The NSC Boxset: Heart of Stone Read online

  Timidly looking into my eyes as she took a sad breath, she asked, “But what if it’s something I don’t wanna hear, Mum? What if he’s found somebody else? Or he doesn’t love me anymore?”

  Stroking the back of her hair as she placed her head against my shoulder and cried softly, I spoke to her tenderly. “But Erin, wouldn’t you rather know the truth than the hurt of not knowing like this? Even if it’s bad news at least you’d know, then you can start dealing with it and sorting it out between you both?”

  She lifted her head to look at me and nodded as she lifted from her chair. “You’re right, Mum. I’m going to ring him and ask him to meet me to sort this out. I need to know. I love him so much but I’m not gonna let him treat me like this.”

  As she bent to kiss me she said, “I love you mum, you’ve been through so much shit in your life but you’re always willing to put it behind you and carry on. I hope I got those genes from you because I have a feeling once I’ve spoken to Brad, I’m going to need the guts you have.”

  I stroked her arm and smiled at her. “When the hell did you get so grown up and smart Erin? I’m proud of you, sweetheart. You make sure you stand up for what you believe in, and drain every bit of life out of this world you can.”

  Walking to the room door she turned to look at me but stared straight into my soul. “Mum, if life had been different for you, I reckon you would have been the fun, loving girl you so desperately want for me. I think it’s about time you starting thinking of yourself now and try to find the love you deserve from a man. They’re not all like my dad you know, there are some good ones out there,” she smiled and winked.

  “Oh, I know that Erin, just because your dad was like he was with me, don’t for one minute think I haven’t loved or been loved by a man who thought I was once his world, his life and his very soul.” I shrugged my shoulders at her puzzled glance and winked before I added, “But, shit happens, darling and we all make catastrophic mistakes.”

  Laughing she left the kitchen and climbed the stairs, pausing to shout, “You know it, Mum.”

  * * *

  As soon as I pressed the ‘end’ button on my phone after talking with my mother and giving her an update on my day, Beth came bounding through the back door, closely followed by Lexi who was carrying a bottle of champagne.

  Presenting me with the expensive, already chilled bottle, she grinned at me. “Courtesy of my wonderful hubby, on the first day of your amazing high-profiled job. His words not mine.”

  Chuckling, I took three glasses from the cupboard and filled each one with the sweet, bubbling liquid. “Cheers!” Beth declared, chinking her glass with ours.

  Walking through to the lounge, she looked over her shoulder to me. “Fill us in then, Liv. What’s it like? What are your colleague’s like? Any fit hotties?” she probed, raising her eyebrows.

  “Bloody Hell Beth, gimme chance, I’ve only been there for twenty four hours and already you’re trying to hook me up. We’re not all tarts like you,” I snickered.

  She stuck her tongue out at me as she filled her glass and taking a quick, sly glance at Lexi she continued with her ‘Get Liv a man’ harassment. “Lexi’s with me on this Liv, you need a man. We both think it’s about time now. What’s your boss like?”

  Spluttering my champagne all over my once pristine shirt, my eyes bulged. “No way, Beth. The man’s marmite . . . he spreads every inch of himself all over you, he’s disgusting. Everybody in the office feels the same about him so don’t look at me like that. Do you know what he said to me?” I carried on, regardless to their tittering. “When I was leaving, I asked him if he needed anything doing before I went and the cheeky bastard said ‘Oh Olivia, there’s plenty I need you to do but they’re not in your job description.’ I mean what sort of sleazebag would say something like that on your first chuffing day?”

  I looked at both my friends and waited for their reaction. They were both gawping at me, eyes wide and eyebrows in their hairlines. “Jesus, honey,” Lexi professed horrified. “How the hell do you attract these idiots? You’re stunning, great figure, sensitive, brilliantly clever and funny. Why can’t you get an equally smart fella? Who also has a pert little bottom, just the way you like them!” she finished with a sparkle in her eye.

  “Oh yes, don’t forget Liv’s fondness for the ‘extra tight man cheeks’ Lex,” Beth scoffed. “And she says I’m a tart!” she finished with a snort.

  Narrowing my eyes on her, I feigned offence then swat her arm and swiped her glass from her, “Apologise now or the champers gets it, Davis.”

  Beth clutched at her chest as she pouted and faked a sob. “Anything but the booze, Liv. My beige dress? My cute red heels? I’ll even let you feel me up, but please not the champers. Poor Pete spent a week’s wages on that.”

  Full on belly laughing, I reached over and squeezed her boob. “Oooh definitely worth the trade,” I stated. “You have fine, fine tits, Miss Davis and I feel very honoured to have embraced them.”

  Giggling, Beth held her chest with both hands. “Don’t ever forget it, babe,” she beamed. “To say we’re all forty girls, we still look damn hot . . . Everything still in its rightful place,” she added with a wink. “Anyway, enough about my breasts. What you gonna do about your boss? He sounds a right perv!”

  Nodding at her and stating that yes, he was a pervert, I shrugged. “God knows, but he gives me the creeps and I don’t trust him at all. His name rings a bell though, Simon Peterson, you heard of him?”

  Now it was Lexi’s turn to splutter on her drink. “Sod me, Liv. You remember Slutty Sarah from uni? It’s her older brother!” she announced, downing the rest of her champagne before anymore could spill or I stole it from her. “I remember going to a party with Sarah one year and he was there. Slimy git was all over me like a rash, even backed me into a corner and put his hand up my skirt and groped my arse! Pete beat the shit out of him. Looks like twenty years hasn’t changed him much then.” She exhaled loudly. “You’re gonna have to watch him Liv, especially with him being your boss, he’ll think he has certain rights.”

  Looking at the most supportive friends I’d ever had, I couldn’t believe how great they had been through my rollercoaster life. After things started to go wrong in my marriage, I pushed them away, not seeing them for over four years. But then, when I needed them the most they were there like a shot, picking up every broken piece of me and helping me get back on my feet and carry on.

  I shook my head, mostly at myself. “Why does life keep dealing me this shit, eh? When am I going to get a pissing break? Well I’ll tell you now, he touches me inappropriately again and he’ll find his bollocks shoved so far up his arse he’ll be able to lick his own fuckin’ sac!”

  Raising her glass Beth proclaimed, “To Ms Olivia Adams and her ass kicking, sac licking new life!”

  “To a new me,” I agreed.

  Chapter Three

  MY FIRST WEEK flew by and before I knew it Friday had arrived. Grace had informed me that Fridays were my ‘cake run’ day, hers being Monday and Leah’s was Wednesday.

  I decided that I would start tradition by making my cake run a ‘breakfast rolls’ run. I had called at the bakery on the way and purchased croissants, rolls and pastries, but by the time I arrived at NSC, the smell of the warm baked goods had my stomach rumbling loudly and my taste buds salivating furiously.

  My arms were full of the goodies and paperwork that I had taken home to work on as I ran up the steps to the front doors of NSC Industries, desperate to make it inside before they hit the floor.

  “Good morning, Miss Adams,” the big, burly doorman said to me with a huge grin. I had nicknamed him ‘Beef’ because I still didn’t know his name yet but he was the most jovial man I had ever met. He always had a welcoming, toothy grin and was beyond polite whenever I approached him.

  “Morning,” I grinned back to him, handing him a pastry that I had bought just for him.

  Taking it from me, he seemed stunned, looking at it for q
uite a while. Removing his gaze from the pastry and looking back at me, he smiled with a blush creeping up his neck. “Well Miss Adams, I have worked here for over six years, but you’re the first person who has actually acknowledged me or spoken properly to me, and you’re definitely the first person to buy me anything.”

  Cocking my head to one side, I gave him a puzzled look, not quite comprehending how anybody could ignore this huge, brawny giant. “Well . . .” I replied. “You have always been a perfect gentleman to me, and may I say that I always look forward to your wonderful, warm smile every morning.”

  Giving me an enormous, face-splitting grin he held the door open and gestured me through with a wink. “You ever need anything, anything at all Miss Adams, then you ask me. In fact I will send my mobile number up to your desk for you and don’t hesitate to use it if you need me.”

  Entering the doorway, I held up my own pastry and tapped his in a salute. “Thank you and here’s to many more Friday pastries.” I winked to him as I entered the building and walked towards the elevator, waving to the sunny, joyful ‘Miss Kipper’ as I passed her, needless to say all I got from her was a tight nod.

  Sat around my desk a while later, coffee in hand and scoffing the breakfast treats, Grace, Leah and I were chatting and gossiping.

  “Hey, we all go across to ‘The Late Lounge’ after work on Fridays, you wanna join us?” Grace asked me.

  Shoving the last piece of croissant into my mouth as Mr Peterson entered the office, I smiled at her, grateful to the fact that my colleagues had accepted me as one of their own. “Sure, that sounds good. After working my ass off this week I’ll be glad of some alcohol.”

  Peterson had sent paperwork home with me every day and after ten hours at work then another two at home I was beyond knackered.

  Matt was spending the weekend at my mother’s, which was the norm every weekend. Erin was staying at Brad’s now that they had kissed and made-up.

  The ‘Erin and Brad’ saga had turned out to be a misunderstanding according to Erin; little did Erin know that Brad had phoned me after she had persecuted him, filling me in on his plans to take Erin away for a weekend on her birthday.

  I liked Brad and he was good for her. Erin could be a bit hot-headed and Brad grounded her, never putting up with her moods or ‘the sarky lip’ as he called it when she was being sassy.

  So anyway, my weekend was my own and I planned to catch up with housework, have lots of wine and meet up with Beth on our usual Sunday lunch date.

  We always had Sunday lunch together, usually at mine because she couldn’t cook, in fact Beth couldn’t even open a tin of beans without burning something. When it was Beth’s turn to do lunch we always ended up at the pub, her buying my lunch instead of burning it. Because Beth had never found love and settled down, she always said that it was a waste to cook a dinner just for her but secretly I think she got lonely on Sundays so it was our ‘get together day.’

  Beth, Lexi and I had each turned forty this year. All of us sobbing drunkenly to each other on our birthdays but Beth still lived life to the full, still sleeping around and having fun. Her ‘little black book’ had now transformed into an A4 folder with extra sub-sections.

  She often said that she wanted to find love and settle down but she was waiting for the right man and after lots of encouragement from me to make sure he was the right one for her she hadn’t as yet found her ‘soul mate.’

  “Olivia,” Peterson shouted to me, bringing me out of my head and back to the office. “Can you join me in my office please? Bring your diary for syncing.”

  I groaned inwardly and rolled my eyes as I heaved myself out of my chair. Grace gave me a sympathetic smile. “Smile, breathe and think happy thoughts, sweetie. In fact picture his balls in a vice,” she winked. I laughed loudly as I grabbed my diary and the paperwork I had completed last night before slowly making my way towards Peterson’s office, entering anxiously when I saw him sat on one of his stark, white couches.

  He was wearing an expensive grey suit; his black hair combed to perfection, sporting a huge grin. There were lots of employees who fancied him. He was a good looking, mid-forties solid man, however his personality let him down. He was rude, obnoxious and very full of himself.

  “Come and join me over here, Olivia. Much more comfortable for a Friday morning, don’t you think?” he said, patting the seat next to him.

  Smiling tightly, I sat down on the opposite end of the sofa and closed my thighs tightly before I placed the paperwork across my knees. Peterson edged towards me a couple of inches and I backed against the arm of the couch, disturbed to find there was no more room to move.

  “How’s your first week at NSC been, Olivia?” he asked whilst his eyes travelled down my body.

  “It’s been wonderful, thank you Mr Peterson. Everybody has been really kind and welcoming.” I smiled back professionally, pulling my dress further down my thighs.

  “Oh, that’s great to hear. I knew you’d fit in brilliantly here the moment we met.” He licked his lips as his eyes stopped at my chest. “You know, Olivia. When you came for your interview, old Theo had reservations about you. He said that you might find it difficult adjusting here, what with you working in a bank for ten years. But, I was adamant that you would be perfect for me,” he continued with a sneer. “But I fought for you Olivia, you know. I fought real hard, putting my reputation on the line to get you.” He sighed, putting his hand on my arm. Oh I bet you’d like to get me!

  Smiling tightly, I gently but firmly removed his hand and looked him straight in the eyes. “Well I appreciate what you’ve done for me, Mr Peterson. After leaving the bank I did wonder if I’d be able to keep up with the workload here, but I must say I find the areas my job description dictates, thoroughly interesting and enjoyable. I always stay within the limits of my specified posts and don’t cross the line, with anything or anybody . . . EVER!” I told him with a flash in my eyes.

  His eyes narrowed as he glowered at me. He cleared his throat, “Yes well, I’m glad you’ve established your role here, Olivia.” He grimaced, the corners of his mouth turning downwards as a tic in his cheek twitched rapidly.

  Oh, did he look pissed. I had no doubt that he’d understood the cryptic warning I’d just given him.

  “I think we’d better sync our diaries and get started now.” He got to his feet and stalked towards his desk, looking back at me he grunted, “You ready, Miss Adams?”

  I smiled coyly to myself. Oh goody, back to business.

  Mid-morning Leah came over to me. “Bert sent this up for you, Olivia.” She smiled, handing me a tiny, scrap of white paper.

  I looked at her frowning, “Bert?”

  She rolled her eyes and shook her head slightly. “Yeah, you know, the sexy door guy downstairs. Bert Bassett,” she informed me with a slight giggle.

  “Bert Bassett?” I scoffed. “Is that his name? Oh my god, poor bugger.” I laughed, now crippled with hysteria. What a bloody name. “That’s just classic!”

  I hoped I could take him seriously now that I knew his actual name. “I think I’ll keep calling him Beef,” I said to her with a chuckle.

  “Is that what you’ve nicknamed him?” she asked with a laugh of her own and a raise of her eyebrows. “You nicknamed anybody else?” This was asked with a questioning look, probably wondering if I’d given her a nickname of her own.

  “Only Samantha in main reception,” I divulged, looking down at my lap.

  “Well, come on, this one should be good. Enlighten me.”

  “Miss Wet Kipper,” I told her in a whisper, “because she always looks like . . .” I started, but Leah finished.

  “Like she’s been slapped with a wet kipper,” she hooted. “My God Olivia, you can seriously read my mind.” She winked and turned to retreat to her desk with her shoulders shaking, a sign that she was still laughing.

  As I picked up my phone to insert Bert’s number into my contacts a text message popped up.

  Beth:
r />   Hey babe, piss up outing 2moro night. 8pm.

  Lexi said Pete’s coming too!

  Should be fun. 2 beers and the man starts stripping, singing and dry humping the wall like a randy dog on speed. Lol

  Xxx

  Thinking I wouldn’t survive the weekend with all the offers of alcohol induced meetings I texted back.

  Me:

  You’re on. Good old Pete. I need the laugh.

  Need new outfit 2.

  Shopping 2moro???

  Xxx

  After her reply, telling me that she would pick me up at 1pm, I knuckled down with my work before Peterson would have another reason to shout at me. After this morning’s discussion, I was not his favourite person. He’d been aloof and stern for the rest of the day but to be honest it was a welcome relief and knowing that he wouldn’t be making any more lewd remarks, I felt myself relax into my work for the first time all week.

  5pm came round fast and we all piled into ‘The Late Lounge’ across from the NSC building.

  “What ya’ drinking, Olivia?” Josh asked.

  “Oooh large white wine please,” I answered with a grin.

  I’d invited Bert to join us as I left the building and had received some questioning glances from my colleagues. Thanking me, Bert had said he finished his shift at 6pm and that he would pop across then.

  “You know, I’ve always thought Bert was quite sexy but a little intimidating, Olivia,” Leah informed me with a shy smile.

  “You like him?”

  “Well yes, don’t you think he’s hot?” she tested. “He has huge hands, and those lips of his do something to melt my insides.”

  She kept casting a glance at the door as she watched for Bert to come in. “Hey, he’s really sweet, Leah. You should definitely get to know him better,” I encouraged.

  Josh returned to our table with everybody’s drinks and a few bags of nuts and crisps.

  Taking a large gulp of my wine, I noticed Peterson enter and approach the bar before giving me a mocking smile. “Fuck!” I exclaimed to the others, “Pervertson’s here.”