Sapphire (22 page)

‘What are you doing here?’ she said through gritted teeth, almost gagging on his overpowering aftershave.

‘Ryan invited me. You enjoyed Vegas, I hear. I’m always happy to treat my friends. Maybe next time you will come with me.’

‘What d’you mean?’ A horrible realisation was dawning on Sapphire.

‘As I said, it was my treat.’

Sapphire felt sick – it was as if she’d been bought by Markov.

‘And did you like the dress?’ So it
had
been from him.

‘I meant to return it, Markov, in fact I’ll go and get it now.’

Sapphire made to go but Markov put his hand on her arm to stop her. She flinched at his touch as his eyes
roved round the room, before resting on Sapphire for longer than was comfortable. ‘No need, it’s yours. Nice place you’ve got here. Very intimate. I congratulate you, Sapphire. I like everything I see very much.’

Now his eyes skimmed over her appraisingly and instinctively Sapphire pulled her robe together more tightly, a futile gesture really as he’d just seen her half-naked but it made her feel better and she managed to shake off his hand. Sapphire had always prided herself on her confidence, and on her ability to stand up to anyone, but she felt so intimidated by Markov. There was something deeply unpleasant about him and, if she was honest, menacing. He really was the kind of man you would cross the road to avoid, the kind of man whose eye you did not want to catch. She felt almost violated by his presence in her boutique. Why the hell had Ryan asked him?

‘So have you seen anything you would like to buy?’ she asked, trying to be the perky saleswoman.

‘Plenty of things,’ he replied. ‘I am wondering what would suit you best. Would it be black?’ He held up a black lacy number against Sapphire, the lingerie brushing against her skin – she felt a flush of humiliation and loathing spreading up from her neck at the gesture. ‘Or would it be the cream?’ He held up another set. Sapphire stood rooted to the spot. She suddenly felt like an object, powerless to move, which was no doubt exactly what Markov intended. He tilted his head to one side to consider her, ‘Both look good, but of course,’ he lowered his voice and continued, ‘you would look best naked, say with a diamond round your neck.’ At this he trailed one stubby finger round Sapphire’s neck. Sapphire couldn’t stop herself from flinching. He smiled then asked, ‘How is business going, Sapphire?’

None of
your
business, she wanted to say, instead she muttered, ‘It’s tough for everyone isn’t it?’

‘You should think about starting something up in my country for your hen weekends – it’s so much cheaper there than here and anything goes. I could help you,’ Markov said. ‘At times like this, we all need to be a little more creative.’

‘Thanks, but I’m not looking to expand at the moment,’ Sapphire replied diplomatically, inwardly shuddering at the thought of any involvement with Markov.

‘And why do you waste your time with Ryan? You should really be with someone like me – a man who can give you whatever you want.’

Sapphire laughed nervously. ‘But I am with Ryan. I’m very happy with Ryan,’ she insisted, wondering where he was when she needed him.

Markov shrugged and muttered something in what she thought was Ukrainian; then he gestured at one of his massive bodyguards. When the man obediently came over Markov handed him both sets of lingerie. ‘Pay for these and have them gift-wrapped.’

‘A good choice,’ Sapphire commented, trying to return the conversation to somewhere near normality. ‘I’m sure they will suit your girlfriend.’

‘I am glad you like them, they are for you. I will enjoy thinking of you wearing them.’

Now Markov had totally creeped her out. She wanted to tell him to fuck right off. But Markov wasn’t the kind of man you said those things to. So instead she said quietly, ‘I’m perfectly happy with Ryan.’ She had to get rid of him. ‘Thank you for coming tonight, enjoy the rest of your evening.’

‘I will,’ Markov replied, those cold eyes boring into hers, ‘even though I would have enjoyed it so much more with you. But I’m a patient man, I can wait.’

Markov blew her a kiss and then headed over to the men Ryan had brought with him. As soon as he was out of earshot Sapphire sought out Ryan, who was still
knocking back the champagne. ‘Why did you ask Markov here?’ she demanded. ‘You should have heard the way he was talking to me. Ugh! He totally creeped me out.’

Ryan’s green eyes struggled to focus as he said defensively, ‘He saw the invitation in my office, I couldn’t exactly say you’re not welcome. And I can’t afford to piss him off right now. So sorry, babe, but you’re a big girl, you can easily handle someone like him.’

He seemed unconcerned about Sapphire’s feelings. He was beyond selfish. She saw red, ‘So you don’t mind some man groping me and making suggestive comments?’

Ryan shrugged, ‘He’s like that with all women, Sapphire, it’s a power thing. My advice to you is just don’t take it personally. Smile and look pretty. And be nice to him or he will take it out on me, and you wouldn’t want that, babe, would you?’

He might just as well have said smile at a shark, Sapphire thought in fury as she headed once more for the cubicles. She clenched her fists and tried to calm down. She would not let Markov ruin her night. This was her business and he was not going to take it away from her. She hurriedly put on her next outfit – a turquoise blue silk number which she knew looked stunning against her hair and skin.

Jazz popped her head round the curtain, ‘Are you okay? I saw you talking to that blond geezer and you didn’t look very happy, was he hassling you?’

‘Sort of,’ Sapphire replied, not wanting to let on how disturbed she had been by Markov and his comments.

Jazz frowned. ‘Well, why didn’t you get Ryan to chuck him out?’ Sweet Jazz, everything was always black and white to her.

‘He’s one of Ryan’s business contacts, I couldn’t do that. I’m sure it will be fine, Jazz, it’s just that he’s got a bit of a thing about me. But I can handle him, so don’t worry.’

Jazz looked doubtful. ‘Well, he’s gone – him and those two fat baldies.’

Sapphire didn’t let on quite how relieved she was. ‘Good so go out there and get me some more orders!’

‘Will do, boss,’ Jazz replied.

After she’d gone, Sapphire looked at her reflection, trying to compose herself. Everything is
fine
, she tried repeating to herself, Markov is just on a power trip. But involuntarily she found herself rubbing at her neck, where Markov had touched her, until she had pulled herself together enough to face her customers again. There was a great buzz now in the boutique with some forty customers. They were buying underwear and also going for some of the other items, like the massage oils and cheeky sex toys. At least three of Sam’s necklaces had sold as well. As Sapphire paraded across the room this time, she allowed herself to feel satisfied that at least the night had gone well and Markov had gone, which was an added bonus. But that satisfaction evaporated when she happened to glance out of the window and caught sight of Jay walking by with an exceptionally pretty blonde, who looked at least five years younger than Sapphire. She felt as if she’d been hit right in the solar plexus. He turned and looked inside the store and for a second their eyes locked, then he gave a brief nod of recognition and carried on walking. Sapphire just stood frozen to the spot, staring after him. A toxic, sickening feeling of jealousy wormed its way through her. The rational side of her ordered her to pull herself together and somehow she managed to shake her hair back confidently and carry on but inside she felt crushed. Who was the girl? Was she his girlfriend? Her mood wasn’t improved by seeing Ryan necking back yet more champagne. She marched over to him. ‘Babe, go easy on the champagne, I’m running out,’ she whispered.

‘Chill, babe,’ he slurred back, ‘I’ve brought you all those customers, you can afford to be generous.’

Sapphire caught sight of Jazz coming out of the office holding up a bottle of bubbly, ‘Last one,’ she mouthed to Sapphire. Sapphire turned back to Ryan and steered him away from the drinks table. She decided to change tactics with Ryan and turn on the charm, she really didn’t want to fall out with him, even though he was being a major pain. ‘So have you seen anything you fancy buying?’

‘I like what you’re wearing, I’m going to get that for you, how about you wear it later and I’ll shag your brains out in it.’

‘You say the nicest things,’ she said. ‘Come on, then, I’ll put it through now.’

She just wanted Ryan to buy the lingerie and go. There was a dangerous glint in his eyes, an air of devil may care that she could do without. She hadn’t seen him like this before and she didn’t like it. But when Ryan went to pay, his credit card was declined. Ryan tried to shrug it off and handed Jazz another card but that too was declined.

‘Bollocks! I must have forgotten to pick up my new cards.’ He swayed unsteadily on his feet. ‘D’you want to get it for me babe and I’ll pay you back?’

Sapphire definitely did not want to spend two hundred quid on a present for herself but she didn’t let on, ‘Sure I’ll get it when everyone else has gone. Do you want me to order you a taxi?’

‘No, I’m going back to the club with the boys. Come and join us after.’

‘I’ll let you know, I’ll have to see what time we finish here.’ It was half ten and Sapphire was knackered. She wanted to curl up in her PJs and chill, no way did she want to go a club. But an even more compelling reason was that she feared Markov might be there. One encounter with that man was quite enough for one night.

She saw Ryan and his friends out then turned her
attention to getting the five remaining customers to buy something. The evening had definitely been a success, she was relieved about that, but she couldn’t help feeling uneasy about Markov and Ryan, and as for seeing Jay – she wouldn’t even let herself go there. He was history and she had to let him go.

But why then as she lay in bed later that night couldn’t she sleep? And why was it Jay’s face she kept seeing? He had looked so happy with that girl, so carefree. So different from how Sapphire felt lately: the pressure of business weighing down her, her mixed feelings about Ryan, her fear – and that wasn’t putting too strong a word on it – about Markov.

‘Somebody loves you,’ Jazz commented, seeing Sapphire taking delivery of an impressive bouquet of oriental lilies and pink roses the following morning. ‘Is that Ryan’s “sorry I was such a drunken fuckwit” gesture?’

Trust her friend to get it spot on! Sapphire thought, as she nodded. ‘Well at least he realised what a knob he was last night,’ Sapphire replied. ‘Everyone makes a fool of themselves every now and then.’

‘Hmm,’ Jazz replied.

Sapphire really wasn’t up for a discussion about Ryan. She pointedly looked at her watch. ‘Shouldn’t you be getting the salon room ready? Mandy is due for her Brazilian in ten minutes and you know she goes mental if the room isn’t warm enough.’

Jazz grimaced: intimate waxings were not her favourite activity but Sapphire had insisted they offer them on their list of salon treatments. Sapphire took pity on her. ‘I’ll buy you lunch, what do you want?’

Jazz snorted with disgust, ‘Like I’m going to have an appetite after doing that!’ Then as she flounced upstairs she called out, ‘The most expensive thing I can think of.’

Two hours later Sapphire found herself paying for sushi, which was the most expensive meal Jazz could find in Pret as the two took a break together. Sapphire felt exhausted and on edge. Even with the success of the lingerie night her profits were down on last year. Sapphire’s business had been enjoying a boom, and it had been easy to believe that it would continue, but now she was genuinely fearful about the future. She had put so much into her business, sacrificed other things in her life for it, she couldn’t bear to lose it.

‘You look knackered,’ Jazz said, squirting soy sauce neatly on to the sushi and carefully arranging slices of ginger on each piece.

Sapphire sighed and put her hands round her mug of latte as if to draw comfort from its warmth. ‘I am. I’m worried about the business and,’ she hesitated, ‘last night I saw Jay. He was with someone – a girl.’

She felt the tightness in her chest and for an awful moment thought she was going to cry. This was so not her! She made a big effort to pull herself together before continuing, ‘So he’s moved on.’

Jazz frowned, ‘I don’t think he’s got a girlfriend. Sam bumped into him at the gym and he didn’t mention one.’

‘Sam’s still going to the gym!’ Sapphire exclaimed incredulously.

‘Don’t sound so surprised!’ Jazz shot back. ‘She’s been going for months now. She’s really determined.’

Sapphire felt bad for sounding so down on her friend. ‘I meant to say the other day how fantastic she looked.’

‘Yeah,’ Jazz continued, ‘she’s lost seven pounds, isn’t it great? She says she might even run the London Marathon. I think she wants to do it in memory of her aunt.’ Sam’s aunt had died the year before from breast cancer and Sam had been very close to her.

‘Wow!’ Sapphire was impressed. ‘So did Sam say how Jay is?’

Even though she was with Ryan, deep down Sapphire wanted to hear that Jay missed her, that he still had feelings for her.

Jazz’s breezy, ‘Good I think,’ was something of a slap in the face.

Sapphire was grateful for the distraction caused by her mobile ringing. It was Ryan on full charm offensive. ‘Sapphire, I’m so sorry I was pissed last night. Come out for dinner with me tonight, I want to make it up to you.’

Sapphire was all set to say no. She really felt like she needed some distance after his behaviour but somehow hearing about Sam doing so well with her fitness regime and about Jay being okay made her feel as if she had to prove that she was perfectly happy with Ryan to herself as much as to anyone else. She agreed and arranged to meet him at an expensive French restaurant, which was one of his favourites.

She looked back at Jazz, who said, ‘All okay?’

‘Great, he’s taking me out for dinner. That’s one thing I definitely missed out on with Jay, he could never afford to take me anywhere special.’ Sapphire’s plan to make out she was happy backfired as she realised her last comment made her sound bitter and snide. She frowned. ‘Sorry, Jazz, I’m sounding like such a witch! I’ve never expected to be taken out for dinner. I think everything’s getting a bit much.’