Portrait in Parts

By Coco Haar

‘All right, he’s gorgeous,’ Megan confessed to her sister, ‘but he knows it and that’s always a turn off.’
Megan is a struggling artist, who takes an office job to pay the bills. The company heartbreaker, Toby, becomes increasingly curious when she stubbornly refuses to take an interest in him.
Their brief encounter is going nowhere until one of Toby's housemates falls in love and the other brings home a beguiling stranger.
Set in England (and written in British English), the story takes you on a journey through the characters' lives and emotions.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Old Mill Books
• Release date: Jul 14, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301736454

Coco Haar

Coco Haar writes in a tree house overlooking a tangled patchwork of woods, fields and hills, never far from the spirit of the earth. It is in this romantic setting that her imagination flies and characters are brought vividly to life.Coco is also a founding member of Old Mill Books, a cooperative which edits and publishes eBooks for a range of clients across the world.

Book preview

PORTRAIT IN PARTS

by

Coco Haar

Published by Old Mill Books

Smashwords Edition

ISBN: 9781301736454

Copyright 2013 Coco Haar

* * * * *

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please and purchase your own copy from Smashwords.com or another online retailer. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

* * * * *

Portrait in Parts

Chapter 1

Toby checked his watch as the elevator doors swooshed open. Elbowing his way out, he headed for the revolving doors at the far end of the lobby. If he was quick, he’d miss her. Picking up speed and with eyes on the exit, he was suddenly waylaid by a confusion of papers fluttering around his head.

‘Shit!’ Someone sounded angry. ‘Can’t you look where you’re going?’

He glimpsed a despairing woman, hands to cheeks, staring at a mess of papers floating to the floor, and Toby realised that he had been the cause of her catastrophe.

Gently moaning her misery, the woman bent down and started gathering up the papers, distractedly pushing back tendrils of hair that had escaped a clasp at the back of her head.

At that exact moment long manicured legs were stepping from the escalator. Toby shot a hopeful glance towards the rotating door and knew he would never reach it in time. If he hadn’t been stopped by this wretched woman, he would have been clean away, but ten metres of polished floor stood between him and the door, and he would be in view all the way.

Crouching down to stay out of view, he found himself next to the woman who was gathering papers. He tried to think. Jade wouldn’t see him down there, not yet. But all would be lost the moment he stood up.

An assistant from the sixth floor stopped to help.

‘No!’ cried the alarmed woman on the floor and then, realising how rude she had sounded, added, ‘Thank you, but you’ll only make it worse.’

But the assistant wasn’t listening. She only had eyes for Toby and offered him an inviting smile, the few papers she had already gathered totally forgotten.

He wondered if she might be worth following up, but doubted it.

The woman on the floor glanced at the pair of them, rolled her eyes heavenward and snatched the papers. ‘Thank you,’ she said crisply, returning to her task.

Unsure what to do, the assistant threw Toby a hopeful smile which he did not return and, disappointed, she left. He watched her for no more than a couple of seconds before remembering his situation.

The woman was still crawling around picking up individual papers and a solution suddenly occurred to him, as long as she would play along. He didn’t have much time. Jade was advancing. ‘Will you be my girlfriend?’

‘What?’ The woman asked irritably, still concentrating on the papers.

‘Just for five minutes, please?’

‘What are you talking about?’

‘I need a girlfriend for five minutes.’

She had never heard him talk up close before. He had a deep voice, sort of velvety. Curiosity got the better of her. ‘Why?’

‘Just for five minutes.’

She was wary. ‘What do you want me to do?’

‘Nothing!’

Her brow furrowed. This was bizarre. He was keeping his head low, as if hiding. She glanced around, but couldn’t work out why.

‘What’s your name?’ he asked.

‘Meggie,’ she said without thinking.

He visibly relaxed, knowing she would play along, and it was that confidence that annoyed her the most.

‘Sorry, love,’ he said more audibly, with the sort of smile that she thought had probably bought him out of trouble many times. ‘I just wasn’t looking where I was going.’

‘Toby?’

The well-groomed voice came from above. Toby and Megan looked up the long blond legs to the long blond hair: faultless nails, immaculate make-up, and designer suit.

‘Jade!’ Toby said with an easy smile as he stood. ‘I didn’t expect to see you today.’

‘I often come in on a Friday.’

‘You would have thought I should have known that,’ he said delivering another charming smile.

‘Who is this?’ she asked of the woman on the floor, as if requesting the origins of a stray dog.

‘Oh, haven’t you met?’ Toby asked.

Megan couldn’t remember if she had agreed to help him. She had no desire to, but he was clearly expecting it and so, smiling as coolly as she could, she took the hand he was holding towards her and allowed him to help her to her feet.

‘Jade, this is Meggie.’

Jade looked vaguely confused.

‘My girlfriend,’ he explained.

Jade was unable to hide her surprise. ‘How do you do, Meggie.’

‘Megan,’ the girlfriend corrected her, ‘only my closest friends call me Meggie.’

Toby nearly laughed out loud. This woman was good.

‘Where did he find you?’ Jade asked, obviously not impressed.

‘I work on the fourth floor in accounts.’

Jade allowed her eyes to trail from Megan’s awry hair to her comfortable shoes. ‘Unusual choice,’ she said, offering Toby a perfect smile.

‘Meggie’s one in a million,’ he said, returning the smile.

Megan wasn’t sure quite how well these two knew each other. They seemed to be sparring.

‘Will we be seeing you tonight?’ Jade asked.

It was a moment before Megan realised that Jade was talking to her. ‘Please forgive me.’ She had done her bit. ‘I’m in a bit of a hurry. Sorry.’ She turned to Toby, bestowed on him an affection smile and said, ‘Go without me.’ Sinking to her knees she returned to her papers, believing her job to be done and expecting him to go away.

Toby hesitated, uncharacteristically unsure what to do. If he were to leave at this moment, he would have to walk out with Jade, which was what he’d been trying to avoid in the first place. He didn’t want to risk messing up when the girl had performed so well. On the other hand, he had just announced to a very well connected woman that he was dating a lowly secretary from fourth floor accounts. That wouldn’t fit the image he strove to portray within the company.

He needed to play for time. ‘I can’t leave Meggie,’ he said pulling a face that said he’d really messed up, ‘after all,’ he waved his hand in the direction of the scattered papers, ‘this is my fault.’

Megan looked up at her boyfriend. Surely he wasn’t going to get down on all fours with her, not Mark Tobin from the eleventh floor. This was too weird for words.

Jade clearly thought the same. ‘You’re going to…’ she spread her long manicured fingers as she tried to work out a suitable word, ‘…scramble around the floor on your knees?’ she asked dubiously.

‘No,’ smiled Megan. She had played her part, done her bit and enough was enough. Putting all thought of ordering the papers out of her mind, she gathered them up willy-nilly. ‘I’ve got them now.’ She smiled first at Jade and then at Toby. ‘No harm done,’ and she moved in the direction of the elevator.

‘See you later,’ he said to Jade.

‘This evening?’

‘Of course. Looking forward to it,’ and, before she could say anything more, he followed Megan towards the elevator and waited with her there. He guessed Jade would still be watching. If he was going to make this charade believable, he had to do something. He leant towards Megan, meaning to lightly kiss her on the forehead, but she pulled away.

‘No way,’ she said, her eyes firing warning darts at him.

He was startled. He couldn’t remember the last time a woman had refused a kiss.

The elevator arrived and the occupants left in a hurry. It was the end of the week and they had places to go.

‘You don’t have to come up with me,’ she said quietly.

‘Yes I do.’

They stepped inside and the doors closed. They were alone.

‘Thank you,’ he said, meaning it. ‘You really saved my life down there.’

‘That’s OK.’

‘I’m sorry about all these,’ he looked towards the bundle of papers resting in the crook of his arm. ‘Is it a total disaster?’

‘Yes, but I’ll sort it.’

‘I’ll help.’

‘No,’ she said quickly. ‘It’ll be faster on my own.’

The elevator stopped and she left.

Toby followed.

‘What are you doing?’ Megan asked.

‘Coming with you.’

‘I’d rather you didn’t. I didn’t mind helping you downstairs, but would prefer this little make-believe of ours doesn’t become general knowledge.’

‘Why?’

‘I don’t want people thinking I really am going out with you.’

This came as something as a surprise to Toby. He knew that he was an attractive man with great prospects and the reputation of being rather good in bed. She, on the other hand, was a lowly secretary from accounts. Although he appreciated her long legs and unexpected good looks, she was not well groomed and definitely not his usual standard. ‘Why wouldn’t you want people to think we’re dating?’

Megan bit her bottom lip, which he found rather attractive, and tried to put it tactfully. ‘I don’t think you’re my type.’

‘Type,’ he said, ‘I’m not your type?’ Toby thought about this. ‘What is your type?’

‘Not you,’ and she walked off.

He thought about this for a moment, but was so intrigued that he found himself incapable of walking away. Quickly catching her up, he asked, ‘Do you like them older, or younger?’

She didn’t answer.

‘Or fat or ugly or maybe with no prospects? Is that it? Do you like men without a future?’

She marched into the office with him at her heels.

Women loved him. He usually had to fight them off, hence his little charade downstairs with Jade. This woman was becoming something of a challenge. Then it suddenly struck him. ‘Are you a lesbian?’

‘What?’ she asked, not quite believing the question.

‘That’s it, isn’t it?’ he said triumphantly.

‘You’re unbelievable,’ she said dismissively.

Something about her attitude persuaded him this was not the reason. ‘Well,’ he said, utterly baffled, ‘why am I not your type?’

She decided that if she was going to get rid of him, she’d have to be blunt. ‘You’re just too good at this.’

‘At what?’

‘Picking up women. I bet ninety per cent of the females you know would do anything to go out with you.’

He couldn’t deny it, but modesty forbade him agreeing.

‘And I don’t like pushy men.’

Pushy? Was he pushy? No one had ever complained that he was pushy. ‘Do you think all this is an elaborate plan to ask you for a date? Because it isn’t. You’ve been great. Down there you were absolutely brilliant,’ and he mimicked her. ‘ Only my closest friends call me Meggie. ‘ You were amazing. I owe you, big time, and I’m very grateful, but I don’t want to go out with you.’

‘Good. Now go away.’

Toby propped himself against the edge of a desk, folded his arms and studied her while she painstakingly lay the papers across the floor. Looking down on her from above, he could fully appreciate her figure. She had a great arse. He waited for her to look up, but she didn’t and he began to wonder whether she had forgotten he was even there. She was an intriguing woman.

When all the papers were in their allotted heaps, Megan began compiling them. Finally, she had them properly ordered and stood up, once more cradling the pile in the crook of her arm. She had hoped that, by ignoring him, he would get the message and leave. ‘You still here?’ she asked in a bored voice.

Something compelled him to press on. ‘I need another favour.’

‘I’m afraid you’re right out of them.’

He usually got his own way. ‘Meggie,’ he said with a confident smile.

‘Megan,’ she corrected him.

‘It was Meggie before.’

‘That was down there. This is up here.’

She was hard work. He liked that. ‘OK Megan. I’ll lay my cards on the table. Your work, down there, was brilliant… but it’s not over.’

‘I’m not going out with you.’

‘Tonight there’s a party at my place.’

‘I’m not going.’

‘It’s an engagement party for my house mate, Jack. He and his girlfriend are making it official.’ He paused and looked at her, head on one side waiting for a response.

‘And…?’ she asked impatiently.

‘Jade is going to be there.’

‘No, no, definitely not. I’ve got to get these papers to the porter’s office, they should have been there twenty minutes ago, and then I have a life.’ She walked out of the door.

The corridor was now deserted. ‘It wouldn’t be a date,’ he said as he followed, ‘because my real girlfriend will be there.’

Stopping in her tracks, Megan turned to face him. ‘If you already have a girlfriend, why do you need me?’

‘It’s complicated.’

She was more than a little intrigued. ‘Explain.’

Toby sucked in a long breath. He hoped this was going to come out right. ‘For several weeks I’ve been dating Jade’s sister, Fawn.’

‘So,’ Megan said, trying to get her facts straight, ‘you’re going out with Jade’s sister. I’ve got this right, Jade was the woman downstairs.’

‘Yes.’

‘For several weeks…’ she paused, ‘I think you said weeks?’

He nodded.

‘Then why hasn’t Jade worked out that you’re not available? That play-acting downstairs was an attempt to keep her at arms length?’

‘It was.’

‘OK,’ she said, feeling she might regret the next question, but too intrigued to let it drop. ‘Why does Jade want to date her sister’s boyfriend?’

‘She doesn’t know about Fawn and me.’

‘Hey!’ exclaimed Megan with a triumphant smile, ‘I’ve got a plan!’ She waved her free hand theatrically, ‘Why not tell her?’

Toby put his hands in his pockets. This wasn’t going to sound as good as it had felt these last few weeks. ‘Nobody knows about Fawn and me.’

‘And that would be because….?’

‘She’s married.’

Megan shook her head in total disgust. ‘You’re sickening!’ she said contemptuously and, turning on her heels, stalked into Mr Crannum’s deserted office, placed a couple of folders on his desk and came back out, still with the pile of papers, to find Toby leaning against the wall.

He was wondering why women didn’t understand these things. ‘I didn’t chase Fawn.’

‘You just stood still long enough for her to catch you.’

‘Yes, well… sort of.’ It wasn’t coming out right. Normally Toby had no problem explaining himself to women. ‘I’m not a marriage-wrecker.’

‘You’re a marriage-wrecker’s son and you’re only wrecking marriages till the marriage-wrecker comes,’ she said, misquoting the tongue-twister.

He didn’t respond. She was taking the piss and he didn’t like it.

‘Oh I get it,’ she continued pretending to have had a revelation, ‘you’re having an affair with a married woman because it will make her marriage stronger!’

‘You have to know Fawn to realise it’s no big deal. She does this sort of thing all the time.’

‘Oh,’ she was rather enjoying herself now, ‘that’s all right then. Good choice, dating a slut!’

‘She’s not a slut.’

‘What do you call a woman who continually cheats on her husband?’

‘He’s a prick!’

‘So are you!’

* * * * *

Chapter 2

Toby wasn’t used to secretaries talking back to him; mostly they flattered him. This one needed careful handling.

For some unknown reason, he really wanted her at the party tonight. ‘You’re right,’ he conceded, ‘I shouldn’t date married women and I deserve all the trouble I get, but you’d not be doing this for me.’

The look she gave him clearly stated she didn’t trust him.

‘If there’s a scene tonight, it will ruin Jack and Jemima’s evening.’

‘Why should there be a scene?’ she asked. ‘All you have to do is go to the party. Jade will be there, but she can’t have you because she thinks you have a girl friend, which you do, but not the one she thinks you have. So, you tell Jade you’re off limits because although I’m not there, I’ll kill you if you two-time me.’ It sounded a good plan. She was quite pleased with herself.

‘It wouldn’t work.’

‘It’s the best I can do,’ she said walking into the cloakroom. ‘You’re on your own.’

Toby waited outside. It gave him time to think and he was quite satisfied with what he came up with.

When she came out in her coat and saw him standing there she sighed deeply.

‘What will you say on Monday?’ he asked as they walked to the elevator.

‘Monday?’

‘What will you say about what’s happened here?’

‘Nothing’s happened,’ she said as if talking to a three year old. ‘No one heard what we said and so no one will think that you and I are dating, and the people who know me know I wouldn’t go out with a man like you anyway.’

The elevator arrived and they both boarded.

‘You’re probably right,’ he said. ‘It’s just that Jade is a bit of a talker.’

She looked at him through narrowed eyes ‘What are you saying?’

‘Jade only comes into the office when she feels like it because she’s well connected, and she doesn’t actually do much because she’s useless, but she has made it her purpose in life to know everyone of significance and at that, she excels. Although Jack doesn’t work here, he’s invited a few of the people and Jade will know them all.’

‘But they don’t know me.’

‘Do you know Danny Bandler?’

‘No.’

‘He’s from consultancy and he’s dating Delia from accounts.’

‘Delia?’ her eyes widened.

They were green. He liked green eyes.

‘Not Delia ‘the-office-gossip’ Naylor?’ she asked.

‘The very one.’

She was cornered. ‘You bastard!’

‘Just one evening.’ He tried to make it sound as if it was only a tiny favour. ‘You come tonight, as my girlfriend, and I’ll let you break up with me right in the middle of everything.’

‘I don’t want anyone to think I ever had anything to do with you.’

‘Why not?’ he asked truly perplexed. ‘I thought I was a catch.’

‘Self-seeking bimbos date you. I do not want to be regarded as one of those.’

‘I go out with classy women.’

‘They’re not classy, they just have a weekly manicure.’

He wondered if she was right?

Involuntarily, Megan looked at her own nails and briefly wondered if she should consider the occasional manicure. ‘And anyway,’ she added looking up, ‘I don’t want people thinking I’ve slept with you.’

‘Don’t you like sex?’

It was an outrageous question. Megan momentarily drew breath to answer, but no words came and so she turned and marched out of the lift and across the nearly deserted foyer to the porter’s office. ‘Just dropping these off, Reg,’ she called out. ‘Sorry they’re a bit late.’

‘Right you are,’ came the amiable reply. ‘Have a good weekend, Megan, love.’

‘You too,’ and she came back out. Buttoning her coat, she quickly exited through the revolving doors and started hurrying along the road.

He was instantly by her side. ‘When did you last have sex?’

‘I can’t believe you asked me that.’

‘Because sometimes it makes people a tiny bit tetchy if they’ve had a bit of break in that department.’

She stopped and stared at him. ‘If you say I need a bloody good seeing to, I’ll deck you.’

‘I’m saying you’re uncomfortable with sex.’

‘I’m uncomfortable with you!’ and she started walking again.

He suddenly had a great idea. ‘That could be the reason why we break up.’

She kept walking.

‘Tonight at the party,’ he continued. ‘We have a row and break up because I want to sleep with you and you won’t.’

This silenced Megan. She ran it through her mind. It would cover everything. It might even work. She looked at him. ‘And we’ll have this row near Delia?’

‘Absolutely.’

‘But then you’re still in the shit with Jade. Once I’ve dumped you, you’d be available.’

‘I’d plead a broken heart.’

‘Would she buy it?’

He thought about this. ‘I think she might, for a bit. At the very least it would buy me time to think of something else.’

‘What about Fawn?’

He looked puzzled.

‘Mightn’t she be a bit miffed that you’re cheating on her, or doesn’t she mind as long as it’s not her sister?’

‘I’ll tell her.’

‘And what about your self respect? Being dumped by a lowly accounts secretary from the fourth floor doesn’t exactly fit your image.’ She pulled a face. ‘It wouldn’t look good.’

‘I could handle that.’

‘What about ruining your friend’s party?’

‘People will love it. It’ll probably be the floor-show that gets the whole evening going. But I’ll tell Jack the truth. Always do.’

‘Then why not row with Jade if a scene will make everyone happy.’

‘Because people know Jade and they’ll take sides. It could turn nasty. No one knows you and so no one will care.’

‘Your friends sound charming,’ she said icily.

He looked at her hopefully. ‘Will you do it?’

She didn’t want to. ‘Why don’t you just tell Jade you don’t fancy her?’

‘She’d be hurt and that would make Fawn cross and… let’s just say, I don’t want to annoy Fawn. Please will you do it?’

She paused. This was the most ridiculous thing that had ever happened to her. ‘And we’ll break-up in public?’

‘Definitely.’

‘Because I won’t sleep with you.’

‘Yes.’

She paused, desperately trying to think of another way out, but nothing came to her. ‘I suppose so.’

‘Thank you.’

They were at the station.

‘Will you collect me?’

‘I’ll send a car.’

Megan thought that sounded pompous.

‘I’ll need your address.’

She found an old envelope in her handbag and handed it over.

‘Have you something you can wear?’ he asked.

‘I might not be on the eleventh floor,’ she said crossly, ‘but I do have presentable clothes!’

Realising his mistake, he quickly said. ‘I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…’ but he didn’t finish because he couldn’t think of anything to make it sound better. ‘I’ll see you tonight,’ he said with a faint smile. He looked at the envelope and calculated the amount of time needed. ‘The car will be with you at six forty.’

‘OK. Have you got them a present?’

‘All taken care of.’

‘Then I’ll see you later.’ She fleetingly wondered if there was anything else she needed to know, but decided there wasn’t and so, after a moment’s hesitation, walked away.

Toby watched her disappear into the station before returning to the underground car park where the company valet would be waiting with his car. He wondered why he had gone to such lengths to get her to the party. He was sure he could have sorted this out without her.

What the hell was he doing?

She was right; sometimes he was a prick!

*

Toby descended the sweeping staircase and waited at the bottom for one of the caterers to carry a large box of glasses through the hall. There were people everywhere. Attempting to escape the frenetic activity, he went out on to the veranda.

Jack was already there.

‘Do we really have to ponce the place up for tonight?’ Toby asked, lighting a cigarette.

‘Jemima wants it done properly. You are going to dress up, aren’t you?’

‘Just because you do everything she wants, it doesn’t mean I have to.’

‘But you will.’

‘Of course I will. But it might do your forthcoming marriage a bit of good if you said no to her once in a while.’

Jack smiled.

Toby found Jack amiable to the point of frustration. Taller than Toby by a couple of inches and with fair hair, Jack had an