Emily's Story Pt. 02

She shook her head and tried to eject these lurid thoughts from her mind. The last thing she wanted was to end up in the same place as yesterday, having to hide herself in the toilets to relieve some sexual tension. She returned Charlotte's greeting in only the most cursory manner and proceeded to her desk.

Every morning Sophie began her day at the office in the same way. First she checked her emails, then she glanced through Tom's diary and made sure she knew what was in his schedule for the day ahead. The next task was to make her boss his first coffee of the day. There was no point in asking whether he wanted one first thing in the morning. He'd never turned one down.

When she knocked on Tom's door, strong black coffee in hand, there was no answer. Sophie assumed he must have been occupying the bathroom at the rear of the office, unless he was late in to work, which didn't seem likely - Tom was never late. She went on in to the office anyway. Tom wouldn't like that but she could pretend to forget that he'd told her off last time. She'd probably get away with it. Besides, Sophie was always curious to have a little nose around.

Tom soon emerged from the bathroom at the back of the office wearing his usual crisp white shirt and black trousers. He looked startled at the sight of Sophie standing there just inside the door. For a moment he was frozen to the spot and his eyes flicked towards his computer screen. Sophie's curiosity was instantly piqued. He was obviously worried about something. Was he looking at porn on his work computer?

Tom's desk occupied the centre of the room and his computer screen faced away from the door so she couldn't see what was on there from her current position. There was a silly little moment now where Tom rushed to get back to his desk in an effort to close down his browser. He was clearly trying to maintain an air of serenity, as if he had nothing to hide, but failing absolutely. Sophie responded by practically jogging around to the other side of the desk. She also tried to execute the burst of speed without looking like she was being nosy. But neither of them were kidding each other.

Sophie won the race spilling half the coffee in the process. However, she was initially disappointed to find that it wasn't porn that was on Tom's computer screen. In fact, she'd never have guessed what he was actually looking at.

'What are you doing on facebook?' she asked, slightly incredulous at her findings. 'Aren't you supposed to be working?'

Tom arrived at his desk but not quickly enough. He slumped down into his chair in an overly casual fashion as if trying to suggest that he hadn't been hurrying in the first place. He faced the computer but left the browser open. It was already too late. If he minimised the webpage now it would only confirm that there was something to hide. He didn't respond to Sophie's question. There was a cold look on his face and his eyes were fixed straight ahead, avoiding hers.

With a few brisk steps Sophie came much closer. She peered intently at the computer screen and carefully placed the half spilt coffee on the desk. Tom seemed to be frozen to his chair, unable to move.

'Emily Curran,' Sophie read out the name at the top of the Facebook profile page that was open on Tom's browser. 'Isn't that Dennis' daughter?'

Tom opened his mouth to speak but couldn't yet think of anything to say.

'What on earth are you doing looking at her Facebook page?' Sophie wondered.

'I just...' but Tom wasn't going to lie about it so he just kept quiet on the matter.

'I've never seen you on Facebook at work before,' Sophie remarked.

She was convinced he was up to something dubious. There must have been a reason why he was looking at this girl's Facebook profile page. With one hand on Tom's desk and the other placed on the back of his chair she leaned in to have a closer look at Emily's profile picture on the screen.

'Hmm... pretty girl,' she commented, her face right beside Tom's. 'She seems like your type - blonde and pretty,' then after a little pause she added, '...and young.' Tom shrugged. 'But perhaps a bit too young, even for you,' she added.

'You think?' said Tom.

Sophie turned to look at him and for a moment their faces were uncomfortably close together as she loomed over him. Squirming in his seat, Tom backed away.

'Don't tell me...' she said and for a horrible second or two he thought she was going to accuse him of something close to the truth.

'Surely not...' Sophie continued. 'What is she? She must be about eighteen I'd guess?'

Tom shrugged again, still worried as to what Sophie was thinking.

'Tom, she's half your age!'

This wasn't quite true, Tom thought to himself. He was two years shy of thirty-six. That felt to him like an important distinction. Sophie gaped at him. Then she looked back at the facebook page.

'You wouldn't, would you?'

Tom hesitated. His heart was racing and his palms sweating profusely. He felt as if his life was in the balance. Sophie continued to frown at him, her mind working at the possibilities. She seemed to read something in his expression.

'Fucking hell, Tom,' said Sophie. 'You actually would, wouldn't you?' She stood up straight and put her hands on her hips. 'Given half a chance, you really would get it on with her?' she said. Tom thought it sounded like he was getting a telling off from his mother. 'So what on earth makes you think a girl like her would go for guy like you?' she asked.

Tom kept his silence on the subject as Sophie stood over him. He slouched back in his office chair, trying to maintain a pose of nonchalance. But it was too contrived. The strain was evident on his face.

But then he started to realise that Sophie hadn't figured it out. Looking up your employee's daughter on facebook might seem a bit weird but she hadn't guessed what he was actually up to. He relaxed a little and his expression turned from anxious to smug.

'Some girls like older men,' he said at last. He couldn't think of anything better to say.

Sophie raised her eyebrows as if to say 'yeah, but not that old.'

'Some girls appreciate the maturity and experience of a - relatively - older man,' he said.

Sophie couldn't argue with that. She was younger than Tom and yet incredibly attracted to him. She sighed inwardly.

There was a smirk playing about Tom's lips now. It was a look that drove Sophie wild with a mixture of anger, desire and frustration. She turned away and strode to the window to look out upon a dreary London morning, all cloud and drizzle and shades of grey.

'They're a deeply religious bunch, the Currans, you know,' she said. With Sophie's back turned Tom took the opportunity to close down the internet browser. 'Not only Dennis but the whole family,' she said.

She continued to stare out on the city scape. Tom wheeled around in his chair to watch her.

'So I don't think she'd likely succumb to you.'

She spoke in an absent-minded manner almost as if she was talking to herself.

'My best mate teaches at Emily's college,' Sophie explained. 'She's her form tutor, so I know a little bit about them.'

'Is that what you think?' Tom asked. 'You think I'm planning on trying to get Emily Curran to "succumb" to me?'

The question seemed to bring Sophie out of a reverie. She turned back towards him.

'I don't know what to think,' she admitted. 'You tell me what you were up to.'

'I can't,' said Tom.

'Why not?'

Tom hesitated. Sophie stood against a backdrop of grey light coming in through the office window. She eyed him, her big brown eyes full of suspicion and he returned her stare. His mind was working furiously, thinking through his options.

'You know me,' he said carefully. 'I never tell lies.'

Sophie murmured an ascent.

'So when I can't tell you the truth I will say as much.'

'But why can't you say? What are you hiding, Tom?'

Tom shrugged and turned back to his desk. Sophie gazed at the back of his seated figure for a while.

'Hmph, so that's how it is, eh?' she said at last.

Tom heard the receding footsteps of her heels on the carpeted floor as she departed his office and closed the door.

When she had gone Tom let out a long breath. He rubbed his forehead. Although he felt relieved at having gotten away with that, he had enough sense about him to know that this was not an ideal situation. Sophie was bright and inquisitive and he had aroused her suspicions. The fact that she had a close friend who knew Emily was another unwanted piece of news. Still he reassured himself that she had seemed to think it impossible that Emily Curran and he would ever be involved together. It did make him feel slightly smug inside to think that she would never guess at what had already transpired between him and Emily. Besides, looking up Emily's facebook page had brought its own dividends. He'd found out where she went to college. It shouldn't be a problem tracking her down now.

***

It was Friday afternoon and Emily strolled out of college with a smile on her face brought on by that weekend feeling. A few days had passed now since the fateful evening with her Dad's boss and she was beginning to feel as if she and Tom were not going to meet again. It didn't look like he'd made any effort to track her down at least. Perhaps a one-off thing was all he'd been looking for after all. However, the important thing from her point of view was that her Dad was still in his job. So it appeared as if Tom had kept up his end of the bargain.

Saying goodbye to her friends, she set off along her usual route. The bus she needed to catch to take her home stopped down at the end of the street. But as she was walking along, Emily got the strangest feeling she was being watched. It was an odd thing because there were plenty of people around all going about their own business and heading their own different ways. But she couldn't shake off this notion that somebody specifically had their eyes on her, or was following her even.

She glanced over her shoulder to either side but nobody caught her attention. Nevertheless, her neck was prickling and she felt on edge.

Just then Emily's suspicions were confirmed as she heard the footsteps of someone approaching quickly behind her. She wheeled around. The man who came to a stop in front of her was instantly recognisable. Tom Ridgeway had appeared.