Room 2D

Short story from Roué 1. It looked as if the rain had set in for the afternoon. Keith peered out from his awning and up at the heavy, scudding clouds, and decided to call it a day. People didn’t stop to buy flowers in weather like this. He’d be wasting his time, and anyway there was work to be done in the nursery, in the shelter of the greenhouses. He cast an eye along the busy main road, on the lookout for a last potential customer. The traffic swished by, unheeding. The slim figure on the far side of the road, sheltering under a tree with her bike, seemed familiar. She was wearing a navy blue mac, and had a waterproof hat on, so he couldn’t see too much of her. Nevertheless, he thought, it looked like Sally. He watched her for a moment, but she showed no sign of recognition. He decided it couldn’t be her. Sally lived about four miles away, and anyway she’d be at school this time of the day. Keith took down his awning and pac...

From Blushes 40 The moment he saw her he felt the urge, the compulsion. Hitting him almost like a physical thing. He had felt it before, with certain girls, young women, felt that need to do it; but never with the same intensity as with this girl who walked into the room to sit down opposite. And together with this urge, the need, which had the adrenalin suddenly throbbing through his veins, was his head telling him: You can. You’ll be able to. With this one. That was ridiculous. With a girl working for you, you had to be even more careful. Sexual harassment: it got headlines almost like murder these days. And Women’s Lib. A man could be crucified. It was ridiculous. But in his head it was also saying: Bugger that. Ninety per cent of them wouldn’t say a word. Ninety per cent probably. Not if it’s the boss. With a good job, a good salary, that she couldn’t bear to give up. It was a good job. And he could afford to offer a highl...