Chapter 2

Jessie awoke slowly, stretching herself awake on the far side of James’s huge bed as he lay still asleep far over on the right side, there was no cuddling or spooning with James, she knew that much by now. Memories of last night’s passion came flooding back to her, she forced a satisfied smile to spread across her lips, last had had been fun, but the earth hadn’t exactly moved, not for her at least.

 

She glanced at the clock and jolted up in shock. Oh my God the Time! She thought in a panic. The clocked showed 8:40am, she was meant to be at work for 9am! Her usual wake up time of 6:30am was way past gone. In blind panic she scanned her cloudy, slightly painful head for the time of the meeting with her boss… 9:30am that might just be doable. She thought to herself.

 

She clambered out of bed in a fit of panic and practically ran to James’s bathroom, tripping over the bed sheet as she went. After the quickest shower of her life she raced around the apartment in search of her clothing, her head beginning to pound from last night’s cocktails.

 

“Could you make any more noise?” Came James’s monotone, grumpy voice buried underneath his pillow.

 

“I’m sorry, I’m seriously late for work! Did you not set your alarm? Can I borrow a shirt?” She replied, glancing herself over in his full-length mirror.

 

“Take one of the white ones, not the Armani and no, I had planned for a lie in!” He said not sounding happy at all.

 

Jessie slipped one of his clean, soft and expensive white shirts over last nights dress and threw her blazer on over the top.

 

Ok, I don’t look too bad, she thought to herself, checking herself over again in the mirror. She was well aware that there was no escaping the walk of shame look with a skirt this short and no tights on, luckily she had some at the office!

 

She ran as fast as she could in her sky high designer heels, calling goodbye to James as she went, all she heard in return was a bad-tempered grunt. After an excruciatingly long wait in the lift she flew out of the apartment foyer. Luckily a cab was waiting just outside and after pleading with the driver she promised him a nice tip if he could drive extra fast all the way to her office.

She sent a text to Kelly letting her know she was on her way, to stall anyone who came looking for her and to please be a darling and have some sort of caffeinated beverage awaiting her arrival. She next attempted to apply her makeup in the back of the speeding cab, not an easy task. Her eyeliner ended up extra thick as she kept smudging it and she gave up trying to apply lipstick.

Finally, 9:15am the taxi pulled to a halt outside her office in Mayfair, she paid the driver happily giving him the extra tip for his speediness. Without her noticing, due to being to busy attempting to apply makeup, the Heavens had opened up over London, the rain falling like missiles. Oh God, this is all I need! Her trusty umbrella safe in her beautiful leather Chloe handbag, upstairs in her office.

 

Damn it. With no other option she darted from the taxi, trying to run the best and as fast as she could in her towering heels across the drenched street, through the courtyard and into the building, her heels splashing over the wet pavement and through unseen puddles. Once safe in the dry elevator she checked herself out in the mirrored walls. What a mess! Her hair was dripping wet and had worked itself into what looked like rat-tails sticking to her face, her mascara had run down her cheek and her shirt was now completely see-through. Great!

 

When the elevator pinged open at her floor she covertly checked there was no one around before sneakily making her way to her office, tactfully keeping out of view…

 

“Hey Jess!”

 

So maybe she wasn’t that tactful… Oh no! Jake, the hot twenty one year old graduate-trainee had spotted her. She’d hoped he’d look up to her as a hot, sexy professional type, not a wet, hung-over mess!

 

“Hi Jake.” She replied quickly and nervously, avoiding eye contact as she practically ran the rest of the way to her office.

 

Once safely inside she leaned back against the closed door behind her and gave a huge sigh, relieved she’s actually made it on time.

 

“I thought you might need one of these?” Kelly said looking her usual state of perfection, holding out a big steaming cup of Starbucks coffee, a friendly smile on her face.

 

How had she managed to get here looking so perfect after last night? Jessie shook her cloudy head and focused on the coffee in front of her. “You are my hero!” she said taking a big gulp of her creamy flat white. “ I owe you!”

 

“You’ll probably want one of these too, I’m guessing you weren’t treated to breakfast in bed?” Kelly said tossing her a blueberry muffin. “It’s low calorie, you look a mess!” She added, her eyebrow raised in concern.

 

Jessie gulped down her coffee and muffin and did what she could for her face and hair, slipped a pair of black tights on over hair bare legs, then thanked Kelly again before rushing out to her meeting with Mr Slater, dropping her notebook on the way out.