Julie sat at her desk feeling blue. No one liked Monday mornings, but Julie had just spent another weekend without seeing Tim. It was a beautiful summer weekend, but she couldn't walk through the park or have a picnic with her beau like the other secretaries in the office were gushing about.

"Julie… Julie."

"Huh? Oh sorry."

"I hope your mind was someplace nice."

"What can I do for you, Mister Davis?"

"Julie, I told you, it's Luke."

"Sorry again."

"Regardless, I need you take notes for the meeting. Five minutes…"

She was embarrassed that she was caught daydreaming, but she would make up for it.

She set to work typing up the minutes of the meeting and correspondence that had piled up. She wasn't the fastest typist in the office, but she was very accurate which was useful, because corrections always made a mess on the carbon copies. Soon she was too busy to miss Tim.

Luke Davis was recently hired to oversee the group of engineers and she was promoted from the secretarial pool to his personal secretary. As a result, she received an increase which was useful.

He was easygoing and liked to joke, so now she didn't mind her job quite as much. She would fetch his coffee and he in turn would ask her about her weekend. Whenever she mentioned her boyfriend, he would tease her.

"Ah your invisible boyfriend that you never see," he said on more than one occasion.

Julie tried to convince him by dangling her gold heart, but he'd just laugh. It became a game, he didn't believe her and she'd reply, "Think what you want, I know the truth."

She had to stop mentioning these exchanges to Tim, because he was jealous. At first, she thought, it was sweet and teased him, but she quickly learned that Tim didn't find it funny.

Summer was progressing, Tim would be in London for summer holiday soon and Jules felt lucky to have a boss who she genuinely liked.

She was busy typing revisions on a big proposal. Although she was under stress to get it right, Luke being easy going and fun to work with helped.

Often Luke would lean over her desk and make last minute changes. At first she didn't mind when he put his hand on her shoulder or arm. Recently he was always touching her and she reminded him that she had a boyfriend.

"Oh yes, your imaginary friend. I gave mine up when I was age four."

"You really aren't funny," she quipped back. Their verbal jousting had her longing for Tim.

They often worked overtime and it was one of those occasions that after she reminded him of her boyfriend, he leaned over and whispered in her ear, "I don't believe you. He has never once picked you up… not even on a Friday night."

Julie moved her head away, but he persisted and began kissing her neck.

"Please don't…"

She had to be careful, because she knew girls who got sacked for telling their boss no. She needed this job. She couldn't go back to the secretarial pool.

"Let's take a break and get a drink. We've been working hard at it all week."

"I don't drink."

"Dinner then."

"Why won't you believe that I have a boyfriend."

Julie stood up in an attempt to leave.

"I never have believed you. You're just a tease," he said as he trapped her against her desk. She tried to turn her head, but he held it and she couldn't stop him from kissing her. She felt tears escape, as his tongue tried to pry open her lips.

She and Tim used their tongues, but she wasn't allowing it with this man. She felt him press into her and caress her breast. She didn't want to lose her job, but she didn't want him touching her. When she felt him lifting her skirt, she pushed him away with all her might.

He looked down at her and said, "I told you I'd buy you dinner first, but you said no. I know you're being coy with me."

"No, I have to go..."

She grabbed her handbag and ran out the door. Once inside her flat, she collapsed. She was mortified that he had touched her and kissed her.

Kate ran to her, but Julie was incoherent through her sobs. Finally she was able to calm down and tell her story.

Kate said, "You should quit."

"I can't! I need the job!"

"Are you going to tell Tim?" Kate asked.

"I can't tell him that I kissed another man!"

"He kissed you. That's very different. Tim's going to ring soon. You'll feel better once you've spoken to him."

The shrill of the telephone made Julie jump. She answered with a smile pasted on.

"Did you work late again?"

"Yes, I'll have lots of overtime pay."

"You can buy yourself something special."

"I'd like to buy us dinner. When can you come to London?"

"I've only got Friday off, not Saturday."

"Can you come? We haven't seen each other in weeks."

"Of course, I'll come."

"Could you meet me at my office?"

"Is this about that Luke?"

"I just think it's time he knows that I haven't made you up."

"Jules, why now? What happened?"

She didn't want to, but she started to cry.

"You have to believe me… I told him about you… I told him no."

"Jules, what did he do? Did he hurt you?"

"No, but I'm so sorry."

##

"For what?" Tim was panicked. If he hurt her.

"He made a pass. I pushed him away."

"Jules, love. I'll be there. I don't want this bloke thinking he can have my girl!"

"Tim."

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

"I love you too, Jules."

Tim was furious. Still he knew he needed to be calm for Julie. She didn't need two males fighting over her like wild animals.

Tim arrived at her office and as he was led towards her, she was typing with a man looking over her shoulder. He impulsively fisted his hand, but unclenched as he breathed deep.

When she looked up and saw him her face lit up. The Luke bloke must have noticed, because he looked up too.

Tim walked up to her and said, "Hi ya, love." Then he looked the bloke in the face and said, "Tim Turner, Julie's not so invisible boyfriend. I'd appreciate if you kept your hands off my future wife."

##

Julie thought, he's my hero.

Luke stammered, "Wife! She never said she was engaged."

"Promised, but the intent is the same. I'm sure she explained I have a few more years, but as soon as I'm a trained GP we'll marry. In the meanwhile, I trust she'll be treated with respect here."

"Oh course. She never mentioned a doctor," he stammered.

Julie liked the way Tim made Luke sweat.

"Can she leave now? We have a date."

"Um, of course, go. Have fun."

The minute they reached outside, Tim turned toward her. She suddenly remembered the other man's kiss and looked down.

As if he read her mind, he said, "Jules don't be ashamed."

"But I was so proud and happy to be out of the secretarial pool. I thought it was because of my secretarial skills…" Tim tried to reply, but she continued, "I thought he was my friend like Arthur or even Walter. I thought we were one thing and he thought quite another."

"Jules, you have to understand that any man is going to want to make a pass at you. Not Arthur, because he is too busy snogging Kate, but I bet Walter would have given the chance… Jim certainly would. None of it is your fault, it is just what men do when they see a girl as beautiful as you," Tim said sincerely.

"Not you…" Tim nodded. "Still you didn't."

"Didn't what?"

"Make a pass at me?"

"No, not until we had a proper date, but it didn't mean that I didn't want to," he said with his Tim smirk on his face.

That smirk sent a ripple straight to her heart.

"Did you?" she asked.

"Of course at that party and especially when we went to the chippy. Watching you and Teddy hold hands nearly killed me!"

"You're just trying to make me laugh."

"No, I'm telling you the truth. Jules maybe you need to bring me home to meet your father. I think it's time for the world to know my intentions."

Julie tensed at the idea of Tim meeting her family, but after how he stood up to Luke, there was a chance he may make it through alive. A chance...