Beyond the Skyline (Paperback)

Pages : 298
ISBN : 9780995748149
Weight : 289g
Dimensions : 203 x 17 x 127 mm

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- Sapphic Romance
- Workplace romance
- Forced proximity
- Sexual awakening

Sophie let out a sigh of relief as she saved her last technical drawing of the week. Scrolling through the files on her desktop, she checked the garments for the coming summer season one last time to make sure everything was there. Five dresses, eighteen tops, seven cardigans, ten skirts and ten pairs of leggings. Oh, and the socks. People were really into socks these days. She pulled the lever on her chair and leaned back, resting her feet on a cardboard box underneath her desk. It was getting late now, and she couldn’t wait to get out of the office. Her laptop went into sleep mode and she saw her reflection in the black screen. It wasn’t pretty. Her eyes were sore and red and her skin looked blotchy. She wiped the mascara stains from underneath her eyes and stretched out, hands behind her head, relieving her back from sitting in the same position for hours on end.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake!” A loud curse came from Aiden, one of the new developers, who looked like he was in total panic mode. Sophie turned to him with curious amusement.
“Are you okay?”
He rolled his eyes. “Not really. It’s Saturday night and I’m not even on schedule for this week. Are you nearly done?”
Sophie nodded. “You’ll get used to it. It’s always like this in high season but it only lasts for about two months, so don’t give up just yet.”
Aiden didn’t look too convinced. “Oh yeah? Well, I certainly hope so because my life has been alarmingly repetitive lately.” He stared at Sophie like a wounded animal. “Do you have any idea what it’s been like for me since I started?”
Sophie nodded. “I think I have an idea.”
Aiden slammed his palm on his desk. “Well, I’m going to tell you anyway because I need to get this off my chest.” He sighed. “I get up early, exhausted. I go to work, leave late and pick up a takeaway on my way home before working some more from my bed. No social life, no movies, dinners or anything fun. And here I am again, on a Saturday for God’s sake! I mean, what’s wrong with me? It’s only you and me in the office. Where’s everyone else? We should be out partying right now.” He sighed. “I promised my girlfriend I’d take her to a concert tonight and I don’t even know if I’m going to make it.”
Sophie couldn’t help but giggle. “Relax, Aiden. It will all be over next week. I’ve been here for years and it never changes, so either get used to it or look for another career.” Aiden shot her an annoyed look and Sophie chuckled. She didn’t care. They were both in the same predicament but she had stopped feeling sorry for herself a long time ago. In fact, she felt great. The monotone pattern that became the core of her existence each year during high season was about to be broken. The work was done, and finally, the moment had come when she could allow herself to relax a little bit. She turned her music up and felt a spark of excitement as she watched the drawings printing onto thick, shiny paper. ‘Happy’ was playing through the speakers on her desk and that seemed pretty appropriate right now. The range looked good and she was pleased with how it had all come together yet again.
Usually, she did this with her colleague Maggie. They would stay late, order pizza and make a celebration out of their last night in temporary fashion slavery. Then they would go to the pub. That had been their ritual for as long as Sophie had been in the role, but Maggie wasn’t there today and Sophie found herself missing their banter and the dancing, their guilty secret when they were alone in the office. She checked her phone again, but there were no updates from Maggie, apart from her last text message.
‘Sorry I’m letting you down. Will explain everything over drinks tonight. Meet me at the Black Horse, 9 pm. Can’t stay late.’
Sophie shook it off and took a step back, admiring her work.
“Done,” she said out loud. Downtime never lasted long but she tried to make the most of it. She still had a business trip to Hong Kong scheduled in, but that would be relaxing compared to the chaos of the past month. After that, she would be in paradise. Two weeks in Thailand with nothing but the sun, the sea and a couple of books. Her face lit up at the prospect. She tidied up after herself, switched off the lights and gathered her things, before turning to her only colleague left in the office.
“Bye, Aiden. Have a lovely weekend.” Aiden didn’t reply. He was too busy kicking the printer.
The light in one of the storage rooms next to the elevator was still on and Sophie stuck her head around the corner. A worn-out looking intern was sitting on the floor, labelling sample boxes. They were piled five-high and there wasn’t much room for her to move around.
“Are you almost done?” Sophie asked. The girl turned around, putting on a brave smile.
“Couple more hours to go,” she said. “These need to be sent to New York on Monday for a conference so I'd rather just get it over with.”
Sophie nodded. “I’m sorry you’re stuck with all the tedious chores. I have to go and meet someone. Otherwise, I’d have helped you.” That wasn’t entirely true. Even if she hadn’t agreed to meet Maggie, she seriously doubted she would have stayed to label boxes on a Saturday night. But it did feel wrong to leave her there, so she gave the girl her most compassionate look. “Take it easy, yeah? It's okay to tell them you weren't able to finish it all. I’ll vouch for you. I'm sure there will be someone who can help you out on Monday.”
The girl shook her head. “Thanks, but I think I’ll just finish this while I’m here.”
Sophie leaned against the doorpost and crossed her arms. “I used to do this too, you know… we’ve all been there.” She hesitated. “I’m Sophie by the way.”
“I know,” the girl said. “You’re the senior designer, right? Aren’t you about to take over as design manager during Debbie’s maternity leave?” She held out a hand. “I’m Kendra. Intern. Or maybe I should say pushover?” They both laughed.
“Yes, it looks like I’ll be taking over,” Sophie said. “But I can so relate to you. You know, I worked for free for a year and a half.”
Kendra’s eyes widened. “No way. You’re joking, right? At least I get paid.”
Sophie shook her head. “No, I’m not joking. I worked the longest days out of everyone; doing all the shitty jobs that no one else could be bothered to do.” She gestured to the pile of boxes. “But let me tell you something. It might seem like a big deal right now but the world is not going to end if you don’t finish this job tonight. Nobody is going to fire you, and I know this sounds harsh but they might not even notice.” She winked and turned around. “So go home, Kendra and enjoy what’s left of your weekend.”
The chaos of London welcomed her as soon as she exited the building onto the main road. Sophie contemplated taking the tube but decided against it and hailed a cab. She felt like rewarding herself.
“King’s Road please,” she said to the cabbie. She pulled her hair out of her face to tie it into a knot at the back of her head and then remembered it wasn't long enough anymore. She regretted cutting it off. Without her hair, she somehow felt powerless and each time she remembered it, a slight panic crept up, reminding her it would take at least two years to grow it all back. Like most haircuts, tattoos and other bodily decorations she had ever attempted, it had seemed like such a good idea at the time. A fairy on her ankle and a Tasmanian devil on her right shoulder reminded her of that every single day. There was also a significant hole in the skin under her navel, which was the result of an infected DIY job from when she was fourteen. She glanced in the rear view mirror and adjusted the short locks behind her ears before putting on some lip balm. Then she looked down and inspected her clothes for coffee stains but the day had been kind to her and there was only a small ink stain on her left sleeve. Her faded jeans with trainers and the old sweatshirt she was wearing would have to do for now. They passed her parents’ Victorian four-bedroom corner house and Sophie chuckled at the thought of her prim mother’s disapproving look, should she see her like this. The front garden looked immaculate as always, with rose bushes in full bloom and a perfectly trimmed hedge that followed the building around the corner. Behind this was the generous annex that functioned as her father’s practice, shielded from the street.
Getting out of the cab in Chelsea, Sophie inhaled the smell of fish and chips from the takeaway on the high street. It was the old familiar scent that always made her feel hungry on her way home from work. She crossed the road and waved at her parents’ neighbours who were just leaving Partridge’s with their weekly shopping. It was a lovely, mild evening in May and the bars were full of people, drinking and catching up on their week. She passed The Old Dog and smiled at the locals outside, who were gathered in groups on the pavement, each with a pint in one hand and a cigarette in the other. Behind them, the hanging baskets, which decorated the façade of the pub, were in full bloom, painting the perfect picture of West London. Sophie breathed in the fresh air and allowed herself to feel part of it all for the first time in weeks. Tonight, she was one of them. She took a shortcut and crossed the gardens of the Saatchi Gallery, stepping over the flower beds. She almost crashed into someone as she turned the last corner for the pub.