Confronting Charlie

Maybe she was just imagining things, but it didn’t hurt to remind Jason what he was missing

- Margaret Skipworth

Studying my reflection in the mirror, I gasped. ‘I can’t go out like this,’ I said, tugging at the skirt that was showing far too much thigh. ‘And these shoes will cripple me. I haven’t worn stilettos in years.’

My sister grinned. ‘You’ve forgotten how to look sexy.’

‘And this red lipstick. Meg, honestly, it’s just not me.’

‘It’s called maraschino cherry. It suits you, trust me.’ She gave me a hug. ‘Jason needs to be reminded you’re his drop-dead gorgeous girlfriend, not someone he can take for granted.’

‘Jason doesn’t take me for granted,’ I replied.

Meg shrugged. ‘After three years together you’re in a rut. You need to put the spark back. After today, Jason won’t give this young Charlie a second glance.’

I winced. Charlie was Jason’s PA, and every time he breathed her name, he almost swooned with adoration.

Jason was into carpets – selling and fitting them. It had once been his father’s firm, and they’d been struggling for years to compete with large discount stores. But when Charlie came on the scene, she waved her perfectly manicured hands and turned the business around.

‘I don’t know what I ever did without her,’ Jason said again one evening as we enjoyed a takeaway in my flat. ‘She has a wonderful way with clients, chases up orders without being asked…’