Chapter 4 My strategy

I woke up before Thomas, the ajar curtains allowing the sun's rays to shine into the room setting it on fire. I go around and shut the curtains for Thomas.  He doesn't like being woken up before his alarm.

I pick out my uniform for today and set it aside before I go into the bathroom to refreshen up, going to take a shower, I strip off and then step underneath the steaming hot shower, it streams washes over me. It feels good.

About five minutes into my shower I see a figure outside of the fogged glass. It's him. I pay no attention and bend to reach for my hair wash but I am shocked to hear the shower door open. I turn quickly covering myself. "Its nothing that I haven't seen before," he says whilst stepping in. He gestures for me to turn so I do. "Keep on showering" he orders. So I do. I bend to reach for my hair wash but I feel his hands go up to my leg. I flinch and that is when he forces me into the wall. "Thomas wha...!" but the rest of my sentence is muffled by him pressing his lips into mine. His hands start to explore my body. I push him a bit "Thomas we have work..." he kisses me again completely ignoring my comment. He starts to moan and I feel his erect penis rubbing on my thigh.

He turns me towards the glass, whilst shoving my face against the steamed-up glass he forces my legs apart and forces himself in me. I didn't lie when I said his sex drive was at an all-time high lately. I let out a moan as he presses his hand into my back forcing me to arch it. He pounds harder and harder into me causing me to slide further and further down the glass. "THOMAS " I exclaim as he releases himself, I turn around "What was that about?" I shove him in his chest annoyed. His face goes serious, then he says" you're my wife aren't you" I don't respond, had I carelessly forgotten what he did last night when I didn't respond. "So as MY wife, we can do these things" he walks to exit the shower but quickly say "hurry up and shower you have to get me my coffee" Then leaves. That bastard. I love him and hate him at the same time. Is this possible???

63 minutes later Thomas had gotten to work on time, however, I was in the Starbucks line waiting to get him his Venti Ice coffee. In the line, I can't standstill. My legs ache a little from the shower incident still. I move around on the stop trying to ignore the stinging sensation until I feel someone's hand tap my shoulder. I turn and see...

"Mr Wilson? " I exclaim.

"Just call me Samuel,l," he says before adding "Aren't you meant to be working already it says your shift today starts at 9 right?"

"How do you know the rota???" I ask surprised

"Oh hasn't Thomas mentioned it, he hired me yesterday. I am officially Co-owner of S&H enterprise" my face drops. How can my husband not tell me that he was selling half of his business!!!

I try to avoid showing the overwhelming worry on my face and try and change the topic back to his earlier question.  "Good for you. I am just getting the boss his ice coffee."

"Ohhh, says Mr Wilson "he used to drink that stuff by the gallon." I nod in agreement whilst grinning.

"But shouldn't he get someone else to do it rather than his wife???" he questions. I don't know what to respond with. I go silent but a second later the cashier women call out my order number.

"Number 104- Iced Venti Coffee!"

"Nice talking to you," I say before rushing to the counter. I hope he didn't notice that awkwardness. I for sure did.

I rush back to My husband's office. 15 minutes late but I still give him his coffee setting it on his desk next to the work that he was heavily into. "Savannah!" He almost never calls me my name at work. What had I done???

"Yes?" I respond

"You're neck," he says

I look at him bemused. "What about it?"

He told me to go and check and so I did. When I got to the restroom I looked into the mirror and realised I had a massive hickey on my neck. OH GOD! Had everyone seen it, had Mr Wilson? Was that why he came up in the first place. I hadn't brought any make-up with me today since I was in a rush after the shower. I run my hand under the tap and attempt to rub it and see if it will do any good...it doesn't.

My page goes off. It's Mrs cunning calling me to collect some documents I had to review. Oh God, how was I going to face this day?

I thought about going home but then I would be in big trouble even if the boss is my husband he doesn't take it easy on me.

My page goes off the second time. *BEEP!*

I  grab onto the rim of the sink trying to contemplate my options, but I don't have any. Niltch. Nada. Nothing.

So I walk out of the washroom sheepishly and try and cover it with my hair. I got into the elevator without being spotted. But as soon as the doors open on the next floor and I see me Wilson and a bunch of other colleges my hope of not being spotted diminishes. "Mr Wilson???"

"We meet again," he says whilst stepping into the elevator. Four floors later and a lot of the people were left in the elevator.  I had a few more floors to and I was itching to get out I think one of the women had noticed my neck, I caught her staring. I couldn't take this from Mrs cunning too.

Then I had an idea.

I see Mr Wilson move to exit as do the other two people left but I grab onto his arm stopping him. "Wait!"

He waits till the elevator door shuts and then turns around. I let go and plead "Mr Wilson I need you do my a huge favour,  I am sorry to ask but terrible circumstances have honestly brought me to this, I wouldn't ask otherwise" I sigh I can't believe I am asking a Co-owner to do my job. "What is it?" He asks confused. "I know its not your job but I would be grateful if you would go to Mrs Cunning for me and ask her for my documents on my behalf" I cross my fingers behind my back hoping my plan would work.

He stands back and then looks me up and down. I feel weird. "You look well enough to do it yourself," he says sarcastically, I presume he wants me to explain my reasoning.  "I... I...You see...I" I try but I couldn't say it. He looks at me with a bit of worry, I can tell from the crinkle in between his eyebrows, nobody ever looks at me like that. I am al with my life together.  The secutary helps keep others in order. Yet I am here. "Why???, just tell me why and I'll do it" I blush fused with embarrassment,  I can't say it so instead I showed him. I peeled back my hair revealing the hickey. Who and what gave me this confidence??? I don't know. I truly just did it. Oh my gosh, I am so stupid!!!

All I see is his cheeks rise. Is he going pink??? I can't tell. He reaches forward and moves my hair back in front of my shoulder and my hickey.  Did he just touch my hair???

"I'll do it, and just for the record you know I was teasing you about you having to tell me why, I would have done it either way" he smiles and then gets off at the floor that I was supposed to.

He really is a nice guy.

I smile to myself self and then press the elevator back up to the floor I had originally come from.

20 minutes later I had begun to get worried. Did he Change his mind??? He hadn't come to me with my documents and they were due to be reviewed at the latest by today. I sit at my desk fidgeting with everything possible. Plants, pens, my hair. I eventually gave up. I can't leave this room anyway so I might as well do some work. I open up my laptop and start booking the meetings that Thomas had wanted booking...

"Okay, so Friday at 10 am???" I ask the receptionist on the phone.

"Yes that fits in with Mr Bensions schedule" she replies

"Okay see you then,  bye!"

I put down the phone and added that into the online meeting system I had proudly coded myself last year. The whole complex uses it now. I am still working on ways to modify it. I want to make it work on a larger scale and more efficient so that many people can have access to it at a time. Maybe even other companies could purchase it and use it. But I think I am getting ahead of myself. I brought up the idea to Thomas, he doesn't like it. He thinks it will be a waste of time and money. He is right, it will take a lot of money to make designs and if it doesn't work in the end it will be a huge waste of time and other potential profit.

I plug in my earphones and get some work done on my plan anyway. Although we had agreed my idea could end up in shambles, a fire in my belly burned to make it a reality and so I still work on it from time to time. Making blueprints, mood boards of design ideas all the good stuff.

A couple of moments after getting into my work I feel a pair of eyes on me.  I turn my head slightly and see Mr Wilson looking over my shoulder. "Mr Wilson! " I exclaim shocked.  I haven't heard him enter at all. I yank out my headphones. He steps back, "sorry I didn't mean to alarm you I just wanted to drop off these" in his hands he has a stack of binders. "You got them!" I couldn't be happier," thank you; thank you; thank you" I take them off him and place them onto my desk with a thud. That sure is a lot of work. I shut my laptop quickly after.

"What was that you were doing?"

"Oh nothing, it's some rubbish" I brush it off

"Oh okay well since that is all you needed me to do, let you get to reviewing those; I should do some work of my own to"

I nod understandingly, " thank you so much again"

"You're welcome, anytime," he says before he shuts my door.

Just as I was about to start my files. I got another page. It was from the boss. I guess I will be doing overtime on these files at this rate.

He wanted to call me to ask a maintenance man to be called up.  His ceiling randomly had a dripping issue. So I got that fixed and before we know it a new employee in the office department faxed information to the wrong room so I was asked to do a search and rescue for the confidential information and then to fax it myself.  Then I was asked by Mr Watson to book a meeting with the wifi company because they wanted to make a complaint. And I did all of this was a massive hickey ON DISPLAY. The idea of me hiding it went straight out of the window, as did my dignity. I think nearly everyone and anyone important noticed it. One employee even offered me rash cream assuming it was one of course.

And to make matters worse...I still had to do overtime. Dealing with everyone else issues means those files I was supposed to review weren't reviewed. I nipped out to the lunchroom to make a coffee. Most of the staff had gone home now, including Thomas who asked me where I was the moment he realised that I wasn't there before him for once.

I walked into the staff lunchroom thinking it would be empty but it wasn't. Just my luck. There was a group of employees on a table.  I recognised it too. Sarah blanch the head of online purchasing & delivery and Samuel Wilson. What are the odds? I try to be nonchalant and walk through as normal.  I search through the cupboards for a cup and then press start on the coffee maker.

All the people on the table had simultaneously stood up and started putting on jackets and getting ready to leave. I sigh wanting to be in their shoes right now. Then I hear Sarah says " hey savannah do you want to come with us we are going to a restaurant to get a bite to eat"

"Oh no, I am fine thanks for the offer" Sarah smiles and then waves before sauntering out of the room with the rest of them.  But then I hear the door re-open...

"Are you sure you don't want to come?" Its Mr Wilson. 

"I have work to do still" of course I would rather go than stay but it's important.

Mr Wilson are-enters the room fully and takes his jacket back offsetting it On the seat where he sat previously. 

"What are you doing!?" I ask confused

"I'll help you get some of your work done" he kindly offers

"Oh no really I don't mind staying, don't be silly go with them"

"Well it isn't a request," he says stubbornly.

My husband had never offered to help me with my work. What had I done to deserve this?

"It's secutary work though"

"I'll be fine" replies Mr Wilson

And he was. He was helping out with no issues, he understood all my requests and did them all and before you knew it I was on the last file. "So I am guessing you have done securing before." I imply.

"Yes, we all have to start off somewhere.  It was my first job"

I nod. He really must have worked his way up if he can afford to Co own a business just like that.

"You really didn't have to stay" I remind him feeling slightly guilty, "you're my boss technically and I am making you do my work"

"I don't drink and I wasn't hungry so there was no need for me to go"

He doesn't drink. Good for him I guess.

"Do you want to get a bite to eat after this though?" He asks

"I thought you said you weren't hungry"

"I wasn't until I did 2 hours of work" that statement made me feel bad. I had made him do my work and didn't even offer him anything as such as a bite to eat.

"Sure, I don't have anything else to do" I place the last binder on the desk. We had done it.

"HIGH FIVE!" he exclaims

I laugh rejecting his high five,  you're a very weird man. He smiles. "You're my boss not my friend" I inform him. "Why can't I be both?" he adds subtly. I ignore it. He is probably being funny again like earlier.

So we went out for a bite to eat. It was just some more casual chit chat and then I went home around 9 ish. That is when the fuss kicked off.

"I was out with a friend"

"Till 9 pm???" He questioned me

"Yes" I hiss back at him

I storm out and up the stairs but I feel a hand reach for mine and tug me back. I don't even know what is happening all I feel is my back is pressed up against something and then all of a sudden I felt my lips meeting his. I weave my hands in between me and him and force him away. "I'm going to bed!" I say before marching up the stairs. That had been the first time I had made the orders again did the first time he hasn't responded with hitting me.

I had come to the conclusion that I couldn't be friends with Samuel.  Although it was hard my tactic was avoidance.  I had to avoid him at all costs because that was the centre of my husband's new jealousy I could tell that now. I needed to stick on the good side of him for as long as I can to prove myself. That was my strategy.