Dark Eyes

10. Anne

      It was mid afternoon on a Thursday. Julie was busy preparing contracts on her computer. She glanced across at Selina who was doing something on her phone. Her co-worker didn't seem to do much work these days except answer the phone, but Julie didn't dare say anything to her about it. She had mixed feelings towards her since their last sexual encounter. Basically she was in awe of her, but she was also a bit scared of her. Something about her eyes said 'don't mess with me or you'll be sorry!'

A brunette woman in her thirties walked in the door and strode up to the desk, standing directly in front of Selina. Julie immediately recognised her as John Edwards' wife, Anne.

"Selina Smith?" the woman snapped.

Selina looked up from her phone with an unconcerned look. "Yes," she said, "Can I help you?"

"I'm Anne Edwards, and you can help me by staying away from my husband. I know you've been screwing him."

"Did he tell you that?"

"No, but I saw you and him go into a motel the other night when he told me he was working late."

"So you've been following your husband around? Don't you trust him?"

Anne's face grew red with anger. "No, and for good reason. I know your type. You use your looks to get your sexual way with married men just for kicks. How long has this been going on for?"

Selina glared at Anne. "For your information, John came onto me. Couldn't keep his hands off me. He told me if I didn't have sex with him he would get me fired."

"Liar! You came onto him!" Anne was raising her voice now. Two clients waiting in the adjoining waiting room looked in their direction.

Julie held her breath waiting to see what would happen next. John was not there right now. He was out showing a house to a client, but the senior member of the firm Philip Menzies was in his office.

Selina stood up and faced Anne across the counter. "I don't care for your tone, Mrs Edwards. Your behaviour is inappropriate. Take your personal issues somewhere else."

"So you admit screwing my husband?"

"I told you he forced me."

"Lying slut," Anne shouted as she reached across the counter a slapped Selina hard in the side of her face.

Selina took a step back and fell to the floor. She quickly clambered back to her feet, looked at her attacker, held her hand up to her cheek and screamed a long piercing scream for several seconds.

The two clients in the waiting room rushed out to counter, while Phillip Menzies' door burst open and he ran out looking confused. "What's happening?" he asked.

"This woman assaulted me," Selina said, still clutching the side of her face, "Call the police. Julie, you saw what happened."

Menzies looked at John Edwards' wife in surprise. "Anne?" he gasped, "Did you assault Selina?" Anne was still furious. "This bitch has been screwing John!" she half shouted, "She deserves a lot more than a slap in face."

By now the other two realtors had emerged from their offices to see what was happening. As the small crowd stood around Selina turned to Julie. "Call the police," she demanded, "I've been attacked. You're a witness, Julie. You saw this woman hit me."

Julie reached for the phone, but then looked across to her boss.

"Ah just a moment, Julie," Menzies said, "Can we sort this out without involving the police? Selina, are you all right?"

Selina was still holding face with one hand. "It's swollen," she spat, "I'm going home for the rest of the day to put some ice on it, and in the morning I'm going to see a lawyer. I don't feel safe in this workplace anymore." She picked up her bag and stalked out the front door glaring at Anne as she passed her.

Menzies turned to one of the other realtors. "Shane, can you please call John and ask him to come back here immediately?" Then to Julie, "Julie can you please tell me exactly what happened?"

The next morning Selina arrived at the office late at ten thirty. Her face had only been slightly swollen on the previous day and the swelling was gone that morning. She spent some time in front of the mirror with her make-up kit colouring her cheek so it still looked red.

Julie looked apprehensively at her as she sat down. "Are you okay?" she asked timidly.

"My cheek is sore," Selina lied, "but I'm okay."

"Mr Menzies asked me to tell you to go in and see him as soon as you arrived," Julie said.

A minute later Selina sat down in her boss's office.

"I've been to see a lawyer this morning," she said, "He has advised me to press charges of assault against Anne Edwards." It was a lie. She hadn't been to see a lawyer, and had deliberately arrived at work late. She had to play this for all it was worth.

Phillip Menzies looked uncomfortable. He cleared his throat, "Selina, I am sorry for the unpleasant incident yesterday. Is your face all right?"

"It's still very sore," Selina replied, lightly touching her cheek and giving a fake wince.

"Well after discussing it with the other members of the firm we have decided to let John Edwards go. It is highly inappropriate for a married member of staff to be having ah..." he paused, "intimate relations with another staff member, and when it results in someone being assaulted in the office in full view of two of our clients, it is completely unacceptable. I told John this morning. He has cleaned out his desk and gone."

"Good," Selina said, "He deserves it."

Menzies continued, "But due to the circumstances of this unsavoury business we have decided to let you go as well."

"What?" Selina's eyes flashed, "I'm in the right here. He forced me to have the affair. Why should I get fired?"

"I think it's in the firm's best interests, but Selina I have been talking to our legal people and we are willing to give you a generous payout to leave quietly."

"You mean you don't want the local media finding out," Selina smirked, "How much is the payout?"

"Twenty thousand dollars."

"I discussed this possibility with my lawyer this morning. He says we can take this firm to court and get fifty thousand. So make it fifty thousand, or my lawyer presses charges against Anne Edwards and we take this firm to court for unfair dismissal. It will make a nice little story for the local media."

Menzies scowled at Selina for a moment, then picked up his phone and made a call, obviously to the firm's lawyer. "She is asking for fifty thousand dollars or she goes for unfair dismissal." He listened for a few seconds, then spoke to Selina. "Thirty thousand," he said.

"Forty five," Selina countered, putting her hand back up to her face.

Another quick discussion on the phone. "Forty thousand is our top offer," Menzies said, "And you sign a non disclosure statement agreeing that you won't talk about this to anyone. Also you agree not to press charges against Anne Edwards."

Selina knew not to push it any further. Ten minutes later she walked out of Menzies' office with a cheque for forty thousand dollars in her hand.

As she picked up her bag and turned to leave for the last time she noticed Julie staring at her, and she felt a pang of regret. She had used Julie when they first met, but in the last few weeks they had become friends, well sort of. In fact Selina had no other friends at all in this city. Just a trail of sexual encounters, mostly with men. But Julie was different, somehow. She walked up to her and gave her a hug. "Thanks for being a friend," she murmured, then she walked out the door without looking back.

Who will be Selina's next victim?
Find out in Chapter 11, but please remember to vote first :)