Third Time Lucky?

Game

Marie

Obviously I had missed something, because the next few dozen words out of Richards mouth floored me.

"Thank you, the truth is... There has only been one girl I've wanted and I screwed it up twice due to my parents hold over me and now I'm free to pursue that girl and hope she would give me another chance" whereupon his unblinking eyes bored into me.

Had he broken up with other women after dates?

I didn't believe that for one minute, not after the way he looked at me as he said it.

What does he mean by it all?

What am I supposed to read into this, does he want a third chance?

Oh god, I can't gamble on getting my heart broken again it would destroy me, I sympathise with him and what he had to put up with, but I cannot take that chance again, I just cannot risk it.

What am I supposed to do now?

Things only got worse when Mr Butler had insisted Richard and I spend the following evening at his manor house just outside Manchester, where they would be having an informal barbecue to celebrate his daughter's engagement to a wonderful businessman and also now the agreement that was reached after Richards confession in the restaurant so it was a double celebration.

I was even more shell shocked because Richard had implied I was his girlfriend, it happened just as the evening was winding down and we all stood for the final round of hugs and handshakes and the invite was issued by Mr Butler.

"Well Richard, I think we have covered everything, I'll pass it over to our solicitors on Monday and leave it in their capable hands and to celebrate I would like to invite you and Miss Summers to my humble abode tomorrow evening to celebrate our business dealings and.."

Here he coughed into his clenched fist before continuing.

"A little matter of my daughter Cecilia's engagement" he looked at me out the corner of his eye as he was assessing my reaction.

Cecilia and I had met in Oxford where she was attending university, when I found her in the Head Of The River public house, crouching in the corner of the ladies toilets crying over a broken relationship.

I had comforted her as we both cursed the male population and drowned our sorrows and a friendship was born.

Though over the past few years, she had found love again and we drifted apart, communicating by Facebook and the odd Birthday and Christmas card.

"Cecilia is getting married" I cried clapping my hands, this certainly hadn't come up in our communications via Facebook, however I could not help but be happy for her after the traumatic experience she had with the previous jerk of a boyfriend.

"I'm so happy for her, yes! I would love to come, if it's ok with Richard, I mean Mr Freeman, that is if there's no other plans of course" I knew I was waffling now as I looked first at Mr Butler and then at Richard waiting for his answer.

"Richard I insist" said Mr Butler put an an arm on my shoulder and addressing his remarks directly to Richard.

"I mean can you spare the time and bring this beautiful charming young lady your associate? partner? girlfriend?" His eyebrows getting higher with each word.

As soon as Mr Butler mentioned the word girlfriend Richard spoke up.

"Yes she is and we would love to attend isn't that right, associate... partner... girlfriend"

Though he let out a little laugh at the end, I couldn't help but notice the change in his voice and the intensity in his eyes as he looked at me when he said the word girlfriend and it appears both Mr Butler and Mr Turner picked up on the change in his demure, as they both nodded with huge smiles on their faces before Mr Turner winked at me.

"Good that's settled then, see you tomorrow then, but for now we will leave you two lovebirds to the rest of the evening." Mr Butler laughed pulling me in for a hug.

How could he do this to me, lovebirds what the hell! and I'm certainly not Richard's anything, apart from he's my boss for crying out loud. So why did HE! Thats Richard, accept the invitation was it because we would look like we were together-together, you know what I mean more than boss and employee and then why did HE! turn around and lead them to believe I was his girlfriend.

Oh god this is turning into one big mess and I was losing control of the whole weekend.

Making our way from the restaurant issuing further farewells until tomorrow, my mind was buzzing with ways to remedy the situation, I needed to clarify my role and the relationship Richard and I had was nothing more than employer and employee, even if in the past we did have a past so to speak.

The trip back to our hotel in the limo was uncomfortably quiet, at least between us.

Richard was on his phone with his solicitors finalizing some details on the Butler and Turner deal, while I stared out the window, but not really seeing anything, my sharp media enhanced brain which Jonathan swore I had, was so out of its depth dealing with man-woman interactions, it left my body to make up its own mind and no way was that a good thing.

In a daze I trailed behind Richard, through reception and into the lift, at this point I couldn't hold in the burning question and before I could engage my brain , my mouth got in first.

"Why did you imply to Mr Butler and Mr Turner that I was your girlfriend"

He turned to face me and smiled.

"Because my dear Marie by the end of this weekend trip you will be"

My mouth dropped open and I sucked in a huge breath and by habit I set my bottom lip with my tongue.

Big mistake.

Richards eyes narrowed and he moved closer narrowing the distance between us, invading my space as he pinned me against the wall of the lift with his hands either side of me.

Then I made the stupid mistake of doing my habit again.

I had seen that look before it was the I-have-just-scored-the-winning-goal look, the I-am-invincible-try-and-stop-me look, as he weaved his way past opponents and that was the look he had on his face that day on the bus, when he swapped seats with my friend and sat next to me before closing the gap and turning my young world upside down and now that look was directed at me at this precise moment in time, rendering my legs, arms  and brain useless.

oh shit, he was going to kiss me again and there was no way my body or brain could help as they were conflicted and couldn't agree with upon a strategy.

Come on brain work!

5, 4, 3, 2, 1......

To late!

His lips met mine and all I could do was close my eyes and surrender to my fate.