Lady in Red

By Shermaine Williams

An attraction to her new boss was unwise — Florence knew that — but she just couldn't help it. Almost as if there were other forces at work drawing them together...

Besides being arrogant, there isn't much that Florence knows about her new boss. In fact, no one seems to know much about him. Taking the sensible course of action, she fully intends to leave the mysterious Mack to his own devices, but her body and mind have other ideas.

No matter how hard she tries, Florence's mind would always return to him, leading her to do what was necessary to entice him. Little does she know that Mack knows more than she could ever imagine.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Totally Bound Publishing
• Release date: Jan 3, 2011
• ISBN: 9780857153784

Book preview

A Total-E-Bound Publication

www.total-e-bound.com

Lady in Red

ISBN # 978-0-85715-378-4

©Copyright Shermaine Williams 2011  

Cover Art by Natalie Winters ©Copyright January 2011

Edited by Stacey Birkel

Total-E-Bound Publishing

This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or places is purely coincidental.

All rights reserved.  No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form, whether by printing, photocopying, scanning or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher, Total-E-Bound Publishing.

Applications should be addressed in the first instance, in writing, to Total-E-Bound Publishing.  Unauthorised or restricted acts in relation to this publication may result in civil proceedings and/or criminal prosecution.

The author and illustrator have asserted their respective rights under the Copyright Designs and Patents Acts 1988 (as amended) to be identified as the author of this book and illustrator of the artwork.

Published in 2011 by Total-E-Bound Publishing, Think Tank, Ruston Way, Lincoln, LN6 7FL, United Kingdom.

Warning:  This book contains sexually explicit content which is only suitable for mature readers.  This story has been rated Total-e-burning.

LADY IN RED

Shermaine Williams

Dedication

There once was a Lady in Red

Who had many thoughts in her head

They took time to get straight

But it wasn’t too late

As to Mack is where they all led.

Chapter One

The platform was already packed with people and, as time passed, it gradually became worse.

 Florence looked up at the indicator board, which confirmed that she would be waiting a whole five minutes for the next train. It was supposed to be such a good day and yet she was already starting to feel anxious.

When she had received the letter to confirm she got the job, she was so happy that she treated herself to a brand new coat as well as other additions to her wardrobe. A new job deserved new attire. Besides, winter was fast approaching and it was starting to get cold outside, so it could be deemed a practical purchase.

At that moment, when she was below ground with scores of other people, she was beginning to feel hot and the idea of starting her first day flustered was making her feel even worse.

Trying to make herself as small as possible, she clamped her arms to her sides, tightly gripping her handbag as more people gathered on the platform.

She was becoming so tense that she had to make a conscious effort to unclench her jaw, staring at the image on the grimy poster attached to the opposite wall. Even had she wanted to see how many more minutes she had to suffer, she would have been hindered by the number of people who surrounded her and did a good job of blocking her view of the indicator board.

The eerie quiet was only broken by the odd cough, sneeze or snippet of hushed conversation before the low rumble of an approaching tube train could finally be heard. The accompanying rush of air ruffled her hair and caused several strands of her sleek brown bob to blow across her face. Exhaling with exasperation, she quickly tried to smooth it back into place as she was swept along by the crowds around her, everyone surging towards the points where they expected the doors to be when the train stopped.

Despite the number of people around her, she was one of the first few passengers to board the carriage but still didn’t get a seat and had to settle for shuffling along until she was standing next to another woman, standing as close as she could without invading her space in order to accommodate the many more people attempting to get on the carriage.

Staring into space, she waited for the doors to close, trying to calm the butterflies in her stomach, but a sudden loud voice dragged her away from her thoughts.

Excuse me—lady in red—can you move down please?

Certain that he couldn’t be addressing her, she glanced around to see whether there was any other woman wearing red, but there was no other woman who could fit the description. Turning to face the direction of the authoritative voice, she saw that it belonged to a man who had forced his way onto the carriage despite there clearly being no room.

There is no room for me to move down, she retorted, looking around to ascertain whether her enforced neighbour had moved.

She felt a strange sense of relief to find that her defensive stance was justified.

I’m sure there’s a little more room in there.

He craned his neck in an attempt to prove his assumption as the driver’s mind the doors announcement blared distortedly over the speakers while she glared at him, daring him to say anything more. Forcing his way in, he remained silent as he concentrated on ducking his head in time to stop the edge of the closing door colliding with it.

Though she knew she was in the right, she still felt some embarrassment at the fact that she had drawn attention to herself because of one man’s complete lack of courtesy. The idea of a good first day was dissipating with every second that passed. Feeling her face flush, she glanced over to find that the woman next to her gave her a sympathetic smile as the train lurched away.

Silently, she questioned her spontaneous decision to purchase such a conspicuous red coat. Though she had always liked the colour, she wasn’t usually bold enough to pull off wearing it in such a significant manner.

Before the train had even reached the first stop, a strong compulsion made her glance in the direction of her new combatant, but found he wasn’t looking in her direction, his eyes trained straight ahead. 

Standing against a glass partition, his back was to her, oblivious to the daggers she was sending in his direction. Even from behind, he was a formidable looking man. From his height to his smooth brown skin, he had an image that demanded attention. In fact, had it not been for his rudeness, he was the type of man that she would normally be attracted to, but the fact that he clearly used his size to intimidate others put that thought out of her mind. It made her recall a dream which had been vivid enough to jolt her awake, hot and breathless. Her subconscious mind had conjured images of her having sex with a man just like him. At least, mostly like him. It had been a black man with the same build, but his face had been hazy, like watching a programme where people couldn’t be identified.

She remembered the strength of his body, feeling the movement of the muscles of his back as their bodies moved in unison.

The memory of it alone caused a warmth to spread across her neck, enough to make her loosen her collar as she took another quick glance in his direction, finding he remained facing away from where she stood.  

She was grateful that she no longer had any need to interact with him. The incident—if it could even be called that—seemed to have already been forgotten by those around her. She letting her gaze travel along the row of people sitting in the chairs in front of her and found most to be hiding behind books and newspapers.

As if it had only just arrived, the mixed scent of bodies, tobacco, alcohol, perfume and aftershave hit her nostrils—mixed with the rapidly increasing heat of the carriage, her senses were assaulted and she resolved to keep her head down and hope for the journey to pass quickly.

By looking between the heads of two fellow commuters sitting facing where she stood, Florence could see her headless reflection in the window and began to question her entire outfit. Suddenly the black skirt suit and white shirt she had opted for seemed too formal for the ‘smart/casual’ policy of the company.

The movement of the train made the coat skim her knees, making the idea of her skirt being too short creep into her mind. Since turning thirty, she had questioned the length of many of her skirts and was sure others would do the same.

Seven more stops.

Normally confident, she had no idea why she felt so nervous that day and she hoped it would soon dissipate. It wasn’t as if she was unqualified for the job, however it was a prestigious law firm and she knew she was lucky to have achieved her ambition in getting the position. She took some comfort from the fact that she had succeeded after only a single interview, and yet nerves were getting the better of her.        Laying her palm to each of her cheeks in turn, she tried to determine by touch alone whether they had reddened, hoping it was one of those occasions where she would suddenly feel better when she arrived. Concentrating on achieving this, she stared into space as the carriage lurched away from another station, holding tightly as the sight of people remaining on the platform sped past her peripheral vision.

Three more stops.

It seemed to work. As she watched and felt people shifting around as the train neared their stops, she felt calmer and her gaze strayed back to the tall black man. He still wasn’t looking in her direction—he still had his back to her—and she hated herself for looking over when, to him, it had clearly been forgotten. She decided he was probably used to getting his own way. 

She took some consolation from the fact that there were several people between them and she would no longer need to have any dealings with him.

As the train approached the station prior to her own, she kept her eye on him, hopeful that he would disembark to reduce the chance of him getting off at her stop but, as the doors swept open, he remained in the same position as others filed past.

Rolling her eyes, she quietly tutted to herself as she thought about how typical it was of her luck, however, she remained optimistic that he would get off at a station after the one she wanted.  

She didn’t have long to imagine that best case scenario as, almost as soon as the doors closed, her fellow passengers began to get to their feet in preparation of getting off the carriage at the next station. Continuing to hold tight, Florence spent an uncomfortable few moments as her personal space was forcibly reduced by those that abandoned their seats as if preparing to charge for the doors.

Closing her eyes and fighting to stand her ground, she focused on the knowledge that her stop was just a few minutes away and that she didn’t have to suffer for long. 

The train soon slowed into the station and, finally, the doors swept open like a green light for passengers to spill through it, as if part of a stampeding herd. Florence was no exception, taking small quick steps to ensure she kept up without getting trampled on or knocked over.

Though getting through the doors seemed to be a relief, the air was just as stifling and she hurried to get out into the open with its fresher air, following the vast flow of people who had the same idea. 

Finally, after traversing an escalator and a staircase, she exited the station and blinked her way into the daylight and stiff breeze to head straight for her new place of employment, knowing exactly where she was going due to the dry-run she did the week before. Ever organised, Florence had made the journey previously in order to get her bearings and see how long it would take in rush hour. She had timed it so well that she found herself ten minutes early.

The receptionist who sat at the desk was the same one who was there when she attended the interview, but even so, her wide smile was met with a cooler one.  

Good morning, my name’s Florence. I start here today.

Oh, hello. The woman’s smile widened. I remember when you were last here.

Florence retained her smile as she nodded, glad she had been recognised and hopeful that it was a good sign.

Take a seat and I’ll call someone to come and get you.

Deciding against sitting down, Florence turned and looked back out through the doors she had just come through, the panes of glass stretching from floor to ceiling enabling an extensive view of the outside world. Subconsciously tapping her heel, she watched the world go by—stop-start traffic and people walking past, many of which she was sure she had travelled in with.

Hi, Florence.

Good morning, Jennifer, she replied, spinning around to find the woman she had been interviewed by. Feeling less nervous at seeing a familiar face, she was at ease as they made small talk while they travelled up in the lift together.

Having only ever seen an office on a different floor, she was pleased to finally see the space she would be working in and meet her colleagues.

Jennifer remained with her, introducing her to people as they moved through the open-plan office space. Though Florence was keen to get to know everyone, there were so many new faces she promptly forgot many of the names she was told. Finally, she was led to a set of two adjoining desks which were backed by glass-fronted offices.

This is your desk, Jennifer confirmed, stopping at the desk closest to the window.

Pleased with the position, Florence was ready to settle into her chair but only had the opportunity to place her bag on the desktop before she was distracted by a singsong greeting which begged her attention.

Morning.

Jennifer introduced the impossibly bubbly woman as Tessa, and Florence couldn’t help but immediately like her, pleased to find that she would be occupying the desk next to her own.  

I’m so happy to finally meet you, she smiled, breathless from some exertion. Your coat is lovely.

Jennifer took her leave and left the two women together, which failed to trouble Florence in the slightest, warming to Tessa so that her nerves dissipated completely. 

Thanking her for the compliment, she followed her lead and took off her coat before settling at her desk—not that Tessa intended to do any work, immediately