To Be Alone | Tommy Shelby

Chapter 18

"Well when you know that someone has come into my office to discuss business, you should fucking knock," Tommy reprimanded her, making Celia bury her face into his neck to hide the embarrassment that was surely clear on her face.

"This is hardly business," Lizzie the remarked, a bit of a snarky tone laced into her words.

"Just leave the fucking papers on the table by the door and get out," he ordered her, and Celia could hear the papers being sat down just before the door closed. "'M sorry 'bout that, love," Tommy finally spoke to Celia, breathing out a sigh as he spoke.

"It's not a problem," Celia shook his apology off, sighing though as he stepped away from her, fixing himself up then. She tied up the lacing that held together the top of her blouse before she shimmied her skirt back down her legs. Tommy held out his hand for her and helped her back onto her feet from where she was sitting on his desk. "I'll just be seeing you later, correct?" she checked with him, the glint back in her eyes making him chuckle.

"Yes, ma'am, you will," he nodded his head with a grin, leaning down to kiss her lips before she moved from behind the desk. "Is that all you wanted?" he asked her as she moved towards the door.

"Yes, it was...since I can't be of any other help. I might as well let you get finished with your work for the day...so you can come home sooner," she said the last part of her sentence in a lower voice, but he still heard her.

"I'll be seeing you soon, Miss Farraday," he nodded his head, biting on his cheek to try to contain his grin.

"Yes, you will be, Mr. Shelby," she grinned at him, feeling his eyes on her figure as she moved to the door.

Lizzie had something to say to the woman exiting her boss' office, her mouth opening just as soon as Celia shut the door, "you finished up in there pretty quickly," she remarked, a grin on her face.

Celia had had enough of her, her presence being the sole reason why she still wasn't in there with Tommy right now. "How would Tommy respond if I told him you were talking to his partner like that, eh, Lizzie?" she bit back at her, watching as the woman's face drained of any confidence that she held, her mouth opened slightly. "That's what I thought," Celia nodded her head before going to leave the shop, a satisfied grin on her face.

——

It was towards the end of the day, and Celia was on her way to the Garrison after finishing up her job at the hospital. She was hoping that Tommy would be there, being that she hadn't seen him in the past few days since he was needed in London for urgent business. She got to the establishment's doors and stepped past the first one, her stride stopping when she saw what was going on in front of her. Tommy was standing with May Carleton a few feet from him, and her hand was currently resting against his arm that was propped up against the bar. How Celia knew this was May without even being introduced to her yet? Well...May was part of her past. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she pulled open the final door that separated her from them and (tried to) confidently walk over to where they were standing.

"Celia!" Tommy greeted her with a smile when he noticed her entrance. She was more worried about the woman standing in front of her man, whose hand was still on his arm. "'S nice seeing you, love."

"Hi, Tommy," Celia smiled, and May finally dropped her touch when she slotted herself into his side, his arm immediately going around her waist.

"How are you?" Tommy asked then, not thinking of much as he leaned down to press a kiss to her hair. Celia watched May's eyes widen slightly as he did so, and it made her feel the slightest bit accomplished inside.

"I'm well," Celia nodded to him, her eyes focusing on the woman in front of her then, "how have you been, May?" she came out and asked her. It was now Tommy's turn for his eyes to widen, unaware that the two women knew each other.