I fold my arms, eyeballing the fat man. “There’s nothing to think about. I’m not interested.”

“Ah, but I am, and I don’t like taking ‘No’ for an answer. So, let me put it this way. If you don’t start putting out for me, your boss in there, Haswell, is going to know all about what you got up to last year. Everyone else too. Would you like to be famous on the internet?”

The office door opens and my Master steps into the room. He glances askance at the man.

“Ah yes, you’d be James. Yes, now I remember you too. Ned Jansen’s the name. Nice to meet you again.” He takes my Master’s barely proffered hand, shaking it, smirks again and walks away.

“What was all that about?”

I keep my voice low, conscious that Haswell is only on the other side of the door. “He’s trying to blackmail me. You too, I think. He was one of the other bidders at the auction. He’s threatening to tell Haswell about it.”

He is about to reply, but the door opens and Haswell steps out. “Ah, James. Glad I caught you before you left.”

My Master looks down at me. “We’ll talk about this later.”

*****

“So, what does he actually want?”

“Me, I think. He wants me to ‘put out’ for him. He offered me money at first, but when I refused, he said he wasn’t taking ‘No’ for an answer, and wouldn’t pay me.”

“Charming man…” My Master chews his bottom lip, pacing around the room. “You think he’ll do it?”

“Mmm, yes, I do. He’s not a pleasant man.”

“Then, there’s really only one course of action…. we have to tell Haswell ourselves, before he finds out some other way.”

*****

The lift doors swoosh open in front of me, and I step inside. Just as the doors close again, Jansen steps in beside me. “Ah, Charlotte. I do hope you’ve had time to reconsider.” He clamps his hand over the panel, so that I can neither press for my floor, or open the doors.

“Push off, creep.”

“Last chance. I’m not a patient man.”

“Let me out.”

“You’ll be sorry.” He smiles and releases the panel. I jab at the ‘Door Open’ button and almost leap out of the lift, trembling and panting.

*****

I call Francis.

“Francis, is it possible for me to have a few minutes with Mr Haswell this morning?”

“Is it urgent, Charlotte?” I know that a good part of Francis’ job, as Haswell’s secretary and receptionist, is to free him from unnecessary appointments.

“Um… yes, it is really.”

“I’ll see what I can do.”

Five minutes later, I get a callback. “Yes, he can see you now, as it happens.copy right hot novel pub