Mr Right I Presume?

By SJ Welsted

This is SJ's debut self-published (including editing) novel.

Debbie was working in a dead end job, wondering where her life was going, when she realises that a colleague of hers might just be the one. Their attachment grows and quickly Debbie's life is thrown into turmoil of love and lust with someone who she discovers isn't truly hers. While her attachment to her colleague, James, increases she gains her own independence from her parents, renting a small cottage on her father's friends farm. She discovers herself torn between an exciting lie at her boring job and a chance for a new life in a career she had only dreamed about. While working on the farm she finds friendship with the farmer's son and she begins to doubt where her relationship with James can really go.

Will she ever know who is Mr Right?

• Language: English
• Publisher: SJ Welsted
• Release date: Mar 18, 2015
• ISBN: 9781310690860

SJ Welsted

SJ was born in Nairobi, Kenya in 1982. From there she travelled with her parents to many places around the globe. Books and writing have always been her way of relaxing. All her life she has had vivid dreams. Then one day she decided that perhaps the reason she dreamt so much was because they needed to be written. And so, in between working with her animals and looking after her small household, she wrote down the dreams until slowly each became a story in their own right.

Book preview

Mr. Right I Presume?

S.J. Welsted

Author’s Note

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

The scanning, uploading and distribution of this book via the internet or any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorised electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

SJ Welsted asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

Copyright © S J Welsted 2014

For Ali

Table of Contents

~ Chapter 1 – Where it all began ~

~ Chapter 2 – The Cottage ~

~ Chapter 3 – Working together as ‘friends’ ~

~ Chapter 4 – The Conference ~

~ Chapter 5 – The Day of the Conference ~

~ Chapter 6 – Back To Reality ~

~ Chapter 7 – The All Nighter ~

~ Chapter 8 – Back on The Farm ~

~ Chapter 9 – Splitting the Two Jobs ~

~ Chapter 10 – The Straw Cart ~

~ Chapter 11 – Choices to be Made ~

~ Chapter 12 – A New Idea ~

~ Chapter 13 – A Date Between Friends ~

~ Chapter 14 – A Decision Has To Be Made ~

~ Chapter 15 – Another Friendship Date ~

~ Chapter 16 – Rain Calls Off Work On The Farm ~

~ Chapter 17 – Approval Of The Plan ~

~ Chapter 18 – A Surprise Visitor ~

~ Chapter 19 – An End To A New Beginning ~

~ Chapter 1 – Where it all began ~

As Debbie stood by the photocopier, she kept thinking do you find me attractive? In her head it sounded so simple, yet the more she repeated it, the more stupid and desperate it sounded. As she looked over to his desk, she wondered how he felt. How on earth was she to find out such a thing without being really obvious or asking someone else? If it came to that then they might as well go back to school and play kiss chase! The last thing she wanted to do was to make either of them feel uncomfortable, for one thing he was pretty much her supervisor, but also she’d recently found a safe haven with him from all the chaos and annoyances that came with taking on more responsibilities then just being a bog standard administrator.

‘How are the copies going?’ James asked as he walked past the copier on his way to the kitchen. ‘Need a coffee yet?’

How long had she been daydreaming, the copier had actually finished printing. ‘You made me jump!’ She exclaimed, bringing her hand to her chest and turning her head to smile at him.

‘Terribly sorry, if I knew you were going to be that deep in thought over the copier I would have made more noise.’ James chuckled and gave his usual cheeky grin.

Trying to hide the fact the machine had finished she said, ‘They just need collating now. A coffee would be great thanks. You remember how I like it?’

‘Of course I know how you like it!’ and he winked as he walked off through the open door and down to the kitchen.

Debbie fought off visions of following him down to the kitchen and kissing him as she picked up the stack of papers and headed back to her desk. It was to be a short stop before heading over to the empty table by the window, but then she decided that it was now or never and besides she needed to go get her coffee.

Without a glance to anyone else in the office, she turned and walked out and down to the kitchen. As she came in, the steam was pouring out of the kettle as the button clicked back to its original position.

‘Hey!’ Debbie said as he poured out the hot water into two mugs.

‘I was going to bring this down to your desk.’

‘Thanks, but I thought I could do with stretching my legs, I had zoned out for a bit at the copier just now.’

James chuckled, ‘that’s why I decided to offer you a drink as you seemed to stand there staring at the machine. So did it collate ok?’

Reddening slightly as she always did when she found that he had been watching her while she worked, she said ‘Hum… No, which means it’s going to take me a while to sort now. Oh well, good job Fiona hasn’t come back to me about that client visit she said about doing.’

‘Oh is that what you were thinking about?’ He winked as he stirred in milk. ‘Thought it would be much more exciting.’

Her hand extended forward quickly as she said, ‘Oh James, don’t forget I can’t have milk!’

‘Sorry was a mile away!’ He’d already begun to pour as realisation kicked in.

‘Somewhere good I hope?’ Now it was her turn to give a cheeky grin.

‘Always!’ They stared at each other for a few seconds before both broke contact, ‘I’ll make you another. Why don’t you go start collating and I’ll bring it down to you?’

‘OK, ta.’ She had just got to the door when she suddenly stopped and turned back to face him, ‘Can I ask you something?’

As he poured his first attempt at making a coffee down the sink, he responded, ‘Of course, but is it wise for you to be thinking so early after staring aimlessly at a machine?’

‘Ha ha!’ If you only knew what I was thinking you’d most probably stop me. She once again fought off visions of kissing him and moved back in, closing the door to the kitchen.

‘Take it that it’s personal?’ He said and after refilling the kettle to the first line, as she told him to do, he turned to face her giving her his full attention. ‘It’s not a ‘woman’ problem is it?’ His face mirrored his concern that, even as a first aid officer, he really didn’t want to deal with womanly type issues.

‘No, I just don’t want anyone else hearing what I want to talk about.’ She could feel her stomach doing somersaults and she could hardly believe what she was about to say. ‘I just want to clear something up.’

‘OK?’ His voice and facial expression became very serious and quite off putting, she preferred his more jovial side, but at least she knew he was listening.

‘Our banter, is it just banter?’ Oh god she’d said the wrong thing, why didn’t she say the bloody sentence she’s been practising for the past week in her head! ‘Even the more risky stuff?’

‘Yeah,’ James said very slowly and then quickly added, ‘why? I haven’t offended you have I?’

Debbie winced and looked at the floor and then back at him. ‘No! No course not, it’s quite a good laugh, I just…’ a small cough escaped her throat, then with a draw of breath thinking of how dry her throat had suddenly become. She went on, ‘I just want to be clear that there’s nothing meant by it, as I would hate for either of us to get into trouble because of miscommunication or by someone else thinking it is otherwise.’ For some reason she turned slightly as if preparing to make a run for it. ‘We just get on so well and…’

James interrupted, looking very uncomfortable. ‘Don’t be silly, look…’

Before he could continue she turned her back and started towards the door, saying over her shoulder, ‘Forget I ever said anything.’ She didn’t want to ask him out or make him think she was a complete loon, but she feared she had done both.

‘Wait a minute.’ He quickly closed the gap, reached out and touched the side of her left arm. She stopped and turned her body. ‘You’re right we shouldn’t speak that way really. I have gotten myself into trouble with such behaviour before and really I should learn. We do get on and it’s refreshing to have someone I can banter with. If you would rather we didn’t I completely understand?’

‘Now your being silly!’ She gently batted the side of his arm, ‘It is fun and sometimes makes the day seem much more bearable.’ She relaxed slightly and came back towards the kitchen unit. ‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to make it sound like I didn’t want to have a joke with you. What I really wanted to know was if you were also attracted to me as well as just having a laugh.’ She smiled and resisted the temptation to reach out and stroke the side of his arm again.

James smiled back and once again their eyes locked together, but then, as the kettle came to boil and clicked off, his eyes diverted and the smile went. ‘You’d better go start collating.’ Debbie got the impression that something else was needed to be said, but he had opted for using the making of her coffee as an excuse to get her to leave. Slightly confused she turned and headed back to the office, stopping at the kitchen door to look back. When he didn’t look up she shrugged and continued back to the office.

What the hell was that about? She pondered as she started to break the enormous copied pile into its individual sections. I guess there is something I don’t know?

When James came back in he popped her cup on her wolf coaster, gave a forced smile and walked over to his desk. The office was not overly large like a call centre, but it was open plan. The manager, Fiona, had a desk situated next to the window, with her back facing the wall. She claimed it was so that she could look out the window if she wanted to, but they all knew it was so she could keep an eye on their work. James’s desk was situated at a right angle to Fiona’s and Debbie’s was roughly six feet directly behind his. In the office there were two others, Marcus and Katie. Both Marcus and Katie’s desks faced into the room, opposite James and Debbie’s desks. The whole layout was basically so that even though each could see one another no one could really get away with having a prolonged chat.

Debbie had just about finished putting each bundle of papers into their individual sections when her telephone rang. The tone itself suggested an internal call so she picked it up without thinking to look around.

‘Need a hand?’ Debbie sighed to herself and looked across the room to Marcus and smiled. ‘You could help me bring the piles over to the spare desk by the window?’

Debbie liked Marcus; he was a pleasant guy and had helped her to learn the whole routine, as he had once been the admin. He had taken a course in IT and was now the sole support for the small packaging company. She’d been working at the centre for over a year now, but she still needed his guidance and help from time to time. Still looking at each other Marcus asked, ‘How many piles do you have?’

‘Ten.’ She smiled to Marcus and he gave his usual thumbs up.

Once they started carrying the piles over to the desk it did not take long to organise them into the order that they needed to be correlated into.

‘How come so many piles?’ Marcus enquired as they moved the last few piles to the desk.

‘Remember Fiona saying about a big client we were taking on?’

‘Yeah?’

‘Well this is their welcome pack and all that we have to offer.’ Debbie gave the typical grin of corporate know how.

‘Oh I see, well it’s about time for lunch, you eating in the canteen today?’

‘Most probably. I’ll see you in there in a sec.’

‘Ok grand.’ Marcus went to his desk to pick up his jacket and wallet before heading out with Katie. Katie was still quite new and Debbie had been training her on bits and pieces and consequently Katie had been like a sheep to Debbie. However, she had recently started to learn the day-to-day routine and was quite happy to get on with the bits she knew while Debbie worked on the other things.

She had just put got a stack of envelopes out from under the table and herself set up for mailing after lunch, when James came over and stood within a few inches of her.

‘Oh hi!’ Debbie said as she quickly looked up at him. She wasn’t quite sure what to do or why he had come over to her. He had come to collect her for lunch before, stating that he knew that she would get engrossed and fail to remember to eat. Perhaps this would be no different.

She smiled, but her smile quickly disappeared as she realised that James had a very serious face.

‘Debbie, about earlier…’ he looked anywhere but at Debbie as he spoke.

‘Hey don’t worry about it. I’m fine with the banter honest.’

His hand came up to almost head height in an unusual authoritative manner, indicating that he didn’t want her to speak. ‘Yes I am attracted to you’. Debbie was slightly taken aback by this, even though they were in a deserted office, it was unlike James to be quite so forward, but she kept quiet and allowed him to carry on. ‘The thing is I shouldn’t be. I’m 10 years older than you Debs and I am your supervisor and I know I’ve never said, but I am actually married. We really shouldn’t have the banter in the first place.’

Debbie slowly answered, ‘OK, it’s only seven by the way.’ Feeling completely uncomfortable and unsure of what to say she looked to the floor and then decided to move back slightly to widen the gap between them. After he hadn’t said anything for a few seconds she looked up and said, ‘That’s why I needed to make it clear. I don’t want a relationship with you, well not sexual anyway. I know I’m single and relatively attractive, but I don’t go out with people I work with. Makes life far too complicated.’ She waved her hands from side to side as she spoke, as she remembered how things had gone in Africa, adding to the aversion of a working relationship. ‘I’m one of these crazy career girls that will most probably end up a spinster with hundreds of cats and dogs instead of a family.’ James chuckled and Debbie relaxed a bit, ‘I wouldn’t mind having an ally though?’ As no response came she said ‘Shall we go to the canteen then, the others have already gone down.’

James shook his head, ‘I’m gonna have lunch out today. I’ll be back in later this afternoon, Fiona knows about it.’

For the first time since the kitchen they looked at each other and smiled before Debbie walked past to her desk. As she took her lunch box from the top draw she turned to James, who had also gone to his desk to collect his car keys, and said, ‘I won’t mention it again, promise.’ Before he could say anything back she walked from the office making a right turn and followed the hallway down to the communal canteen which was next to the kitchen.

The afternoon went relatively quickly and gradually the piles of paper disappeared and the stack of envelopes ready for posting grew. At home time, as the computers and lights were turned off, the usual chit chat occurred each of them in high spirits for another day finished. Debbie reminded Katie that she would be attending the meeting with Fiona in the morning so Katie would need to pick up the post from the front desk as she came in. Katie nodded and Debbie got into her car happy.

The drive home seemed longer than usual, allowing Debbie to go over the last bit of James’ conversation. Marcus chatted for most of the way and she tried to ignore her own brain so as not to arise suspicion. Once it was just her alone in the car she began to wander if he was trying to say that he wanted something more, but because of his wife he wouldn’t want to, or maybe he also had kids that he had never mentioned before. Her mind wondered, she hoped that she would never be in such a situation where she felt she needed to stay because of the children. ‘Why anyone would do that? Or put themselves and their children through it?’ It annoyed her that the car never responded to her questions or comments but she tried all the same. Eventually she finished her musings with, ‘He must really love her and the kids.’

As she pulled into the driveway of her parents’ house, her mum came to greet her at the car. She had just switched off the engine when her mum opened the door, ‘Good day at work?’

‘Yeah, not too bad, glad it’s the weekend tomorrow. Can I get out?’

Stepping back her mum said, ‘Sorry, of course. I’ve got some good news.’ Debbie didn’t think her mum could smile much more or keep it contained anymore, so decided not to antagonise and smiled. ‘You remember Philip who works with Dad?’ It was one of those questions where the person asking assumes the other remembers every person they have ever been introduced to.

‘Give us a clue?’ She asked as they started to walk back towards the front door.

‘Came over for dinner the other week’

‘Bit more?’ Debbie made forward circles with her left hand.

‘Oh Debbie, you make it sound like we are always having dinner parties.’ Debbie raised an eyebrow and they both smiled at each other, as her mum gave her a quick squeeze round the shoulders. ‘He came with his wife Emily, his brother owns a farm’

Looking down and then back to her mum before she stepped through the doorway into the house ‘Ah Phil, brother Trevor that rears rare breed animals, Phil’s got a bit of a gammy leg?’

‘Other way around and Phil is his son, but yes.’ Her mum rolled her eyes as she pushed the front door closed adding, ‘Trust you to remember the leg!’ Debbie shrugged as her mum followed her into the kitchen.

‘Fancy a cuppa, the office was so stuffy today and I didn’t get a chance to grab a drink since lunch.’

Her mum nodded, ‘OK, we’ve got a little while.’

‘Why, what’s happening?’ Debbie asked as she lifted the kettle.

The tap made so much noise while she filled the kettle her mum waited until Debbie had finished. ‘Well, Trevor’s son, Phil, uncovered a cottage in the thicket leading up to the farm while he was back on holiday from Canada and has done it up.’

‘How nice for him!’ It had been a long day and James was still at the forefront of her mind, but as she looked at her mum and the penny dropped, ‘Oh, I see. What you think I’ll be able to afford to rent it? On my wage?’

‘Well, with a bit of help from us and he said that we might be able to come to an agreement if you wanted to help out on the farm.’ Her voice was getting faster in line with her excitement, ‘Of course it would also depend on whether you wanted it or not. It’s a bit further to go but it would give you a chance to get back working with animals again. Plus Alison said that Phil might be coming home again.’

Debbie rolled her eyes and ignoring the last comment asked, ‘When can we go chat to him about it?’

‘Glad you asked, I’ve said we’ll join them for dinner tonight. Dad is on his way home early, for a change, and when he arrives we’ll go.’ Her mum nearly burst with excitement as she said it and Debbie couldn’t help but laugh.

Chuckling she said, ‘Anyone would have thought you wanted to get rid of me.’ The kettle went click behind her, ‘Tea or coffee?’

‘Tea please. So what do you think?’

‘Yeah why not, got nothing planned for tonight.’

‘Didn’t think you had?’ Once the drinks were made they made their way through the dining room into the conservatory at the rear of the house. The sun itself was disappearing from the sky, but as the door opened she could feel the heat that had built up during the spring day. For that very reason the conservatory was one of Debbie’s favourite rooms and it was always bright in there. Spring was starting and the weather was getting warmer and soon it would be Debbie’s favourite season, when she finally could wear less clothing and still feel warm. A remembrance of a place that still had a firm hold over her heart.

They sat down on the old, yet incredibly comfortable cane furniture, Debbie said, ‘I asked James if he liked me during this morning’s coffee break.’ As Debbie had got older her and her mum had become more like sisters and she often confided in her with love life situations. Her mum was always open and gave her an honest opinion often wanting more details then Debbie was willing to give.

‘Wow, what did he say?’

‘Not a lot except that he didn’t think it was appropriate considering he was married and my supervisor.’ Debbie spoke as if she had simply mentioned a simple fact and blew across the top of the cup to cool the hot tea.

‘Married! I thought you said he was single?’ Debbie’s mum stared at her over her cup.

‘I guessed that he was? When he moved into his house he must have meant that he moved back in with her. Never mind, least I now know. Just hope he doesn’t go all weird on me.’

‘I shouldn’t have thought so and if he does just tell him to grow up. You’re not about to break up a marriage are you?’ Her mum might be more of a best friend, but she still was her mum at the end of the day.

‘No, I don’t even want a relationship, which is what I told him. I said that I just wanted to know so that I knew where I stood. As I left he seemed sorry for acting as if I had proposed or something. I think he just didn’t expect me to say it.’

The time slipped by as they chatted about the non-consequential things in life. Once their mouths had acclimatised to the temperature of the tea they were able to drink quite comfortably in silence, taking in the warmth of the sun as the last remaining rays shone through the tinted roof panels. Debbie drifted off into her own thoughts while she sipped her tea. Even though she had been living back at home for nearly a year it still felt slightly odd. She had been away from home for nearly five years, but when she returned from her adventures at university and travelling through Africa she had no way of affording a house or even a flat on her own. She hoped that she would be able to afford this cottage mainly because her folks were due to retire in the next couple of years and she didn’t think she could really afford anywhere in the city. She didn’t really want to be a lodger in someone else’s house or live in a rough estate. Rare breeds as well she thought. That would be almost her dream place, except of course that it’s someone else’s dream, but at least she might be able to partake in it.

They had just about finished their drinks when the front door opened, ‘Hello?’ Debbie’s Dad sang from the front door.

‘Hi. We’re in the conservatory.’ Debbie’s mum called back before draining the last of her tea. As he dad walked in and they said their hello’s Debbie’s mum said, ‘Just finished our teas so we’ll head over to the farm now.’

‘What about my tea?’ Debbie’s dad looked almost mortified to be left out.

‘I’m sure Alison will make you a cup when we get there. If you had got home a bit earlier, as you had said you would,’ she looked over the top of her glasses as she spoke, ‘then you would have had a cup with us.’

Debbie’s dad simply smiled and stuck out his tongue. ‘I had meant to leave the office earlier, but then as if they knew, the phone rang and it was Trevor so I had to answer.’

‘Of course!’ Debbie’s mum chuckled.

~ Chapter 2 – The Cottage ~

Debbie switched off during the drive over to the farm. The farm was near to where her grandmother used to live. It was such a familiar route that Debbie had trouble keeping focused. Luckily her dad drove, otherwise she would have gone onto auto pilot and ended up at the old bungalow instead. The farm was just outside the village and until her dad slowed, Debbie was unsure of where the turning was. Debbie hadn’t even noticed the sign saying TrevorDaw Farm. It reminded her of the entrance to the game park she worked on in Africa. She already liked it and she perked up a bit.

The road seemed to go on forever, but after a few minutes the main barns came into view and then the main farm house. As the trees to the right parted, set back from the main house and barns was the cottage. It was a quaint place. In fact it was a stereotypical white country cottage that you would expect to find lots of hanging baskets outside of. However, it did have a flowering vine growing up the front and Debbie’s heart was taken almost immediately. She began to think that she would simply have to find a way to afford to stay here and just hoped she got along with Trevor and his wife, Alison.

While she was staring at the cottage, her dad had parked up the car and both parents had got out and were walking towards the house to meet Alison.

‘Debbie you going to get out of the car?’ Debbie’s mum’s voice cut through her daydream and she hurriedly took off her seat belt and emerged from the car feeling slightly flushed, as if she had been caught doing something wrong. ‘Debbie this is Alison, Trevor’s wife.’ Debbie’ mum pointed with open hands at the woman standing just in front of the main house, wearing an apron that was covered with flour.

‘Nice to meet you.’ Debbie extended her hand and was happy to find that Alison had a proper firm hand shake. ‘You