Even After All

Part Three

Chapter Three

Dylan watched her walk away his jaw on the floor. He couldn't remember ever feeling so wrong footed. Matilda, how did he not realise it was her? How did he not know what she was doing? That made him laugh, whilst he'd barely stopped thinking about her over the last six years, she'd invaded his every thought, even when he tried desperately to get over her, to move on, he'd never done anything to try and find her, that was what the pain of rejection did, made you stubborn. In his experience anyway.

Just seeing her there in front of him brought back seven shades of hell. He hadn't lied, she looked good, time had been favourable to her. The girl he'd met back in University had been shy, quiet...that was what had attracted him to her in the first place. Where every other freshman was throwing themselves into sex, drink and often drugs, she was different. She was thoughtful, reserved, but once he got to know her, she was so much more than that.

Stood across the foyer from him in her killer heels and that smart, tailored dress, she looked so different, authoritative, powerful, successful...his body responded to that mental image, instantly hard, instantly remembering SO much.

He glanced around him; she was running this complex, managing it. It was a great move for her, and he was glad to know that she was doing well. He had wondered what had happened to her after their divorce. The irony was that his fortunes had turned around since they'd been apart too.

Dylan looked up; Hermione was staring at him, as was John, the bell boy. Both were obviously trying to work out the link between him and their boss. He wasn't about to create gossip, so instead he smiled genially, "so this suite?"

John nodded then led him to the lift.

It had taken Mattie a couple of hours to both recover, then prepare to see Dylan again. She was grateful that she'd been suspicious before knowing who the mystery consultant was. His office out in the golf club was far enough that she wouldn't have to see him every few moments, and she'd make sure the reception staff were available at his every whim. She could cope with seeing him again, she honestly wanted to believe that, but if she minimised that contact it could only be a good thing.

Her office was quite large, at one end she had her desk, large, imposing and a great defence when there was an issue to deal with her, but to her right was a conference table that could seat comfortably eight, but more if they had to. She held her regular group meetings there, but she figured if Dylan was going to insist on being part of these meetings then she'd have to change the location. Her office was her domain, she wasn't about to give up on that. Paul's office was adjacent to hers; it was far smaller, as he rarely used it. But once she composed herself, regained her control, she'd gone in there and made it inhabitable...unplugged the computer, cluttered the desk with Paul's paperwork, pictures, then removed furniture.

She had just returned to her desk and the pressing issues of capacity figures when her door burst open.

Looking up she saw John smiling apologetically as Dylan stormed into the room.

"You expect me to work THERE?"

She was tempted to smile at Dylan's anger, but instead she took a deep breath then turned to John at the door, "it's ok John. You go."

As the man nodded she stood and walked towards him, "don't come here demanding, pressurising my staff. You are here to look for problems, NOT to disrupt my team. You hear?"

That made him laugh, "you think? Have you any idea how worried Paul is?"

That flummoxed her, she believed that Paul wanted attention, fame of sorts; she didn't expect that there were real problems.