Chapter 4: Taking care of business.
My new job was all that I had hoped for. It was for a long established investment bank. Old fashioned, in that it was still in the city of London, very close to The Bank of England. The chairman was a Duke! He had resisted the temptation to follow other banks when they moved to Docklands. I had my own spacious office and plenty of interesting work.
I had been there about a month when I was summoned to the Chairman's office. Had I done something wrong? I was shown straight in to his office by his Secretary.
The chairman, Sir Charles, stood when I entered and waved me to a chair.
"I hear that you have settled in nicely. Coffee?" he asked.
"I think so, and yes please to the coffee." I replied.
He poured the coffee himself and brought the steaming cup to me, then sat on the edge of the desk.
"I would like you to do something for me." He continued.
"Yes, of course." I replied.
If he had asked me to drop my knickers and bend over his desk, I am not sure how I would have reacted. But that was not the plan. He indicated a large-ish briefcase. AttachΓ© case style.
"I would like you to take that to my son Alexander. In Paris."
How odd. Why could that not be done by a courier? But a trip to Paris sounded good.
"Certainly," I replied, may I ask what it contains?"
He smiled. "Five million Euros"
I spilled the coffee. I felt as though a cold hand had been thrust into me and gripped my stomach. I was speechless. Sir Charles explained:
"Sometimes a bank like ours has to make deals 'off the record'. This is one such deal. It will have to go today, there is a Eurostar train which will take you there directly. You may return straight away, or stay in Paris over the weekend, at our expense of course. A little bonus for you."
As a fairly senior employee, I had to keep a 'crisis kit' at the bank. This comprised a change of underwear, a clean blouse, necessary toiletries, and my passport. I had nobody at home who would miss me, nothing to stop me from being a female James Bond for a few days. Today was Thursday. Friday and Saturday in Paris, then a train back on Sunday afternoon. Why not? I said that I would.
"But that is a great deal of money, and you are putting a great deal of trust in a new employee."
"You have been thoroughly vetted. The only other senior staff that I would trust are married. Although they would agree to the task, they have families to consider." Sir Charles explained.
I nodded my agreement. How would I recognise Alexander?
"He will recognise you. As I said, you have been thoroughly vetted. My secretary will arrange the ticket. If you decide to stay over, the hotel also. She will give you some money for the trip and a company credit card, use it to buy more clothes and whatever else you need for your stay. The train leaves in just over an hour. Keep the case with you at all times, even when you have to 'pay a visit.' Enjoy Paris."
Thirty minutes later, I was being driven to St. Pancras in Sir Charles' Mercedes.
The journey went without a hitch. Customs were not interested in my bag of money, which I could not have opened anyway, there was a combination lock and I did not know the numbers. The bag was larger than my own personal possessions bag, but still surprisingly small. Almost before I could catch my breath, I was standing on the concourse of Paris, Gare du Nord. Feeling very vulnerable.
A voice beside me said;
"Clare?"
I turned to the source of the voice. There in front of me stood my mystery lover from Liverpool. For the second time that day, my stomach was gripped by that cold fist.
"I'm Alex Copemore. Sir Charles is my father."
***
He took the case and steered me, on very wobbly legs, to a coffee bar. I was in shock. I heaped sugar into the cappuccino ordered for me.
"I can't stay," said Alex, indicated the money. "I have to do something with this. Take a taxi to the hotel, put everything on the card. Meet me in the bar at seven tomorrow, have dinner with me at least. That's all. No pressure. If you decide to take the next train home I will never mention our previous meeting. But at least have dinner with me."
He grinned. "Don't sit AT the bar though."
He stood, kissed me on the cheek and was gone. I had not spoken a word. Of course I had hoped for an 'adventure' or two in Paris. But him! I could think of no other man who I would rather have in my arms, in my bed, between my thighs pumping torrents of aristocratic come into my commoner's cunt. But however appealing the prospect, there were complications.
He was a colleague. My boss in fact, but still a colleague. I had made it a rule never to fuck a colleague, not to mix business with pleasure. And the bank also had rules about fraternisation. Opening my legs to him, again, could mean the end of my career at the bank. I had twenty-six hours to make up my mind.
Twenty six hours later I was waiting for him in the hotel bar. I still had not decided. I would listen to what he thought about the situation. I had spent the day shopping. Shopping in Paris, in April, with someone else's credit card! There was trust! In fact I used it sparingly, using my own money to buy masses of clothes and associated frippery. I was dressed ready for a night of sex. My body was saying yes, my brain, no. Under the black dress was black underwear, trimmed with coffee-coloured lace. See-through hipster shorts, and of course stockings and suspenders.