time they met. He took her back to her flat, where they made love several times before he went home to his wife.
The affair started quickly. Clara flattered him, serviced him and treated him like a king. In turn, he always bought her champagne, cocaine and, in the end, promoted her to salesperson because she begged him to. Then she said that if he didn’t she’d have to end the affair. Clara’s logic was that if she was his secretary, having an affair with him was tacky. As a salesperson, although he would still be her boss, it was more acceptable. That was the word she had used. Tim didn’t want to give up Clara, so he promoted her.
He had swayed it with the board by reminding them that the family was a big private client. It was better than telling them the truth. She was promoted, but although the clients indeed loved her – especially the male ones – Clara didn ’t have a clue what the job involved, as Sarah had pointed out.
Tim looked at his watch. If he was lucky he could get out of the office early, see Clara for a couple of hours and be home in time for a late dinner. He picked up the phone to call his wife.
***
Clara was not proud of the way she ’d got her job but, then, she was never proud of herself. She didn’t think she had any value, apart from her body, so she used it. She knew she was no better than a whore; she didn’t know how to be better than a whore. Confidence was her defence mechanism; being rude and bitchy to others was the wall she hid behind. The humiliation she felt at the way she had come by her job was compounded by the degradation she felt with Tim.
Chapter Four
Ella went to the gym after work. Another good day, another profit; she felt that she had been born to trade. On the treadmill, minus Jim, she felt all the tensions of the day fall away. She ran for half an hour, showered and got changed. She said hello to Isabelle, the manager of the emerging markets sales desk, who had just finished changing into an immaculate white outfit and was brandishing a squash racket.
“ Ella, how are you?” Isabelle smiled.
“ Fine, Isabelle. You?” Ella bristled: Isabelle’s smile was even colder than Ella’s and this intimidated her. Isabelle was a successful manager at SFH, and Ella knew her by reputation as someone who would stamp on anyone who got in her way. She was thankful that she had never been involved professionally with Isabelle. Although they were both ambitious, Ella was not a corporate bitch. Isabelle’s heart was made of stone.
“ Oh, you know, the usual stress of being in our jobs. Anyway, I wanted to invite you to a conference about women in the City. I’m hosting it and, well, it looks like we’re going to get a good turnout We’ve got a number of female members of staff coming and I was wondering if you’d do a bit on trading.”
Ella smiled. This was the longest conversation she ’d ever had with Isabelle. “Sure, I’d love to.”
“ Great, I’ll get my useless secretary to send you a schedule. See you.”
“ Bye.” Ella said, to Isabelle’s departing back. As she left the gym, she hailed a cab and told the driver she was going to Camden Town.
Her friend Jackie had an amazing house there, bought when Camden was cheap and Jackie was in the first throes of success with her Soho restaurant. When Ella first went to the restaurant for a job as a waitress, she had seen the survivor instinct in Jackie and they had immediately become friends.
She had told Jackie a condensed version of her story, and had been surprised to get Jackie’s in return. Jackie had been only fifteen when she left home and moved in with a thirty-year-old man. She had been in love, he had been old enough to know better and her parents had been heartbroken. They still hadn’t forgiven her. The man had lost interest when she aged a couple of years, and left her. He had, however, left her with money. Her subsequent fight with her feelings had made her a successful
The affair started quickly. Clara flattered him, serviced him and treated him like a king. In turn, he always bought her champagne, cocaine and, in the end, promoted her to salesperson because she begged him to. Then she said that if he didn’t she’d have to end the affair. Clara’s logic was that if she was his secretary, having an affair with him was tacky. As a salesperson, although he would still be her boss, it was more acceptable. That was the word she had used. Tim didn’t want to give up Clara, so he promoted her.
He had swayed it with the board by reminding them that the family was a big private client. It was better than telling them the truth. She was promoted, but although the clients indeed loved her – especially the male ones – Clara didn ’t have a clue what the job involved, as Sarah had pointed out.
Tim looked at his watch. If he was lucky he could get out of the office early, see Clara for a couple of hours and be home in time for a late dinner. He picked up the phone to call his wife.
***
Clara was not proud of the way she ’d got her job but, then, she was never proud of herself. She didn’t think she had any value, apart from her body, so she used it. She knew she was no better than a whore; she didn’t know how to be better than a whore. Confidence was her defence mechanism; being rude and bitchy to others was the wall she hid behind. The humiliation she felt at the way she had come by her job was compounded by the degradation she felt with Tim.
Chapter Four
Ella went to the gym after work. Another good day, another profit; she felt that she had been born to trade. On the treadmill, minus Jim, she felt all the tensions of the day fall away. She ran for half an hour, showered and got changed. She said hello to Isabelle, the manager of the emerging markets sales desk, who had just finished changing into an immaculate white outfit and was brandishing a squash racket.
“ Ella, how are you?” Isabelle smiled.
“ Fine, Isabelle. You?” Ella bristled: Isabelle’s smile was even colder than Ella’s and this intimidated her. Isabelle was a successful manager at SFH, and Ella knew her by reputation as someone who would stamp on anyone who got in her way. She was thankful that she had never been involved professionally with Isabelle. Although they were both ambitious, Ella was not a corporate bitch. Isabelle’s heart was made of stone.
“ Oh, you know, the usual stress of being in our jobs. Anyway, I wanted to invite you to a conference about women in the City. I’m hosting it and, well, it looks like we’re going to get a good turnout We’ve got a number of female members of staff coming and I was wondering if you’d do a bit on trading.”
Ella smiled. This was the longest conversation she ’d ever had with Isabelle. “Sure, I’d love to.”
“ Great, I’ll get my useless secretary to send you a schedule. See you.”
“ Bye.” Ella said, to Isabelle’s departing back. As she left the gym, she hailed a cab and told the driver she was going to Camden Town.
Her friend Jackie had an amazing house there, bought when Camden was cheap and Jackie was in the first throes of success with her Soho restaurant. When Ella first went to the restaurant for a job as a waitress, she had seen the survivor instinct in Jackie and they had immediately become friends.
She had told Jackie a condensed version of her story, and had been surprised to get Jackie’s in return. Jackie had been only fifteen when she left home and moved in with a thirty-year-old man. She had been in love, he had been old enough to know better and her parents had been heartbroken. They still hadn’t forgiven her. The man had lost interest when she aged a couple of years, and left her. He had, however, left her with money. Her subsequent fight with her feelings had made her a successful
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