The blazing hot Mediterranean sun stared back into Sandra's face. As much as she hated to admit it she really did need a break, Right now she could do with an ice cold drink, preferably alcoholic but she could not be bothered to move. She also thought to herself that the pool looked inviting, that deep blue water that sparkled in the intense sunlight, ricocheting off Sandra's sun glasses. It would be the perfect way to cool down from the baking 34 degree heat but again she hadn't the energy to move she was perfectly happy lying on the plastic sun lounger topping up her tan and reading a trashy novel she picked up at the airport. Something that Sandra Pullman would never normally dream of doing.
It had been a good six or seven years since Sandra had had any king of holiday, even at weekends she submerged herself in work. It was no secret that she lived for her work. She really only came on this holiday to Italy as Strickland was adamant that she take the long standing holiday leave she was owed before it disintegrated.
If truth be told she was ready of this week long break. Just lately Brian's erratic behaviour (even by his standards) had become so much it was on the verge of being intolerable, it was now at the point where Sandra could tell you everything and anything about any Greek mythological beast courtesy of Brian.
Another thing that had gotten too much and defiantly was unbearable was the obvious sexual tension between her and Gerry it had been manifesting for over eight years now and had reached breaking point. That was motivation in itself for Sandra to take her holiday leave, waking up in the sun rather that waking up in Gerry Standing's bed which was likely to happen if she had stayed in England judging by the endless flirtation that went back and forth between them at the UCOS office.
The sun brought out a different side of Sandra, one that was carefree; years ago when her friends went abroad she was usually the one who ended up comforting then when they got back devastated that their short lived holiday romance inevitably had failed. She never really saw the point in holiday flings where not only were they a cliché but it was pointless, these girls gave away their hearts for about a week and then came back heartbroken and ruined holiday. This was ironic really as she had spent the majority of her adult hood having flings with married men Don't get it wrong she did not prefer the no strings attached type of relationship. Yes when the sex got boring or the man's wife found out she would move on and the cycle would be repeated. She did once have an ambition of settling down but she took it as something that wasn't meant to be.
Mainly because her work ruled her life so naturally it got in the way but also a part of her was afraid of giving her heart away. Maybe because she had never really been daring when it came to men, she stuck with what she knew, dating married men so that she knew it would have to come to an end and would ensure her heart stayed intact.
Recently she had began to wonder if she should resurrect this ambition as she wasn't getting any younger and perhaps her mother was right maybe it was better to have company especially as she got older. After all she knew she could not work forever but finding company that wasn't Jack, Brian, Strickland or Gerry was getting harder. Her old school and university friends didn't really want to know as they weren't interested in how many mass murders she had locked up that day which was the only thing Sandra really cared about.
So for now it was just her and work, the perfect combination for the perfect relationship Sandra Pullman was looking for. Work could never break her heart. But right now if some good looking Italian man invited her for a drink and then back to his place she would not say no. After all it would be rude not to.