I heard no more from Mr. McKenzie and life carried on as normal. Slowly the memory of the evening faded until I could almost pretend that I had imagined the whole business and David certainly seemed to have noticed nothing amiss. He would still come home in the evenings after work and chatter on about his day and what Mr. McKenzie had done or said; I just hummed and hahed and tried to move the conversation on to something that didn't make me feel quite so uncomfortable.
It was about 6 months later that, for some entirely innocent reason, David asked me to pick him up from work one evening. I didn't think much of it and drove in to the small engineering works at around 5.30 on a Thursday. I parked outside the office and decided to wait in the car for David to come out, not really wanting to risk bumping in to Mr. McKenzie. I texted him to let him know that I had arrived but got no reply. After waiting 10 minutes, with still no word from David I rang - but his phone went straight to voicemail. There was nothing else for it. I would have to go in. I got out of the car and walked up the iron stairs and in the front door of the industrial unit.
Tracey, the firm's receptionist was at the desk and seemed to be just getting ready to leave. I said hello and she told me to go through to the lobby where there was a waiting area and she would page David. I walked through, slightly hesitantly, but there was no-one there. I breathed a sigh of relief and walked over to the long glass window overlooking the factory floor. It was quiet, with most of the staff already knocked off and just a couple of men in overalls wandering about. At the far end I could see David and a couple of work colleagues looking at a piece of machinery and talking animatedly. I smiled, enjoying seeing him in his element.
The front door banged open behind me and I heard Mr. McKenzie's loud, confident voice.
"Hi Tracey, off you go, it's late" he said as he strode into the office.
"G'night Mr. McKenzie, I'm just off now," she replied and then called up to me, "Have a good evening, Joanne."
I cursed inwardly, knowing that he would have picked up on my presence. "Night, Tracey, you too," I called and then quickly returned to looking out over the factory floor, hoping that somehow, he would be too busy, or would not have listened. I sensed his approach rather than heard it. I could feel his presence getting stronger as he came nearer and then I could smell him. Tobacco and a slightly sour yet masculine odour. I felt his hand on the small of my back before he said anything.