No Strings - short story

'Cup of coffee, or something stronger?' he asks, standing over her.

'I didn't come up here for a drink,' she says, taking his hand and pulling him down on the sofa with her. 

As his hand moves along her thigh, pushing her dress up, she unbuttons his crisp, blue shirt and pushes it from his shoulders. Sitting up she raises the short, black dress over her head, relishing the feel of his lips as they find hers again. Fingers tease nipples, taut against the material of her thin, lace bra. When she frees him from his jeans, he groans, standing up and pulling her with him.

She follows his lead to a masculine black and silver bedroom, in the centre of which is a large iron bed, the metal intricately entwined in a gothic design. Removing his remaining clothes, he begins to trail kisses, from her mouth to her shoulder, he unclips her bra and lays her on the bed, his mouth turning its attention to her breasts.

Tilting her face to meet his, he lowers his lips to hers again. The kiss is intoxicating, hands firing every nerve cell in her body and she arches her naked body to meet his.

Unable to ignore the incessant beeping and vibrating, Jenna answers her mobile, 'Hi Lou.'

'Don't “Hi Lou” me, why didn't you text me this morning or return my calls? I've been worried sick about you.'

'Sorry, been manic, and I'm a big girl, you don't need to check up on me.'

'You left us in the club to go home with a total stranger. He could've been a serial killing maniac, all I wanted was one text to know you're still alive.'

'He's no serial killer and I'm very much alive and kicking, just a bit tired.'

'Is that your way of telling me you got no sleep last night?'

'Possibly.'

'Oh come on, stop stalling, dish the dirt on tall dark and sexy.'

'I'm in work, not the best place for a phone call dissecting my sex life.'

'Fancy coming round to mine tonight then?'

'Not tonight.'

'Got plans with Sexy Stranger have you?'

'No, I don't think I'll be seeing him again.'

'Why not, he's bloody gorgeous and looks like he's got a few quid?'

'I didn't give him my number and I didn't stay the night.'

'I knew he was too hot to be good. He made you leave, didn't he?'

'No,' Jenna says, 'I left when he fell asleep.'

'Hang on a minute,' Lou says, 'Am I speaking to Jenna Williams? The Jenna who never has one night stands, who practically needs a CV and references to go out with a bloke and who's always berating me for my bad taste in men?'

'It's me and I'm not that bad.'

'It's not bad,' Lou says, 'you just like to play it safe. I guess I'm a bit shell shocked, that's all. You sure you're okay?'

'I'm fine, just needed to do something different, he was in the right place at the right time and we had an amazing night but I don't need any complications.'

'I've got enough of those to do us both, but I'll tell you about that later. I better get on with some work. See you Saturday? Not going to change that pattern too are you?'

'No,' Jenna says, 'I'll see you there, same as always.'

'Must I go to this meeting tomorrow?' Jenna asks.

'You know I need you there. It's taken months to negotiate this merger and the whole point of it is to get us a piece of Steadmans market share,' John says. 'You're the head of the department, in the one area we most need their influence, and it's going to take time and patience to merge our teams. I need you there to hammer out the finer details of how it's going to work.'

'Fine, but I have a trial at the end of the week and if we aren't prepared I'm blaming you.'

'You'll be prepared, you always are.'

'Wish that was true,' Jenna says.

'You know how valued you are here,' John says, 'and we've promised to support you through this, I wouldn't be pushing this extra work onto you, if I didn't need you there.'

'Fine, leave the agenda with me.'

Unpacking the case files she'd brought home, Jenna spreads them out on the floor of her study, her cat interrupting her thoughts, by rubbing against her and meowing loudly.

'Is it dinner time Maisy?,' an even louder purr resounds, followed by head butting against Jenna's bent knee, 'okay, I suppose sorting through this lot can wait for five minutes.'

Following Maisy to the kitchen, she fills a bowl with the desired kibble.

'Right, that's you happy. What about me? What's going to satisfy me? That's the burning question.'

Back in her study, Jenna studies the file in front of her whilst pushing her microwaved ready meal round a plate, with a fork. Maisy, curled up on a bed at her feet, purring in contentment.

'I'm really going to have to start looking after myself a bit better now, aren't I girl?' Jenna asks, reaching down to rub Maisy's head, 'This merger couldn't have come at a worse time, if only John could manage without me tomorrow. Wish I could tell him that after fifteen years, his youngest equity partner, has lost her enthusiasm for the job, but don't think he'd appreciate that, especially in the current circumstances.' 

Jenna waits in the foyer with John, to greet the Managing Partner of Steadmans.

'Mark, good to see you,' John says, walking towards the man entering the door, reaching out a hand in greeting. 

'Jenna, this is Mark Steadman.'

She steps forward, and the two shake hands. 

'Right, let's head up to the conference room and then we can take a tour round,' John says.

'My brother, Zac, will be joining us as well, but afraid he got caught up in traffic.'

'No problem,' John says, 'Jenna, I'll take Mark upstairs, would you speak to reception please and make sure they show Zac up to the conference room, when he arrives?'

'Zac is the head of litigation in Steadmans,' Mark explains to Jenna, 'so, when he gets here, he'd like to discuss the structure in your department, what sort of case management system you have, so we can work out how to bring our teams together.'

'I can take him down to the department, show him round, introduce him to the other solicitors and show him an example of how we use case management.'

'Great, he's supposed to be bringing samples with him of how we work, and we're hoping you'll visit our offices as well to undertake the same exercise.'

'Jenna's time is particularly limited now and for the next few months,' John says, 'but I'm sure we  can work something out.'

A knock at the door interrupts the conversation and Marie, one of the receptionists, opens it, 'Zac Steadman,' she says, stepping aside.

Mark and John stand up but Jenna remains seated, unable to force her legs into action.

'Sorry I'm late,' Zac says.

'This is John, the Managing Partner,' Mark says, 'and Jenna, your counterpart here.'

She gathers herself, smoothing the fabric of her dress over her stomach as she stands up. Zac reaches out his hand and Jenna accepts it, unsure whether to answer his look. She tries to draw her gaze from those lips she had so enjoyed, and when she reaches his eyes she finds them fixed on her swollen belly.

Feeling the child within kick, as if in recognition, Jenna tries to concentrate on John's words.

'We're hoping you two will work closely to amalgamate your departments. We need it sorted and cover provided for Jenna, before she takes her maternity leave.'

'And when are you due to leave?' Zac asks, 'So I know what sort of timetable we're working too.'

'I'll be here for another eight weeks, so plenty of time resolve any issues,' she says.

'Let's hope there won't be any issues to resolve,' Zac says, stepping back and taking a seat.

Two hours later, and, after a coffee break, Jenna is desperate for the meeting to end, 'if that's all for today, I better get back to my department.'

'Take Zac with you,' John says, 'Mark and I will be along in a few minutes.'

In the corridor, Jenna marches towards the stairs with as much speed as her body will allow, but there is no escape.

'Jenna, stop,' he says placing a hand on her shoulder. 'It is you, isn't it?'

'Depends on who you think I am,' she says.

'A woman I spent an amazing night with, but who disappeared like Cinderella, except my Cinders didn't leave any clues.'

'That was months ago. Can we just forget it?'

'Six and a half months to be exact.'

'You've got a good memory,' she says.

'Some things are hard to forget,' he says, reaching out to touch her face.

'Stop it,' Jenna says, stepping back, 'this isn't appropriate.'

'Why? Is there someone else? You must have found him quickly, or maybe I was just one of many?'

'It's not, I'm not, like that.'

'What is it like then?'

'Do you really want to know? Do you really want me to stand here and say I felt like taking a risk, got caught up in the moment, had a one night stand, no strings attached sex. But, turns out there were lots of strings attached.'

'What are you two doing, still up here? Thought we'd find you downstairs by now,' John says, walking along the corridor towards them. 'Come on, let's get you two down to litigation, it's your baby after all.'