By: Simon Smith

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Leeward side

Why hadn’t she listened to the weather girl as she’d rushed around the flat to get ready for work that morning, pondered Pippa. She’s been so excited about meeting Lee for lunch – his text the previous evening was very suggestive and she’d spent ages deciding what to wear; the sun had been shining brightly then. Looking out of her seventh floor office window over the Hammersmith one-way she could see dark clouds starting to loom over Chiswick. Why was it that Lee, although desperately cute and fun to be with, always brought a sense of foreboding?
“It’ll rain this afternoon,” said Jeremy from his desk without even looking up but correctly reading the pregnant pause as Pippa scanned the skies and readied herself to go to lunch.
“Do you think?”
“Going anywhere special?”
“No, just lunch.” Peering over the screen between the two desks, biro in hand, Jeremy’s apparently disbelieving face scrutinized Pippa’s choice of clothes.
“Nice dress,” he said with scorn in his voice,”…just for lunch.” Pippa had never liked the plump Jeremy with his sarcastic tone and slightly disturbing stares. He might be better qualified than her but he was a letch. She didn’t bother to answer and left the office. Jeremy’s eyes followed her shapely behind out of the office, stretching the fine cotton of the simple cream dress as it went; his hands fingered the chewed bic. Could he make out a g or was she wearing nothing underneath?

meet me no the bridge at 12.30 – ware we were the other eve.. X

Pippa had re-read the words a number of times – she could hear Lee’s voice saying them in that slightly mischievous and demanding way that he had. She liked Lee a lot – it had only been a month since they’d met in a pub after work but it had been a very exciting time. The other night - last Sunday - had been when they’d had sex outside; a first for Pippa. He just done it there and then on the bridge. One minute they were kissing and next he’d lifted her skirt and, well just done it there and then.

It was a short walk to the bridge and she saw him from quite a way off. He was still a bit of an enigma to her; she didn’t really know what he did although his flat in Fulham was cool and tidy enough; he’d mentioned something about going climbing the previous summer with his mates but that was about it. Leaning against the wooden rail and looking towards the darkening clouds over Chiswick, he was wearing his usual dark jeans and a black tee-shirt; she could see the well-formed bulge of his bicep at the top of his tanned arms as he stared at his mobile as if reading a text. Yes, there was no question that even though he didn’t seem particularly bothered about it, he worked on his body, and she liked it. The bridge was busy with traffic and although the sun still shone brightly, the wind had picked up since her morning scurry across the bridge from her shared flat near the Harrods Depository to the office. Pippa could feel a slight chill on her bare arms and shoulders. If only she’d not left in such a hurry to get away from the slimy Jeremy she’d have put her jacket on. Dam Jeremy.