1 The Office
Susie went over and over her options on the short Taxi ride from her plush modern office to the nondescript street of workmen's houses where the woman at the help desk had directed her, "They offer the utmost in confidentiality and sensitivity when relationships fail, everything from a refuge or safe house to a reconciliation service for the professional or business woman," she had been assured, and now after paying the driver, she walked slowly down the street looking for number seventeen, and on seeing the number screwed to the plain brown door she paused briefly and checked the name on small brass plate before she rang the doorbell.
The door opened almost immediately to reveal a smartly dressed young woman who greeted her, "Hello," she said with a welcoming smile,"You must be Suzanne, I'm Natasha, come up to the office,!"
She gave Susie no time to reply as she led the way up the worn bare wooden stairs, "Here we are, the bath room is on the right if you need it."
The door swung noisily on its worn hinges as Natasha ushered Susie into a cramped office which was once a bedroom in the small terraced house. "So Suzanne or may I call you Susie?" Natasha enquired.
Susie looked at Natasha, surprised that such an attractive young woman should be working for an organisation like this she expected a middle aged lesbian with a military hairstyle in a boiler suit but instead Natasha was all lip gloss, shoulder length brown hair and cleavage, she wore a business suit but stylishly with an open neck blouse rather than starched shirt.
"Yes, Susie is fine," She replied quietly
"So, ah Robert, your husband, you say he hit you?" Natasha enquired as she peered inquisitively at Susie, noting that Susie's blonde hair appeared to be natural and taking in the her calm demeanour and immaculate outfit and makeup that gave little enough evidence of violence.
"Yes, across my face," Susie replied, flicking a strand of blonde hair away from her face, "After everything I've done for him."
"Tell me about Robert and yourself" Natasha suggested, "Right from when you met if you like."
"Well," Susie started, "We met when I was at University, years ago, he sold me a Moped." she remembered.
"And?" Natasha prompted.
Susie explained, "He had his own Motorbike business."
"A biker, eh, all leathers and testosterone?" Natasha smiled at the thought.
"Yes, I kept on finding little problems so I could take the Moped back," Susie explained, "And so I could see him, you see my Mum, well she definitely did not like Motorcycles."
"But you married?" Natasha observed, "So there was no pressure, parents, pregnancy?"
"Oh no, Mum didn't approve but Robert wanted everything to be legal especially as I was only eighteen," Susie explained, "And he paid for everything, he was making really good money you see, and we didn't even live together before we married,"
"So it was a good marriage" Natasha enquired.
"Yes." Susie agreed, "I thought so."
"So, where did it all go wrong?" Natasha agreed
"Well it made sense; when I graduated I had the chance of a really great job, a fantastic chance, here in London, so we sold the business in Durham and bought the most fantastic house, well we paid the deposit with the proceeds, and moved down here."
"And how did this affect things?" Natasha asked.
"He was all right at first but now he's totally unreasonable, I need him to support me, but he wanted to tinker with bikes all the time while I need him to do the garden and keep the swimming pool and the house clean, I told him we cannot have old motorcycles around our new house, so I bought him a smart new van and he sold the bikes and I said wait and see if you need a motorbike, it's not as if he needs to work, in fact for tax purposes he is better off staying home, but he just doesn't bother."
"Doesn't bother?" Natasha enquired.
Susie continued, "He will not clean up or mow the lawns or help entertain, he just wears the same jeans and tee shirt all the time, he's pathetic"
"And sex" Natasha enquired.
"When he starts pulling his weight he gets sex," she insisted, Until then he can do without."
Natasha could see the pattern emerging, her long experience in the job enabled her to tick the boxes on the form with accuracy.
Natasha continued "So physical intimacy has ended?"
"Yes." Susie admitted
"Do you love him?" Natasha asked, and peered intently at Susie seeking the physical clues which so often contradicted their words.
Susie thought hard, "He changed, I would have done anything for him so why won't he do it for me, I am the success, not him, he could not have dreamed of a house like ours when he was covered in oil fixing Motorbikes."
"And he supported you while you studied for your degree?" Natasha asked.
"While I did the little wifey thing while my friends had a great time partying yes, great." Susie added.
"Well clearly the situation needs drastic action," Natasha insisted.
"Drastic action" Susie agreed.
"We need to protect your interests," Natasha continued, "Get him out of the matrimonial home first, and restrained from removing or disposing of anything, without your consent, freeze the joint bank accounts, and most important keep you safe in case he goes off the rails, Its a lot of forms to fill in I am afraid."
Natasha fished a sheaf of forms from her desk drawer and Suzanne started to read,
"They are fine trust me" Natasha lied, "Do you have a picture of him"
Susie fished a picture from her bag, a tall dark handsome man with a moustache astride a bright red Ducati racing motorcycle.
'Oh god he is gorgeous,' thought Natasha as she said "Yes I see, if you could sign all the forms please."
Susie quickly scribbled down her details, addresses, emails, phone numbers Robert's cell phone and her home work and cell phone numbers, and she signed her signature on the forms, and when she finished Natasha suggested, "Let me make a call," and she left the room, to return minutes later.
Natasha spoke seriously to Susie, "It so happens that we have a vacancy in our west country retreat for two weeks, starting today, so I suggest you take advantage, get away from work and stress, re evaluate your priorities, decide whether Robert has a place in your life, and we suggest two weeks away from the daily grind is the ideal and is most beneficial in most cases, what do you think?"
"And what about getting Robert evicted," Susie asked, "and what about paying the bills."
"We settle everything," Natasha confirmed, "We'll ensure everything is paid up to date," she checked a form, "Yes, you authorised, it. see here," she pointed, "And we will ensure your employer understands and then we can sort everything out when you return."
Susie looked confused, "My Job, mortgage, paper bill, car tax?"
"Everything," Natasha confirmed, "Complete break from right now."
"But I'll need to pack!" Susie exclaimed.
"No problem," Natasha replied, "Sometimes girls arrive with nothing so we have everything essential that you'll need and the rest we can pick up on the way!"
"Yes, OK I'll do it, thanks." Susie confirmed as Natasha handed Susie a final form and a pen and watched as she signed on the bottom line.
"I'll make the call." Natasha promised and she slipped from the room.
Susie looked around the dingy room with its rows of lockers and drab green and gold wallpaper. She wondered if she was doing the right thing but she felt relief as she felt she had at least taken that first step.
Natasha returned, "The Taxi's coming, five minutes they said, we'll get you a few things on the way."
"What about Robert," Susie asked.
"He won't be there, don't worry." Natasha replied, "But phone round friends, parents, not Robert, and explain you'll be away for a few days," Natasha suggested.
"Can you do it?" Susie asked.
"Of course!" Natasha agreed, "If you write the numbers down," she said as she led the way to the Ford Mondeo Taxi, and gave an address a few hundred yards from Susie's house and as they arrived Natasha made a call on her cell phone, "Van's there, Plan A" she said.
Within three minutes Robert had dashed from the house and driven off aggressively in the van. Natasha told the Taxi driver to park up outside Susie's house and Natasha followed Susie indoors to help her pack a few things.
"Devon beckons, two weeks with no mobile phones or computers so just grab a few things and we'll get going." Natasha suggested.
Susie quickly filled a suitcase with clothes but when she went to add her makeup Natasha advised, "It's a retreat, no need for cosmetics, just grab your toothbrush and we'll get going."
