Secret Rendezvous

Are you sure no one saw you come in?" Val whispered.
It's ok," Jake smiled. "I'm not ashamed to be seen with you and yes I
was discrete"
"I'm not sure that meeting so near to the office was a good
idea."

Jake lent back. "Two colleagues having coffee after Work, now where is
the harm in that?"
"You know how they gossip!"
"Chill, it'll be fine." Jake lent forward and clasped Margaret's hands
between his own, to reassure her.
"Honestly," he said leaning closer; "We're alone and can make plans for
the weekend."
"Oh! Jake how are we going to pull this off."
"Where there's a will, there's a way."
"What if George finds out?"
"He won't, not until he needs to."
"So why do I feel guilty?"
"We aren't doing anything wrong. You don't have to do anything you
don't want to."
"I'm not used to keeping things from his I guess." She said trying to
convince herself.

"Oh my god its Jennifer sharp and she are coming in here." The office
gossip.

The doorbell chimed to the caf? and Margaret pulled her hands away and
hid them under the table almost knocking the coffee cups over and not
daring to look Jennifer in the eye, but it was too late they had
already been spotted.
"Hiya Margie and."
She looked over to Jake. "This is Jake, Jennifer, he's in marketing on
the fifth floor."
He nodded a laid back acknowledgement and his eyes sparking, full of
mischief.
"I hope I'm not interrupting." Jennifer said not waiting for a reply
and sat across from Jake, summing up what was going on here. "May I
join you?"
The look of horror that crossed Margaret's face gave Josh a tiny thrill
of danger.
"Sure Jennifer, only, I was about to leave. My trains due in about 10
mins. Nice to meet you though. Give me a call Marg." He gave her a
lingering look.
"Thanks for the coffee."
She smiled back at him and with that he left. Margaret watched after
him. Hoping he'd turn back and not leave her with this dreadful
woman.

"Hmmm Margie you're a dark horse. He's a darling."
"I don't know what you mean," she said hiding behind a now trrembling
coffee cup.
"Don't you come over all coy with me, I saw how cosy you both were when
I first came in."
"Jennifer what are you suggesting? I'm old enough to be his
mother."
"Hmm that wouldn't stop me if I had the chance. Does George
know?"
"There is nothing for George to know."
"What that you were flirting with that . . . Boy!

"No. . . And your not going to tell him or anybody else . . . OK."
Margaret's voice was sharp and firm, almost threatening. However the
firmness only confirmed Jennifer's suspicions.
"Jake is helping me with a small project that is all."
"I'm sure he is."
"Jennifer."
"Hey. What you do in your spare time is your business."

The next day in the office Margaret felt awkward. When she went into
the canteen she was sure everyone stopped talking. Your imagining
things, she told herself and decided to work through lunch, when the
phone rang.
"Hi it's me can you talk?"
"Jake," Margaret swivelled her chair around and lowered her voice so
the girls on the next desk couldn't hear or lip read. "This is
difficult."
"Don't say anything just listen."
"Yes, Certainly Sir." Margaret said trying to make out she was talking
to a client.
"I've booked, two tickets for Paris this Friday."
"So soon!" She bellowed forgetting herself in the shock and Jennifer
raised her head and smiled as Margaret's embarrassed face and hushed
tones spoke volumes.
"If you finish at 5pm it gives you time to get home n shower and break
the news, I will pick you up around 8pm."
Her stomack did a somersault. She was excited and nervous all at the
same time.

"If you don't want to go ahead, you can still back out. No
pressure."
"I know," Margaret said calmly, glancing around to double check no one
overheard. "I think that will be fine Sir."
She had a terrible feeling of sickness and went to fetch a glass of
water.
"Was that who I think it was on the phone?" Jennifer whispered pryingly
over her shoulder.
"Depends who you think it was." Margaret said coldly, and walked back
to her desk. She knew she didn't have to answer to Jennifer. Like she
said it was none of her god damn business anyway!
Jennifer wasn't convinced. The secret phone calls and where ever
Margaret was, Jake wasn't far away. In the canteen, the car park.
Passing each other secret notes. They didn't even work on the same
departments. So it couldn't possibly be work they had to talk about.
Jake was handsome, a flirt and loved the attention all the office
juniors gave him, Jennifer even secretly hoped for a night out with
him. But for some reason he was besotted with Margaret. A woman almost
twice his age. It wasn't decent.

Margaret couldn't work all afternoon. As she had to think how she was
going to tell George. They'd been married 25 years, almost to the day.
Most had been good; she had lots of happy memories with him. How he'd
always wanted to go aboard. Now here she was arranging a trip to go. He
was a good kind, generous and very loving husband. She worshiped the
very ground he walked on. But couldn't help thinking what he would say.
How he would react. Oh my God what had she done? Maybe she should ring
Jake and put him off, but she couldn't. He'd talk her round like he
always did, with those neat raised eye brows, and crooked smile. Oozing
with charm and charisma.
Finally Friday came, she had her hair done and bought some new
lingerie. Her thoughts kept going over and over how she was going to
tell George when she got
home.
"O flowers!"
"How lovely."
"Margaret they are for you." All the girls crowded round to see whom
the lovely flowers had come from. She fumbled a while with the wrapping
and slowly slid the card out.

With love Guess who
Xx

"Hmmm seems you have a secret admirer Margaret." Jennifer said in a
cutting voice.
"It's no secret who these are from." She said aloud in a reassuring
manner. "He always put that on the cards."

"Arrrrr isn't that sweet." Jennifer said jealously. " They must be from
your husband? Margaret. Do you have a surprise planned for him in
return? . . Hmmmm?"
If looks could kill, she'd have been cremated on the spot.
"Yes, Jennifer as a matter of fact I do have a surprise for him." She
gave Jennifer a
sickly smile, which really meant I wish you'd take a run n jump,
preferably out of the fifth floor window. She was going through with
this at all costs and when Jake came for her tonight, she'd be holding
her head up high.
Jake had thought of everything when he arrived. The car cleaned and
polished with ribbons and bows on the handles. He handed the two
tickets to George and wished them both all the best as he waved them
off at the airport. The champagne was a good idea to calm Margaret's
nerves. She had never flown before and all those years George never
passed judgement or pressurized her to go abroad. It was Jake who'd
convinced her to come to terms with it and join the phobia club and now
she was off to have a wonderful time. Just the two of them.