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.'Just something I may have dropped in here a few days ago.The cleaners have probably swept it away by now.' His expression was only riling her further so she turned to the seats themselves, wondering whether the cushions would come out.‘What was it?' said Julian.'Something you'd pinned on your cardigan perhaps?' He glanced meaningfully at her chest.Clare immediately crossed her arms.'Yeah it was.' So he knew what she was looking for.She considered whether to go along with the game or just ask him outright if he had the feather.But Julian couldn't resist playing his trump card straight away.'It wasn't a rather pretty rust-coloured feather, by any chance?''It was.Have you got it?'He pushed himself upright and, with a little flick of his eyes and turn of his head, announced, as if speaking to a careless child, 'Come with me.'He set off to his office just down the corridor and Clare, quickly weighing up her options, could only follow.Once inside Julian went straight to the CD player in the corner of the room and pressed play.The Violent Femmes came on, urgent folksy guitar riffs filling the room.He paused and Clare could tell he was waiting for her to give his choice of music her approval.Seeing the whisky bottle and plastic cup on his desk, she hesitated in the doorway.She caught sight of a pair of binoculars in the top drawer.'Come in, come in,' he casually instructed, crossing the small room towards her.She took one step inside and he pushed the door shut.'Sit down and chill Clare, you seem stressed out.''Look Julian, I am pretty stressed, actually.Do you have the feather or not?''Yeah, yeah.It's somewhere round here.But I was wanting to have a little chat with you.' He gestured towards the chair and she reluctantly sat.Perching himself on the edge of the desk, one foot almost brushing her knee, he continued.'I'll square with you.I know Pat had all but offered you a position in the department next year.The big question is this; what will you do now?''What do you mean?' Clare answered coldly.'Well, I presume any application you were about to submit will now be judged the same as all the others we receive once the position is advertised.'She noted his use of the word we.'It's going to attract a lot of interest too - with or without Patricia running the place.''And?'Julian brushed at an invisible speck on his corduroys.'I'd be more than happy to give you a.' he looked up into her eyes, '.a personal recommendation.I think working with you would be a real pleasure.'Below the sleeves of her cardigan Clare could feel the hairs on her forearms standing on end.'Well, if I do apply for any position and, if recommendations are an accepted part of the process, that would be great.Cheers.But at the moment Julian I really need that feather back.'Julian made a clucking noise against the roof of his mouth.He slid off his desk and meandered over to the bookshelf.Unwilling to look round and give him the pleasure of an audience, Clare sat stiffly in the chair staring straight ahead.The whisky bottle was, she noticed, half empty.The tip of the feather was drawn down the side of her neck and played across her ear.Immediately she leaned back, angling her head to look up.Julian twirled it back and forth between a finger and thumb.'This what you're looking for?'Standing up, Clare had to push the seat back to create some space between the two of them.She held out a hand.'Thanks Julian.'He held it up to his face and brushed it against his lips.'Want to show me what you use it for?'His eyes had lowered slightly and, staring at her breasts, he stepped forward to re-close the gap between them.Clare brought her knee hard up into his groin.With a breathless 'guh' he doubled over, one hand grabbing the corner of his desk, feather skittering across the surface.She snatched it and ran straight for the door.Once it was open she risked a glance back.Julian was in exactly the same position; his other hand clutched tightly between his legs.In the corner of the room the CD carried on playing, banjo-tight vocals angrily straining.I guess it's something to do with luck, but I've waited my whole life for just one -She slammed the door shut behind her.Eric sat back in the armchair.Waiting in the chancellor's outer office again, this time his mood was altogether different.The rhythm the typist was tapping out on her keyboard seemed upbeat, triumphant almost.He looked at the paintings of previous chancellors crowding the walls around him and met each man's eyes in turn, defiance shining in his own.But then his eyes lighted on a portrait of a portly gentleman, cheeks and nose touched with red.The similarity to Bert was unmistakable and Eric abruptly lowered his eyes, unable to meet the old man's unblinking gaze.The door behind the secretary opened and the chancellor quietly called out, 'Eric, sorry to keep you waiting.Yet another journalist calling for a quote.Please come in
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Tematy
IndexCidney Swanson [Saving Mars Saving Mars (epub)
Christine Wood [Life Plan 01] A Life Plan Without You (epub)
Cheryl McIntyre [Infinitely Infinitely (epub)
Clair Delaney [Coral 01] Coral (epub)
Christine Cody [Bloodlands 01 Bloodlands (epub)
Christina Ross [Unleash Me, A Unleash Me, Vol 3 (epub)
Christine Flynn [The Hunt for Once Upon a Christmas Eve (epub
Christian Fletcher [The Left Left on the Brink (epub)
Christopher G Nuttall [Royal The Royal Sorceress (epub)
Wood Barbara Kamień przeznaczenia