lifted her leg further, resting it on his bent knee and kept gentle pressure on the makeshift ice-pack. China pushed her knees together, acutely aware that from his position he could easily see partly up her grey skirt.
Still their eyes remained in contact and China began to lose track of time, swimming in the depths of those sparkling grey seas. She felt like a small boat tossed on a jade, unforgiving ocean, her stomach churning. His irises were animated, she was convinced, with wave after wave of silver, sage and cobalt blues swirling in deep slow motion, and flecks of gold crested each swell providing brief flashes of brilliance. The colour left her cheeks as embarrassment was replaced by breathless rapture.
How much time passed, China neither knew nor cared. They were both startled out of this blissful rhapsody by the sound of a door slamming downstairs. China literally shook her head, as if waking from a dream. Finally she did wonder how long they had sat there and she looked down at her watch. It had only been ten minutes but it felt as if a whole afternoon had passed in their insulated bubble. The light coming through the window had darkened, presumably just a cloud drifting across the sun, and she shivered.
“I think I’d better get back to work. Let’s see how this ankle holds up then, nurse Mark.”
She stood slowly and the ice pack, no longer supported, fell to the floor with a frozen crunch. She tested her ankle gradually. It was still very sore but was at least now able to support some of her weight, even if there were dull shots of pain when she leant too much on it. She hobbled around the room, realizing she could walk as long as she took it very slowly. “I think I’ll be fine.”
She looked back. Mark was still kneeling in front of the chair, one arm still slightly raised, like a statue that had just lost an essential element. He seemed as frozen as the peas that were now spilling onto the floor. “Here, let me help you clear that up.” She started limping back over to where he knelt.
He broke out of his dream and stood up suddenly, almost making her jump. “No, don’t be silly. It’s my mess, I’ll clean it up.”
She picked up her bag, the untidily rolled tights spilling half out of the top, and placed a hand on his shoulder, the first time since their initial hand-shake that she had actively made contact with him rather than the other way around. “Thank you,” she said. “I’m really grateful.”
“Are you sure you’ll be ok?”
“I think so. It hurts, but I’m a big girl.”
His eyes flicked down to her chest, and he looked about to say something but then stopped.
She sighed, “Boys!” then laughed and turned to leave. “I’ll see you tomorrow, I’m sure.”
As she walked out of the front door a shocking realization occurred to China. She was going to have an affair with Mark. There was no doubt in her mind now. Her thoughts span in a whirlwind of emotions, reproach, guilt, excitement and pure lust. She could feel her body reacting excitedly to this heinous thought, betraying her, but she could do nothing about it. The inevitability seemed wrong, but somehow she knew it was also right.
Chapter 11
The afternoon passed by in a flash of cut-scene moments. She didn’t remember doing any actual work, and she hardly even remembered picking up her coat and awkwardly hobbling out of the office and onto the train home. That evening her husband offered to prepare the evening meal, pan-fried sea bass in a tarragon cream sauce.
“How was your day, dreamy head?” he asked as he sat next to her on the sofa.
“Oh, nothing special,” she said.
“Are you sure? You seem distracted.”
The question broke her out of her daydream. Could Philip read the guilt on her face. She was suddenly scared at the enormity of what she had been thinking. She was a faithful wife, a good wife. She had taken her vows with all sincerity, she had meant them and had every intention of keeping them.
Still their eyes remained in contact and China began to lose track of time, swimming in the depths of those sparkling grey seas. She felt like a small boat tossed on a jade, unforgiving ocean, her stomach churning. His irises were animated, she was convinced, with wave after wave of silver, sage and cobalt blues swirling in deep slow motion, and flecks of gold crested each swell providing brief flashes of brilliance. The colour left her cheeks as embarrassment was replaced by breathless rapture.
How much time passed, China neither knew nor cared. They were both startled out of this blissful rhapsody by the sound of a door slamming downstairs. China literally shook her head, as if waking from a dream. Finally she did wonder how long they had sat there and she looked down at her watch. It had only been ten minutes but it felt as if a whole afternoon had passed in their insulated bubble. The light coming through the window had darkened, presumably just a cloud drifting across the sun, and she shivered.
“I think I’d better get back to work. Let’s see how this ankle holds up then, nurse Mark.”
She stood slowly and the ice pack, no longer supported, fell to the floor with a frozen crunch. She tested her ankle gradually. It was still very sore but was at least now able to support some of her weight, even if there were dull shots of pain when she leant too much on it. She hobbled around the room, realizing she could walk as long as she took it very slowly. “I think I’ll be fine.”
She looked back. Mark was still kneeling in front of the chair, one arm still slightly raised, like a statue that had just lost an essential element. He seemed as frozen as the peas that were now spilling onto the floor. “Here, let me help you clear that up.” She started limping back over to where he knelt.
He broke out of his dream and stood up suddenly, almost making her jump. “No, don’t be silly. It’s my mess, I’ll clean it up.”
She picked up her bag, the untidily rolled tights spilling half out of the top, and placed a hand on his shoulder, the first time since their initial hand-shake that she had actively made contact with him rather than the other way around. “Thank you,” she said. “I’m really grateful.”
“Are you sure you’ll be ok?”
“I think so. It hurts, but I’m a big girl.”
His eyes flicked down to her chest, and he looked about to say something but then stopped.
She sighed, “Boys!” then laughed and turned to leave. “I’ll see you tomorrow, I’m sure.”
As she walked out of the front door a shocking realization occurred to China. She was going to have an affair with Mark. There was no doubt in her mind now. Her thoughts span in a whirlwind of emotions, reproach, guilt, excitement and pure lust. She could feel her body reacting excitedly to this heinous thought, betraying her, but she could do nothing about it. The inevitability seemed wrong, but somehow she knew it was also right.
Chapter 11
The afternoon passed by in a flash of cut-scene moments. She didn’t remember doing any actual work, and she hardly even remembered picking up her coat and awkwardly hobbling out of the office and onto the train home. That evening her husband offered to prepare the evening meal, pan-fried sea bass in a tarragon cream sauce.
“How was your day, dreamy head?” he asked as he sat next to her on the sofa.
“Oh, nothing special,” she said.
“Are you sure? You seem distracted.”
The question broke her out of her daydream. Could Philip read the guilt on her face. She was suddenly scared at the enormity of what she had been thinking. She was a faithful wife, a good wife. She had taken her vows with all sincerity, she had meant them and had every intention of keeping them.
Similar Books
