Fandango in the Apse! by Jane Taylor Read Free Book Online Page A

flattered Suzy.  Her face was ablaze
with colour from the neck of her purple blouse to the roots of her greasy,
brown hair and she was fidgeting with the hem of her home-made cardigan, a sure
sign she was feeling uncomfortable under Eddie’s suave gaze.
    ‘Ah, there you are, Katie… I was looking for you.’ He gave me a
meaningful smirk, which raised my still ruffled hackles.
    ‘Really? Why was that then?’  In that split second I knew he was going to
ask me out, and I decided he could go hang himself.  It was going to give me
the greatest pleasure to wipe the smirk off his over-confident face.
    Eddie reached behind him and produced a ream of paper. ‘I was hoping to
persuade you…’ Here it comes I thought.  ‘To photocopy this report for the
directors’ meeting in the morning?  Normally I wouldn’t ask, but Angie is off
with flu.’ Presumably Angie was his secretary.
                ‘Oh.’
                ‘Is there a problem?’ Eddie asked, a slight grin appearing as
he waited for me to respond.
                ‘Err… no, not at all, just leave it there and I’ll see to
it.’
                ‘Sorry to land it on you like this, Katie,’ – how did he know
my name? – ‘but I need five copies, filed as per the index and bound in Lever
Arch Files.’ He screwed his face up in a mock pleading manner – as if I had any
choice…
    I looked at the report, it must have been three hundred pages at least;
it was going to take me all afternoon and most of the evening.
    ‘No problem,’ was my less than enthusiastic response, as he removed his
backside from my desk and waved airily on his way through the door.
    I was about to vent my spleen to Suzy on what a complete arse I thought
he was, when he popped his head round the door again catching me out mid-sentence.
    ‘I forgot to say.  Could you possibly be a love and bring them upstairs
when you’ve finished…I’ll be working late.’
    At ten past seven, I followed Suzy’s directions to Eddie’s office.  She
said she would have stayed to help, but Rick liked his dinner ready when he got
home.  A likely story…but then I know I would have found an excuse to avoid unpaid
overtime if our positions were reversed.
    Eddie’s office was third on the left according to Suzy; the door was open
when I reached it.  Eddie immediately stood up from his desk and came around to
relieve me of the heavy files.
    ‘Great job, Katie,’ he said, flicking through the top folder.  I tried
not to show I was pleased with his praise, but being new to the job I was still
unsure of myself, so praise, no matter who it came from, was welcome. 
    ‘Listen, the least I can do is offer you a lift home.  You must have
missed your bus by now.’  There was the slightest hardening in his eye as he
said this, which left me with no doubt he knew I deliberately ignored him
yesterday, and what’s more…he didn’t like it.  Well tough.
    ‘No, it’s OK, they run every twenty minutes…but thanks for the offer.’ I
smiled sweetly at him and made for the door.  Advantage me.   Eddie grabbed his
jacket from a coat stand and shrugged his impressive biceps into the sleeves.
    ‘I absolutely insist, Katie… look,’ he said, pointing out of the window,
‘it’s slinging it down out there.’  It would have been just too churlish to
refuse again, so I agreed to meet him out front in five minutes.  Hmm… advantage
him. 
    Eddie’s car smelled of new leather and sandalwood air freshener.  He
drove fast, but by the time we arrived at my bed-sit, I had agreed to have
dinner with him the following Saturday night.  I know.  Don’t say a word… I
have no willpower whatsoever.
    Saturday morning saw me trawling the shops for something to wear that
night. In the end, I decided on a strapless pink and white polka dot dress.  It
had a ra-ra skirt and fit perfectly.  I fell in love with it and had to have it
– and a pair of pink strappy