often the case with men, it added a touch of distinction.
His height lent him an air of authority, as did the ease of his movements; he was clearly in decent shape. Definitely no paunch or love handles were in evidence. A man to give most girls hearts a little flutter if you were into sexy older men.
Not me.
I loathed him on sight. He was everything I despised about men.
He turned with two glasses of wine in hand and I followed his progress across the room. His journey ended with his wife. His beautiful wife.
Holly Prescott.
Now that I was definitely into.
He smiled down at her, stooping to kiss her nose as she tilted her face up, returning his smile. He handed her one of the glasses before wrapping an arm around her waist and joining in her conversation with someone I had yet to be introduced to.
I had to admit she was the perfect foil for him. They looked good together. Her blonde hair complemented her husband's. It hung like a curtain four or five inches beyond her shoulders. It was sleek in the way that I suspected meant Holly Prescott had made good use of her straightening iron for the evening. She was average height. Five-five, maybe five-six, and with the type of curves that could turn to fat if the owner wasn't vigilant. She was vigilant. I'd love to see her naked to see just how vigilant.
Her dress was white, matching her husband's shirt, and I wondered if she'd colour-coordinated their outfits for the evening. Was she one of those wives, like my sister, who chose her husband's clothes for him? Thank God, I was a lesbian and didn't have to do shit like that for some stupid guy who had no colour or dress sense. I'd always wondered at men who allowed their spouses to take over in that manner. Was it laziness? Or were they truly as incapable as their wives seemed to think they were in making a decent choice of shirt?
Holly Prescott was a little older than my previous lovers, but that didn't stop me from acknowledging she'd be considered by most women, as well as men, as a good mix of sexy and elegant. The neckline of her dress dipped low enough to advertise the fact she could compete with any other set of boobs in the room, yet was also high enough to broadcast she had the good taste not to. The same could be said of both the length and fit of her dress—short and tight enough to let the viewer know she was no stranger to exercise, yet long and loose enough not to be slutty. Girl-next-door meets seductress.
"You're wasting your time checking him out, sweetie."
I turned to face the speaker and merely quirked an eyebrow. No need to advertise the fact it was Holly I was checking out; not her husband.
"Liz," she said, thrusting a hand in my direction. At my blank look she smiled understandingly. "I'm Holly's PA. We spoke on the phone."
I returned her smile, thankful she'd reintroduced herself to me as I had indeed forgotten her name and where she fit in.
"Well, you know who I am." I laughed. "Newbie editor and clearly terrible with names."
Liz chuckled. "Don't worry about it. As long as you keep it straight in our authors' novels! And new jobs; there's always a lot to take in."
I nodded, my gaze sliding back to the Prescotts.
"Forget it. I can verify the guy is a straight arrow—as straight as they come."
"He wouldn't be the first, aah, straight arrow to take a walk on the dark side."
She laughed, nodding. "True, but not David. That man adores his wife. Its kind of sickening, actually."
"How so?"
"Oh the usual. He's a one woman man if ever I saw one—spoils her, never says a bad word about her, always buys her the most thoughtful and romantic gifts. And he never looks at other women even though more than a few have tried to catch his eye."
"Perhaps they used the wrong seduction technique."
Liz laughed again. "Maybe, but I doubt it. Let's just say I can confirm the, aah, spark is alive and well between that pair. Now, if you want to hook up with a gorgeous looking guy ask Holly for Warren's number. Looks like Ben—that's him over there." She indicated a tall, brown-haired man on the other side of the room. "Ben's Holly's brother and David's business partner, and Warren looks just like him, only younger. More your age." Seeing my expression she laughed. "Sadly, too young for me."
"So why not go for Ben?"