The Office Girl by T.H. Sandal Page B

white blouse, tucked into
the skirt, over which she had a black jacket. Her hair, also black
and particularly fine, was held up in a tight bun.
    She was certainly pretty. Not ostentatiously so, she clearly
wasn't flaunting it, but it was obvious that while she was wearing
make up, it had been effortlessly applied. Her eyes – large and
dark – were accentuated only with what was necessary, a hint of
eye-liner that did as much to highlight eye brows that had not been
over plucked into some thin line but retained a measure of
expressiveness. Wonderful cheekbones had been shown off with a hint
of blusher and likewise, her lips, which were full, showed just a
hint of colour – a delicate pink.
    All that was enough to know that something was amiss and her
demeanour on entering the room and seeing the set up only served to
confirm it. While I, along with others on the set – especially
Felix – didn't hide our examination of what kind of body was hidden
beneath that smart attire, she was looking around with a certain
amount of trepidation.
    Fortunately, Trev was professional enough to notice and, for
want of anywhere else to go, shepherded her over to the chaise, sat
her down, and started talking quietly. The discussion was
punctuated with a number concerned head shakes from her and a
similar amount of re-assuring nods from Trev, and gradually it
seemed that professionalism – or more likely money – was winning
over.
    While it was still in the balance, Felix sidled over to where
I was sitting.
    “ She's never done this has she,” he said in a flat whisper. He
had a noticeably Mancunian accent.
    “ Doesn't look like it,” I replied.
    “ You think she will?” At this point, half listening to Felix,
half running my eyes up the line of her legs – they did look
particularly well shaped – I noticed Trev retrieving his wallet
from his back pocket.
    “ Looks like it,” I said to Felix. “You'd better go easy on her
I suppose.”
    He gave me a crafty smile. “I dunno. Not like she'd know the
difference.”
    If there was any more to say, it had to wait because Trev
motioned to Felix to go over. I saw a quick exchange of notes –
they went into Alice's jacket pocket – then she was being
introduced to Felix, standing up from the chaise to see it done.
Satisfied that he'd done the business, Trev stepped away and
positioned himself behind the stationary camera while both
hand-helds were retrieved and switched on.
    There followed a prelude of sorts, occasioned by an amusing
handshake that Felix held on to and used to offer her seat on the
chaise, sitting down next to her once she'd assumed her place. It
was immediately noticeable to what extent Felix dominated her; in
stature of course, he was perhaps half a head taller sitting down,
but also in the way she was shrinking back from him. I had the sure
sense, much like my first impression, that she found him
intimidating.
    Felix talked to her quietly. I couldn't hear what he was
saying, but since Trev gave no direction for him to speak up, I
assumed that it was being picked up on the microphone boom.
Whatever he was saying – leaning in until he was close to
her right ear – wasn't designed to make Alice feel any more
comfortable; though not quite shuffling away from him, she wasn't
exactly engaging with the process.
    And as he talked, Felix started touching her; a casual contact
with the back of his hand against her arm, absent mindedly moving a
few strand of hair from the side of her face, emphasising a comment
with a gentle pat of her thigh. Odd, simple touches that Alice
seemed either to ignore or else to take in her stride. She didn't
react to them, but neither did she try to get closer. Felix was
doing enough for both of them.
    After a couple of minutes he was close enough to her right ear
to be touching it with his lips and whether he was talking or just
breathing, Alice did nothing to push him away. Perhaps taking that
as his cue, Felix placed his right hand on her