Chapter Text
David checked the knot in his tie and brushed his hand down the front of his pristine white shirt as he sat in the passenger seat of the silver Range Rover. Tom steadily driving through the London traffic following Terry to Overstrand Mansions. He hated evening events, hated the crowds around the Principal and the unpredictability of her movements and company. This event would be no different, a room full of some of the most important members of the British government alongside a host of high-profile guests. The security needed to be tight and having briefed his team he was confident he had covered all eventualities. Pulling up in front of the block of apartments he peered up to the first-floor window to see the warm glow of lights coming from her flat. The odd shadow passing by the window. Unfastening his seatbelt and opening the door he turned his head to Tom;
“In a bit. Stay close on the drive”
“Sarge” Tom nodded his head dutifully before David shut the car door and strode towards the front door, making sure to check his surroundings before greeting the officer on the door. His stomach flipped as he reached the top of the stairs. David was for the most part cool, calm and collected but the past few months he had been harbouring a secret, a feeling that he couldn’t shake off despite every part of him wanting to. He could not stop thinking about his Principal. The way her hair shone and fell into her eyes when she was sitting at her desk working, the way she glanced at him from time to time as he stood guard and their eyes met, neither giving anything away. The only tell being his body’s inner response and the surge of blood running through his veins and the slight jolt in his stomach as she flicked her eyes away from his and went about her business.
Julia Montague was everything he despised. Her politics, her position, her social class. However, she was also beautiful, elegant and exuded something David couldn’t even begin to fathom. It was within the first few weeks of service when she had started engaging him in conversation as he checked her flat on her return from the Home Office. Her formality gone, he had started to see someone who cared. Then the Andrew Marr interview happened, and he realised he had been drawn in by her. Her absolute refusal to apologise for the past. The past that had left him scarred both inside and out. The war that had ended his marriage and was the reason he was now leading her protection team. Mere moments before the interview he had struggled to contain every primal urge in his body to turn his head as she had pulled her stained, silken blouse over her head, only to replace it with his own starched white shirt. The air silent but charged around him as he heard her soft breaths and the rustling of fabric as she buttoned up his shirt. He had put it down to a sexual attraction and nothing else. For two weeks David convinced himself he hated her, softening a touch when she inadvertently admitted to helping his son Charlie into a specialist school. It was like taking two steps forward one step back, for all the good she did she reminded him of why he should hate her until he was at the point he was now, stood in front of her apartment with his admiration for her beginning to far outweigh his hatred. An admiration she could never know about and he could never do anything about.
Taking in a deep breath he knocked on the door and waited. He could hear some hustle and bustle from the hallway but was not concerned. For these types of events Julia called in her stylist friend and hairdresser to get her ready. The scrutiny from the public surrounding her politics already critical enough without them being given the opportunity to slate how she looked. The press loved her, a Home Secretary who not only got the job done but also provided a bit of glamour to the otherwise drab Conservative party. It was fair to say they liked her to be seen.
David heard the lock from the other side of the door and smiled as he was met by Kim’s cheery face.
“Nearly ready sarge”
“Thanks Kim, deploy to the backup vehicle with Tom and I’ll give you the heads up when we are on our way”
“Will do Sarge, see you at the venue”
He watched Kim out and locked the door behind him. Out of habit he swiftly looked around the entrance way, checking it was secure. Quickly catching sight of himself in the hall mirror he raised a hand to his hair and carefully swept a lock of his dark hair back in place and fastened the buttons of his dark suit jacket across his trim body. He smoothed the jacket down further and patted his chest where his bulletproof vest sat in place.
“Ill be there in a minute sergeant”
He heard her voice ring out from her dressing room. Her usual hairdresser edging out of the door which was ajar. David could smell the aroma of her perfume diffusing into the living room where he now stood. The sight of her bare arms visible as she ran some cream along her forearm and through her hands and fingers.
“Soft drinks in the fridge…” her voice sang out again, interrupting David from his thoughts of running his own hands over hers
“Thank you Ma’am” David had no intention of getting a drink but he wandered to the kitchen anyway. He peered around idly, taking in the empty coffee cup resting in the sink, a rose-pink lipstick mark sitting smudged around the rim. Without any thought he turned her hot tap on and began to rinse the mug out as he had done on many occasions now, whenever she would offer him a cuppa after a long day. The stolen moments that he had seen the real Julia. The Julia who asked about his children and had spoken with humility about the breakdown of her own marriage to the current Chief Whip, Roger Penhaligon. A snide Etonian who was despised by most of the country, David included. As he placed the cup in the nearby cupboard, he heard her voice becoming louder as she exited her dressing room and entered the living room behind him.
David turned towards the sound to see the back of her sitting in an armchair. Her hairdresser spraying her chestnut coloured, shoulder length hair that he had curled into a slightly more voluminous version of her trademark curled look. Stationing himself in the doorway between the kitchen and living room he kept his eyes on her as she lifted a compact mirror to her face and swept a layer of the same rose-pink lipstick he had just washed away onto her plump lips. His eyes trained on the circular piece of mirrored glass that now perfectly reflected her hazel green eyes. Her eyelashes long and curled with a soft brown liner framing her eyes. The eyes that had switched quickly between concentrating on applying her lipstick to now focussing solely on the pair of cornflower blue eyes that belonged to him. David quickly averted his gaze, hearing the compact shut but blind to the barely-there curl of a smile form on Julia’s lips as she dropped it into her handbag and took a steadying breath.
Heart racing at being caught, David kept his eyes trained on the bookcase directly in front of him. The movement of Julia’s team in his peripheral vision as they packed up their belongings and said goodbye to Julia. “P.S Budd please could you see that someone helps them out with their bags”
He had no choice but to turn his head to her this time. His jaw growing slack and his pulse quickening as he took in the full sight of her. David resisted every urge to run his eyes down her and instead stepped forward and picked up a set of bags and gestured towards the front door, leaving Julia standing by her fireplace. A quick conversation through his earpiece soon had an officer at the front door to collect the bags and see out the team who were partly responsible for making Julia momentarily taking his breath away. The other part was all her. Her natural beauty. He nervously re-entered the living room expecting her to still be by the fireplace however the noise from the kitchen soon alerted him to the fact she was in there. He walked into her with a small glass of cold Rose in her hand. “Evening Ma’am. The car is ready when you are” She stared at him intently as she lifted the glass to her lips and took a sip, her hip resting against the marble worktop.
“Thank you David. I won’t keep Terry waiting” With that she then gulped down what was left in her glass and placed it in the sink. Her head twisting round to David again “Did you wash up?”
David felt his cheeks colour slightly “Aye Ma’am, sorry force of habit” He smiled weakly at her.
“You should come more often Sgt. Budd. I have a hoover in the cupboard over there if you ever feel the urge” She teased him. Her mouth emitting a soft giggle and her smile lighting up her whole face as she walked around the kitchen counter to the side where David now stood.
“I’m not sure my duties as a PPO cover cleaning Ma’am but I will bare that in mind” He laughed along with her as he let his eyes take her in fully. She wore suits for work everyday but nothing quite like this one. The white silk tuxedo jacket tailored perfectly to her body. Skimming across her shoulders and nipping in at the smallest part of her waist. The dove grey camisole beneath dropping into a delicate V shape, revealing a small but enticing amount of cleavage. Her long legs looked slender in the matching cropped, fitted trousers and the flash of ankle caused butterflies to surface in David’s stomach. The black, elegant sandals she had on higher than she would normally wear making her the same height as him. He ran his eyes back up her as their laughter mingled in the air around them and her eyes met his again. This time though he didn’t look away immediately.
Julia held her gaze on him as her smile faded “You make me laugh David” David broke their gaze at this point and looked down at the floor trying to hide his reddening cheeks “there are not many people who can do that”
“Anytime Ma’am” he lifted his head. He tried to act cool and calm as she smiled at him and walked past him into the living room.
“Please, call me Julia when we are at home” She walked towards the coffee table in the living room and picked up her bag and a golden chain. “Before we leave could I just ask you to help me with this?” She gestured the golden chain towards him. A fine gold tennis bracelet that when David looked more closely her realised was actually a line of shimmering clear diamonds. “The clasp is a bit tricky”
“Not a problem Ma’am…I mean Julia” He awkwardly fumbled over his words as he took the bracelet from her, his fingertips brushing against the warmth of her own. Julia pushed back the sleeve of her jacket and turned her palm to face up, revealing the soft tender skin of her wrist to him. Looping the bracelet under her hand he brought the clasp together over her wrist. He was standing so close to her he could smell the floral lotion he had watched her spread over the wrist in front of him and could see the freckles over her tanned skin. Julia bent her head down to watch him and he felt a curl of her hair brush against his forehead. Trying to control himself and still his shaking hands he quickly undid the stiff clasp and hooked it in place. Her wrist now in his hand as he twisted the bracelet into place. Her soft breath blowing against his cheek as she observed him. Once done he raised his head, her face close to his. Her lashes fluttering slightly as she stood level with him, her face showing not giving anything away as her eyes scanned his face, her pupils dilating slightly as she glanced over his lips and then met his eyes again. Her wrist still in David’s hand as the Earth seemed to stand still around them. “We shouldn’t keep Terry waiting any longer”. Julia’s voice barely audible as she pulled her wrist from his hand and checked her camisole was tucked into the waistband of her trousers neatly.
“Of course” David wasn’t sure what had happened in that split second but he was sure she had felt something in that moment. However now was not the time to think about it as he radioed down to Terry and the back-up vehicle.
Carrying out his last-minute checks he led Julia from her flat and secured it behind him. Leading her down the staircase he felt her hand on his shoulder. Looking back up at her a step behind him she looked nervous “David, I need you right beside me tonight. I hate publicity like this.” He had never seen her look as unsure of herself as she did in this moment.
“Very well, Ma’am”
“Thank you David. You are the only one I trust” She dropped her hand from his shoulder and shook her head a little, loosening her curls slightly and resetting herself. Her nervous look gone and the one that the cameras would want to see planted firmly on her face.
He settled himself into the front passenger seat of the car. He had prepared for every eventuality he could think of this evening but there was one he felt he could never have prepared for and she was sitting right behind him. Something felt different tonight. As he checked his rear view mirror her hazel eyes were already waiting for his. With a subtle nod of her head he lifted his radio to his lips he set the wheels in motion “Lavender on the move”.