The Boleyn Effect (The Boorman Ending) (10 page)

An hour later, I am
standing in the most amazing office I've ever stood in. I thought
the Gaskills stank of money, but here is where money and power
really sits. This is an empire and I'm messing with half of it. No
wonder Harry quipped about him being the gold digger.

After being led into the
room by some high heeled pencil skirted secretary, I have no choice
but to take in my surroundings. There are the usual Apple products
on display upon a glass and chrome desk. Also I spy a few framed
pictures of Katherine and Harry on some boat looking sun kissed and
happy and another one of them at some posh party. This is the
reality of the situation. My competition. The woman I need to
outshine.

The door opens and in she
walks. Dressed head to foot in a navy blue suit with black patent
high heels. With her hair tied neatly and tight on her head, I find
myself aware of my cheap casual Primarni clothes.

'Have you been offered a
drink?' she asks as she sweeps in.

'Yes, thanks. I'm sorry
I've had to cancel. I've had some unexpected appointments,' I
say.

Katherine sits down with a
warm smile on her face.

'It's not a problem. I
know what it's like running your own business. So have you managed
to put some ideas together?' she asks.

Sitting down, I start to
go over the ideas I've come up with. This has been one of the
hardest things I've ever done. But this is business. My business
and I take it very seriously, because my reputation as a good
photographer is vital. But planning how I am going to make this
woman look seductive and sexy for the husband I'm trying to snare
proves difficult.

I tell her that I am able
to make an arrangement with an hotelier who would loan me one of
his suites for an afternoon. There, using the four poster bed, I'd
create a tasteful portrait for her husband. Her excited face tells
me that I've hit gold with my idea. She asks me if I need her to
bring anything and I just tell her to go underwear shopping and
we'd take it from there.

'You know if this comes
off, I would love to invest in a gallery show for you. I can create
so many contacts for you.'

What is it with everyone
throwing money at me today?

I can't go into any more
business with her, even though I know I will benefit so much from
her friendship. This is the bit I hate, where business and pleasure
clash. I am not a total bitch. Even if it will benefit me, I am not
into using people.

'That would be great, but
you don't have to,' I say.

'Leigh, it would be my
pleasure. Now are we going to set a date for this
shoot?'

I grab my phone and check
my free dates. The quicker I do this the better it will
be.

'I can do next week if
that's ok. I'll have to double check about the room, but it should
be fine.'

Katherine doesn't even
look at her diary as she confirms the date. Wow, I'd love to that
be that organised. It's the reason I need Clair.

'I also hear that you have
put a bid in for the graduation gig?'

'Yes I have,' I
say.

'Did you know my husband
is the Dean? Maybe I could swing it to your advantage. A wife
always has ways of convincing their husbands,' she
smiles.

The words are sticking in
my throat. With everything going on, the graduation contract had
slipped my mind. As well as the mere fact that I could manipulate
Harry myself for the same outcome. Could I really use this
opportunity to further my own career?

'Thank you,' I
manage.

'Now I'm hungry. Have you
got time for a bit of lunch?'

'I'm a little snowed
under,' I start to say, but seeing disappointment in her face I
begin to soften.

I have no idea how she
manages to do it. Both her and Harry have so much charm offensive,
I would hate to go up against them both full on.

'I'm sure I can shuffle
things around.'

'Great,' she
smiles.

Sitting the restaurant,
she talks and talks. I wonder if she's got any real friends to talk
to. It's confusing to feel sympathy for her, never mind like her.
She seems so warm and open. She just wants to be
friends.

She's found something in
me that she can connect with and that disturbs me a little. Despite
wanting a way to leave her husband, there's a part of me that
wonders how much she must still love him. And if that's the case
then I am the last person she should be connecting with. As an
intelligent woman she should sense the threat, but then being a
brunette maybe that's why she doesn't see it.

'Mary has a lot of good
things to say about you,' she says. 'I know she would love it if
you and George got together.'

I must say I am surprised
that Mary likes me that much. I just figured she just put up with
me so not upset her son. But to wish she and he got together is
another thing altogether.

'I don't think Thomas
would be too happy,' I say. 'It's only just bearable that George
and I are just friends in his eyes.'

'So if not George is there
someone else you've got your eye on?' she asks.

An innocent question, but
still I wonder if she can see right through me.

'Men just get in the way
when you're building an empire,' I joke.

She giggles into her wine.
She never struck me as a giggler, but Harry causes me to giggle.
Maybe it's him. Anyway, she's opened the questioning so here I go
with mine.

'Tell me about you
and...Harry is it?'

'What can I tell you? We
met and it was love at first sight. Well for me anyway. He was such
a catch, young and rebellious and very very good-looking. Still
is...in my eyes at least. He was with someone else when we first
met, and then a year later and both young free and single we got
together. Six weeks later we were married. My father was furious
and didn't think it would last, but here we are,' she answers.
'Still in love and still as rampant as ever.'

The glass freezes at my
lips mid sip and I find myself forcing the glass back to the table.
That I didn't expect. These mixed signals from both her and George
are confusing. This is not a woman who wants to leave her husband.
Maybe she just wants to catch him with his trousers down and give
him a large sharp shock.

'What about kids?' I
manage to ask.

A dark shadow passes in
her eyes and I swallow down my sudden nerves. A sore point no doubt
and I wonder where the problem lies.

'The only thing we've not
been blessed with. Not through want and trying,' she
says.

'I'm sorry,' I mutter,
feeling a little bad.

'Don't worry about it.
Sometimes Mother Nature can be cruel. We could have adopted, but we
decided to focus on just being with each other,' she smiles. 'Look,
I've an idea. One of my friends is having a fancy dress birthday
party at the weekend. Would you come and be the photographer. I'll
pay you; it'll be my gift to her. Bring a date or George
whichever.'

'That sounds great. What
is the theme?' I ask.

'Fairy Tales; she's a
little obsessed,' Katherine answers.

'That's not a problem. I
can do a video slide show in that theme and put it on disk. What do
you think?'

'That's why I asked. You
just seem to know what people want. I'll email you the details. She
will love it.'

My phone beeps. I quickly
glance at the message preview and my heart nearly jumps into my
mouth. It's from Harry.

'Missing you. When can we
do lunch again? Always your friend. H xx'

'You ok?' Katherine asks
as I push the phone into my pocket.

I need to change the
settings on this damn phone so there is no message preview. It was
damn lucky I'd left it in my pocket, because I usually would have
chucked it on the table. That would have made things
awkward.

'Yes, it's just my
assistant wondering where I am?'

'Well I'd best let you go
and continue with your empire building,' she smiles indicating to
the waiter for the bill.

Grabbing my purse, she
stops me.

'Go, this is my
treat.'

'No I can't,' I
protest.

'Seriously, go and sort
out your assistant. I've got this and when you make it big then you
can repay me.'

I rush out of the
restaurant and gasp for air. I really believe my heart is going to
stop, but I am also excited. The thrill of getting caught is
exhilarating and the problem with thrills is that they can quickly
become addictive.

I pull the phone out of my
pocket and re-read the message and the thrill ripples through me
once more. I can't wait for this party.

CHAPTER
FIFTEEN

I don't answer Harry's
text, purely because I know I will see him that weekend. I want him
to be eager to see me. The anticipation can make the whole thing so
much sweeter. I am making him wait. My feelings towards Katherine
and those towards Harry are conflicting interests that I'm
struggling to get my head around.

I know Harry is a cheating
arsehole, but his presence is addictive and I can't get enough of
it. My body responds to every bit of him when we are close. I've
never known sexual connection be that strong before and it's
unnerving and a little unsteadying. I must remember that this is
all for Katherine and Harry is just a target. With the party now in
sight there's a plan that I can't wait to put in action.

George has arranged for me
to take a date to the party. Someone he knows fancies me like hell.
It's really a simple idea. I take a date then it will surely stir
up jealousy within Harry and so up the stakes. When jealousy comes
into the mix, it makes the person realise their feelings, but it
also a dangerous emotion to play with, but I think I can handle it.
This wouldn't happen if I took George, because Harry already knows
that George is no threat, but someone younger and fitter will make
him sit up and notice.

Anne Boleyn was in love
with another man before Henry and he was Thomas Percy. It was
rumoured that they married in secret, only to have it annulled by
Worsley. When she had the King's attention, she also had many other
men's in Court. This drove jealous Henry mad. But there is no Percy
in my life or an over ambitious Cardinal and Harry by no means is a
king or may not even be a jealous man. I am just one of many girls
he could have. Maybe not even that special yet in his mind. He's
just some rich intelligent man, who is now in the middle of a game
created by myself and George. This gamble is all in the hope that
we have read Harry's personality right.

My costume is Red Riding
Hood consisting of a skimpy little red dress, hooded cape and white
over-the-knee stockings. Innocence mixed with naughty is always a
thumbs up when it comes to men. They love it.

My partner will be the
wolf of course. His name is Jamie who takes the same classes as
George and that's all I really know. It makes me nervous, because
he has no idea of the game and I hope that he was not going to end
up putting me at risk.

When he arrives, he holds
the wolf head under his arm and he seems a nice, good looking guy
in a model sort of a way. Too square jawed for me and another guy
who has succumbed to the floppy hair in order to appeal to the
younger woman. We both climb into the taxi and engage in polite
chit chat, talking about what we both do, interests, even the damn
weather.

'I couldn't believe it
when George said you wanted to take me to this thing,' he
says.

'I'm really working, but I
thought it'd give us chance to get to know each other,' I answer.
'George said you like me.'

'Yeah, you're not short of
admirers. Every guy is jealous George has a friend like
you.'

I feel myself growing
smug, but my insides are also turning as we drive. I am as nervous
as hell. This is the first time since this truly began that Harry,
Katherine and I will be in the same place. Would he acknowledge
that he knows me? It would be interesting to find out.

Admittedly, I am excited
to the bone. I do want to see him again. I love the chemistry. I
want to feel the thrill what happens when we are together, but I am
also nervous at the possibility of rejection.

Can I handle him ignoring
me as though I wasn't there? Well I suppose I will find out soon
enough. I realise that I am picking and tugging at the weave of my
basket on my knee and force my fingers to still.

'Whoa, this is top end,'
Jamie admires.

I look out of the taxi
window and agree. A four story town house that stands within a
quiet upmarket street of Heslington. It's a place that is close to
the other university and in my words leafy. Trees everywhere and
open greens. Very posh and a world away from my shambles of a shop
and flat.

A moment of nerves
suddenly makes me question my outfit. I'm here as a professional,
not a guest. I should have thought about that and not about
impressing Harry. This isn't like me. I always need to make a good
impression when working, but my sexual ego has taken over. Well
it's too late now. I am committed.