“Is there something wrong?” he looked at her face that clearly suggested there was.
“Yes there is. Specifically there is something wrong with number five.” Unable to contain her fury, jealousy and yet more confusion, she shouted.
“Don’t shout at me, I don’t like it,” he said, seemingly calm.
“Tough shit!”
He tilted his head and with an arch to his brow smiled. “Eat your dinner, and put the smart mouth to good use. My mom obviously told you about Amanda. So, what’s your problem with her?”
His question caused her to stare at him a little disbelievingly. “The problem is she is there with you every day,yes Mr Maybury, no Mr Maybury, three bags frickin’ full Mr Maybury. What the hell is that all about? She is the secretary you used to screw and then she became your wife and now she is the indispensable P.A. who calls you Mr Maybury. Her efficiency is really irritating as is the fact that she is still around.” Tasha could feel she was seriously at risk of losing the precarious grip she currently had on her temper and her sanity.
“Are you done?” he asked, still infuriatingly quiet and calm.
“I am barely warmed up. You made such a big deal about knowing everything about me and accused me of lying about Gerry’s message. A lie of omission, I believe the term was. Well, at least I didn’t omit the fact he was working for me and that I was still seeing him every day. What does she have that you can’t let her go? Or is it more what she does for you that you can’t let go? After all, you admitted she was okay as the secretary you were screwing, but not the wife, so how do I know you haven’t just renegotiated the parameters of your arrangement? But credit to her, she got a divorce settlement and a promotion, very fucking impressive I must say.” She spat the final words at him before getting to her feet, clueless as to what she might do next.
“You really need to stop with the shouting and swearing. Sit down and listen.” He waited for her to comply before continuing. “She is at the office every day as my P.A., no more, andsheactually does do exactly assheis told,” he said, emphasising theshe.“She calls me Mr Maybury because it is professional and the basis of our relationship is purely professional. I had an affair with her when she was my secretary and when I married her she went to work for someone else because I like to keep business and pleasure separate. When we split, I re-employed her because she was good at her job and yes, she was promoted because of her efficiency, I like that in my staff. I get you don’t like her around, so I will fire her and you will agree never to see Gerry or the photographer again. Do we have a deal?”
“No! I was never married to either of them.” Her protestation was weak.
“No honey, you weren’t. They’re just guys you screwed so it should be easier for you. So, do we have a deal?”
His tone was suddenly cold and his expression suggested he had tired of this whole conversation, causing Tasha’s response to come out in a nervous whisper, “No.”
“Thought not. Amanda stays. I agree you have a case for my lie by omission, but it wasn’t important to me and I hadn’t realised how jealous you were. I think it was you and not me who referred to her as okay when she was just the secretary I was screwing, but not the wife. I said that within six months of marrying her I realised she was the biggest mistake of my life. She had been fun as my secretary and brilliant at her job. The parameters of our relationship are set in stone. She is my P.A. She runs my, Marc’s and Marcia’s offices and associated secretaries, no more and her job description does not include sleeping with the boss. And yes let’s give credit to her, she did get a divorce settlement, but not a great one because she signed a pre-nup, and yes she got a promotion, but based on professional merit so maybe not very fucking impressive after all. And for the record, in case you were interested, she has remarried.”
“Oh.” Tasha looked as embarrassed as she now felt, although she still maintained her belief Jim should have told her sooner about his past with Amanda.
He thought she was jealous and she probably was, but she’d never been jealous before, not ever. So why now? Because she loved him? But she’d loved Gerry and Jake to a point, but hadn’t suffered such feelings, so why was she jealous now and why specifically of Amanda? Maybe she was just the figure head of her jealousy and insecurities where this man, who had somehow, in a matter of days got under her skin, invaded her every thought and embedded himself in her heart was concerned.
He was staring at her now, angry still, but eyeing her with a predatory stare and obvious appreciation.
“Do you have anything else to add?”
She shook her head.
“Then you and I—” he sauntered towards her now, “and your ass—” he pulled her to her feet, “and my hand—” he unceremoniously threw her over his shoulder, “have a date in bed.” He finished by smacking her behind hard enough to make her shout out.
****
She looked in the mirror for Philip’s big reveal and laughed. “Oh my goodness, Philip. I’m not sure I’d go with this look on a daily basis, but the hair is gorgeous,” she said as she stared at her reflection, all black, dark smoky eyes and bright red lips with the softest, shiniest, poker straight hair falling down her back.
“Put your dress on.” Juan poured them all a drink then sat on the sofa in the bedroom.
Tasha disappeared into the walk-in wardrobe to dress. For the first time she walked all around it and realised at the far end there was actually a frosted window that gave natural light to a dressing area with mirrors and a dressing table, similar to an old fashioned movie star’s dressing room. She slipped off the robe she was wearing to reveal the black, satin, smooth underwear of a full up-lift bra and a black, lace back Brazilian brief that allowed the rosy pink hue of her behind to shine through. She smiled at the thought of how it had been gained. She was no longer irrationally concerned by Amanda, but was still worried someone could still come along and steal her man, and that is how she thought of him, as hers. Her concerns remained about Jim maintaining the effort required to succeed in a long distance relationship.
He had been quite angry when they’d first come upstairs, but as he gave out his own form of punishment he’d calmed down and she’d found it most exciting to be under his control again, and was relieved he’d allowed her to come with him, eventually. She decided the uncertainty of it all just added to the excitement for her. In fact, the uncertainty of it grounded her somehow because she trusted him to only ever take care of her.
She held her dress up and thought it was indeed very small and as she resembled some kind of glamour model, she really did wonder whether Jim would be okay with this night out. She pulled the red, sleeveless, stocking tight dress over her head and as it covered her thighs, just, she checked out its appearance from the back and took a sharp intake of breath at the amount of back on display courtesy of the keyhole cut out. It really was very tight and as she slipped on her favourite black stilettos she thought it was even shorter than she’d remembered.
“Come on,” called Philip. “Show us how hot you look.”
“Quickly or Philip will be drunk before we get out of the house,” laughed Juan.
She cautiously emerged from the wardrobe to gasps from them both.
“Is it alright?” Tasha asked nervously.
“Damn, girlfriend,” squealed Philip, staring at her.
