A Proper Charlie (26 page)

Oh God… what did that make her? Was she was one of those women who were attracted to bad men. She’d be writing to murderers on death row next!

She pulled the tissue off, and stood up adjusting her clothes. She balled the excess and left the cubicle and placed the surplus toilet paper in a bin. She washed her hands, and in the mirror checked her lipstick and that her hair wasn’t too untidy.

Her mind drifted to Andy and immediately realised that the feelings she felt for him, if indeed there had been any, could not be compared to those she felt for Ben. Ben, she thought, crush or not, occupied her thoughts night and day whereas Andy barely made a moment a week even when they were together. She wondered what he was doing and if he had any guilt at the way he acted, then realised she didn’t care. Ben popped back into her head, and her heart jittered. She cursed her reflection.

She rejoined Melvin and, after checking that he was alone, hissed in his ear, ‘Tell me Mel, did you believe in those rumours about Middleton being the abductor?’

‘
No, I didn’t believe in them. I’m not keen on the man, but the very idea is just outrageous. He was taken in for questioning and released without any charges. It was all over the car he drives, and the fact he was investigating the abductions! An easy mistake.’

‘
Car?’

‘
He drives a red Audi when he doesn’t take the tube. Haven’t you seen it in the car park?’

‘
An Audi? He drives an Audi?’ Charlie’s heart was thumping heavily.

‘
Yep, and the abductor drives a similar red car. See the possible connection, hun?’ Melvin was looking amused.

‘
I see,’ she said, thinking hard. Did she?

‘
Why the interest?’

She shrugged. ‘Oh, I like to be kept in the know.’

‘
Well, Sir was playing journalist, and got nicked for kerb-crawling.’ Melvin chuckled. ‘Then police got a tipoff that he was this abductor because of his car.’

Why didn’t she check the carpark when Ben was actually in the building! Some reporter she turned out to be.

‘
But now the police believe their abductor is a Scottish man with a grudge against prostitutes in this area, so your Mr Middleton is well and truly off the hook!’

Scottish?

That had been
her
evidence!

She turned to look for Ben. He wasn’t anywhere to be seen. Could he put on a Scottish accent? Oh, God, she could do with something to drink right now. Something neat and strong.

‘
You can continue lusting after him safely knowing he hasn’t been abducting women off the streets,’ Melvin said.

She turned back to him. ‘
Where
is he, anyway?’

‘
Yep, crush,’ Melvin confirmed. ‘You’re practically hyperventilating, and you’re not listening to me. Classic symptoms. He’s at the bar, getting our drinks. Hey, tomorrow his new spick and span office will be ready so this’ll probably be the last time we’ll see him daily, and your crush with peter out.’

Her eyes searched for him, but it looked as if the entire staff of
London Core
were jostling for their turn at the bar. There was a movement in the scrum and a dark head popped up – Ben. He must have dropped something. He was head and shoulders above most men there. She needed a moment alone to think, and thought about heading back into the Ladies but Melvin was speaking again,

‘
And Fanny will get his office back, which hopefully will make him more tolerable to work with. He’s been such a miserable sod lately.’

‘
You can tell?’ she said absently, dragging her eyes away from Ben.

‘
You have it bad, Charlie Wallis,’ Melvin said. ‘Would it help if I said that Sir
was
the abductor? Would that put you off him and prevent you from getting hurt?’

She stared at Melvin for a moment, taking in his words. ‘Honestly?’

‘
Honestly.’

‘
I think I’m in love. Really in love.’

‘
It’s a crush, doll. And as long as it stays that way you’ll be OK.’ He put his arm around her. ‘Sir probably doesn’t know you exist, if I’m to be brutally honest.’

It was brutal.

‘
We had lunch in the canteen,’ she said, ‘and he bought me a coffee in the park. He does know I exist, Mel, and I think he likes me.’

Melvin dropped a kiss on the top of her head. ‘Doll, he’s bought me a coffee a couple of times too. He’s,’ he cleared his throat, ‘trying too hard being everyone’s friend. Don’t read too much into the canteen lunch. It meant nothing to him.’ He hugged her tightly, as if trying to shield her from his words. ‘Sorry, sweetheart.’

He was right. She knew it deep down, and was relieved. That’s what she told herself anyway. She didn’t want an abductor interested in her, after all.

‘
Melvin!’ Mikey came over and pulled him away from Charlie. ‘I need your brain for a moment…’

As Melvin was led away, he glanced over his shoulder at her and mouthed, ‘Are you OK?’

She smiled, and nodded. As Melvin disappeared into the throng of people with Mikey she turned around ready to make a move towards the door and fresh air, but found her gaze locking with a pair of chocolate brown eyes. Her heart melted; no, it evaporated in a puff of vapour. She could almost hear it sighing as it floated somewhere inside her. She returned Ben’s smile, and knew herself hooked on this abductor-cum-gentleman. At least, she’d be murdered happy, she thought as he arrived at her side.

‘
Here’s your drink,’ he said. He put Melvin’s drink on a table.

Charlie thanked him, and took the glass. They continued to smile at one another until he said,

‘
How have you been keeping?’ as if she were a maiden aunt.

‘
Fine, thank you,’ she answered back, just as prim.
She checked his hair and hoped to find that it no longer curled around his ears. She was out of luck. The little curls either side of his head were in place.

He cleared his throat noisily, squared his shoulders and looked somewhere above her head. He rocked back on the balls of his feet. ‘Tomorrow I’ll be out of your hair,’ he said.

‘
Hair?’ Charlie almost choked on her drink.

‘
Tomorrow my office will be ready for me to move into, and you’ll have your Mr Fanton back.’

Charlie flashed him a dazzling smile to cover up her earlier confusion. Ben made a funny movement with his feet as if he’d lost his balance and was struggling to regain it. His elbow banged against the bar table.

‘
Are you all right?’ Charlie asked.

‘
Yes,’ he said quickly, almost cutting her off in mid-sentence.

She studied her drink, trying to think of a way of dropping in ‘Scottish accents’ into the conversation. The top of the ice cube had a hole in it, she noticed. She poked it with her tongue.

‘
I envy him,’ he said suddenly. And it took Charlie a moment to realise he was talking about Mr Fanton.

She lowered her glass, hoping he hadn’t seen her chase the ice cube around her glass with her tongue. ‘Why?’

‘
He has no huge, whopping business to worry about. He lives the simple, but respectable life and more importantly has a loving wife, and a couple of kids.’

‘
You envy that?’ she asked, momentarily taken aback. ‘I’d have thought you’d be living it up with blondes on each arm, driving flash red cars…’ she trailed off blushing.

Ben tugged at his collar, as Charlie noticed his suddenly pallid face.

‘
Sorry,’ she said, averting her eyes. ‘None of my business.’

He made a remarkable comeback; flashing her a grin that had her heart evaporating all over again. ‘I’ve never been the type of man who enjoys the company of those kinds of women.’

‘
What type of women do you like?’ she asked before she could stop herself.

‘
I’ve never known my type,’ he said, still grinning. He laughed, almost to himself and said, ‘I’m practically a virgin.’

Charlie coughed on the lump of ice.

They fell silent again.

‘
How are you for money?’ he asked, and appeared to wince as soon as his words were out of his mouth. ‘I, er, I mean, generally, h-how do you think the staff of
Core
is for money? Do we pay you enough?’

‘
You’re asking me?’

He flushed. ‘Well, I know it seems that you’d be the last person I’d, er, I mean…’ he cupped the back of his neck and looked pained. He flashed her a God-I’m-such-prat-smile, which she recognised for one she usually gave out. ‘In all truth you are probably the only person who’d give me an honest answer.’

‘
The pay’s OK. Of course I’d love a rise, but compared to other companies this one is generous.’

He nodded thoughtfully.

‘
So, are you from England originally?’ she asked as innocently as she could.

‘
Born and raised in London, yes,’ he said.

She nodded and said in a ‘thoughtful’ tone, ‘No long lost Irish or S-Scottish ancestors?’

‘
My mother’s side is Scots. What about you? Any mixed heritage?’

She shook her head, and sipped her drink. Those were the words she
didn’t
want to hear, and it confirmed it for her: he was the Scottish man inside the car wearing the Beanie hat. He was the abductor.

A part of her died. It was probably her heart. Broken so many times, it had given out and lay in pieces inside her. That’s how bad the pain felt anyway.

He appeared to try and say something else, but Faye joined them and began to coyly ask Ben how much he would miss the third floor once he moved. Charlie slipped away with the excuse of taking Melvin his drink.

*

Ben made himself to concentrate on Faye as Charlie left. The beautiful woman appeared to be coming on to him. She lightly touched his arm with a red finger-nail and pouted up at him.

‘
You’ll miss us when you’re cooped up in your office on the top floor,’ she said.

Ben had to force himself not to follow Charlie with his eyes. Her captivating smile earlier had him all a dither. She had taken Melvin his drink, and was standing with him while he was talking to John Fanton and Mikey. She didn’t look in his direction, and obviously his trying to act ‘hip’ – is that a word people still used nowadays? – hadn’t worked.

He groaned inwardly at the ‘virgin’ joke. She had been visibly shocked, and he’d been stupid to try and act at something he was uncomfortable with. He wasn’t on her level. He doubted he was on anyone’s.

Just then, Pete’s co-worker, brought out a brightly lit cake, and everyone began singing Happy Birthday in loud, drunken voices. Ben watched, a fake smile on his face, and clapped and cheered along with everyone else as Pete blew out his candles and muttered an embarrassed speech about ‘he never expected this’ and ‘how much he appreciated everyone’s time for helping to celebrate his birthday.’

Ben watched as Charlie pushed her hair behind her ears impatiently and rechecked her watch for the umpteenth time. After looking at it again she muscled in and planted a big kiss on Pete’s cheek.

‘
Have a happy birthday, Petey,’ she said. ‘You’re such a lovely, wuvely man,’ she said in baby-speak as she wriggled his chubby cheeks and made kissing noises against his mouth like a great aunt might do to a toddler.

Ben’s lips twitched as he watched. She had slightly protruding ears that he hadn’t noticed before now, probably because of all that red hair that he’d love to bury his face in. The ears made her appear vulnerable; cute. God, he was totally, utterly and completely smitten.

‘
Bloody hell,’ said Faye, still standing next to him. ‘The person who told her to “be yourself”, gave her some really shite advice.’

‘
Is your job devoted to bitchy comments?’ he said, unable to stop himself. But he didn’t care. He left Faye and was on the point of reaching Charlie through the crowd, when she slipped from him once again and out of the door.

*

Once home she set about changing into jeans and a plain white T-shirt. She wore trainers this time, instead of high heels. And going into her little kitchen, she opened the cutlery drawer and took out a lock-knife. The previous tenant had been a keen angler, and unfortunately for Charlie had left broken fishing tackle, unsavoury bait and his old smelly waders in the bathroom. She never dreamed this knife would come in handy, and was glad she’d kept it.

She opened it and pressed the edge against her thumb. It was still sharp, even though it’d been unused for a while. She slipped the knife into her jeans, and made several Clint Eastward type movements as if she were a confronting a gun-toting cowboy and her knife was a gun, but the knife was too large and it kept getting stuck inside the pocket.