How to Catch Butterflies (22 page)

She remembered that night well, like it was only yesterday.
The fog had been so thick you couldn’t see your outstretched hand in front of you. They had walked to a cab office as there were none outside the club that night. They had chatted on the way and the conversation flowed very easily between both of them. They had talked nonstop in the cab home
.

“Do you remember when I dropped you home? And your mum shouting down, who were you with?” He laughed, “Do you remember B?”

As Rebecca listened, the knife dipped lower. David saw this and started to inch slowly towards her, his hands still midair, he continued. “You and me, B forever; just you and me. B? And the Jason thing I’ll forgive you for that. We’ll work that out, won’t we?”

The mere mention of Jason’s name brought the knife swiftly up in defense

“How do you know about Jason, how?” she asked her voice faltering, fearful.

“I’ve seen him coming round here. Even the first night he stayed on that Friday.” He stepped back having seen the knife glint again and leaned against the counter that housed the oven and hob. “And I’ve seen him going to your work picking you up. I always knew he like you, but I thought he wouldn’t go there. To be quite honest, I didn’t think you would either B. But you did, didn’t you?”

She held the knife up, David smirked, “I saw him answering the door in a towel. I know you’ve fucked him.”

The knife was shaking in her hand. All she could think, was
it would be self-defense.

“Get out David. Go now or I swear if you come near me…I swear, I will, just try me.” Rebecca edged slowly towards him the blade still glinting in her hand. “Get out David; get the fuck out before I call the police! You’ll be locked up with your recent history, and if the police arrive and you have this knife in you…its self-defense.” She suddenly felt brave. She saw the flash of fear cross David’s face.

“Look into my eyes, David. I’m not threatening you, I’m telling you! Now get the fuck out!”

He started to walk backwards out of the room, making his way to the front door as she edged towards him herding him out.

“Out David,” she commanded, the knife still clutched in her hand.

“This isn’t over B… you and me, always B. I’ll never let you go.”

Rebecca was surprised to see him close the door and go. She ran to the door fumbling to put the deadbolt on, still clutching the shaking knife in her hand. She couldn’t believe he was actually gone. She ran upstairs and grabbed her phone dialing the police. Once she had finished the call she grabbed her silk robe tying it up with its belt. Her door bell went again, she answered the door.

It was two of the same officers who were there that horrible Saturday night, ‘
just her luck’
but in the same breath
at least she didn’t have to explain everything to new people it was something at least.

It was one of the officers who spotted her knees; her adrenaline must have been going ten to a dozen. She never felt the pain. She explained that he had let himself in with his key, stupidly she didn’t think of changing the locks. She signed her statement ashamed that she had dropped the first set of charges. The officers left sometime later.

Rebecca sat on her couch curling herself up into a ball. She couldn’t stay here anymore it clearly wasn’t safe. He had been watching her, here and at work, she felt unnerved. She had only been home from a great weekend for only an hour and a half. David wasn’t going to give up, he made that very clear and that frightened her greatly.

In the morning she showered, dressed her knees with ointment and dressings. Her knees were a mess, no skirts for her for a while. She stood at her wardrobe; she had a plan of action. She reached in grabbing one of her navy ‘Max Mara’ suits. She paired it with a chiffon blouse with a red neck scarf. She put her hair up into a French knot and grabbed her handbag and brief case. She set off for work.

While she waited on the platform for her train, she made the first of two calls. She had plans made for lunch and after work, two meetings arranged. One was with a head hunter, who had been harassing her, a lot lately. The other was an agency up town, who had been hounding her for years to come and work for them also. She was going to make some major changes to her life, starting today. She knew she could hand in her notice by the end of the week and have a new job offer in her hand by Wednesday. All she would have to do is to move out and find somewhere else to live.

She opened up the office at her normal time of 8:30am, and headed up to her own office, turning on the computer as she sat down. She would have to wait till 9am for Lucy to be at her desk. She would probably be on a tube herself, which would mean she would have no cell reception; she had a big favor to ask.

Chapter 15

‘Personal Jesus’

Rebecca waited until 5 minutes past 9am to call Lucy. Rebecca told her about last night.

“Why didn’t you call me,” concern in Lucy’s voice. “Seriously why didn’t you call me? I can’t bear to think of that crazy fucker in your place. I didn’t think of changing the locks either. Of course you can stay. You coming straight from work? Then we can go and get some of your stuff round, but I don’t think the moving job thing is a good idea, not with the moving house thing; it’s too much.”

Rebecca told her she had already had the two appointments already arranged and the first was lunch with one of the top head hunters in London, ‘Jackson Harvey’, whom had been calling her for the past three years.

Jackson Harvey called her every week without fail. He was an outrageous flirt. He was featured in
all
the recruitment and executive magazines. He was incredibly good looking, the camera loved him.

He had a terrible reputation for a love ‘em and leave ‘em kind of guy.

Basically he was a man whore; he was the guy that never stayed the night, always with some excuse. But Jackson was good at his job and Rebecca respected that. His personal business didn’t concern her. She and Lucy finished the call and she put herself into work mode noting the time she would have to leave to be in time for her meeting with ‘Jackson Harvey’ for 1pm.

Being the ever charming smooth talker Jackson offered to meet locally, he would be in the immediate area. Jackson had arranged to meet at a hotel not far from her work. It was at 12.30pm when one of her regulars called in with a few jobs for her. She was aware of the time as her eyes kept flicking to the clock that hung on the wall in her office.

She knew what the client wanted as soon as he told her the job titles. She also knew he wanted to chat today; he was full of talk
. The one time I need to be somewhere and this happens,
she would be late, and that was not the impression she wanted ‘Jackson’ to have, and then she thought ‘
well he’s been trying to head hunt me for three years, he’ll know the score when it comes to work, and anyway she was worth the wait hence his frequent calls.

By the time she reached the hotel she was 25 minutes late, a big no-no, she would tell her applicants, and here she was, late for an appointment.

“First impressions count, and you can’t have a do over; it’s a onetime deal.” She would say.

When she walked through the lobby she was a cool as a cucumber. She hadn’t rushed like a mad woman and gotten herself all flustered. She had taken her time when walking. When she was outside the hotel, she checked her compact applied a little lip-gloss and a quick squirt of her Gucci perfume.

She looked perfect popping up the stairs to the entrance and walked through to the lobby. She was about halfway through the lobby, her eyes scanned the room.

She knew what Jackson looked like, she considered him to be a media whore. His strikingly handsome face was always plastered in anything that had to do with Recruitment; he was the poster child of the industry.

Rebecca used to take the piss out of him in her office. He was an easy target. He was always in bloody everything. In fact, they should change the name of Recruitment to ‘Jackson Harvey’; it was a standing joke in her office.

She saw quite a few gentlemen dotted around the various meeting areas around the lobby. She was wondering if he was still here. As her eyes scanned the suits that were seated, she saw him.

*

Jackson Harvey was sitting in one of the many leather couches over in the bar area to the right with a coffee in front of him. He saw her immediately and rose to his feet. He assumed it was her as she was the only woman suited and booted for a business meeting.

Plus, she was the most attractive woman he’d seen in a long time. He looked around the lobby, the other men must have been thinking the same as they all watched as this beautiful creature sashayed across the room. Rebecca approached him with her hand extended to shake with him.

She had the most engaging smile, and her eyes…her eyes were the most amazing blue. They were almost a violet; like Elizabeth Taylor’s. She was a classic beauty.

He stood there spellbound, his hand outstretched; he was very pleasantly astonished, the voice at the other end of the phone was so stunning. This was the voice he had been talking to for the past three years. It was the smoothest, sexiest, and friendliest voice.

It instantly put you at ease. It would have been perfect for the telephone sex industry. He found himself often prolonging his calls with her. Rebecca’s voice had also a firm authoritativeness, when she hadn’t the time to waste with him, she would tell him so. He laughed to himself
thinking it was ‘undeniably cheaper than a sex line.

She leaned in and shook his hand firmly, before apologizing for her tardiness. Explaining that she was held up on a call with one of her client’s quoting as she smiled ‘when duty calls’. Jackson smiled at her, his hand gesturing for her to take the empty seat opposite him.

She looked lovely, he knew by the cut of her suit it was a ‘Max Mara’ it was complemented by a heavy chiffon blouse; you could barely make out her lacy white brassiere.
‘Very nice,’
he thought. He ordered her a coffee from the waiter, who as if on cue arrived to take the order and removed the one he had finished.

While waiting, they started to talk. She was remarkable; she knew her stuff as he threw various scenarios at her testing her knowledge and stamina. She was unflappable; she was the ‘perfect whole package’.

By placing Rebecca at another company would give him nice chunk of commission. Jackson knew his switchboard would be lit up like a Christmas tree, once word on the street got out about her availability.

She would be snapped up in seconds to the point; she would have offers without any interviews. It was easy money; he had no doubt it. She was young but she was greatly respected in the recruitment industry.

As far as he was concerned, she was the female equivalent version of him. The conversation flowed easily. Jackson sat there memorized by the young woman in front of him, who was oozing confidence. She was truly captivating to watch and listen to, which he did intently; absorbing everything she said. Mind you, she could have been saying nursery rhymes for all he cared.