Well and truly Cumberbatched (To be revised)

Chapter 10

Sunday. Two weeks, a lot of work, presentations, and frankly long-winded meetings later.

Merlin was quietly snoozing quietly next to me, I gently stroked his fur for a few minutes, his belly rising and falling with each intake of breath, before realising the time, 6AM, a sigh settling within me.

Unlike Merlin, I'm honestly just not a morning person. 

...

By 7AM, a much more reasonable time to be awake I got Merlin fed and out of the door, bobbing along the pavement for his walk, I was going to listen to my iPod but I wanted to give the little man all of my attention given he'd be entertaining himself later, I could tell he wanted Ben though, he waits at the door in the evenings for him to walk through  but I don't know what to tell him.

That's the problem with attachment sometimes...it's bittersweet. 

When I had the day off I did take the train down to Bristol with Merlin and see him for one night but he works such long days that he sleeps like a log when he finally gets the chance, so he's not very talkative. He's sort of in a "mood" when he's in his "working" mode, so it just ended in a petty arguement because he was so snappy and well...it's hard to not be pissed off when you make an effort to see someone and they make you feel like crap with their attitude. 

...

Coming back home, having stopped at the post collection office beforehand to collect a parcel, Merlin seemed happy enough to entertain himself with his toys I give the house a clean before getting to work, not the easiest of tasks given his idea of fun is playing with the hoover as I'm trying to use it!

...

Tucked away in my office so I could concentrate better, I saw Bridget was calling. Sliding to answer and putting her on loudspeaker I decided to look over my emails. I thought to call Ben but if I'm honest I wasn't really in a mood to talk to him. 

“Hey Bridge, what's up? I thought you were in meetings all day?” I somewhat-attentively asked, typing out a travel form for Merlin, I'll be working away soon. 

“OH MY GOD I THINK MARC’S BEEN CHEATING ON ME!” she screamed down the phone, totally blindsiding any thoughts I had.

“That’s quite a statement to make, what’s made you think such a thing?” I asked, leaning back in my chair for a moment. I wasn't sure what to think if I'm honest, Marc hasn't got a bad bone in his body.

Well I'd hope he didn't. 

“Natasha, that girl he’s always with-" she almost said.

"She's his assistant Bridget, she's basically his right hand in the office so of course they'll always be together." I interjected.

"Yeah I bet she's good with her right hand..." she uttered.

"Bridget, for heaven's sake don't make comments like that. If something and I mean if something is going on between them they'd both be at fault, not just her. Don't use this as an excuse to hate your fellow woman" I sighed, her mumblings demonstrating she was clearly annoyed at me now. 

"Can I speak or are you going to keep interrupting?!" she huffed, if I'm honest I had too much going on to argue with her.

"Anyway, you were saying?" I sighed, looking over my literature review I finished the other day although I had a feeling concentration wasn't going to come easily to me. 

"She was at the house last night, they were so cosy in the kitchen, plating up dinner it just baffled me, he's been away for so long and now he's back and always on the phone, no doubt to her probably. I only passed by the house to grab something as I was working late at the office that night and she’s always fawning over him, she just had her hands on him at every chance she got, and god he seemed to be having a real good time! He wasn’t even trying to let her down gently!”