Baby It's COVID Outside

Chapter 2 - Susie

For a moment I stared dumbly at him, opening and closing my mouth like a fish.

Well done Susie, way to make yourself seem like a totally normal and professional employee. His eyebrow lifted in a way that did funny things to my insides.

"I'm sorry, sir," I stammered out, my cheeks flushing with embarrassment. "My car has broken down and I can't get anyone out here to look at it until tomorrow. I was hoping to stay here for the night? I promise I won't be a bother."

"You can't stay out here all night," Henry replied with a frown.

I shot to my feet. "I don't have anywhere else to go. There's no way I can walk to town in this weather."

He knelt to retrieve my fallen phone, and I held my breath, praying he wouldn't look too closely at what I had been reading. He held out the phone to me without even glancing at it. "Of course not, but you can't stay in here. It's not designed for people to live in."

I accepted it before shaking my head. "Well, what am I supposed to do? Stay in my car?"

Henry looked pained as he tried to think of a solution before his expression settled into one of resignation. "Well, you'll have to stay at my house for the night then I suppose."

"Stay at yours?" I asked dubiously.

He didn't look keen on the idea, as much as I appreciated the offer. "Well, I don't really see another way around it, do you?" He sighed.

I gestured back to the sofa I had been sat on. "This is surprisingly comfortable and I really don't mind."

Henry seemed unmoved by my cheery smile and I found myself wishing the sofa would eat me to hide me from his scrutiny.

"Absolutely not." He said finally, "I have a guest bedroom. You may as well use it."

His tone told me he was a man used to getting his way. An impression I had already gathered from our very limited interactions.

Still, something flared in me that said argue back and watch how he would react. However that thought was very quickly pushed down by a much stronger voice in me that said, 'did someone say bed?'.

Without giving me an opportunity to say anything further, Henry turned on his heel and marched back towards the door. "Come on," he called over his shoulder, "I was just about to do dinner so you can join me."

The urge to retort something wholly unprofessional rose up, but was cut off by the loud growl of my stomach which reminded me I hadn't eaten anything since the tray of biscuits after lunch.

Tipping the mug of coffee down the sink and leaving the cup on the side, I shot an apologetic look towards the desk of the office manager. She would be fuming if she saw someone not washing up, but hopefully I could get in early and clean it up before she noticed.

Grabbing my bag, I hurried towards the door, where Henry tapped his foot impatiently as I struggled into my still damp coat. As soon as I had buttoned it up he pressed the switch which turned all the office lights off and plunged us both into darkness.

With zero night vision and a total lack of self-awareness, I surged forwards in what I was fairly certain was the vague direction of the door. A yelp escaped me as I stubbed my toe on the side table and immediately lost my balance, falling forward into the darkness. But two warm steady hands caught me and righted me once more.

"Are you ok?" Henry's low voice asked.

The heat of his breath brushed my skin, letting me know how intimately close his face was to my own. I couldn't help but feel thankful for the darkness as my cheeks flushed.