Chapter Eight
“It feels nice to be able to relax around you,” said Tabitha.
She was admiring Freddie as opposed to the traditional wooden Chinese architecture of the lounge bar where they were partaking of pre-dinner drinks.
“You could have relaxed with me last night if you hadn’t been gallivanting with my sister in Bond Street.”
“It was work, Freddie and you were the one who imposed a no contact in the office rule. Don’t tell me you begrudge me doing a little retail research with your fashionista sister.”
“Of course not,” said Freddie sincerely. “I missed you. It’s only when you have an actual life outside of work that you realize how much time you allocate to your career. I’d have rather you’d spent your evening with me than Izzy.”
“I would’ve too, but Izzy’s good fun and knows the industry inside out.”
“She certainly does,” agreed Freddie. “For what it’s worth, I’m glad you and Izzy hit it off. Family is important to me. Well, Izzy is anyway.”
Tabitha couldn’t pinpoint it, but despite the wealth of Freddie’s family he definitely had some unresolved issues with his parents. Instead of probing to uncover the mysterious Freddie Ravensdale, she was enjoying the gradual development of their connection and the natural way Freddie chose to reveal more of himself as they became closer. She was in no hurry to rush proceedings with the handsome, successful young man. The longer it took the more chance their relationship stood of running the full distance.
“I’m here now. It’s the weekend and we can both relax. It’s highly unlikely anyone from work would spot us here,” reflected Tabitha
“True, but I might charge tonight to expenses anyway,” grinned Freddie.
“And tongues won’t wag at you taking the new director for drinks at The Shard on a Friday evening?” asked Tabitha raising an eyebrow.
The Shard was the tallest building in the European Union and at over a thousand feet high offered the best views of London. Freddie thought the landmark and unfinished eyesore, but Tabitha disagreed – its jagged uneven exterior at the peak did indeed make it appear to be a broken shard of glass.
“The fact is, I’ve barely interacted with you. I believe the majority of members of the board would see it as completely appropriate for the Financial Director to welcome you with a flash induction and social meeting to discuss forthcoming business.”
“I feel I’m a cheap date with you writing tonight off on the company account,” pouted Tabitha
Freddie laughed.
“I’m teasing you. This is my treat and I think we’ve both earned it. This week has been hellish keeping my distance from you.”
“You’ve been pretty ‘hands on’ in your supervision out of work,” said Tabitha drily.
Freddie blushed and rolled his eyes. As fond as he was of Tabitha, he found her frankness and honesty a little overwhelming at times.
“I suppose you’re only human,” giggled Tabitha.
Standing from the table, Tabitha looked exotic in a Grecian styled, one shouldered, pastel pink cocktail dress. Freddie had yet to find another woman in London who had Tabitha’s unusual eye for fashion. He knew all eyes were on her and despite his best efforts, part of him was proud to be seen with such a stunning woman – however shallow and materialistic the feeling was.
Tabitha excused herself to the bathroom.
“Freddie,” called a familiar voice.
His head spun and his eyes widened to see Samantha walking over to him.
“Samantha,” he nodded curtly
“I’m surprised to see you here.”
“And I you.”
“Are you on a date?” she asked curiously.
Freddie suddenly felt as though his tie was too tight. He knew if he unbuttoned the top button of his shirt it would be a giveaway sign of his discomfort arising from their encounter.
“Here on business,” he replied brusquely
“Should I join you?”
Freddie shook his head in bewilderment. He had to give Samantha Dawson credit for her brazenness. It was wildly inappropriate that she thought herself so relevant to the company, but Freddie respected that her position in Public Relations required networking and thick skin. Samantha had the thick skin and the social aptitude to pull off the requirements of her role which was why she was a valuable asset to the company. That said, the purpose of PR was to generate exposure for the company to the relevant audience via news and topics of public interest without including direct payment. Thus, her role rarely coincided with the work Freddie did as Financial Director. Inviting herself to sit in on the meeting was unnecessary and improper.
“No. We were just leaving.”
“You and who?” pressed Samantha.
“Goodbye,” said Freddie coolly making his way to the bar.
He knew it was poor practice to pay at the bar. What he should’ve done was request the bill, pay for it including a tip and then depart, but he couldn’t risk Samantha seeing him and Tabitha. It raced through his mind to head quickly to the bathrooms to divert Tabitha from returning to the table. If Samantha caught a glimpse of Tabitha she’d put two and two together and get four. As he strode to the bar hoping to pay for the bill before Tabitha finished touching up her make-up, he saw her standing near the exit of the bar. The normally confident and striking woman was holding her clutch and studying the floor.
Freddie’s heart sank. Tabitha had clearly seen Samantha or witnessed the exchange and knew to make herself scarce. Guilt consumed him. Keeping their relationship under wraps meant treating Tabitha like a dirty secret he was ashamed of. He knew it couldn’t be doing much for her self-esteem. Despite her abundance of confidence, Freddie was fully aware of the work Tabitha had put in to reach her high standing position at such a young age. He was doing her a disservice by behaving as if she wasn’t worthy of being in his company.
“Thanks,” he said shame-faced, having paid the bill.
“It’s fine.”
Her smile was watery and Freddie could see by her eyes how hurt she was.
“I guess we’re not dining here then?” announced Tabitha brightly.
The tone was forced, but she knew Freddie had her best interests at heart. Punishing him for the complex situation of dating and working would be futile. It wasn’t his fault. It was just something they had to deal with.
“I guess not,” said Freddie glumly.
“Cheer up. If that’s our biggest problem, we’re actually pretty lucky.”
“Do you see the silver lining in every cloud?” he asked incredulously.
“I’m spending time with a man I lo-,” she stumbled momentarily. “I’m spending time with a man I really like. What does it matter whether we’re fifty-two stories up, drinking champagne cocktails or on the ground, eating greasy hot dogs from a street stall?”
“It matters because you’re dressed as a princess and should be treated accordingly,” grumbled Freddie. “I’m finding it frustrating that there’s a plethora of obstacles preventing me from doing so.”
“Will it always be this way?”
Tabitha’s feline shaped eyes narrowed as she posited the question to Freddie directly.
“No,” he said quietly. “Office romances have occurred before and certainly gone so far as pending marriage. I feel it prudent to not broadcast the news until we’re fully established and secure with one another.”
“Then we play the game for a while and look forward to the point where we can be open with our relationship.”
Tabitha was incredibly positive and easy going. Freddie liked that she automatically assumed the relationship would deepen and didn’t focus on any negatives or the possibility that the couple may fall apart over the course of time. Her attitude was infectious.
Freddie clapped his hands suddenly. He took himself from his own dark thoughts and stepped into Tabitha’s light, optimistic environment.
“Right, I don’t see much of an option other than taking you back down to ground level, but I refuse to see someone as glamorous as you eating hotdogs on the street.”
The couple stepped in the elevator and began the long descent.
“Where do you suggest we go on a Friday night, then? Seeing as you misjudged the privacy of The Gong.”
“Dressed as a vision of royalty, we should frequent where the Royals do.”
Flagging a cab, Freddie asked the driver to deliver them to the nightclub Boujis. From the exterior the club appeared demure and formal. The line, or queue, as it is called in England, extending down the street and the discerning doormen gave Tabitha a clue as to what she should expect. With ease, Freddie led Tabitha to the front and gained entry. She felt slightly better in respect of line-jumping when she realized Freddie was a member of the club. Although contacts were valuable on impromptu visits of this kind, Tabitha hated to see anyone use wealth or power to step ahead of another.
It wasn’t until Tabitha set foot inside the nightclub that she appreciated the exclusivity of the venue. A popular haunt for celebrities and royalty, Tabitha was in awe of how posh and attractive the clientele were. She wrinkled her nose as Freddie took her to a VIP section with black booths and buckets of champagne.
“You’re annoyed,” he said quietly.
“No. It’s an unfamiliar scene to me. The class system in America isn’t quite as prominent as it is here. There are people waiting in the cold, hoping to party in here. I bet if they ever gain entry their budget will only stretch to one drink.”
“True, but it’s not class that draws people here – it’s an obsession with celebrity culture.”
Freddie pointed out a few British celebrities and the odd person with connections to the Royal family.
“TV and magazines have glamorized the lifestyle. People are prepared to wait for hours in the cold and not afford a drink here so they can rub shoulders with a celebrity and tell their friends.”
Tabitha knew Freddie was right. Inside the club the decor wasn’t intimidating and the crowd seemed to be enjoying themselves. There was no aggravation and there didn’t seem to be a cliquey vibe.
“You’re judging me,” said Freddie tentatively.
Tabitha chewed her lip, debating how to answer her astute lover.
“I was and I was wrong to. My whole philosophy with Hastings-Bass is to expand the label so it’s accessible to people that don’t have extraordinary incomes. People do want a taste of glamor It’s not as if the club isn’t letting them in. It’s merely prioritizing members in respect of entry. But you’re right, I didn’t see the doormen turning people away. There’s a dress code, people adhere to it and if they’re prepared to wait, they get in.”
“And you’re going to make Hastings-Bass affordable to the likes that are forced to queue up?” asked Freddie inquisitively.
It was the first time he’d actually discussed work with Tabitha in a serious way. He’d been so keen to compartmentalize his professional life from his personal life he hadn’t bothered asking Tabitha what her plans for the company were. Taking a prestigious and revered fashion label and rebranding it dramatically was quite radical action.
“I wasn’t expecting to see you here tonight, brother,” interrupted Isabella before Tabitha could answer Freddie’s question.
“I wasn’t intending on coming,” replied Freddie truthfully. “Rather unfortunately something came up and ruined my plans for the evening. I figured I’d take Tabitha here as it’s the only club where she won’t stand out too much.”
“You are a picture in that dress,” complimented Izzy, giving Tabitha a kiss on her cheek.
“Thanks, Izzy,” she grinned. “I’m not sure I’d look as good sweating it out on the dance floor though, but I’m content to sit here, converse and people-watch”
“Where’s the party animal from my birthday do a month ago?” teased Izzy.
“She’s retired for a few weeks while I immerse myself at Hastings-Bass.”
“How very sensible. You sound like my brother. All work and no play makes Freddie a dull boy. I don’t want you to end up a dull girl.”
“Trust me, when Freddie and I are alone we’re never dull,” assured Tabitha with a wink.
Isabella howled with laughter at Tabitha’s confession and her brother’s embarrassment.
“Excuse me, while I get us a drink,” said Freddie.
“I’ll come with you,” announced Izzy.
“I’ll keep our seats safe,” promised Tabitha.
“That girl is in a league of her own,” remarked Isabella, bumping her brother affectionately with her hip
“I’m fully aware of that.”
“She’s perfect for you, Freddie.”
“We’ll see.”
“Why do you say it like that?”
“Like what?” he snapped.
“Like it can’t possibly work out.”
Freddie shrugged.
“We’ve been dating a month, Isabella. I don’t think one can really commit to someone for life after such a short period of time.”
“I’m not sure Tabitha feels the same way.”
“Why? Did she say something to you when you were shopping last night?”
“Even if she did, I wouldn’t divulge it. I just sense, as effective and efficient as she is at work, Tabitha’s a bit of an old romantic at heart. I suspect she doesn’t consider the notion of love at first sight as impossible.”
Freddie said nothing, but ordered a bottle of champagne.
“Why are you so prickly when it comes to Tabitha?”
“I’m not. I think you should focus on your own personal life and stop worrying about mine. You can see I’ve got a great girl and I’m happy, so stop interfering. Lunching with Tabitha, going shopping with her – what’s happening there, Isabella?”
Izzy looked hurt.
“I’ll tell you what it’s about,” continued Freddie preventing her from answering. “It’s about the fact that you don’t have a man at the moment. You aren’t going to meet a man by hanging out with Tabitha. She doesn’t know anyone in London. Stick to your own group of friends. Let me have some space so I have the freedom to explore my relationship with Tabitha without having to consider the impact of your friendship on everything she and I do together.”
Isabella swallowed and glowered at her brother.
“Did it ever cross your mind that I like Tabitha? Did you stop and think that given your history, I wanted to ensure you weren’t alone at a time when you might be emotionally vulnerable? Did your brain even consider that my making time to get to know Tabitha was my way of supporting this relationship?”
“Izzy, I-“
“You can’t have it every way, Freddie. You can’t shut yourself off from your family and friends and then moan when something goes wrong in your life because no one’s there for you. If you insist on keeping everyone at arm’s length, how is anyone supposed to get close enough to you to understand how your mind works; let alone your heart?”
Freddie ran a hand through his hair. Most women would think it cute, sexy even. Izzy found it annoying. It was merely a sign that Freddie wanted to make up without discussing the conflicting issue.
“Don’t bother asking me to stay Freddie,” she said correctly reading his mind. “Enjoy your evening and trust me, I’ll steer clear of Tabitha in the future.”
Freddie clenched his fist, watching his sister depart. Pride wouldn’t allow him to follow her or call out to her to come back.