The Demure Secretary

She had worked for the company for ten years since leaving school. Now, at twenty-six, she was the secretary and personal assistant to the Managing Director and major shareholder, and had been doing that job professionally for the last four years. The job suited her well, as it was just ten minutes walk from her little terraced house she owned by the Cam in the centre of Cambridge. She also liked what she did, who she worked with and the prospects of the company in the highly competitive field of semiconductor design.

She was not particularly tall, but slim and fit from all the training for the marathons she ran. You wouldn't have known it from the way she covered herself and her figure. Her black suit, which was plain, rather shapeless and a discrete below-the knee length, was worn over a high-necked white cotton blouse. She wore little make-up, no jewellery and had her brown hair cut to her shoulder as simply and as boring as possible. Her shoes were much more for comfort and long walks, rather than impressing men.

At a first glance, most would have guessed she was unmarried in her late thirties.

She startled as John, the Sales Director, knocked and put his head round the door. 'Are you alone? Mary!'

She smiled! 'Are you looking for Robert? I'm afraid he left about ten minutes ago!'

'No! I was actually looking for you!' He looked at his watch. 'It's six now. Would you like a drink before going home?'

'Oh!' Mary knew John well enough to tease him with a knowing grin. 'I thought you didn't chat up frumpy, boring women like me! What would Simon say?'

'He's away!'

'So you thought you'd see how the other side taste!'

***

'I hope you didn't mind that I asked you for a curry!' She was now in anonymous jeans, jumper and trainers and had just joined John in the restaurant in Mill Road.

'Not at all!' John passed a menu and poured a glass of Chateauneuf-du-Pape. 'As I said, I do want to talk to you about Robert.'

'Thank you!' Mary sipped the wine. 'I did have to go home first! Living alone, means I have to do all my chores and feed the cats. Then I had a run and a bath. I can't bear to get behind with anything.' She smiled.

'Perhaps you should loosen up your life a bit! Let things slip!' John smiled back. 'I think, you've retreated into your shell a bit since that boyfriend of your's left.'

'Peter!' She laughed. 'He was a waste of time. He just wanted to slum it with a rich orphan.'

'Are those rumours true?'

She shrugged her shoulders. 'You know I was an only child of elderly parents and that they both died when I was nineteen. So I sold the big house and bought my little cottage by the river.' She smiled. 'So I suppose the rumours are true!' She paused. 'But enough of me, why do you want to talk about Robert?'

***

'I know that the last year has been difficult for Robert. We all loved Caroline and were totally shocked at her death. But he seems to be going rather off the rails.' John was interrupted as the starters were placed at the table. 'He's just not taking the decisions needed to keep this company in front of everybody else.'

'I'll agree with that!' Mary bit her lip as though not wanting to be disloyal. 'A year ago, he'd have never left before me. Now, he's in the pub at five-thirty sharp. He's not eating properly either.'

'I've brought this up with him and he just gets angry! He says that it's his company and we can eff off!'

'Do you think there is anything we can do?'

***

She lay in bed that night unable to sleep.

John's worries fitted in with her observations.

But she also felt that she knew things were perhaps worse than John suspected. She'd taken to getting in at eight, to make sure he handled all of the important work, that needed to be done before lunch! Nothing got done afterwards.

But what was to be done?

She thought too about John's observation about how she had gone into her shell. She knew she had!

It was almost as if, she was just going through the motions outside of work. Perhaps, John's comment about her being a rich orphan was in some ways right and she was also worried about the only family she had left, the company, falling apart.

She would have to do something for herself, the company and Robert.

***

For the rest of that week, she left things as they were and did nothing except observe.

John came in again late on Friday. 'How's the boss?'

'Still unsettled and he left at four-thirty.' Mary shrugged. 'Can I have your backing on what I'm going to do?'

'Yes!' John was always supportive. 'But I would like to know what you're up to first!'

'You'll have to wait!' Mary smiled.

'You know that if you smartened yourself up, went blonde and shortened your skirts, you could have every man you wanted!' He smiled back.

'What about you?' Mary was now frowning.

'I'd help and criticise!' He smiled back. 'But you would have to be absolutely stunning for me to fancy you!' He grinned widely. 'Now! There's a challenge.'

***

On Saturday, she went to the best hair salon in Cambridge and became short, blonde and a hell of a lot more sexy. She wasn't sure she liked it, but she smiled as she knew the last time she'd been that colour was at the age of two. She was also thinking about why do young children always lose their beautiful blonde hair. After the beautician had done her nails and made up her face, she had completed the first half of the transformation.

She hoped, she wouldn't let it all go within a few days.