James couldn’t quite place the first moment or day it happened, just that it seemed to happen more often now. Looking at the clock to check how much longer it would be till she arrived or that feeling of sadness, even emptiness when she left again. She made him laugh and would cheer him up whenever he felt down. At times, he had to strongly resist asking her to stay. This hadn’t happened with his last Personal Assistant.
The more he thought about it, the more he knew not that something was wrong but different. His last Assistant never made him feel like this. Then one night they kissed. It was only a dream but it made him nervous around her the next day, especially when she leaned over him putting on the sling and some of her hair brushed against his ear. No, he had to put these feelings behind him. Even before his stroke he had never been good with women and now what chance would he have in a chair with slurred speech? Would she be impressed that he had reached a new level in one of his games? No, he didn’t think so, not even if he reached “God” status.
And he didn’t want to lose what he had or to make a fool of himself. Better to keep quiet and keep the status quo. Perhaps, unrequited love was the best he could hope for in any event.
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“Why, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing, he’s just been quieter the last few days. A few days ago, I was going to put on his sling and I felt the atmosphere change abruptly. It was really weird.”
Lauren was chatting with her Mum. They talked about everything and she was the one person that she felt she could always depend on. It was late Saturday evening.
“Maybe, he likes you, like fancies you.”
“What?” she replied incredulously.
“Well, he is a man around your age and you are quite pretty. Look darling if you don’t feel the same way go easy on him. He doesn’t get out of that house much and the two of you get on well, he might be content with that.”
Lauren didn’t know what to say in response. Fortunately, she was now running late and had an excuse to leave, which she quickly took.
She was meeting her friends Suzie and Rose. Lauren hadn’t seen them in a while and had been looking forward to meeting them but now found herself restless as she sat down. Instead of concentrating on what they were saying, her mind became fixated on what her mother said.
Could he really be into her?
She loved spending time with him and didn’t want to lose that, not to mind a good paying job. He was handsome, but surely it would be unprofessional for anything to happen between them. This wasn’t something she felt she could chat about on a night out with her friends, so mostly she stayed quiet.
“What’s wrong with ya?” Rose asked abruptly over the loud music, “barely a peep out of ya alnight?”
Lauren responded that she wasn’t feeling the best and that was kind of true. They told her to drink up, as if alcohol was always the best solution.
Then just as she was on her last pint, her phone buzzed telling her that she had received a text message. Her heart missed a beat. It was Stephen, the guy she had being having a “thing” with. She hadn’t heard from him for some time.
“Ah, not him again,” Rose exclaimed sensing her unease, “he’s only after an easy ride when your pissed.”
True, but she hadn’t had sex in a while. What would she do?
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