The Finest Line by Catherine Taylor

his
threat. Even when he had given her an option to avoid punishment,
she had made it quite clear that she was quite keen, all because
she had believed in a silly joke designed to scare her and turned
it into a fantasy.
    Like her father, James must have
laughed himself to sleep. How often did a silly compliant girl come
along offering him a free shot at revenge, some voyeurism and a
good feel of her backside? She had shamed herself beyond belief and
she had been foolish to believe they were really friends. Any
respect James still showed her was a product of his nature. He was
an older, wise and worldly man and she was just a spoilt, immature
girl. They couldn’t have been more different, and ever believing
that he could be her friend was just another stupid fantasy.

CHAPTER NINE

    Looking at the gloomy weather
outside her window, Mairead was reluctant to get out of bed and
wished she was back on the Gold Coast. She happily imagined James
knocking on her door to bring her breakfast in. She would
graciously accept it just so she could throw it in his face.
    During the night she had
practised the tirade that she intended to inflict upon him. Calmly
she would tell him how the last week had left her both physically
and emotionally vulnerable and how low and despicable it had been
of him to take advantage of her state. No decent man would have
been so inappropriate and she was deeply disappointed in him. Yet
she would be the better person and try to forgive him but it would
be quite some time before she would be able to trust him again.
    Mairead grinned wickedly. She
knew James enough to know that denigrating his conduct and
professionalism would cut him to the quick and his embarrassment
would far outweigh her own or at least even the score. Maybe then
they could develop a friendship based on equal footing rather than
him having the upper hand. With this encouraging resolve Mairead
was out of bed.
    Her father was outside when she
came downstairs, pacing the circular drive out front and grumbling.
“Bloody agency was supposed to have a car here twenty minutes
ago.”
    Mairead looked around for the
silver BMW she had come home in. “Where’s James?”
    “He’s already left and he told
me to wish you well while he’s gone.”
    Mairead felt a pang of sadness.
“He didn’t say goodbye.”
    “Ah, they’re here.” Sean pointed
his umbrella at the approaching car. “I’ll give those bastards a
piece of my mind.” He kissed Mairead. “I’ll see you at dinner
tonight. Behave yourself.”
    Mairead nodded and watched her
father be driven away before going back inside. Joanne passed her
in the foyer and greeted her cheerfully. “Just putting a load of
washing on and I’ll be back to make some breakfast for you
dear.”
    Mairead smiled. “No hurry, thank
you Joanne.”
    She went to the library and sat
in her chair feeling a weight of unexpected emotion. James had
triumphed again, leaving without hearing her speech, leaving
without saying goodbye. Mairead wanted to be angry but found she
was tearful instead and somewhat relieved that she had not berated
him.
    I’ll tell him when he comes
back, Mairead thought, but she knew it would never happen. What she
had wanted to say for so very long had frightened and confused her.
In the silence of the library Mairead felt driven to speak as if
James was sitting in the chair opposite.
    “I tried to do something for my
life without you and I couldn’t do it. You’re the sole reason I
have achieved anything and only because I wanted you to be proud of
me. I’ve never allowed a man to touch me, because I wanted you to
be my first, my only. I love you and it hurts so much because I
know that you could never love someone like me, a total
fuck-up.”
    When Joanne came to get Mairead
for breakfast, she found the girl in hysterics. Quietly she sat on
the arm of the chair and drew Mairead into her arms.
    “You mustn’t cry like this
Mairead. Everything is going to be fine. You’re home