Chapter Three
The week rolled on, and at each lunch time, Iris left her desk at twelve o'clock and skipped off to her lunch - almost as though she was going to meet someone.
James found himself wondering where she went off to, and who she met - because it was obvious to him that she was meeting someone. Had seen how her phone beeped at her, at bang on quarter to twelve every day, and her little smile as she looked at it and then sent a quick message back.
He wanted to ask - was keen to know, but could not see how to break down the wall that existed between them; the employer - employee barrier.
"You can finish at twelve tomorrow - if you want?" he told her on the Thursday afternoon. "I shall be finishing myself, and so I see no reason for you to hang around."
Iris beamed up at him. "Oh that would be very nice," she blurted in surprise. "I planned to go home for the weekend, with my sister - we were going to catch the train together in the evening, but now we could go in the afternoon instead, before the rush hour. We can get home early and start the weekend early... I could make some scones..." She was rambling she realised suddenly and her mouth snapped shut as the colour flooded her cheeks.
James stood there fascinated, as her professional veneer slipped and he caught a glimpse of the woman behind the mask.
"Yes, well... as I said before, that's fine by me," he muttered as she looked at him uncomfortably for a moment - obviously waiting for him to say something. "I'll leave you to get on then... I have a couple of calls to make..."
He headed back into his office and for the first time this week, he closed the door on her.
Iris folded her arms on her desk and put her head down on them with a little groan.
Dear God, what had possessed her to go on like that?
His closed door told her in no uncertain terms what he had thought of her chattering. He was probably regretting letting her have the afternoon off now - or even worse was reconsidering her employment with him!
James had wanted to get behind her guard, had wanted to develop something a little friendlier - to get to know her a little better, but that one glimpse had him running scared.
The woman was just too fascinating - too distracting for his peace of mind.
He dropped down into his chair, and snatched up the telephone.
It was only as he lifted his hand to punch in a number that he realised that he didn't even know who he was calling.
He gave a little grunt of annoyance and then began thumping the keys.
The light feminine voice, which answered the telephone, eased some of his tension.
"Hi, it's me... I was wondering if you were free tonight?"
He smiled at her response. "Seven o'clock... I'll take you out for dinner... yes both of you... okay six o'clock then? Okay love you too... bye."
The idea of spending a little time with his sister and his nephew melted away his bad humour and he settled down to do some work.
An hour later he strode back across the room and pulled open the door again.
Iris was thumping her own keyboard, typing up the reports that he had dictated to her that morning.
She stopped as he strode out of his office and looked at him apprehensively for a moment.
"I was just about to make a coffee," he said gruffly - why did she look so worried? "Can I get one for you while I'm at it?"
She leapt to her feet. "I'll make it... it's no trouble!"
"Don't be foolish, you are busy with those reports... whereas I'm not - and it's me who wants one after all."
He leaned past her to pick up her mug, which of course was an idiotic thing to do since he brought them into such close proximity - too close.
His shoulder brushed against the curve of her breast, and it seemed like she froze.
James pulled back immediately and was all ready to apologise for invading her personal space, but then he saw the look on her face.
Her green eyes had darkened, and her lips seemed to have become fuller as her mouth opened almost invitingly.
James could feel the heat that was emanating from her, he could smell her heat, and he could taste her, he was so close.
She was invading his senses with her presence; he realised, and he stepped back in panic.
"I'll just make that drink," he muttered as he strode from the office.
For the second time that day, Iris sank down at her desk and buried her head in her arms with a groan.
It was awkward between them, for the rest of that day; and Iris left the office and headed home with a great sense of relief and no small sense of dread for the morning.
She really did not want to have to start looking for another job yet!
All of that melted away though, when she got back to her flat, and the first thing that she did was to phone her sister.
"Hiya - it's only me... guess what," she said lightly.
"What?" Laurie asked curiously.
"Mr Atherton told me this afternoon, that we will be finishing at lunchtime tomorrow."
"Really! So that means that we can catch the earlier train home?"
"Yep."
The girls sat chatting for a while, almost as if they had not seen each other for ages - rather than earlier that same day.
They sat making plans for the weekend, things that they could do, to while away the time and take their minds of the evenings.
*
Iris was feeling wary when she went into the office in the morning.
Mr Atherton, was of course already in, as he had been every morning this week.
She took of her coat, and straightened her skirt, and patted her hair; and then picked up her notebook - the same as she had done every morning.
She slipped into his office, with a quiet and serene, "Good morning, Mr Atherton."
And then sat down in the chair and waited patiently for him to finish beating the living daylights out of the keys on his keyboard.
"Right then," he said suddenly, and Iris picked up her pad and pencil and began scribbling, as soon as he began reeling off his instructions.
There were a lot of instructions for things for her to do, but thankfully none if it would take her very long, Iris realised, as she scribbled and planned out her morning.
"And I think that that should be enough to keep us busy for the morning - anything else can wait until Monday."
She glanced up at him to find his gaze fixed on her, and her eyes met and locked with his...
**
"It is good to be home!" Laurie sighed, and she pulled the bobble from her hair and threaded her fingers through the golden strands, before letting it hang loose and free down her back.
Iris laughed. "You've only been away for a week," she mocked lightly.
"I know, but it's my first week away, and although I've seen you everyday... I got a bit - homesick."
Iris put her arm across her sister's shoulder, and hugged her. "I know love," she sympathised. "But it will be better once you start work on Monday... it's all that hanging around with nothing much to do."
Their father had met them at the train station and had disappeared into the kitchen to make a pot of tea for them all, whilst they freshened up and then settled in the living room.
"I made some sandwiches as well," he said a little smugly as he carried the loaded tray into the room.
"How many are you planning to feed, dad?" Iris protested at the pile on the plate.
"Well I'm guessing that neither of you bothered to get any lunch before you caught your train?"
They looked at each other guiltily and then laughed together. "No, we didn't... we were so eager to get home that we never even thought about it!"
"And it's a big night tonight," their father said. "So you will both need your nourishments."
"Oh, what's the occasion?" Laurie asked a little nervously, as she rubbed down her arms absently.
"Well, I know how you girls don't usually like company at this point in the cycle," their father began awkwardly. "But Bill Frawnings has his boys over for the turning, and they have some friends with them too."
"Oh god, dad, no - please tell us that you haven't," Iris said feeling truly distressed, "Boys... and strangers too!"
"Well not boys... men," their dad pulled a little face looking almost defensive. "At my age anyone under the age of forty is still a boy or a girl."
"But dad - you know how we get later - you know why we don't like visitors at this time!"
"Well, you are both of an age now - and I won't be around forever!"
He was suddenly all authority and both of his daughters sat up straight to listen properly to their father.
"Bill will be coming around in the next hour, and he's bringing his sons and their friends... and I want you both to be hospitable, and open minded."
"Why?" Iris whispered needing to know, but not wanting to look defiant.
"They will meet you as you are; they will know you as you are... and maybe you can find one amongst them, who you could like, and when the turning comes; then maybe one of them could be a mate for one of you."
The colour flooded Iris's cheeks and her green eyes glistened at the thought of what her father was proposing, and even as she thought it, an image of James Atherton - her new boss superseded any thought of any other male.
She just knew that no other man would ever measure up - that she had only known him for a week - less than a week; but that look that they had shared earlier.
With one look, Iris had bonded with her boss - with James, and now she was closed to all other males - even males of her own kind.
**************
Chapter Four
**************
"Daddy... please don't make us do this... not yet, please... not yet!" Laurie's face was white with terror.
And their father's look of dominance softened immediately.
"I won't force either of you to do anything that you are not ready for... but you have to understand - we are so few now, we must protect our clan and ensure our future."
He leaned forward and patted her hand, and he was once more their daddy.
"Please, meet these men, and talk to them for a while, and then I will send them all away again... but just meet with them."
*
Iris stood for a while under the shower, allowing it to run down over her and sooth the heat that was beginning to gnaw inside her.
She would have stayed there all afternoon - had Laurie not come a knocking at her bathroom door.
