After that first get-together I noticed the guys toned down their flirting with me, they would laugh and joke with me, but the sexual undertone was gone. I found out many years later that Grant had made it known I was to be left alone. As the year went on we seemed to get together every couple of months, everyone enjoyed each occasion and I saw nothing else between Cindy and Grant, so perhaps I had imagined it after all.
Whenever it was my turn to dance a slow number with Grant he’d hold me close and, although I hadn’t really taken to the man, I liked dancing with him. He had a way with him, a bearing, he felt strong, in control, dominant even. I respected him and he made me feel safe. While we were together he seemed to focus on me, on my enjoyment, that said, he was always a gentleman. As time went on I began to feel slightly disappointed that he took no liberties with me, his hands never strayed, and he didn’t press himself against me inappropriately. I’m not sure how I would have handled it if he had though, I convinced myself it was a good thing he behaved.
I was still living with my student friends close to the university, so I went out with them most weekends, of course I occasionally enjoyed male company but, like the previous years, nothing regular or serious. When my friends went home during the Christmas break I had to work so stayed in the house alone, and of course there was the company Christmas Party to attend. I splashed out on a new dress and decided in advance to let my hair down. Tom, the one single guy in the team agreed to escort me and we sat with three others from our team who were with their partners. We had a blast.
One thing that did notice was that although Cindy was with her husband I saw her slip out of the room alone and that Grant followed a few minutes later. Cindy’s husband was sitting and laughing with some of the others from our team and appeared not to notice his wife’s absence. I saw Grant return to the room about twenty minutes later, Cindy was still missing, I didn’t actually see her return but next time I noticed she was back in place at her table.
I had my couple of dances with Grant of course, I was pleased when he complimented me on my dress. We’d both had a few drinks by then and I admit to pressing myself against him, perhaps a little closer than normal, I was impressed with what I briefly felt between us. However, he seemed slightly embarrassed by it and gently moved me away from his body with a smile. At the next song he tapped Tom’s shoulder to exchange partners. I felt a stab of disappointment at what felt like a rejection so moulded myself seductively into Tom, who seemed not to mind.
At the end of the evening Tom called a taxi and travelled with me to my digs, after asking the driver to wait he walked me to my door. We’d both been drinking and were quite ‘merry,’ so I pulled him to me to press my lips to his, he returned the kiss with some passion until we broke apart and I breathlessly invited him in. We both knew what was on offer so imagine my surprise when he refused, whispering, “thank you, you’re gorgeous, but I can’t.” Before I could ask why, or even say any more, he’d returned to the waiting cab and was gone.
Nothing was said on the Monday morning, Tom greeted me with a smile and said how much he’d enjoyed my company, it was too public for me to query his sudden departure, so I just smiled and went to my desk.
Grant arrived about five minutes later and asked me to join him in his office. This was unusual, I followed him and took the proffered seat as he discarded his jacket. “Did you have a good time on Saturday evening?”
I replied in the affirmative. He smiled and continued, “Good, I enjoyed dancing with you, you looked lovely, did young Tom behave himself and return you home in one piece?” Again, my answer was positive. “I’m glad to hear it.”
We then talked about the work I’d been doing, whether I enjoyed it, was it something I was interested in, that sort of thing. Once he’d listened to my responses he seemed slightly distracted for a few moments, looked at his computer then, “I’d like to discuss your progress and future plans in the new year. When we get back we’ll arrange something, perhaps an informal meeting somewhere.” He then paused and looked thoughtful for a long moment, then, “OK, that’s all for now, have a good relaxing break.”
That was it, I was dismissed. As I left his office Cindy passed me to enter his office, she looked a little tense and I noticed she closed the door firmly behind her. I was too busy to notice when the door opened but when I did next see her Cindy was back at her desk looking a lot more relaxed than when she passed me earlier.
Later that day I mentioned my meeting to Natalie, and that Grant wanted to speak to me again later, she smiled, “That’s good, he likes you, we both think you will fit in well with us here. You and I will talk again too.”
I went home to my family for Christmas, staying until the new year, it was nice to be home with my parents and to see old friends while there. I did meet my old boyfriend and his new partner, he seemed happy enough.
When I returned to work I was relaxed and raring to go, as were the rest of the team. As time went on I was able to offer more and really enjoyed the opportunity to build my experience. One worry I had was that Grant seemed slightly more distant with me and the rest of the team, he seemed distracted at times and hardly spoke to me in particular, he made no mention of our further meeting. We did still go out as a team a couple more times and I did dance with Grant, but things were not the same somehow.
Time seemed to fly, and my secondment was almost at an end when Grant called me into his office one Monday morning. “Are you free on Friday evening?” I told him I was. “Good, I’ll pick you up at 7 o’clock, we can talk about your future, dress for a meal and perhaps some dancing.” I nodded my assent before he added, “Good, now I think Natalie would like to see you in the conference room.”
Natalie told me they’d been pleased with my performance and impressed by my attitude to work. She handed me a sealed envelope that she said contained the university assessment forms she’d filled in for me, there was also a letter to my course tutor. As she stood to signal the end of our meeting she asked, “Has Grant arranged a meeting with you for later in the week?” I said he had. “Good, I know he has a proposal for you to consider.”
Her comment set my mind racing, what sort of proposal? Why after work, in a restaurant, dancing? I was not interested in a relationship with him, after all I didn’t really like him, certainly in that way, and by his reaction when we danced I was sure the feeling was mutual.
The week seemed to last forever as I wracked my brain as to what would happen when I met him. Friday arrived and he was out of the office all day so I could not gauge his mood. It was a rush, but I was ready at the appointed time, I wore a modest ‘little black dress,’ it wasn’t too short and showed only a respectable amount of cleavage. My favourite heels and new underwear completed my outfit.