He hung up and turned professional again. “Right, let’s get business out of the way.”
Sitting down at the conference table, she sat opposite him, perceiving the desk between them as some kind of safety net or at least a barrier. With each of them in possession of acopy of the contract they worked through the points quickly and concisely with virtually no disagreements or differences of opinion.
“I will givethis to Mr Baker in the morning and bring the actual contracts when they’re ready for your signature,” suggested Steph.
“Just one more thing, I want you included in the contract,” he said seriously.
Steph stared at Jon, unsure what he was saying. Her earlier annoyance at being treated as a commodity was on the rise as she perceived her inclusion to be as some kind of plaything rather than professional. With the temptation to tell him to go and fuck himself before giving him a slap for good measure, she took a deep breath before managing to utter a single word response. “Me?”
“Yes, you, being based here on Wednesdays and Friday afternoons for the duration of the contract,” he explained.
Steph let out a small sigh of relief that she was still being viewed in professional terms even if it was still as a commodity so voiced her objections calmly. “I thought that was just until the contract was in force and your team here were familiar with it. I am not a lawyer. I’m an accountant and just put together the costings involved. The corporate legal bods put the actual details together.” His insistence that she needed to be included in this deal really did make no sense to her.
“You are so much more than an accountant, Steph. You have a good business head and you’re honest, to the point that it almost got you fired this afternoon, which reminds me, is Mr Baker in the habit of grabbing at his staff members and physically overpowering them, specifically you?” While his tone was one of concern, his expression was angry.
Steph shook her head. “Not me, and not that I’m aware of with others, although I may have to let my assistant know that she was wrong about him not sacking me.” She laughed.
“What do you mean? You expected to be sacked if this afternoon didn’t go to plan?” Jon looked far from amused.
“Well, I had a theory that I was involved, a junior and recently promoted staff member so that if the deal wasn’t made, I would be the scapegoat and sacked. Rosie said that Baker loves looking at my tits bouncing as I run past his office too much to sack me, but obviously not.”
“I didn’t like the speed with which he was going to make you his scapegoat and I was tempted to hit him when he put his hands on you.” Jon’s voice carried a cold flatness that unnerved Steph slightly. “And your assistant may have a point, but he watches your arse too.” Turning back to business he confirmed his need for her to be included in the contract. “So, your base here needs to be locked in, in black and white.”
“If that’s what you want,” she conceded with a sigh.
“It is. Now let me take you to dinner.”
Steph was about halfwaythrough her dinner when Jon turned conversation to them and their personal relationship. “I have been thinking about our predicament since you left the wedding on Saturday and I think we need to find a solution that suits us both.
“I wasn’t aware that we had apredicament,” she said coyly, almost whispering the last word, fearful of what might happen if she confirmed what he was saying.
“Don’t play with me, Stephanie. You know exactly what I am talking about. I like you, you like me, but you don’t want to be a one-night-stand or a fling, which is fine, but I am not in a position to ask you to be my girlfriend with promises I can’tfulfil. As you pointed out several times, I have a wife, so that leaves us here.”
“So?” Steph was intrigued but felt slightly sick at what any solution might look like because she hated cheating and cheaters and yet that might be the only option, for him to cheat on his wife with her.
“We could have a relationship, but I would still be married. You could be my mistress,” he said with that flat, cold tone she’d noticed earlier.
“What?” She almost choked on the drink she’d just sipped. Hearing the word mistress in relation to herself didn’t sit entirely easy with her.
“I told you I have never had a mistress before and I don’t know if there are rules as such, but I think we should sit down sensibly and discuss what each of us wants and negotiate the deal.”
“Really?” Her agitation was clear to them both.
“Yes.” He was as irked as her now because when they had agreed to have this conversation, without him divorcing, she would have to be the other woman. They both knew that so there was no need for her to take on the sulky tone. The truth was that he felt together they could be amazing, and perhaps in time he’d feel comfortable opening up about his wife and marriage.
“Like some hostile takeover?” She spat her response at him raising her voice slightly.
“Don’t shout at me. I was hoping that it would be more of a merger and certainly with no hostility. I know this may seem a little unconventional, but I am sure if you think about it you will see that this could be an ideal solution.”
“You’re serious?” she asked disbelievingly.
“Deadly. Please say you will think about it at least and we can talk about it again on Wednesday if you want to.”
“On company time? That seems a little unprofessional.” She smiled a wry smile, glad and relieved that his tone was lighter again now, even if that was because she appeared to be considering his proposal.
“Good point, Miss Pryor. It will have to be over dinner on Wednesday then.”
She sighed, her head telling her to immediately dismiss the idea, but her heart was currently considering overruling it. “I can’t believe I am saying this, but I will think about it,” she agreed, unsure who was most shocked by her consideration at becoming the other woman.
