The Arrangement (10 page)

‘Don’t
give up. I know this isn’t easy, but don’t give up.’

‘What
do you suggest I should do then? I have tried everything.’

‘Well…’
Anne’s voice drifted off. ‘We haven’t tried
everything.’

‘No?’

‘No,’
she confirmed. ‘We have tried to be sexy subtly by wearing sexy
lingerie, watching naughty movies and undressing him until he was
naked. We have even tried romantic dinner, candle light, beautiful
dresses and creating a sexual atmosphere, but it is time to take it
to another level.’

Scarlett
wasn’t sure she liked where this was leading.

‘What
do you mean?’

‘I
mean go to the sex shop in West Street and buy full on slutty
lingerie.’ Scarlett tried to talk, but Anne just spoke over
her. ‘I don’t mean subtle lingerie. I mean the stuff you
would see in a porno. You should buy handcuffs, blindfolds, maybe
some chocolate to lick off his… body. Get him so turned on and
horny that he can’t refuse you.’

‘But
we tried that, even when he was horny he turned me down.’

‘This
is different. We are not going to be gentle this time. I want you to
tell him exactly what you want to do to him. Don’t be shy. Let
him know that you would do anything for him.’

‘And
what if he still turns me down?’

‘Then
you kick is ass out the house,’ laughed Anne. ‘Tell him
you won’t marry a man that won’t make love to you.’

‘I
couldn’t say that,’ gasped Scarlett.

‘Well,
don’t worry about it. I don’t think you will have to. Go
to the shop. Buy the stuff and I know it will work.’

‘How
do you know… oh?’ Scarlett worked it out. Anne was not
the type of woman that was shy in the bedroom. She knew what she
liked, how she liked it, and could have it when she wanted.

Anne
giggled down the phone.

‘I
have to disappear out with the kids. Phone me later and tell me how
you got on, okay?’

‘Okay.
And thanks.’

‘Don’t
mention it.’

Scarlett
put down the phone and smiled to herself.

She
had a plan.

***

Lucas
pretended to read the document on top of his desk like some kind of
rubbish Russian spy. Anyone that was anyone, that was actually paying
him the slightest bit of attention, could see that he wasn’t
actually reading the paper on his desk, but watching the conversation
outside of his office. In fact, one person was watching him and that
person looked like a puppy in a shop window asking for help.

Emma
was trying to file some paperwork into the boxes positioned around
her desk, but it was hard to do her job when several of the younger
male employee’s were floating around her like vultures. Never
had he seen someone look so uncomfortable, but Emma was new here and
they all out ranked her in the company, so she was being polite and
courteous.

She
glanced in through the window and mouthed the word “Help”

Lucas
hit the intercom. ‘Emma, can you please come in here?’

She
was up and moving faster than any secretary ever had in the known
world. The young men tried to follow her into the office, but she
apologised and quickly shut the door closed behind her. ‘Thank
you.’ She let out a long weary sigh and for a moment just stood
there with her back pressed up against the door.

‘It
must be hard being so popular,’ commented Lucas.

‘It
is a nightmare,’ confirmed Emma. ‘They all start off
being really nice, but it doesn’t take long for them to ask the
same old questions. Am I single? Would I like to go out with them for
a drink after work? Would I like to have lunch with them?’

‘You
can hardly blame them.’ Lucas pretended to get on with work.

‘I
can’t? And why is that?’ she walked over to his desk.

‘It
is not often that men get to meet a woman that is as beautiful as
you,’ he tried to say it in a cool off handed manner, but they
both knew the blush was coming. ‘I think if I was a single I
would most likely be asking you out, too.’

Emma
sat down on the edge of the desk. Slowly, she crossed one elegant leg
over the over. She even made this tiny little act seem sexy in his
eyes. ‘Well, if you asked me out then I would say yes without a
second thought.’

‘You
would?’ he turned his eyes up towards her cheeky smile.

‘I
would, but of course you’re in a relationship.’

‘Oh,
yes.’ He was glad she reminded him. ‘Yes, I am.’

Emma
glanced back to the men standing outside the office chatting.

‘If
I can get by lunch then I think they will leave me alone.’ She
turned her focus back on Lucas. He found it strange how the
expression upon her angelic face changed from one of dread to one of
happiness by simply switching her focus from the men to him. ‘Is
there any chance I could have lunch with you?’

‘Um,
well, you see…’ he began, but she quickly cut him off.

‘It
will be my treat. I can pop down to the cafeteria and grab us both
something to eat. You don’t even have to leave the office, but
you don’t have to if you would prefer to have lunch with
Craig?’

‘You
make a good point,’ laughed Lucas.

‘So,
I can take that as a yes?’

‘Yes.’
Lucas nodded.

‘Excellent.’
Emma hopped down from the desk and headed for the door. ‘We can
consider this our first date.’ She giggled happily to herself.

‘Eh?’
was the only reply that came to Lucas’s mind.

***

West
Street was considerably busy, as lunch time approached. Crowds of
people moved shoulder to shoulder up the narrow side walks and cars
inched slowly up the one way street towards the main high street. A
never ending row of shops seemed to disappear off into the distance,
but Scarlett was focusing on one particular shop.

The
sign read. “The Goth Shop”, but everyone knew it was a
sex shop.

Just
the thought of going in there sent her heart racing at a hundred
miles an hour. A million and one thoughts were bouncing off the walls
of her mind. If she went in there then the people in the shop would
know that she was there for a dark and perverse reason. What if
someone she knew saw her going into the shop? How would she explain
that?

No.

She
turned to walk away, but the image of Lucas flashed within her mind’s
eye. She was here because of him. She was here to buy the naughtiest
things possible to make her fiancée make mad passionate love
to her. If she walked away now then she knew she wouldn’t have
the courage to enter this shop again. If she walked away now then it
was like she was giving in to Lucas’s idea of waiting until the
wedding night.

‘Screw
it,’ she hadn’t meant to say it out loud, but
nevertheless she power marched her way by a car caught in the slow
moving traffic, through the thick crowd of people rushing back and
forth down the city street, and straight in through the shop door.

A
bell above the door sounded her arrival.

The
noise of voices, cars and the city faded into the background, as the
door closed behind her. Scarlett could hear the local radio station
being played through a speaker near the checkout. Only one other
person was in the sex shop. It was a pretty young woman in her early
twenties to late teens. She had jet black hair that was as dark as
deep space. She had black lipstick and black nail polish. A silver
studded dog collar was wrapped around her neck and she wore matching
bracelets. The woman wore a tight black t-shirt with the picture of a
flaming skull stretched across her breasts.

Scarlett
smiled nervously at her.

‘Hi,’
the woman greeted her in a friendly voice.

Scarlett
wasn’t sure what she was expecting to hear from the woman in
black, but a friendly greeting slightly threw her.

‘Can
I help you with anything?’

‘Um,
well…’ Scarlett turned her eyes towards the items
hanging around the store. There was everything and anything you could
ever hope to find in a sex shop. Some of the items resembled torture
devices. A blush glowed brightly from her soft cheeks. ‘Yes. I
would like your help.’ Scarlett approached the counter.

***

Laughter
echoed off the office walls. Lucas could almost feel his sides
splitting he was laughing so hard. Emma had dragged, at Lucas’s
request, one of the visitor chairs around to the other side of the
desk so that she could sit directly beside him, whilst they had lunch
together.

‘I
love that movie so much.’ Emma had a habit of covering her
mouth when she laughed. Lucas couldn’t stop himself from
thinking how cute it was.

‘I
must have watched it a hundred times,’ admitted Lucas.

‘I
have it on DVD, so if you want to watch it a hundred and one times
you’re always welcomed.’ Emma took a small mouse like
bite from her sandwich. ‘It would actually be nice to watch a
movie with someone. My ex didn’t like comedies.’

‘Tell
me about it.’ Lucas picked up his cup of coffee and took a sip.
‘I love Scarlett, but our taste in movies is vastly different.
I stopped buying DVD’s because I don’t think they have
the same effect when you end up watching them all on your own.’

‘Then
let’s make a night of it. I can make dinner, grab a bottle of
wine and we can watch a comedy DVD of your choice.’

‘That
would be nice, but…’ Lucas turned his eyes down towards
the floor.

‘You
are in a relationship?’ Emma hazarded a guess. ‘Lucas, do
you like me?’

‘Of
course I do.’ He really did. The more they talked, the more he
learnt how much in common they had.

‘Then
what is the problem? We are friends.’

‘Yes,
but…’ he began to say, but she quickly cut him off.

‘The
only problem you could possibly have with it is if you had sexual
feelings towards me.’ Emma flashed him her naughty smile. He
was starting to spot the slight differences in the way her soft red
lips curled. She had her sweet smile, her caring smile, her gentle
smile, her cheeky smile and her naughty smile, which was the one he
feared the most.

‘I-I…’
he stuttered nervously.

He
simply wasn’t used to a woman being so forward. Even when
Scarlett was being forward and sexy she was still very shy and
submissive about it, but Emma was in a whole different league. She
was in control and they both knew it.

‘I
am sexually attracted to you, too,’ said Emma.

Lucas
swallowed down the lump that had gathered in his throat.

‘Then
you see why it is a bad idea for us to do this then,’ replied
Lucas.

Emma
giggled.

‘We
are adults, Lucas. It is not like I am going to lure you back to mine
and have my wicked way with you. People can have sexual feelings for
one another and still remain just friends, but by the sound of it
you’re tempted to act on your feelings for me.’ Subtly,
she uncrossed her smooth elegant legs. It was done in such a slow
manner that it captivated Lucas’s entire attention. For a brief
moment her legs remained open until she crossed them over the other
way. ‘Are you tempted?’

Lucas
could feel something alarming happening between his legs.

His
heart was beating like a war drum within his chest.

Emma
made the simplest things look so damn sexy.

‘I
am,’ he mumbled in reply. He lowered his head in shame.

Emma
shuffled her chair closer towards him and placed a hand upon his
right knee. ‘Hey, don’t look so sad.’

‘I
feel so evil.’ He placed his lunch down on the desk. ‘Scarlett
is a really good woman and I love her so much, but it is wrong that I
have feelings for you.’

‘You
haven’t done anything wrong.’ She stroked her soft
delicate hand up and down his thigh in a reassuring manner. She
leaned forward out of the chair and placed her finger tips upon his
jaw. She lifted his head up towards her face. ‘I was just being
a bit flirty and teasing you is all. It is okay to have feelings for
me, but we haven’t done anything wrong so don’t get so
upset about it.’

‘The
problem is the thing I want to do is very wrong.’ His eyes
suddenly betrayed him, as he glanced straight down the front of her
work blouse. The way Emma was leaning forward allowed the fabric of
her blouse to hang loose, which gave him a direct bird’s eye
view at her large firm breasts cupped in a white lacy bra. Nervously,
he glanced back up towards Emma’s face.

She
wore a mask of seriousness.

She
had seen him looking at her breasts, but hadn’t changed her
sitting position. Lucas did a quick double take down her top. The
sight of her perfectly sculpted breasts was causing the fire of lust
to roar wildly deep down within the depths of his stomach.

‘Do
you like what you see?’ she carefully moved her hand a little
higher up his thigh. Lucas knew he should have pulled back, but
something within the darkest depths of his unconscious mind was
telling him to go with the flow.

‘Yes.’
He looked up into her ocean blue coloured eyes.

The
windows of her soul were full of lust and passion.

She
slipped her hand down onto the inside of his thigh. Lucas exhaled
deeply as her fingertips found the bulge beneath his trousers. Emma
inched her body slightly closer towards him, as the palm of her
delicate hand cupped his groin. She could feel
it
pressing up
against her hand. Silent signals were sent through their eyes, as she
began to massage him with her gentle touch. Unconsciously, Lucas
extended his arm out, as he went to squeeze her breast, but suddenly
the office door swung open.

Emma
instantly sat back and pretended to be eating her lunch.

Lucas
felt like he was going to have a mild heart attack.

‘What?’
he snapped a little too harshly at Craig.

‘Sorry.’
Craig seemed none the wiser about what they had been doing. ‘I
need the Apollo file and I sort of need it by tonight.’