Free Love Torn by Anna Valentine Page A

walked past him, “Maybe I am turning over a new leaf.”
    “Or playing hard to get?”
    She turned round to face him.  Had he read more into what she’d said ? “I’m not playing hard to get.”
    He raised his eyebrows.
    She gave in, “Jason!” S he sighed, “okay, okay, I’ll g o to dinner with you afterwards…   But it better be good.” She turned around and marched off to find her place at the table.
    “Oh it’ll be good.” He muttered.
     
     

Chapter 2
     
     
     
    As Jackie walked around the tables, she noticed that someone had put her on the same table as Marcia.  There was no way that she would sit t hrough a whole day with the top execs in the company droning on and do it sitting with Marcia Cummings.  After putting her coffee cup in her place, Jackie looked over her shoulder and then picked up Marcia’s place name card.  Eyeing the room , she moved to the next table and changed the card for one belonging to someone called Erica Myers.   She hoped that no one had seen that , and that Erica Myers didn’t turn out to be an insufferable bore either.   Jackie turned around and walked in the direction of the display tables along the left hand wall.  She knew the drill – start at the left and work right, picking up each piece of paper until you had all of them.  God, these things were boring .   She’d got half way along the table when a voice from behind her made her jump out of her skin.
    “I saw you do that.”
    She spun around to see who had spoken – it was Jason.  He had a mischievous glint in his eye.  He leant closer to Jackie.
    “I saw you change Marcia’s card for someone else’s.  Now, why would you do that?”
    Jackie blushed ; she’d been seen, and she was ashamed of what she’d done.   She turned to face him and hoped that whatever came out of her mouth would sound convincing.
    “I… just…” she stopped; she hoped the truth would serve her better.  “Jason, be honest – would you like to spend the day with Marcia?”
    The smile on his face was all the answer she needed.  They both turned back to the display table and continued collecting the information that that evening they both knew would be shredded and heading for the recycle bin.
    “So , who did you put on our table?” H e asked as they continued.
    “Someone called Erica Myers?”
    “THE Erica Myers?” H e stopped and stared at her.
    “I dunno, I’ve never heard of her before.”
    “Oh dear.  Quick let’s get this done, get back to the table and change it back before anyone notices.”   His tone was hard , and business like .  Jackie knew she’d done something wrong.  As they made their way back to the table, the room was being to fill up.
    “Who’s this Erica anyway?”  Jackie asked as they found their table and Jason made the swap.
    “Only the CEO’s secretary.”
    Jackie shrugged her shoulder.  “So?   What does it matter which table she sits at?”
    Jason lowered his voice to a whisper, “It matters.  She needs to be sitting there.”
    “Why?”  Jackie knew she was pushing him now.
    “Because she’s sleeping with the boss,” he snapped.
    Jackie swore under her breath , and resigned herself to sitting through a boring day which would be worsened by Marcia’s constant chatter.   She was embarrassed.  She knew that the CEO would have been furious if his little bit-on-the-side hadn’t been looked after properly and that it would come down heavily on Jason who’d been influential in the organisation of the event.
    Marcia finally arrived.  Jackie could hear her progress through the hall.  Surely, it was illegal to be that chirpy, she thought.  Jason avoided looking at her.  She knew he was angry with her and that their dinner that evening would probably be off.   Marcia, as she knew she would be, was over the moon at being on a table with Jason and Jackie.  Jackie just smiled politely and sipped the remainder of her coffee.  There were six people at their table,