AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Uh. I need a lift... a car,” I stuttered down the phone.
“Johnson will come up to the house for you, Miss Marshall. Do you wish to leave now?”
“Ten minutes.”
“Very good, miss.”
I put the phone down and danced around in circles. I was going to be chauffeured around like royalty. Wow, my life was heading to cloud nine direct.
Johnson, who turned out to be the young security guard I met in the house, knew a few of the local villages well and suggested one in particular. It had a farm shop and I fancied buying fresh vegetables to cook something different for Jason. He parked the Jaguar up by the village green – mentally I wondered how many Jags Jason had in his possession because I was sure I waved him off in one earlier. The day was pleasant, weather dry and there was a slight breeze. I strolled over to the churchyard and perused the names on the gravestones. They lived such short lives, difficult times for many. I was lucky to be living in this century.
The church was small and quaint, a typical village church with mixed architecture added over the centuries. I was surprised to find that the carved oak door was unlocked. Lifting the heavy catch I ventured inside, my heels echoing around the stone walls. I perched on a pew at the front of the nave, looking at the cross on the altar. The inside of the church was simple. A few memorial plaques and tarnished wooden pews with worn hassocks scattered under the seats. I had the impression the congregation was small and church funds were insufficient.
I was not religious, though I did not know if I was an atheist, an agnostic maybe. I wondered what God would make of my lifestyle choices. Would he see them as sinful, decadent? Perhaps it explained my ambivalence to religion. I did not think I would be comfortable with the answer a priest might give me. Would Jason marry in a church? No. I could not imagine that happening. Would he marry me? I dismissed the idea, he had not even used the love word, and a romantic connection was not going to happen. Slightly disheartened I left the cold church and headed back into the sun.
The sunrays warmed my skin and with a renewed purpose to my steps. I went to find the farm shop Johnson raved about.
***
“Ummm, this is delicious, Gemma, really good. Fresh vegetables?”
Jason was genuinely enjoyed my vegetable curry. He cleared his plate quickly and had seconds. I was back in my cloud nine, my dominant was happy, a sub’s mission accomplished.
“Did your meeting go well?” I asked trying to strike up a conversation at the dining table.
“Yes, thank you. I was meeting one the company lawyers. Sometimes it is easier to progress things out of the office. Fewer distractions,” he heaped a pile of rice on his plate.
“You studied law didn’t you?” I recollected from one of our earlier conversations.
“Yes, at Oxford,” he said between chews.
“But you didn’t become a lawyer?” I ventured further, he was being very open.
“Did not appeal to me. Courts, criminals? Not my style. In any case, I specialised in commercial law. I had already planned to set myself up in business. Being able to get my head round legal documents, contracts, helped me build my business quicker,” he swallowed a mouthful of wine. “Also cheaper on lawyers.”
I smiled at his comment. No, I could not imagine Jason Lucas QC. He would be bored by the formality of courts and probably would not take kindly to judges being in charge.
“You studied business and computing?” he asked.
I was sure he already knew the answer to this question, he knew far more about me than I did about him.
“Yes, joint degree, seemed a wise choice at the time. I enjoyed the computing more than the business side,” I started toying with my food as I was rather full.
“I’ve seen your love affair with your laptop,” Jason reminded me of our first time alon
e.
Tentatively I broached the subject that was bothering me.
“You said you would find me a new job, to take up after I quit your company?” I dared to catch Jason’s blue eyes.
He pushed his empty plate away leant back in the chair he looked at me, face impassive.
“Yes I did. I’ve put out preliminary inquiries. There is nothing out there at the moment, maybe in a month’s time, there could be opportunities.”
“A month!” I exclaimed.
“Patience, Gemma,” he leant forward taking my hand in his.
