Sarah grabbed Jareth’s arm and dragged him into an alcove. It was a tight squeeze with two people and Jareth was not at all adverse to Sarah’s sudden urge for them to be in close physical proximity.
Pressed Sarah into the wall, Jareth breathed into her ear. “Don’t think that I’m complaining, darling, but I have a meeting in ten minutes and I doubt the ambassador would appreciate being deferred again.”
Suppressing a groan, Sarah stilled her hands that had gone wandering of their own accord. “You are so distracting.” She grabbed a handful of very firm buttock as Jareth huffed a laugh into her neck. “Can you hear that?”
Pulling back to look her in the eye, Jareth raised an elegant eyebrow.
“Of course. Silly me.” They could hear a staff member being sternly dressed down for inappropriate behaviour. “I didn’t want to walk in on a disciplinary meeting.”
“So thoughtful of you,” Jareth crooned softly. “I am most appreciative of your actions.” He slid a hand down Sarah’s back, but froze as the overheard conversation got more heated. “Did that little bastard just try to play the nepotism card?”
“I think he also just made a claim to being untouchable due to a veiled allusion that you’re in a relationship with his mother.” Sarah frowned as she slowly parsed the overly flowery and pretentious speech patterns. “Who is this guy? I don’t recognize his voice.”
“I haven’t worked with him either. I met him once when he was introduced as a new staff member, he was so obsequious that he made an impression.”
Jareth described the young man and Sarah nodded. “Some of my team have mentioned an entitled twit. They were not impressed at his behavior. Out of interest, who is his mother?”
“You know her as well as I do. Remember that function with the boorish woman who kept interrupting conversations to laud the accomplishments of her offspring?”
Sarah thought back to the evening. “Is that what she was on about? I was so distracted by her gravity defying hat that I wasn’t paying any attention to her twittering.”
The young man’s protestations were being firmly shut down. It seemed that he should have taken notes from his mother before starting work, as the person he was trying to play superior with was the one who had recommended him for employment due to a complicated network of favours. He was informed that instead of learning the ropes, he had squandered his mother’s favour with his arrogance and entitlement.
“I believe this is our cue.” Jareth stepped out of the alcove, tucking Sarah’s hand into his elbow.
“You have no right to remove me. I’ll have your job.”
“I think not.” The young man spun to attack the newcomer and Sarah could see his life flash before his eyes as he realised who spoke. “You will be placed with the cleaning staff until you learn humility. The goblins will be providing correction if their standards are breached.”
labyfic —
drabble #238: guardedPart of the
Balance!verse