At0micAndy

chapter 4 - part 3 "Bugger” Geraldine said to the empty room as Richard cleared the line. Now where? Her white lie had failed. If she had stopped to think, she would have realised that Richard would know everything to know about his competitors, and he would know that Snips would absolutely not have a vacancy Tuesday afternoon. In fact, if she had stopped to think at all, she would have realised no one would have a vacancy on Tuesday, and if she had played it a little softer, Richard might have squeezed her in somewhere. Now faced with little choice, she phoned The First Snip just on the off chance. “Hello, yes, I was hoping to get a hair and nails makeover sometime soon?” “Hello miss, let me see, I don’t expect that we will have any slots this coming week, I know that we are really busy.” The talker went quiet and Geraldine could hear as pages were turned at the other end of the line. “No actually we may be able to help. One of my colleagues has just taken a cancellation ...

Chapter 4 - part 2 Geraldine took the flowers into the kitchen, plugged the sink and ran the tap, dropping the flowers stem first into the bowl – she would deal with them later. There were more important things to sort out right now. Things had to be arranged. Geraldine looked across at the open report that needed still a few final touches. Work, she decided, would have to wait for now. Fortunately it could, well for two or three days anyway. First she would phone Richard at ‘A Cut Above’ and book her self in for hair and nails Tuesday afternoon. Then she needed to book a session in the tanning room for before the hair. This afternoon there was just time to get into town for a new outfit, most shops would be shut tomorrow, but first she had to get back on the phone and make the appointments. “Hi, I’m looking for an appointment Tuesday afternoon.” “I think madam may have left it a little late. What would madam require?” “Cut it out Richard, it’s me Geri.” “Oh, Hi love, sor...

chapter 4 part 1. War Paint After Edward walked to his car Geraldine quietly closed the front door. She turned and stood for a moment in the hall gathering her thoughts. There was much to think about and possibly little time to make the necessary arrangements. There was definitely a game afoot, and this was a game that could be interesting to play, and one that she hoped would finish up with no losing side. “Right Ger” she said softly to herself, “time to get a move on and see what happens.” The pager interrupted his preparations for the evening once more. Wiping the foam from his face before he had even started to shave, he left his wife soaking in the bath and padded downstairs to the study. “Hello. What news?” “Hello Sir. Another meet.” “I See. Anything else.” “Sir, Yes Sir, There was an exchange again.” He was beginning to tire of Natalie and having to drag every item of detail out of her. If things were to develop further, he looked forward to the duty manage...

chapter 3 part 12 “Yes, Debbie.” “So I assumed…” “Ah yes, assumption, now we all know what happens when people assume, and this is a classic example of how to make an ass of yourself” “Oh right. Okay then, sorry. Hope to see you on Tuesday then.” Edward turned and left ensuring that Geraldine would not see the smile cross his face. He knew of course exactly who Debbie was, and much more besides, but these were things that, from her perspective, he could not possibly know, and if he did, she may begin to start believing her own lie of him being a stalker. It was important that she did not know what he knew. Important, because if she was who she purported to be, he had to appear to be someone he was not, at least at first. It was also important to find out why Geraldine had so suddenly appeared in his life, was it happenstance or contrivance? He wanted to understand what it was about this woman that had so captivated him, that had made him forget so many years of proper ...

Chapter 3 p 11 ‘He may not have noticed you before,’ Edward thought to himself, but after I speak to him in a few moments he most certainly will in the future.’ Smiling pleasantly, he responded “No. Thank you, but no. I don’t want to be a pest or a nuisance, as much as I would love to say yes, I shan’t. I really hope that you enjoy the flowers and is your answer for Tuesday available now, or shall I await your call?” “If you won’t come in, then you can wait for your answer. But I’m glad, in a way, that you aren’t coming in. I do prefer a little advance warning for visitors, you know, so I can wash up the odd cup, shovel a path from the door, sweep the dirty underwear to one side, all the usual single person reasons and so for that reason, I thank you for not accepting my invitation inside.” Edward smiled and putting aside the knowledge gleaned from his trip to the office, responded as a man who could not have known what he knew would, and asked, “Single?” “Yes. Single. No cur...

chapter 3 part 10 “That’s the feller. Do you know what he does?” “No, I only really know him to say hello to, take in parcels for, that kind of thing.” “He’s my accountant. He is my appointment tonight, and yes it is a Saturday, and yes I am seeing my accountant on a Saturday evening, that’s why I couldn’t see you tonight. I lead such a sad existence. ” “Maybe so, Edward the Actually Not So Sad Stalker, but that doesn’t explain how you knew my address.” Knowing that the best way to hide a lie was with another lie that was actually a truth but not connected, Edward smiled and bowed slightly before responding. “After I left you earlier this morning, I was on the phone to Roger, just making the final arrangements for seeing him tonight, when you drove past his house. He happened to comment that ‘Geri was coming home’, and I said that I’d met a Geraldine today, and well one think led to another, and after two and two had made four, a quick trip to the florist and here I am.”...

chapter 3 part 9 The tinny voice from the phone sparked Geraldine into action. She put the phone back into its cradle and walked to the front door, looked through the spy hole and laughed. All that she could see was flowers Geraldine opened the door to see a huge bunch of flowers with a hand wrapped around the stems, and a big grinning face belonging to Edward. “I had such a lovely morning that I wanted to thank you personally, and then I thought how useless I am with words, and so I decided to say it with flowers.” “But how did you find out where I live?” “Oh I engaged the services of several hundred trained sleuths and demanded that they find the location of the most beautiful mini cooper driving auburn haired golly speaking woman in town.” “Somehow, I suspect that may not be quite true” “Gosh, you’ve caught me out in a lie. Actually, it was nothing quite so dramatic, and actually you wouldn’t believe the luck of it. Chap two doors down.” “Roger?”