CORAL (A Romance Trilogy, Book 1) (2 page)

I start to cry. I feel really
strange, my belly hurts.

He sighs heavily and stops
rubbing me. “We have to tell Jessica,” he tells the other man.

 

MOMMY IS TRYING TO GET
me
to put my white dress on, but I don’t want to. Mommy is all wobbly she has
Daddy’s drink in her hands.

Mommy
slaps me on my leg. “Put it on!” She shouts. I shake my head at her. “Oh fuck
it, put what you want on.” Mommy gets up and falls over, she is drinking lots
of Daddy’s drink lately. I put on my dungarees and my favourite t-shirt. It has
a picture of Super-Man, he can fly in the sky and out into space. I wish I
could fly away like Super-Man...

 

THE BAD MEN ARE IN THE HOUSE.
They are making me do bad things, I don’t like it. There are lots
of men and women here.

The
bad man has a video camera. He points it at me, he makes me do things with a
boy. I think he is scared. I am scared. He won’t do what they want, I tell him
to or they slap you hard.

The man with the hairy face is on
top of me again, he has put something inside me. It hurts so much. He tells me
I'm a ‘good girl’ – I don't like it.

He is heavy, his big hairy chest
is nasty and he smells funny. He hurts me so much.
Daddy where are you?...

 

I AM HOME
. I have had
another nightmare about the bad men and wet the bed. It is dark outside, I go to
Mommy but she won’t wake up, so I climb up on her bed and get under the cover.
Mommy is sleeping on Daddy’s side of the bed now. I close my eyes and suck my
thumb...

The sunshine wakes me up. I like
the sunshine, it is happy. I try to wake Mommy up. I am scared and hungry. I
don't feel very well. Daddy said if something bad happened I should use the
telephone. He showed me the number. I remember it’s on the wall next to the
phone. I climb off the bed and suck my thumb. I stare at Mommy, she looks a
funny colour and she is cold.

I walk down the stairs, holding
onto the banister. I pick up the phone and push the button three times like
Daddy showed me.

“999, what’s your emergency?”

“Mommy won’t wake up.”

“Oh! Ok sweetheart, what’s your
name?”

“Coral.”

“That’s a pretty name. How old
are you sweetie?”

“Five.”

“Can you tell me your address
sweetie?”

“Um…”

“It’s ok, I can get it, stay
talking to me ok?”

“Ok.”

“Where’s your Mommy?”

“In bed.”

“And where’s your Daddy?”

I start to cry. “Daddy left.”

“Ok sweetheart. It’s alright,
don’t cry. I’m going to send someone over. Can you open the door for them?”

I shake my head. “Mommy locks
it.” I tell her.

“Do you know your Daddy’s
number?”

“No, he’s gone.”

“Do you have any brothers or
sisters?”

“Kelly is in heaven.”

The lady sounds sad. “Any
brother’s?”

“No.”

“What about Granny and Granddad?”

“Just Nanny.”

“Do you know Nanny’s number?”

“No.”

“Ok now listen sweetheart the
nice police-man is going to have to bang the door open ok? Don’t be scared,
I’ll stay right here with you.”

“Ok.”

“I’m going to send an ambulance
too. They will take care of your Mommy.”

“Mommy is a Nurse,” I tell her.

“Is she?”

“Yes.”

“Which hospital sweetheart?”

“The big one.” I tell her.

“Ok, keep talking to me Coral.
The policeman is there, he’s going to bang the door ok?” The door bangs loudly
three times then it falls open.

Two big policeman come into the
house. I am scared. I don’t want them to hurt me like the other men did.

“Coral can you hear me?”

“Yes.”

“Ok then, the policeman will call
your Nanny and your Daddy for you now. Can you give him the phone?” I hand the
phone to the policeman. The other policeman tries to take my hand but I don't
want him to touch me. “Come on sweetheart,” he says.

“No!” I scream and try to run
away, but he catches me and picks me up –
No! I don't like it, don't touch
me...don’t touch me....Daddy!

 

I AM IN THE HOSPITAL
.
There is a lady with me, she is asking me all kinds of questions. She is very
pretty. She tells me that Mommy is sick and I have to go and live somewhere else.
She says she doesn’t know where Daddy is, but Nanny is coming. Nanny is old and
smells funny. I don’t think she likes me. She is arguing with the nice lady. I
want Daddy, but he doesn’t love me anymore...

 

I HAVE LIVED WITH NANNY
for a while now. I don't like it. My bedroom is cold and all Nanny does is
smoke and watch television, she won't play with me.

“Coral.
Wake up.” I
open my eyes. Nanny is dressed and she has
my bags packed. “Get up girl, time to go.”

I
brush my teeth and get dressed. Nanny is waiting for me downstairs with another
lady.

“You remember Gladys?” I nod my
head. Gladys has come to visit me three times, I don't think she’s bad like
Mommy. “You’re going to go and live with her,” Nanny says, I start to cry.

“There, there sweetheart,” Gladys
kneels down and smiles at me. She has kind eyes. “I live by the sea Coral,
would you like to come and stay with me for a while?” I suck my thumb and shake
my head. “We can go and play on the beach,” she tells me. I don't know what the
beach is. “I’d really like you to come and stay, see if you like it.” Gladys
wipes away my tears with a tissue. I don't mind her touching me – I think she
is nice.

“Ok,” I cry. She holds out her
hand to me, I put mine in hers. Her hand is big and warm...

 

WE ARE TREVELLING ON THE TRAIN
. Gladys tells me to keep looking out the window because I will see
the sea soon – I have never seen the sea.

“Look Coral, can you see the
sea?” I look out the window and I see something big and blue. It is very
sparkly. I like it a lot. It is very pretty. Gladys walks with me from the
train station, we stop outside a big house with lots of pretty flowers outside.

“This is your new home Coral. Do
you like it?” I look up at Gladys, she is smiling at me, I smile back. I think
I might like it here. Gladys doesn’t seem bad, not like Mommy. Gladys shows me
my room. It is pretty and I can see the sea from my window.

Gladys is nice to me. She is big
and cuddly and she smiles all the time. Gladys has a little girl, her name is
Debbie, she is ten; she is nice to me too. I like her already.

“Are you hungry Coral?” I nod my
head. “Come on then sweetheart.” Gladys holds her hand out to me, I put my hand
in hers and walk down the stairs into the kitchen. It is pretty with lots of
flowers - Gladys has made apple crumble and custard, it is delicious.

“Shall we go down to the beach?”
Gladys asks when I finish my second bowl.

I nod my head. Gladys takes us
both out to the beach and we play all afternoon. I have never played on the
beach before, I really like the sand and the pebbles.

Debbie shows me how to make
sandcastles.

I like the sea and the waves, but
it is cold and makes my feet tingle.

Gladys tells me I will stay with
her for a while and maybe forever?

I hope so, she is really nice...

CHAPTER
ONE

 

Twenty-Five Years Later...July 2013

 

IT’S THE START OF ANOTHER WORKING
week after a quiet, restful - if I'm honest; boring weekend. As
usual, I am sat at my desk eating my bowl of muesli after my early morning
swim. It’s hard to imagine that I have been working here for so long. It’s
fifteen years today since I first started here, and I can’t believe how fast
the time has flown by, but I love my job. It’s all thanks to Gladys of course;
she stood by everything she said to me all those years ago.

After being expelled from school,
I studied at home, took my exams, then Gladys got me a position here as a legal
secretary at Garland & Associates, one of the most prestigious Solicitors
in Brighton, which just happens to be run by her best friend since school days
- Joyce Garland.

She is an awesome boss and I have
come to regard her as more of an Aunty, but that probably comes down to the
fact that I see her on weekends as much as I do Gladys. They are firm friends
and partners in crime, and are so funny to be around. They are like two naughty
school girls when they get together, drinking cocktails and joking about all
the silly things they used to get up to in school.

I sigh inwardly. The last few
months have been so hard, Joyce recently lost her husband. One day he’s sitting
in the garden with her eating his Chicken Caesar Salad, the next he’s as dead
as a doornail on the floor, heart attack wiped him out. I don’t think it’s
really hit her yet, she was straight back into work the day after the funeral,
said she didn’t want to be rattling around at home, it’s understandable I
guess.

I suddenly feel my throat tighten
up on me, the very thought of one day losing Gladys which I know is inevitable
grips me, and panic takes over. I close my eyes to try and push the feeling
away, Gladys is fit and healthy I tell myself. Ever since that scare four years
ago, she went crazy on exercise. She takes water aerobics at the local leisure
centre three times a week, and has joined a local rambling club, and is trying
to get Joyce to start golfing with her - so now she’s always out and about.
Gone is the big, cuddly woman I used to know – who looks and acts just like Ma
Larkin from The Darling Buds of May - now there’s a slimmer version, but
everything else about her has stayed the same. I hope I’ve made her proud.

Joyce walks into the office;
she’s been coming in earlier and earlier since John died.

“Morning Joyce.” I smile up at
her.

“Morning Coral.” She looks tired.
“Any messages?”

“Yes, on your desk. Just a
couple, a Mr Freeman seems desperate to get hold of you?”

“Oh…good, that’s…..yes...” Joyce
frowns deeply, smiles awkwardly at me, and then walks into her office, closing
the door behind her.

Well that was odd?

I jump up from my desk and knock
on her door.

“Come.” I tentatively walk in.

Joyce has been a little sharper
with me lately, but I’m letting it all go, considering the circumstances.

“Can I get you anything Joyce?” I
ask softly.

“Tea please, Coral, and get the
board room ready. We need to cater lunch for five, they’ll be here at 12noon.” She
orders.
Five? Who the hell is coming today? There’s nothing in the diary.

“And when you’ve done that I need
to speak to you,” she adds.

Panic washes over me –
Fuck!
What if I’m losing my job or something? I mean I know the economy is shaky and
everything, but…I can’t lose this job, I like working on my own, I like the
peace and quiet and I love working for Joyce. And it still feels like I just
bought my very own apartment, my first place, even though I’ve had it a couple
of years.
If I lose this job I’m fucked!

“Of course,” I answer and scuttle
as quickly as I can out of her office.

I wander into the staff kitchen
in a daze and prepare her pot of tea, trying my best not to let my worst
thoughts go racing around my head. When I’m done I wonder back into her office
without knocking - this is normally ok, considering I’m holding a tray - but
she looks up and glares at me, halting her conversation on the phone. I quickly
place the tray down on her large mahogany desk, and dash back out.
What the
hell is going on?

I decide the best thing to do is
get to the tasks in hand, take my mind off it all. I check the company diary
and see the meeting room is free, so I block it off for the rest of the day.
Then I call up the catering company and place my lunch order.

“Coral.” Joyce’s voice booms
through the intercom system on my phone making me jump.

I sigh inwardly, like it or not,
I’m going to have to face the music. I stand, quickly brushing down my light
blue suit trousers, trying to look as presentable as possible and knock on her
door.

“Come.” I enter her large office,
which is five times the size of mine and sit in the chair opposite her. Joyce
is still typing, her fingers making quick work on the keyboard.

I take a deep breath trying to
slow down my erratic heart, repeating the same mantra over and over in my head.
Please say I have my job! Please say I have my job!

“Coral.” I look up at Joyce, her
glasses are perched on the end of her nose, and her shiny, short blonde hair is
immaculately styled, her suit a silver grey, her makeup impeccable. You would
not think she had recently lost her husband of thirty years.

“Coral, I have some sad news.”
Holy
Fuck! No, no, no please don’t say it!

I swallow hard.

“I’m selling the company.”
Selling
the company? No, you can’t! What the fuck does this mean?

Joyce sighs heavily, leans back
on her chair and stares out of the window for a moment. Then she looks back at
me, takes off her glasses and leans forward onto her desk, I stare back at her
my eyes wide with fear. “Coral, I want you to know that your job is safe. One
of the conditions when I sell will be that they keep you on. You have worked
here for a long time, and you’re an extremely valued member of staff,” she
tells me. “My most valued,” she adds.

I am silent, dumbstruck. I feel
all the chemical reactions one might feel to cry, but no tears come to the
surface – I'm very good at blocking it out.

“I’m sorry Joyce.” I offer, not
knowing what else to say. She finally smiles at me but it doesn’t reach her
eyes.

“Coral, I am sorry I hadn’t
warned you earlier, but in all honesty….well the offer has only just been put
to me. I hadn’t even thought about it until Mr Freeman made the suggestion,
then I spent a few nights thinking about it. John and I built this company from
scratch and….well he’s everywhere I look…,” she says choking back tears, and
takes a handkerchief out of her clutch bag. “I’m sorry,” she trembles.

For a moment I feel lost, I don’t
quite know what to say or do, she is my boss after all. Then I remember her
singing and laughing with me on the karaoke machine last Christmas, we were all
so happy. I launch myself out of my chair and place my arms around her
shoulders.

“Oh Joyce, I’m so sorry.” I
offer. I can feel her pain and hurt rolling over me like waves hitting the
shore. She squeezes my hand and closes her eyes, trying to gather herself
together.

“It’s for the best,” she sighs.
“My sister wants me to join her in Florida,” she adds.

I smile back at her. “Maybe it’s
a good move.” I say, but inwardly I’m reeling. Joyce knows me; she knows what
I’m like, what if my new boss isn’t happy with the way I am?

“Yes, well that’s what Gladys
said, a new chapter in my life.”
Shit! Gladys knows and she didn’t tell me.
I feel my jaw tense and my teeth clamp together. “Now don’t get that look in
your eye,” she scolds.

I frown in return. “Sorry,” I
mutter sitting back down in the chair.

“I only discussed it with Gladys
this morning. She wanted to tell you, but I said I would.” She leans back in
her chair, and runs a hand through her hair. “Coral, the deal hasn’t been made
yet. But that doesn’t mean it won’t go ahead. Mr Freeman is very keen; I need
you to promise me you will keep this to yourself.”

I swallow hard. “Is that who’s
coming in today?” I ask tentatively.

“Yes. He runs three very
successful Solicitors, one in London, Birmingham and Leeds. He wanted to branch
out into the South, heard what happened about John made me an offer….a very
good offer,” she sighs.

I swallow hard again. “Joyce, I
really won’t lose my job will I? I mean, I’ve just bought my first place and
with the mortgage’ – “Coral, you have my word, you have no need to worry at
all, but can you promise me you’ll keep this between us?” I sigh heavily. This
was not what I was expecting when I came into work this morning.

“Yes Joyce, of course. I won't
mention a thing.” I try to pull my lips up into some sort of semblance of a
smile. “Well, I’d better get back to it,” I sigh. “Do you need anything Joyce?”
I add.

“No thank you Coral that will be
all.” I stand as gracefully as I can, my legs shaking from the adrenalin
pumping through my system, and walk out of her office.

I’m so glad I have my training
session with Will tonight; I am so fucking pissed right now!

Closing the door behind me, I
race over to my desk, fire up Google and start my search. I want to know what
Mr Freeman looks like. I am not happy, in fact, I’m really trying not to freak
out - I have never wanted, and never will want a male boss.

Fuck, what am I going to do?

I remember the woman who called
for Joyce was from the company Freemans & Co. I quickly type it in and
their website appears. I have no idea what Mr bloody Freeman looks like, so I
search the website for some photos. I have to know, if he is in any way creepy
I am out of here, I can’t work for a pervert and there’s already a few male
solicitors in this building that I purposely avoid.

As I’m scanning the webpage I
notice all the buildings are the same, white stone and tinted windows, very
smart and business-looking. I scowl at the screen.
Who gives a fuck what his
buildings look like?

Finally, I find his name –
Tristan Freeman –
No fucking way!

I gasp, pulling my hand to my
mouth. Tristan and Isolde; only my favourite movie of all time, I really love
their story. I choke back a nervous giggle -
Get a grip Coral!

I backspace out of the site and
put his name into Google. There are tons of posts. I click on the first one;
it’s a page from The Independent. I start to read through the blog....

‘Millionaire Mogul Tristan
Freeman in talks with the local council attempting to gain planning permission
for his new offices in Leeds’
– Boring!

I come out of that one, and see
the blog was a few years ago, guess he got permission. The second blog is from
a site called Property News. I click on it and find our Mr Freeman is not only
interested in the Law, but also property development. I start reading.....

‘Mr Tristan Freeman is pleased
to announce his decision to turn an undeveloped area of the city centre of
Birmingham into bespoke apartments. The run-down area of Birmingham, mostly
abandoned warehouses; will be demolished and replaced with plush new
apartments. But Mr Freeman insists they will be made affordable housing. “It is
my belief that the more money generated into an area, especially a run-down
area as this, has the capacity not only to reduce crime, but make the area more
pleasant to live in. Which means less poverty and more help for those who need
it; it also enhances the general area, enticing other developers to join in its
redevelopment.’

Hmm.....so Mr Moneybags wants to
help renovate poor areas, I wonder why? I shake my head in wonder. Why the hell
are people so obsessed with getting rich? They always seem so miserable to me.
I come out of the blog and click on images. It’s bound to have some photos of
him. My screen suddenly fills with the most handsome man I have ever seen.
Fuck,
this is not good!

I pull my hand up to my
constricted throat and try to swallow. I click on an image; he’s at some swanky
black tie do. His suit looks...well, totally and utterly ‘wow’ on him, and I
don’t think I’ve ever seen shoes so shiny. I am trying as hard as I can to be
practical, logical, but the fact that my heart just stuttered, stopped then
began beating rapidly again is not helping, it’s only a picture for god’s sake!
Damn he looks fine!

As my eyes work my way up his
body I can see by his stance that he is oozing with confidence, his body looks
rigid and hard. He’s got to work out? His shoulders just look too...well, big
to be natural, and he’s got to be at least 6ft -
Damn it, me and my tall men
syndrome!

I close my eyes and try to reign
in my over active imagination. Fuck he’s hot, really, really hot – Just the
body alone –
Stop Coral!

I open my eyes and zoom in on the
photo. I want to get a good look at his face.
Jesus Age Christ!

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