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“Aw, Damon,” Juliette says, “you’d never do that. But I can see why you’d be worried. There must always be a fear that you’ve said something without thinking.”
Alex shakes his head as he takes a club sandwich. “It’s surprisingly easy not to sexually harass women when you put your mind to it. Guys who say otherwise need a lesson in respect.”
“You’re right,” I reply. I look at the food, suddenly not hungry. “But even though most employers try to discourage it, we know that twenty-two percent of relationships begin in the workplace. And anyway, I think it may be a bigger picture thing. Mixed signals, you know? My head of HR said the guy got the girl alone and came on to her, and she tried to laugh it off because she was embarrassed and worried about losing her job. I guess he thought she was just teasing him. It’s tough to tell, sometimes.”
Alex’s brows draw together, although he doesn’t say anything, but James admits, “That’s true.”
I look at Juliette. “I’m sure you’ve had to deal with it more than we have. What would you do if a guy came on to you and you weren’t keen?”
“I’d take him to one side and explain politely that I wasn’t interested, and I’d like him to stop.”
“And if he didn’t?”
“I’d tell him to fuck off and keep his hands to himself.”
I give a short laugh. She’s always been able to handle herself.
“All joking aside though,” she continues, “if she’s young, she won’t have developed coping mechanisms yet. If he’s above her in the chain of command, and if he’s attractive, she’ll feel intimidated. A guy doesn’t have to physically restrain a woman to intimidate her. You’re all taller, broader, and bigger than most women, and not every woman is a feisty badass, especially at a young age, before we learn to handle men.”
I think about what happened between Belle and Cole. It makes my stomach churn to think that women as confident as Belle and Juliette seem to be could still feel intimidated by men today.
“When I picked Belle up, she was having an argument with her ex,” I tell them. “He had her up against the wall, and—”
“What?” Alex says.
Shit, she hasn’t told him. “It’s all right,” I say quickly, “I dragged him off her, threw him out, and told him if he came in fifty leagues of her, I’d cut his bollocks off and ram them down his throat.”
Alex frowns. “Is she okay?”
“Yeah, it shook her up a bit, but she’s fine. But what you said made me think,” I say to Juliette. “She must have felt vulnerable. What would you have done in that situation?”
“Yell for one of you to come rescue me,” she says with a grin.
“I’d save you,” James tells her.
“Yeah, by talking him to death. If I wanted someone to beat him up, I’d call for Henry.”
James looks pained, while Henry grins and tucks into a sausage roll.
I don’t smile though, and Juliette tips her head. “Why is this bothering you so much?”
I’m genuinely upset to think that Cole probably scared Belle. I knew she was frustrated, but I didn’t consider how he might have made her feel vulnerable and even terrified.
I can’t say that though, not in front of Alex. “This is my first sexual harassment case,” I opt for, “and I don’t want to screw it up. What if Lewis says he thought Jessica was interested in him? If he had no idea he came across as threatening? I find that terrifying. How do I know I’ve never gotten the signals wrong?” The expressions of the other guys reflect my own concern.
“Because you’re respectful toward women.” She glances around the room, a mixture of puzzled and amused. “Guys, come on. You’re all sweethearts. I’ve seen you all treat girls like princesses. You don’t have anything to worry about.”
James scratches at a mark on his phone. “The thing I find difficult is that some women like guys to be…” He glances around, embarrassed. “You know,” he finishes lamely.
“You mean during sex?” Juliette asks, frank as ever. He shrugs. Her eyes hold a touch of pity. “There’s a big difference between real life and the bedroom,” she continues. “In real life we want respect and equality. You’re stronger than us—we can’t argue with that. But it’s the twenty-first century, and we expect you to be civilized and not use your strength and height and weight to intimidate us. In the bedroom, though, some of us like to explore those differences. But I can see how it might be tough for guys to know when to hold back and when to give in to the animal inside you.” She says it in a teasing tone, and we all give small smiles.
“It’s about communication,” she continues. “Just talk to her about what your girl wants and what she considers acceptable. And look, fellas, for Christ’s sake, have a safe word. Pineapple is a popular one. That way, providing you always stop whenever she says it, you never have to worry.”
“Pineapple?” James repeats.
“Don’t ask me why. It needs to be something that you wouldn’t use in that context. So don’t have ‘stop’ as a safe word, for example, because if you’re having fun, the girl might say it in play and not mean it.”
“Can it be any fruit?” Alex asks. “Or does it have to be tropical?”
