“Is something wrong, Lottie?” Bea asked, as Lottie sat back down at her desk. “You look really tense today.”
Lottie looked up in surprise. It was the first time anyone in the team had shown any interest in her in weeks. She felt suddenly torn. She knew word would get out about Arizona’s arrest before long, and it wouldn’t hurt to mend some bridges with these girls, but she also didn’t want to gossip, or risk being asked questions she wasn’t sure how to answer yet.
“Arizona’s had a bit of trouble with her supply chain,” she replied, shrugging her shoulders. “I’m just working on a bit of damage limitation.” Bea opened her mouth to probe further when, to Lottie’s relief, Savannah swept in, dropped her Chloe handbag on her desk and faced the girls, her eyes sparkling.
“Have you heard?” She asked, conspiratorially. The girls were all ears, even Lottie.
“Arizona Campbell was arrested last night!” Bea and Olivia spun round to face Lottie.
“Is that true?” Olivia gasped.
Lottie sighed. She really hadn’t wanted to be the one to spill the beans or make a drama out of it. She was a professional, not a gossip like these girls.
“Yes,” she ventured, finally. “But we paid her bail and it’s all being sorted out. She just made a silly mistake, that’s all.”
“A silly mistake?” Savannah laughed, spitefully. “A monumental fuck up, I’d say.”
Olivia and Bea turned back to face Savannah who was clearly revelling in her newfound knowledge.
“She lost all our investment which is why she’s producing a re-purposed line. It’s not the generous charity endeavour that Lottie here had us all believe.” She shot Lottie a look of sheer spite as Lottie watched the cogs turning in the other girls’ brains.
“Did you know about that?” Bea asked. “You must have done. You knew all about the new line. In fact, wasn’t it your idea?”
Lottie hid the panic rising inside her. Savannah couldn’t have known about the loan. If she did, it wouldn’t matter how much Marcus wanted her in his business, it would be clear to everyone Lottie had crossed a line.
“I didn’t know she’d lost money,” she deflected. “All I knew was she’d over-ordered spring/summer stock and needed to shift it. She’s still selling boutique brands …”
“But they’re hardly premium brands,” Savannah shot back. “You must have realised something was going on?”
“I was briefed to market a re-purposed line. So that’s what I did,” Lottie replied firmly.
“But why was she arrested, Sav?” Olivia frowned. “It can’t be because she lost money.”
Savannah toyed with her hair, enjoying being the source of supremely interesting information. “She outsourced her production line to illegal workers. Italy couldn’t move quickly enough it seems.” Her grand reveal was met with gasps and chatter until Olivia turned once more to face Lottie.
“Lottie, you’ve been here all morning and haven’t said a word about it. When did you find out?”
Lottie thought quickly. Both George St John and Eliza had seen her at the station. Whoever was supplying information to Savannah would most likely have known Lottie was with Arizona last night; there was no point in lying.
“Last night. I went down to the police station.”
“Well, well, well,” Savannah mused. “You were right at the heart of the action. Was Marcus with you?”
Now they really were all ears and Lottie stiffened. She would have to tread very, very carefully.
“Yes, of course,” she said, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible. “And so was Eliza, obviously – she’s got quite the fire to put out.” She hoped this might steer them to a safer topic, but it didn’t.
“Wait …” Olivia leaned forward. “You were with Marcus, outside office hours? What was he like? Was he angry? Tell, tell!”
“Look,” Lottie sighed. “To be honest, I can’t remember. I was so shocked at Arizona being arrested. All I did was get people down to the station, then I left. I honestly don’t know what happened after I’d gone.” They looked at each other and back to Lottie, digesting the story.
“What drama!” Savannah smiled, gleefully.
“Well, I’d keep it under your hats for now,” Lottie warned. “It’s not a great story for Falcon. I just hope Eliza can salvage something from it.”
“She’s got nine lives, that Arizona,” Savannah spat, sitting down at her desk. “She’ll be bloody fine.”
Lottie held her tongue, relieved the conversation was over. Bea had kept uncharacteristically quiet. Lottie watched out of the corner of her eye as she picked her phone up and tapped out a message, before returning to face a document she didn’t appear to be reading.
Lottie’s headset buzzed. It was Camilla on reception.
“Lottie, there’s a man down here asking for you. Well, for Charlie Matheson. I figured that was you. Shall I send him up?”
“No!” Lottie replied, too quickly and too loudly. Olivia had left her desk and Savannah was on a call, but Bea looked up, curious. “I mean, that’s okay, I’ll pop down. Thanks Camilla.”
“Is everything okay?” Bea asked.
“Yep, everything’s fine,” Lottie replied. “I’m just popping out. Won’t be long.” She grabbed her bag and half-ran to the lift, willing it to move faster. She stepped out as the doors were still opening and made a beeline for Jacob. He stood up and beamed as soon as he saw Lottie approach, but fear and confusion replaced the smile as Lottie took his arm and propelled him through the rotating doors.
“What the hell are you doing here?” She hissed, as she marched him along the pavement, as far from Falcon as she could take him.
“I wanted to see you,” Jacob sobbed. “Ow, you’re hurting me!” Lottie let go of his arm and took his hand instead, pulling him down an alleyway and into a small park, not much more than a patch of grass with a couple of benches. She took him to the far corner which had, at least, a privet hedge partially concealing it from the rest of the park and sat him down.
“How did you know where I work?” She demanded.
Jacob’s eyes were wide. “I-I, um …”
“Tell me!” Lottie snapped. “Did you follow me?”
“I wanted to see your office,” Jacob choked.
“Why didn’t you go home? Do you remember what we agreed?”
Jacob swallowed. “I wanted to see you.”
Lottie was livid. She thought she’d done the right thing by being honest with him and asking him to leave her alone, in the nicest possible way, but he’d ignored her and shown up in the worst place. Apparently, ‘nicely’ wasn’t going to cut it.
“I don’t want to see you again, Jacob. Do I really need to spell it out? I don’t want to see you again, ever. Do you understand?”
Jacob’s face fell. “Why not?”
“I’ve explained this to you already. I have a new life now …”
“But it’s just work,” he argued.
“It’s more than work,” Lottie countered, angry that he was questioning her. Had it been anyone else, she wouldn’t feel the need to explain herself. “It’s my dream job, it’s my life. I have friends here.”
“But your boss isn’t very nice to you,” Jacob said, confused.
“He is now. I misunderstood him. He likes me, a lot. And I really like him too.”
“Is he your boyfriend?” Jacob pressed, looking hurt.
“Sort of. It’s complicated. But I’m happy Jacob, really happy. And you turning up here has made me really sad.”
Jacob blinked back tears. “I don’t want to make you sad, Charlie.”
“Look, Jacob. Charlie doesn’t exist anymore, okay? You have to forget about her. If you turn up at my office again, I’ll have to call the police and I really don’t want to do that, but I will. Do you understand?”
Jacob nodded, alarmed. “Please don’t call the police.”
“I will only call them if you come and find me again. I need you to leave me alone. Please, Jacob,” she begged. Jacob nodded again. “I have to go back to the office. Are you going to go to the station now?” Jacob shook his head, slowly.
“My train isn’t for another two hours. I might stay here for a bit.”
“You’re not going to follow me?”
Jacob shook his head once more.
“It’s over, right? You’re going to forget about me, aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Goodbye Jacob. Stay safe.” Lottie took one last look at Jacob, his head hung low, staring at a blade of grass by his shoe. She prayed this time he’d got the message. Then she turned and walked out of the park.
At the other side of the hedge, Beatrice let out a long breath. She waited for Lottie to disappear from sight then walked round the edge of the park towards Jacob.
“Excuse me,” she smiled. “I saw you talking to my friend, Charlotte. I’m a little worried about her. Do you have a few minutes to chat?”
It was 8pm when Lottie finally packed her laptop away. There’d been no further word from Marcus, but for once she hadn’t obsessed over it. He’d given her reassurance enough that he wanted her as much as she wanted him. As she left the building, dizzy with tiredness, she felt a buzz in her pocket. She opened the screen and read the message.
“Good evening, Miss Matheson. Make sure you’re in the office tomorrow. I have urgent business to discuss with you. In private.”
Lottie’s stomach flipped over, and she skipped down the stairs into the tube station, satisfied and more than ready for a long, deep sleep.
The next day Lottie made her way to work in a dreamlike state. She’d dressed with even more care than usual, wanting more than anything to impress Marcus. She wore a pale blue silk dress by Reiss which draped around her collarbone, hung loose around her arms and nipped tightly in at the waist. Despite not needing to thrift shop anymore, it was a happy find from a swap shop in Crouch End. The hem caressed her knee and a small, discreet slit showed a glimpse of a tanned and toned thigh when she walked. It was sophisticated, feminine and sexy. She’d curled sections of hair, not wanting to appear too well put-together, and kept her make-up minimal. The seemingly perpetual flush in her cheeks, at the very least, didn’t need any further embellishment.
As she walked into the building, her heart skipped a beat. Just being in close proximity to something Marcus owned was enough to turn her on. It was still too early for the secretaries, so she nodded to the security guard, noticing his appreciative glance and made her way up to her floor. Alone at her desk, Lottie found her mind wandering. When would Marcus contact her? What would he want her to do? The anticipation was deliciously unbearable.
She opened her laptop and tried to concentrate on the TV spot schedule in front of her. It was for Lure and she had to triple check they weren’t paying over the odds for primetime slots; that would cost budget they didn’t have. But as much as she tried, she couldn’t stop thinking about Marcus. Every hour that passed after their time together made her all the more ravenous for him. She’d thought it would get easier, the more distant it became, but it didn’t. It got harder. The sensation of his lips on hers, the feeling of him inside her, him throwing her on the bed, became harder to recall. It was like a drug. She needed another fix, and soon.
Before she could stop herself, she’d opened her browser and typed ‘Marcus Armstrong Annabel Gainsborough’ into the search box. She held her breath as a row of photographs appeared at the top of the page, followed by a list of links to gossip sites, tabloid articles and the occasional business magazine. Clicking on the Images tab, like a self-harmer, she took in the vast array of pictures featuring Marcus and his girlfriend. Immediately Lottie was hit by a wall of emotion: guilt, jealousy, inferiority. Annabel was easily a foot taller than Lottie, three dress sizes smaller and with hair, nails and teeth ten times more expensive. In every picture she was gazing at Marcus, clutching his hand, pawing at him. Her bee stung lips were always open in a wide, hearty laugh, with her long blonde hair bouncing around her shoulders like something from a shampoo ad.
Lottie cast her eyes to Marcus, wanting desperately to understand his relationship with Annabel. She attempted to dissect every picture, to analyse his body language, to find something – anything – that might suggest he wasn’t as ‘in to’ Annabel as she dreaded he might be. It wasn’t an easy task; his demeanour was different in every picture. In some he was smiling back at Annabelle, in others he was a step ahead leading her away from the paparazzi. But in all of them he was the same gorgeous Marcus who couldn’t summon the strength to leave Lottie alone the other night. The same intense Marcus who never mixed business with pleasure but couldn’t help himself when it came to Lottie. But the reality was staring her straight in the face. Marcus had a girlfriend. And she wasn’t just some passing fling. They dined out in public, they didn’t shy away from the cameras; they were openly and happily dating with no sign of a break-up in sight.
That made Lottie, in no uncertain terms, the ‘other woman’, his ‘bit on the side’, his ‘floozy’. And worse than all those things, a woman hater. What woman could do that to another woman, unless she was hateful and selfish? Lottie sank her head into her hands. Never in a million years had she expected to find herself in this position. Suddenly she felt sick. Could she do it? Was he worth it? What did she actually want from him? She couldn’t answer anything. All she knew was she couldn’t stop thinking about him, and that the moment she laid eyes on him again, she’d melt like butter through his fingers. She was incapable of resisting him.
She closed down the browser and resolved never to google Marcus and Annabelle again; she couldn’t allow herself down that path. As she returned to the TV spots, an email popped up on her screen causing Lottie’s stomach to cave in. It was Marcus.
“I need to see the latest budget for Lure. Can you bring it up, now?”
It was an abrupt, one-line email – no pleasantries, nothing – but it had left Lottie practically trembling. Was there nothing he could say that wouldn’t turn her on? She opened the report he’d asked for and clicked print.
The four-inch heels lengthened her legs – not to Annabel’s height but far enough – and made her hips sashay as she walked towards the boardroom. She noticed out of the corner of her eye one of the male VPs gluing his eyes to her as she passed. Janet hadn’t yet arrived, so Lottie knocked lightly on the door of the board room.
“Yes,” came the familiar, commanding voice.
“I have the report you asked for,” she began, pushing the door tentatively. Then, as it swung wider, she noticed Marcus was not alone. Henry sat beside him and they were scrutinising reams and reams of numbers.
“Come in, Charlotte,” Marcus ordered. She hovered by the edge of the table, not knowing where to put herself. “Let me see the report.”
Lottie stepped lightly around the desk and placed the paper in front of him. “Is that everything?” She heard herself and cringed inwardly. What was she? His damned secretary?
“How’s the budget holding up?” Marcus asked, reading quickly and without looking up.
“We’re under-spent by thirty-five k this month. I’m forecasting an overspend next month – we’re launching the Autumn line and I want to break with tradition and go earlier than all the other brands; we’ll have a head start – but we’ll cut back the following month when our limited budget would get drowned out by all the big brand noise anyway. We’re on track to finish bang on budget at the end of the year.”
Marcus didn’t flinch but Henry looked up at Lottie with surprised admiration. “That was an impressive summary. I wish all our campaign budgets were as spot on as the one you just described.”
Lottie flushed and glanced briefly at Marcus. It wouldn’t hurt for him to hear someone else’s approval of her. But again, he barely acknowledged her. It was infuriating. And unnerving. Had she imagined the whole thing?
“Thank you, Charlotte,” he said, finally.
Lottie stood awkwardly. Had she just been dismissed? She looked to Henry for guidance. He smiled at her and nodded discreetly towards the door. Humiliated, Lottie turned and walked back around the boardroom table. She couldn’t believe it. What an arrogant bastard. How dare he treat her like that, after everything they’d done together, after the intimacy they’d shared, the insatiable desire.
“Let me know if you need anything else,” she said, with utmost professionalism. She faced them as she closed the door and saw that Marcus’ gaze had followed her out. Perhaps she hadn’t imagined everything after all.
Marcus passed the report to Henry. “Get one of your team to reconcile this, will you? If we need to claw something back, we should do it before next month’s spend.”
“Fine,” Henry sighed. He hated being told what to do, especially by Marcus. But he had plans of his own and he didn’t need Marcus on his case any more than he already was.
“I’ll do it now.”
As Henry left the room, Marcus leaned back in his chair. The image of Lottie walking away from him, the teasing slit of her dress revealing way more than he’d expected to have to handle. For God’s sake, it’s not even 8am, he thought. She was pissed off at the way he’d dismissed her but that had been the point. She had to know her place. She was a member of his team; there were no special favours, regardless of how many times she’d made him come. But fuck, this was going to be hard. Already he was planning how to orchestrate the next meeting. He couldn’t go the whole day without seeing her, without touching her. He was surprised at his impatience. Never before had a woman rendered him incapable of waiting. Her need for him was electrifying and he couldn’t get enough. It’s just lust, he told himself. It’s one thing to give in to it once in a while, but another to succumb completely. I have a business to take care of and that has to come first.