House of Stone

Episode 3~The Ride

The entire episode wasn’t totally at the back of my mind when Shelly cornered me in the corridor as I was leaving at the end of the day.

‘What was that all about earlier.’ She hissed. ‘They are very important clients.’

I don’t like Shelly. She had dyed hair that reminded me of straw which framed a long thin face. She always wore very red lipstick which had the effect of making her teeth look too big. She also smelled really funny. I couldn’t put my finger on what it was, but it made me want to wrinkle my nose and take a step backwards whenever she got too close. Unfortunately she was the assistant manager even though she acted that she owned the place.

‘Nothing.’ I tilted my chin up. ‘You told me to keep him entertained and I kept him entertained.’

‘Just remember it’s up top me who is and is not employed here. If you aren’t careful you might find yourself with no job.’ She spat.

I tilted my head over to one side as I looked at her. What was she so angry about? Then I smiled. ‘Firstly, no it isn’t you are the assistant not the manger and secondly who do you think you are threatening my job because I did what you told me to? I am sure HR would be very interested in hearing how you spin that one.’

Her mouth opened and closed again without her saying anything. Her eyes were darting everywhere as other tellers emerged from their cubicles ready for home and stopped to enjoy the show.

‘How dare you…’ She stuttered.

‘Quite easily.’ I gave a dramatic sigh. ‘I don’t need this job Shelly.’ Saying her name from between gritted teeth. ‘And I certainly don’t need you and your petty insecurities.’ I took off my name badge and handed it to her. ‘Stick your job.’ Then I did my best to make my hair swing in an arc as I turned on my heel and marched out of the bank.

I was sure I heard a smattering of applause as I went, but it was quickly swallowed up by the noise on the street.

I walked along on a bit of a high. Not only had a flirted with a twelve but I had told Shelly to stick her job and it felt really good. I had only taken a temporary position and it would be coming to an end in a couple of months anyway. The extra money had been nice, but I would survive without it. I was just going to wait it out until I had finished my studies.

Out of the corner of my eye I became aware of a large car driving along the side of the road, keeping pace with me and the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. I tried to ignore it and kept on walking, increasing my speed.

Then the window came down.

‘Sephie.’

Oh no. I looked over and there was Laszlo, leaning forward so he could look at me.

‘Get in.’

I was still walking, and the car was still keeping up with me.

‘That would be a no. I’m not getting in a car with a stranger.’ Gorgeous, sexy stranger it was true.

‘I’m not a stranger, and my driver is here.’ He pointed out, even though I had noticed on my own that the car wasn’t driving itself.

I shot him an impatient look. ‘I think being kidnapped by two strangers is probably worse than being kidnapped by one.’

‘I am not a stranger. ’He repeated and then when I ignored him. ‘Let me take you out for dinner.’

‘I am on my way to work.’

‘You just finished work.’ He objected.

‘Other work.’ I was walking as quickly as I could but my legs were beginning to protest and I knew I wouldn’t be able to keep the pace up, and the car was matching my pace smoothly.

‘Call in sick.’

I shook my head. ‘Not my thing.’ They had been good to me at the convenience store. It was across the road from my apartment and I had worked there for years. If it hadn’t been for that job, there were a lot of times my brother and I wouldn’t have eaten.

‘Get in. We’ll give you a lift.’

I looked at him doubtfully but the car pulled ahead slightly and then stopped, the door opening.

May as well make it three in a row for doing things that were out of character. With a sigh I got in. At least I would get a brief respite before I started working again.

That’s when I discovered how uncomfortable it was being in a limousine. The seats were really low down and there was so much room it didn’t feel quite safe.

Laszlo

I did think about hitting the gym but in the end I went with my brother Niko to the bank. The business held several safety deposit boxes there. It was a something of nothing task but there wasn’t much else going on. Everything was going suspiciously smoothly.

We were greeted by a really irritating, simpering woman, Shelby or Shelly or something. She was so obviously in your face it was laughable. I was surprised she didn’t start stripping her clothes off. I decided to leave Niko to it and wait in the lobby. It didn’t need both of us, I was just tagging along in any case.

Her reaction to that announcement amused me. She had made such a fuss about looking after me she didn’t know what to do when I said I would stay behind. She couldn’t stay with me because she had to take Niko to the vault so in the end she grabbed a teller who had been refilling the paying in slips out on the bank floor, and told her to wait with me. The teller seemed a bit confused as to why she would have to do that but she did as she was told and sat with me by the entrance.

At first I thought there was nothing special about her, just another girl but when she looked at me she had eyes that were the most extra ordinary pale blue. As it turned out she also had sass. She made me laugh at a time I didn’t particularly feel like laughing and she blushed when I flirted with her. It’s a long time since I saw anyone blush. It may be a cliché but she intrigued me.

I was considering taking her as another lay when she reached out to touch me. Just a playful tap on the knee and I had to fight to stop it making me hard. My entire body tingled and I can tell by her reaction that she felt it too. It scared her. She wouldn’t look at me with those gorgeous eyes after that.

Damn Niko and his timing, he had to come out as things were starting to get interesting, and the girl looked like she wanted to run.

‘Thank you for entertaining me Sephie. Are you coming now or shall I expect you later?’

She shook her head and I caught a flash in those eyes. ‘Coming?’

I felt a twitch in my pants at that thought, the thought of her coming, against my hand first maybe and that isn’t even what I had meant. ‘So you can scream my name.’ I raised my eyebrows, And then just to be sure I reached out and touched her wrist. It was the easiest and least obvious way of touching her bare skin, my thumb brushing against the smooth warmth. And there it was again, that tingling.

She pulled away quickly and this time she really did run. I could let this be the end of it. I should let this be the end of it, but I wasn’t going to.

‘What was that all about?’ Niko asked as we walked back towards the car, tucking something into his pocket.

‘Just a bit of fun, brother.’ I said with a smile.

I took the car and a driver later on that day, intending to pick her up from the bank and take her for some fun at a hotel. At first she had refused to get in, still using her smart mouth. She said she was going to work even though she had just finished at the bank.

I didn’t usually take no for an answer, and I have no idea why I did this time, but she eventually agreed to at least a lift. She got into the car and told the driver where we were going. It was only a couple of blocks. ‘Come out with me for dinner tomorrow?’

She shook her head at me ruefully. ‘I’ve got another late shift tomorrow.’

I narrowed my eyes. I could almost see her brain working, and she took me by surprise, giving a cute smile. ‘Wednesday?’

‘Done.’ I said straight away.

She laughed, and I like that a bit too much. Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t bring someone like her into the life I led, but for the first time ever I really wanted to. The Bratva was not something you wanted to be associated with if you didn’t have to be.

‘Give me your number and I will tell you when and where.’

She gave me a considering look and said. ‘You are very bossy.’ But she still took my phone out of my hand and her head bent over it, shiny dark hair falling like a curtain as her fingers moved.

‘It’s one of my better qualities.’

‘I can’t wait to find out what the other ones are.’ She didn’t look up but she was laughing again and I felt oddly pleased that she found me funny. I usually just went after what I wanted, I didn’t go in for flirting but her sass made it very easy.

At any other time, with any other person we would be on our way to a hotel by now our clothes in a pool on the floor.

That thought was still at the front of my mind when the car came smoothly to a halt. We had already arrived and she handed me my phone back as she got out of the car. She had saved her number under Sephie I noticed.

I watched as she walked away and sent her a text straight away. ‘See you on Wednesday night malyshka.’ I saw her stop and take her phone out, shaking her head as she read the message and then turning round to give a sarcastically sweet wave before walking inside the store. Damn her, she was making me wait two more days.

I knocked on the partition window and the driver drove on.