Grace felt as though she was conducting a business deal during the next few minutes. When she reviewed the conversation later on that evening, she supposed that was exactly what she had done. A deal where she would be Jeff's secretary by day and his mistress by night. Jeff was a good looking man; tall, muscular and tanned. He did not look his age of 43, his hair still dark and longish, flopping over his brow. However, he was 43, with a wife and two sons, the eldest few years younger than Grace herself.
Jeff had taken Grace's hand and pressed it to his lips. The kiss had electrified her and she had shivered. She felt young and foolish.
'What about Lisa and your boys? Lisa's a good friend of Mum's. I couldn't stand hurting her. I don't want to be the one to break up your marriage.'
'I know, I know, but we'd be discreet.'
She scoffed at this and took her hand away sharply. She opened the fridge door and it rattled as it collided with his airbourne hand. She pulled out the milk, walked over to the teacups and poured a splash in each.
'Please, Grace, I'm offering quite a good deal,' he said quietly.
'I take it you didn't discuss that part with Mum?'
'No, Grace. Please, think about it. Please.'
He leant in to kiss her but she turned her face away so his lips brushed her cheek.
'Oh, go on. Grace, let me kiss you. Once, please?'
He leant in again but she turned her face away and pushed him back.
'Ok. I'm not going to rush you. I don't want to rush this. I'd like you to think about it. About us.'
Grace did not reply and her eyes stayed away from his face. Grace did not know if she could look at him in the same way again. She never believed he would ever have proposed what he just had.
'I'll go. Tell your Mum I'll see her tomorrow.'
Grace had no idea what to do. All night she stayed awake, catching glimpses of disturbed sleep. How dare he make her feel uncomfortable in this way? She came up with hundreds of things to tell him, that she should have said immediately; how it was worng, how she wasn't a piece of meat, how he had known her for years. How she wanted true love and a man to value and love her wholeheartedly. As the hours crept towards morning and the dawning light made her small room look bleak and miserable, Grace tried to get in sleep before her alarm went off but she stayed awake, unhappy that she had not been firmer and refused him.
'And now I have to face him again,' she said aloud to Tom as she reached a hand to turn off her clock's dratted bleeping.
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