“It will all be ok, I promise.” She whispered into my ear “is it because of…”. Then the realization that she knew she shouldn’t finish that sentence hit her and we just embraced. I did not want to bring up my past. Not now. Not ever.

“Do you want sex?” What kind of question was that? Obviously not if I wasn’t in the mood with Henry, surely?

“Well obviously not?”

“No Evie, it’s not obvious, do you still get turned on? Have you, you know had BOB out lately?”

I nearly spat out my tea, BOB, my good old battery operated boyfriend. Thinking about it, I had. Shit, I must be such a bitch. I chose to use BOB but not Henry.

“Um, well ah,” I stuttered.

Lucy cut me off with her hysterical fits of laughter. “Well at least you are not restricting yourself of an orgasm once in a while. God I don’t think I could go for more than a day without one.”

“Urgh, your such a man Luce. I don’t know, I don’t get it? Why don’t I want to with Henry then? It just feels so awkward and wrong when he touches me.”

“Perhaps you and Henry have some underlying issues?”

“I just feel lost Luce, I have no job and I can’t spend my days plodding around playing Suzy home-maker, it’s not me.” I sighed. “I have dreams, I have determination and I want to make something of my life for me. Not just to be labelled as Henry’s gold-digging girlfriend.”

“Have you told him this is how you feel?”

“Yes, he just feels it isn’t suitable for me to be working when he earns ‘a hefty fortune’, as he puts it.”

Lucy twisted her nose up at my mocking tone of Henry’s modest remark,

“Exactly”, I giggled. “How am I meant to try and be me when he wants’ me at home. In his eyes he is the man and I am the little woman that should not lift a finger”.

“Well just do something??”

“Believe me, I have tried. I took an interview for the role of PA to a CEO of Skylex Enterprises. I got offered the job!” A sense of pride warmed me. “It was a good wage, fab benefits. When I told Henry he went ballistic, telling me I would end up fucking my new boss just like I did with him.” I cringed at the memory of him speaking to me like that. Like I was a worthless piece of meat that dropped my panties for anyone. Anger started to boil inside of me and I could feel my face tensing.

“What a jack ass”, Lucy exclaimed.

“I know”.

Things were not always like this. I had been with Henry since I was 19. From the moment I met him I felt that spark, the electricity that pulsed through my system. Leaving my heart pounding against my chest. The flutter of butterflies in my stomach. He was the only man that had ever made me feel like that.

* * *

I had fallen into the Jewellery trade after dropping out of school at sixteen. I applied for a job at a small jeweller’s and worked as a sales assistant there full time for three years. I needed to earn money to help my mother to pay the bills. When she left her second husband; not my dad, we had to pull together all of our resources to survive. Retail sales did not evoke any passion from me but it helped us live. My heart was focused on creating but this would always be pushed to the back of my mind as there was no room for pointless dreams in the real world. Sensibility came first. My mother needed help and I would save her from the misery she left behind. I would never let her go back, there.

I was in a dead end job until I met Daniel. He needed some help in his small Jewellery workshop. Tidying, cleaning, but it allowed me to delve into the world of creativity. Even if I were the one just cleaning around the skilled craftsmen. After a while as I showed more and more of an interest in his work he began to teach me small aspects of manufacturing jewellery. It was fascinating. Seeing the molten gold roll under the flame looking as pure as silk was mesmerizing. Daniel took me under his wing after telling me I had a natural talent for it. Funding my University courses. He was my savoir. After two years of training I had qualified from the London Guildhall University with City & Guilds in Diamond mounting and Diamond setting. I never wanted to leave Daniel. Working with him had been one of the most prestigious moments of my life. But as the recession hit, his business plummeted. I had never seen his look so deflated than the day he had to close his shop once and for all. He had never been one to feel sorry for himself, declaring “everything happens for a reason.” He used his motto in all instances, good or bad. That was the one thing I envied of Daniel, he looked at everything through the perspective of reason. I was not so naive in my perception of the world. In my head I could not for one moment believe my mother’s death was for a reason, for some greater good. Daniel had helped me gain an interview for a goldsmith position at Webber Jeweller’s. They were world renowned for their quality and skill and I was completely out of my depth. Daniel was insistent that I could do it and made me have the interview. When I left the interview it was surreal knowing that I had done it, I was starting at Webber Jeweller’s.

It was 8am. My first day at my new job had just begun. I was only just getting out of my car. Oh God, late, on my first bloody day, well isn’t this just fan-fucking-tastic. I grabbed all of my papers and pressed the fob to lock my car. I spun around and went running towards the lifts. Come on, come on, I was silently muttering.

The bell rang to indicate the lift had arrived and the doors slid open. I leaped into the lift, but for some reason my left leg did not follow. I glanced down. Shit.

“You have got to be friggin kidding me!” I exclaimed. I pulled, pulled a little harder, it was stuck. Not for one moment did my common sense remind me to slip my foot out of my shoe first, no of course that would have been far too simple and sensible. I was not going to let this conquer me. My heel was not going to stay wedged in the lift door. I was not going to get a bollocking for being late on my first day of work and I was not going to die of embarrassment.

“Here, let me help you.” I heard a deep seductive voice call from behind me. Scrap that last though, I AM going to die of embarrassment. Strong hands wrapped around my calf. With one swift movement my heel had released.

“ARRRaaagghhh” I screamed. I grabbed out in an automatic reaction to steady myself, it was no use. I was falling backwards and I had grabbed onto the tall dark stranger, and I was taking him with me.

THUD, the impacting noise as my head hit the floor. Ouch, ouch, ouch, this really is not going to be a good day. I opened my eyes half hoping this was all a figment of my imagination, but no, there he was, on top of me. His green eyes pressing into me, with a look of clear amusement on his face. Wow, he was beautiful. His scent was heavenly.

“Are you ok, Miss…um”,

“Evie, call me Evie”, feeling like a moronic fool. I couldn’t take my eyes off of him. His muscular body pressing against mine aroused a sensitive throbbing between my legs. He was gorgeous. How I wish we could just lie like this forever. Pressure lifted from my chest, the release instinctively allowed air to fill my lungs. He was standing, in front of me. Not a single dark hair out of place. I couldn’t compose myself quite so eloquently. My body felt like a quivering mass of female hormones.

Mr tall dark stranger held out his hand, “Take it.”

I obeyed and slipped my slender fingers into his firm palm. With a swift single movement he had pulled me up to my feet. It took me a moment to process the intensity I was feeling for this tall, dark stranger. He was a vision of perfection.

“What floor?” The realization that I was still pulled into his chest made me instinctively step backwards. I felt the blush warm my pale skin. His eyes warmed to me and a sinfully good smile crossed his lips.

“What floor did you want Evie?”

“Oh um”, I glanced through my papers, “twelve please”.

We travelled up the climbing elevator in silence. I tried to distract myself and think about the impending day of work I had. Designing and making real jewellery that people would buy. I was now worried I had just destroyed my opportunity before it had even begun.

My thoughts were broken by the noise of the lift coming to a halt. I looked up and here I was, the number twelve glowed against the dark screen set above the lift doors. I glanced over to my tall, dark stranger, offering a nervous smile as I gathered my composure and left the lift. As the doors closed behind me I exhaled deeply.

Looking around me I headed in the direction the reception desk. The hall was bright, white, with high ceilings which allowed the light to reflect off of the huge mirrors which hung seamlessly from the walls. Directly in front of me was a sleek glass table. I ran my finger along the contoured edge. Behind it sat a beautifully presented woman. Perhaps Mid -40’s, but glamorous none the less. She had jet black hair cut into a short sharp bob. Surely that could not be her natural colour? I found myself thinking. I stood there taking in her polished appearance and bright red lipstick. I was waiting for a reaction from her but she kept her eyes pressed firmly to her computer screen. After a couple of minutes which seemed like an eternity I cleared my throat hoping this would gain her attention. It worked. She glanced up at me giving me the once over. I had never felt so self conscious in my life. I started to question my choice in clothing, no, I shouldn’t. I looked smart, or so I thought. I had my black pencil skirt on which clung to all the right places. It accentuated the curve of my lower body and pulled me in at the waist. With it I wore my white blouse tucked into the skirt with a little silver belt and a pair of nude stilettos. No I will not let her intimidate me, I look fine. Don’t I?

I smiled softly, “I am here for Karen Alboni, I am the new Goldsmith”.

She looked amused. “Oh the Goldsmith, I will just call Karen up”.

I couldn’t quite understand her need for sarcasm and the hostile tone in which she spoke to me, but in all honestly, I couldn’t care less. As woman’s figure approached from the distance my anguish began to subside. Karen was a kind and pleasant woman. Firm but fair. She was very short, petite. With waved auburn hair. A streak of metallic silver ran through the front of her fringe, adding a distinguished edge to her. Her glasses sat comfortably on the end on her nose giving a clear view of her warm grey eyes.

“I am so sorry I am late.”

“At least you are here now, but do not, under any circumstances be late into the office again. Understand.” I nodded continuously, making myself look like one of those ridiculous nodding dogs whose heads bob up and down in the back window of a car.

“I will show you to the workshop.”

“Okay, Thank you.”

I couldn’t help it when my mind started to travel to dark corners of my mind. I fantasized about my tall, dark, stranger resting pressing his body into mine again. I half smirked and removed it when I realized Karen was still looking at me.

Could this day get any worse?

We walked behind the reception desk and took a left into a long narrow corridor. This area had a more comforting architectural feel to it. Ox Blood red textured paper lined the walls.

Along the corridor there was a running line of doors to private offices. Between each door there was a sepia photograph of a variety of different faces framed with a crisp bronzed edge.

Karen noticed me looking at them intently. “They are all of the Webber family” she offered.

At the end of the corridor we reached two very grand doors, they must have been at least twelve feet tall. They had hand carved floral embellishments and looked aged, the kind of aged which added to the exceptionally high quality finish of furniture, somewhat antique. Not that I knew much about antiques, the oldest thing I owned was my three year old Swatch watch. We walked past the doors to the left and passed a compact kitchen. Further along was a glass fronted workshop.

Karen knocked on the door.

“Come in”.

As we entered I was distracted by the testosterone that filled the workshop. I was the only female and was now intensely nervous. Not only was I the only female, I was an exceptionally overdressed female. Glancing around the men wore sneakers, jeans, and t-shirts covered in dust. Bollocks. I looked like a complete moron.

“This is Evie” Karen introduced me to a small petite man. He seemed welcoming but he couldn’t quite hide the bemused smile from his mouth.