“Thank you,” she replied with a sense of relief. “You look pretty hot yourself.” She stretched up and straightened the bow tie he had teamed with his tuxedo and dress trousers before pulling her hands away from him in case someone saw them.
“Come on, let me introduce you to a few people.” He smiled, but the implication of meeting people made her nervous.
After exchangingpleasantries with several medical people and others attached to the charity, Steph found herself standing with Mr Wright, her father’s consultant and his wife, a very beautiful, but tiny oriental woman who was introduced by her husband as SuLyn and as she spoke to Steph she was momentarily taken aback by the fact that she was American.
Steph wasn’t entirely sure what accent she’d expected to hear. “You’re American.” She immediately felt foolish by her obvious statement.
“So it would seem,” said SuLyn laughing, and as the colour flushed Steph’s cheeks, Jon and Angus joined in with the laughter.
“Sorry, I just wasn’t expecting it and your dress may have misled me slightly,” explained Steph, gesturing towards the other woman’s full length, navy blue, Chinese cheong sam dress.
The other woman grinned and bowed lowly with her hands firmly pressed together and muttered something in Chinese, compounding Steph’s sense of embarrassment.
“Sorry,” said Steph again, but the other woman softened now.
“It’s okay. People usually assume that I am Angus’ mail order Thai bride, so merely being surprised that I am American makes a refreshing change. I believe you and I are going to be working quite closely together,” said SuLyn, surprising Steph.
“I haven’t actually spoke to Steph about that yet,” said Jon apologetically.
“I see.” SuLyn went on to explain, “The foundation supports much of our work in the neurosciences, but I am running a research programme into Alzheimer’s disease which requiressome additional funding, but I need to put together a financial report to submit to other boards and charities in the hope that they will support us financially.”
Steph nodded as SuLyn smiled, softening her whole demeanour.
“And Jon has said that you would be an asset in compiling the figures.”
Steph looked across at Jon who shrugged. “I can’t think of anyone better and SuLyn can give you all the figures for projected and existing costs and I can give you access to the amount that the foundation has already contributed and what we plan to contribute over the next five years, but it would be a drop in the ocean, wouldn’t it?” He handed back to SuLyn.
“Absolutely, the Brooker Foundation can’t support us single-handedly, but if we could get a few other backers on board . . .”
“I see,” said Steph. “But I am unsure when I would fit this in, although I could probably spare a few hours in the evening.” She wondered just how long this would take if she agreed to it.
“I meant for you to do it during office hours, Steph, and as you don’t yet have a full work load I thought it may occupy your time as well as supporting SuLyn and her research.” Jon suddenly became distracted as he looked across the room behind Angus as far as Lucy.
“Okay,” agreed Steph and forced a smile in the other woman’s direction. “Do you have a card and I can contact you during business hours?”
“Of course.” SuLyn immediately retrieved a card from a silver holder in her bag making Steph realise that tonight was a networking opportunity for many of those on the guest list but assumed she had not been expected to partake in that unless facilitated by Jon.
Jon excused himself leaving Steph feeling very exposed and alone. She tried to leave a reasonable length of time beforeexcusing herself from Angus, SuLyn and a couple of other guests who had joined them after Jon’s departure.
Steph headed for the ladies toilet and was surprised at just how luxurious they were, complete with an attendant. She locked herself in a cubicle and sat down before asking herself what on earth she was doing here. After gathering her thoughts for a few minutes she decided that she would stay for another half an hour and then leave. If she didn’t see Jon before then she would text him once she was on her way home.
Steph stood and smoothed her dress down as she prepared to leave the cubicle but stopped dead in her tracks as she heard an unwelcome, but familiar voice from the other side of the door.
“I’ll be fine, I just need a moment,” said Lucy.
An unknown woman spoke now. “Are you sure? You look most unwell, maybe you should have given it a miss tonight.”
“I couldn’t, not really, I am the lead fund raiser so I have work to do tonight, but as I say I will be fine,” said Lucy firmly.
“If you say so, but you are getting some very strange looks tonight. I think some people think you’re drunk,” laughed the other woman.
“If only. But no more drinking for me,” replied Lucy seriously.
“Not for another seven and a half months anyway.” Her friend said, causing laughter from them both.
Steph didn’t hear Lucy’s reply as she felt that she had been physically and emotionally knocked off her feet. Not only was she sleeping with a married man who was now her boss, his wife who he claimed not to have sex with was pregnant and he had insisted that she be here tonight in this woman’s company. She loved Jon and the more he revealed of himself behind closed doors the harder she was falling, yet the more she learned of him as a husband, the more she despised him. What had she got herself into? She should have avoided him like the plague andtrusted her initial feelings upon their first meeting, that he was a bastard and she hated him. She suddenly realised that Lucy was still talking to her friend and was talking about Jon.
“I wanted to make an announcement, but Jon refused for it to be done tonight in case it detracted from the purpose of the evening, you know what he’s like, but we’ll make a formal announcement later in the week I think.”
