A Year in the Life of...

"I'm not sure I follow you exactly...Miss?"

"My name is not important at the moment. What is important is the offer I am about to make to you." She walked back to the desk, looking over the file in front of her. "I have been watching you for a while Mr Harding, keeping tabs on you and what I've found makes for woeful reading." She sat down again, smoothing her skirt beneath her as she did. "You have been living way beyond your means Mr Harding. Partying, clubbing, expensive clothes...to put it bluntly, attempting to live a playboy lifestyle on a playschool budget. You earn less than fifty thousand a year and are two months behind on your rent and have three credit cards that are over their limit."

How could she possibly know that? He thought. Okay, maybe I've been a little enthusiastic with my spending but you only live once right?

"But what is worse Mr Harding is that you have a gambling debt that is quite honestly...obscene."

Oh shit, she knows about the gambling! This is bad, very bad...maybe not Clinton bad but still, far from good.

"According to my records you owe eighty five thousand pounds to a Mr Jack Micklin, whom I believe is affectionately known as 'Ball crusher Micklin'. I also have it on good authority that Mr Micklin has a penchant for pretty guys, a bill that you fit more than adequately."

He struggled to find words, any words. "I'm pretty sure I can explain ...some of it anyway." He could feel sweat pooling in his armpits, starting to run freely down the side of his body; he didn't function well under stressful situations, probably a good reason why he shouldn't gamble. But I had three aces he thought, how was I to know he'd have four kings!

"The time for explanations is long past Mr Harding" She said as she stood and once more looked out over the grey city, whilst he frantically tried to think of a good reason why she shouldn't fire him, inform his landlord, call the coastguard and God knew what else.