Twelve Days The Beginning

Chapter One

Twelve days earlier

The music was pounding - The Communards ‘Don’t Leave Me This Way’, - and Elise allowed the beats to sweep her away. She loved this track; an absolute must-dance-to, guaranteed to fill the floor. As the track reached its crescendo, Elise raised her arms above her head and closed her eyes, allowing the music to wash over her, spinning round, losing all sense of her surroundings. The rhythm was pulsing through her from head to toe, allowing Elise to forget everything but this moment. This perfect synchronisation of mind, body and senses. She could feel herself getting warmer as she continued to absorb the music and was immensely grateful for her lightweight, short-sleeved black dress. A crepe material, which fitted on the bodice and then flared out at the waist to finish in a floating skirt just above her knees. She felt good and she knew that tonight, she looked good.

Suddenly a pair of strong arms grabbed her from behind, breaking her out of her music induced reverie and nearly causing her heart to fail.

“Jesus, Cole, you scared the shit out of me!”

She whirled around to face her work colleague and best friend Cole Andrews and punched him lightly on the arm. Her already racing heart felt like it was about to jump out of her chest – he had scared the crap out of her – and as her bright blue eyes met chocolate brown, she raised an eyebrow sardonically. He was struggling to hide his very obvious amusement and when she went to punch him again, he caught her wrist easily and continued to smile at her in his infinitely adorable way.

Cole was beautiful; there was no other word for it. He was the epitome of tall, dark and handsome with the most gorgeous brown eyes. His hair was a lighter shade than his eyes and flopped over his face in the most ridiculously heart stopping way. Elise’s breath hitched as she looked at him in the muted lights of the crowded dance floor, waiting for the now familiar attraction to pass.

When Elise had first begun working for Andrews & Andrews Accountancy, Cole - as the junior partner - had been assigned to train her and generally make sure that she didn’t mess up. It had been love at first sight for Elise and in the early days she had seriously struggled with her concentration. Every time he leaned over her she would have to hide her shudders and pretend that the computer programme that he was demonstrating really was the most interesting thing in the world.

As time passed they had started to spend lunchtimes together and soon realised that they both shared the same terrible taste in music, both hated exercising and both had a serious weakness for chocolate. The day they shared their first Dairy Milk was the day their friendship had been cemented and over the last five years, Cole had remained her one constant. He had picked her up and put her back together more times than she could remember and in return, she had rescued him from the clutches of some seriously psycho dates. In all that time they never once talked about the undercurrent of attraction between them although they were both more than aware that it was there. Neither of them wanted to ruin the friendship that they had built; both recognising the beauty of their relationship and so, by an unspoken agreement, things remained purely platonic.

There was also the fact that neither of them wanted to cross the line; - break the rules, so to speak. Their friendship remained exactly as it was for one very good reason and one very good reason alone.

Elise was married.

Cole was still grinning inanely at her as she shook herself out of her trance, belatedly realising that Jimmy Somerville had long since stopped asking her not to leave, and she was now being told to ‘Sit Down’ by James.

“Looking hot tonight, beautiful” Cole declared and Elise struggled not to blush under his intense gaze. Despite their understanding and her marital status, there was still that underlying sexual tension between them both and it was difficult to rein it in sometimes. Tonight they were at the work Christmas party, drinks were flowing, the mood was high and that sometimes made the resolve just a little bit more tricky.

“Back atcha” Elise replied, admiring Cole in his black trousers, dark shirt and leather jacket. Boy, did this man know how to dress.

“So, how come you’re here on the dance floor mauling me rather than chasing Annabel into the nearest dark corridor?” Annabel was the new receptionist - young, lively and beautiful and the latest object of Cole’s desire.

“She took a bathroom break about half an hour ago and has been avoiding me ever since.” Cole replied with a grimace.

“Uh oh. Don’t tell me she took her bathroom break with Amelia?”

Cole nodded.

“Oh dear, you’re screwed.” Amelia who worked in the back office had been Cole’s last love. Unfortunately for her she’d been in love and he wasn’t, resulting in her being on a one-woman campaign to make sure that no one else fell foul of his charms. There was also the fact that if she couldn’t have him, she didn’t see why anyone else should.

Cole shrugged “Plenty more fish and anyway, I’ve not seen you properly since you got back from the conference and I’m pretty sure you owe me a dance, sweet-cheeks.”

Ugh! Elise rolled her eyes at the use of her seriously annoying nickname. She didn’t even know where it had come from but the way Cole said it just riled her and he knew it.

“Cole Andrews, I would not dance with you if you were the last man on the planet!” she declared and started to head for the bar, suddenly in desperate need of refreshment. Cole just laughed, grabbed her arms again and turned her back around towards the dance floor.



James had finished and had given over to the ever popular 5,6,7,8 line-dancing number by Steps. Knowing that she could not resist the challenge of the complex dance routine, Cole manoeuvred them to the centre of the packed floor, thus ensuring she had no means of escape.

Her mini tantrum short-lived, Elise allowed Cole to lead their dance and laughed along with him as they tripped and stomped their way through the number. Other colleagues, some more inebriated than others, were having similar difficulties and it wasn’t long before the dance floor was a mass of giggling, swaying and out of control bodies.

Once the number had finished, Elise realised that she really did now desperately need refreshment and signalled to Cole that she would be leaving the floor. Cole grabbed her hips to halt her progress so that he could join her and Elise stiffened momentarily, trying to mask the sharp stab of pain. She had her back to Cole and prayed that he had not picked up on her slight movement and intake of breath. Cole unfortunately had missed nothing, and immediately spun her around to face him, pulling her eyes up to meet his.

“Elise, what the f*ck....?” His eyes displayed a myriad of emotions ranging from shock, to disbelief and finally settling on anger. “Elise, no! You’re kidding me, not again...”

She didn’t want to hear any more. Steeling her resolve, she placed her fingers gently over Cole’s mouth and silently shook her head, her eyes imploring him to let this go. Gradually he released his hold and watched helplessly as she spun away, back through the throng towards the bar.

Tonight she was having fun. This was her night. She didn’t want to think about anything – at all. Not what she was doing, not Cole and his sympathy and certainly not Dale at home, waiting for her. Tonight was about freedom, removing herself from her life for just a few moments in time, maybe pretending she was someone else. Tonight was hers because it was all she had and she was most definitely not going to think about anything else. Tonight she didn’t want to remember; tonight she wanted to block it all out, just for a while. Tomorrow there would be plenty of time for remembering. Remembering the hurt, the pain and the terror. The sadness and the disappointment and the loss. The mourning and the grief.

Remembering Dale, her husband, and the fact that last night he had raped her – again.