Please Forgive Me (24 page)

Leonie in the hope of surprising Adam’s daughter (and in truth, perhaps gaining some brownie points) was planning on asking her to be
one
of the bridesmaids when the time was right. But trust bloody Andrea to go and blow the entire thing!

Adam was annoyed too. “Uh, thanks for blowing the surprise,” he said, shaking his head in dismay.

Leonie turned to look at the teenager, hoping to rescue the situation. ‘Well, I was going to wait for another time to ask but yes, I’d really like you as one of my bridesmaids, Suzanne.’

The younger girl rolled her eyes; her mother’s eagerness having now ruined any chance of her taking the idea seriously. ‘As if I’d want to wear a tacky, frilly dress,’ she groaned.

‘Hey, mind your manners young lady
-
’ Adam began, before Andrea made a swift interjection.

‘Oh I’m sure Leonie wouldn’t
dream
of choosing anything tacky,’ she said archly, her sugary-sweet voice dripping with sarcasm. ‘But speaking of which, where did you get that interesting dress you’re wearing?’ For ‘interesting’ translate ‘horrible’ Leonie thought, livid at the woman’s blatant nastiness. Still, she was also kind of glad she’d asked.

‘I bought it in Tunisia last year,’ she replied, and at this Adam met her gaze and smiled conspiratorially. It was the same dress she’d worn to dinner at the hotel in the Sahara that night, and while he wasn’t a big one for compliments, she knew he liked it.

Spotting the look, Andrea harrumphed. ‘At one of those tacky foreign markets I suppose. I don’t know why people buy things in places like that. Give me Brown Thomas any day.’

‘Well I prefer a more individual look to be honest,’ Leonie replied. ‘There’s nothing worse than looking like a clone of every other woman in Ireland.’

“Absolutely,” Adam agreed, reaching for her hand. “And to me, Leonie would look good in a paper bag.”

Now, listening to her recount the scene, Grace laughed. ‘Yay, strike one for Leonie!’ she said, aiming for a high five. ‘Good on you, she does sound like an awful cow and I don’t know how you put up with her.’

‘I really don’t have much of a choice unfortunately.’

‘As if that daughter of his wasn’t enough of a consequence.’ Grace, who had met Suzanne a couple of times when over for a visit, wasn’t one of the girl’s greatest fans.

‘Suzanne I can handle, it’s her mother I’m not so sure about.’

But that weekend, the battle lines had been well and truly drawn between Leonie and Andrea. The problem was, she thought mournfully, was that she wasn’t sure she had it in her to fight such a battle, let alone try and win it.

‘What do you mean he wants to try again? I thought you guys were getting a divorce?’

As expected, Jon wasn’t overjoyed to hear that Alex’s husband was back in town.

It was Friday night and they were in North Beach sharing an al fresco pizza at Calzone’s when she decided to broach the subject. But in retrospect, she probably should have picked a quieter spot because as usual, the whole area was buzzing. Sidewalk tables here were a premium and fought for space with the scores of people passing up and down the street.

‘It’s nothing to worry about,’ she reassured him. ‘He has no real intention of trying again, he’s just being Seth. He heard about you and is acting like a little boy who doesn’t want to share his toys, that’s all.’

Jon didn’t seem convinced. ‘Are you sure? And how come he’s back all of a sudden? I thought you said he couldn’t be found.’ He recoiled a little as an overgrown Dalmatian flopped beneath a neighbouring table. Jon was afraid of dogs – tough in San Francisco, where most places in the city welcomed them.

Alex smiled as the dog lay peacefully at its master’s feet, unruffled by the hustle and bustle all round. ‘He couldn’t – up to now.’ She went on to explain how she’d bumped into him while in Monterey with Leonie. ‘Like I said he’ll be out of our hair soon, but in the meantime, I have no choice but to humour him – at least enough to get him to sign the papers.’

‘I guess.’ He sounded somewhat threatened, and at this Alex couldn’t help but feel oddly gratified. Although it was obvious that things were becoming more serious and they were getting on brilliantly, it was still nice to know that Jon felt that strongly about her. Not that he had anything to worry about where Seth was concerned – nope – once Alex had him served that would be the end of her husband, and with any luck, the end of her troubles. After that, she’d be free to move on with the rest of her life, and even further along with this relationship.

Not that Jon was putting undue pressure on her or anything. Thinking about it now, he was actually quite the opposite of Seth really. And although he didn’t possess her ex’s irresistible magnetism (but who the hell did?), he was also hugely attractive in his own way.

Anyway, Alex wondered, why had she started comparing him to Seth all of a sudden?

Jon was who he was and such comparisons were completely immaterial!

‘Alex, are you sure you’re really over this guy though?’ Jon’s voice broke into her thoughts, making her feel even guiltier about what she’d been thinking. Was he that perceptive or was she just too easy to read?

‘Absolutely sure. Honestly Jon, in case you’re wondering, you’ve got absolutely nothing to worry about!’ She gave a light laugh. ‘He’s a part of my life that’s very much in the past; unfortunately I can’t get rid of him until …oh hell!’ Stricken, she looked up at the figure approaching them on the sidewalk.

No
way
, this could not be happening. How on earth could he …?

‘Hey there Mrs Rogers, fancy meeting you here!’ Seth grinned, appearing alongside their table out of nowhere. As if out of the thousand-odd restaurants in the city, he’d just happened upon the same one. Alex groaned inwardly. He was doing this on purpose, she just knew it. Somehow, he’d found out that she and Jon were meeting here tonight and had decided to gatecrash.
 

Jon was looking from one to the other in surprise, much like Leonie had that time in Monterey, she realised.

‘Mind if I join you guys? Seems pretty full here.’ Seth said, pulling out the unoccupied chair alongside Jon, as if they were all old friends. Then as if to once again highlight to Alex the differences between the two men, he bent down and patted the Dalmatian with relaxed ease. ‘Hey big fella.’

‘Um…’ Jon looked at Alex, urging an explanation.

‘So aren’t you going to introduce me to your friend?’ Seth was saying now, not even bothering to hide the smug amusement in his tone.

Alex glared at him through narrowed eyes. ‘This is Jon, my boyfriend. Jon, this is Seth who I think I might have mentioned before, is my ex-husband.’

‘Ex-husband? I don’t think so.’ Seth corrected, shaking Jon’s hand as if they were old friends but if they’d been dogs, his leg would have been well and truly cocked.

‘Um, pleasure meeting you.’ Jon’s expression was dark and as Alex watched him squirm beneath Seth’s grasp, she couldn’t tell if it was with discomfort, or actual pain.

‘Pleasure’s all mine,’ Seth replied, beaming mischievously at Alex.

Alex was furious. ‘I cannot
believe
you gate-crashed my date like that!’ When a few minutes later Jon excused himself to use the restroom, she let Seth have it with both barrels.

‘Don’t know what you’re talking about,’ he said, feigning innocence. ‘I just happened to be passing by when I saw you guys sitting outside.’

‘Don’t give me that. It was no coincidence. How did you know?’

‘Know what?’ His amused and blatantly self-satisfied expression made her want to slap him.

‘That I’d be here tonight. Don’t bother trying to deny it Seth, I
know
you did this on purpose.’

He shrugged offhandedly. ‘I guess Leonie might have mentioned it.’

‘What?’ She was going to
kill
Leonie. ‘When did she tell you that?’

‘I called by your place earlier but you weren’t in, so I went upstairs to see if she knew where you were.’

Alex couldn’t understand why Leonie would have volunteered this information, but knowing Seth it was likely she hadn’t
volunteered
anything, no doubt he’d managed to wrangle it out of her somehow!

When Jon returned to the table, she met his gaze and tried her utmost to convey an apology while they tried to finish the rest of their food in peace – impossible with Seth yacking on as if they all got together on a regular basis.

‘So what do you do for a living then, Seth?’ Jon asked eventually.

“Actually, I’m sort of between jobs right now
-
’

‘Between jobs?’ he repeated chuckling. ‘You’re kidding, right? Because I really don’t think I’ve ever heard that from anyone over twenty-five.’ Seth’s face reddened with anger or embarrassment, Alex wasn’t quite sure. Clearly Jon wasn’t going to let him get away with hijacking their date so easily!

‘So would you like to share some of our food, seeing as things must be tight for you right now,’ he continued gravely.

Seth shook his head. ‘No thanks doc, I find I generally don’t have to rely on money to get what I want.’ He might have been speaking to Jon but his gaze rested squarely on Alex.

‘Right. Well, let me know how that works out for you,’ Jon picked up a slice of pizza and took a bite out of it.

‘OK, well I guess we should order some dessert!” Alex blurted, unable to stand any more of this male swagger. For Christ’s sake, they were like a couple of silverback gorillas squaring up to one another!

She and Jon finished their meal in silence, while Seth remained sitting across from them, his expression indolent.

Eventually, Jon pushed away his plate. ‘I’m sorry Alex, but I’d better be going,’ he said, putting a hundred dollar bill on the table – way more than the bill plus tip warranted. ‘I’m on an early shift tomorrow morning.’

‘So soon? But it’s Friday night!’ Seth exclaimed exaggeratedly..
 

‘Yes well unfortunately brain surgery doesn’t lend itself to sociable hours,’ Jon’s expression was tight.

Alex stood up. ‘I’ll come with you,’ she said, only too eager to get away.

‘Honey, the guy just said he has an early start tomorrow,’ Seth protested, and Alex felt like she was going to explode, ‘so I’m sure the last thing he needs is you keeping him up late. Right doc?’

‘Butt out, Seth,’ she grunted, but because neither of them could really argue Seth’s point, Jon simply nodded. ‘I’ll call you tomorrow?’ he said, and when his gaze met hers Alex tried again to express her own frustrations about it all.

‘Sure.’ She stood up from the table and gave him a long lingering (and very obvious) kiss on the lips. ‘Thanks for dinner. I had a great time.’

Jon smiled. ‘My pleasure. See you soon.’

‘Nice meeting you, doc. Hope we bump into one another again sometime,’ Seth called after him, which to Alex sounded ominously like a promise.

Once Jon had left she turned on Seth again. ‘Who do you think you are, my father, or something? And don’t think I didn’t notice you trying to provoke Jon. He’s a good guy.’

‘A good guy? What about those cheap shots he laid on me just there?
And
he sent you flowers for Christ sake!’

‘Well, you deserved it and I told you, he didn’t know about my hay fever. He’d hardly have done it on purpose. He’s a doctor, remember?’ Alex grabbed her purse and stood up to leave.

Seth got up too. ‘Yeah so I keep hearing.’

‘And what’s that supposed to mean?’ she asked, marching down the street ahead of him.

‘It means that I can’t figure out why you’re with this guy, Alex. He’s about as interesting as watching paint dry. Come on I bet he’s never even been to a forty-niners game!’

‘It’s none of your business why I’m with him, and so what if he’s never been to a stupid football game. Too busy saving people’s lives maybe?’

‘Of course, I forgot, he’s a doctor,’ Seth’s voice was dripping with sarcasm. ‘Let me guess, he’s got a mansion in Pacific Heights and a boathouse in Sausalito, he drives a Hybrid and donates generously to charity. Come on Alex, this guy isn’t you!’

Alex whirled around to face him. ‘And what the hell would you know about it?’ she retorted hotly. ‘For your information Jon is wonderful.
 
He’s kind, hugely considerate, treats me like a lady and most importantly, doesn’t jump into bed with every female in close radius.’

‘Oh so we’re back to that now, are we?’ Seth snapped. ‘Alex, how many times do I have to tell you …’ He shook his head. ‘Hell, I don’t even know why I’m bothering; you wouldn’t believe me back then so why would you believe me now.’

‘Because it doesn’t add up, that’s why!’ He was right; Alex didn’t believe him. And she couldn’t understand why he still insisted on making a fool of her by refusing to admit the truth. ‘You told me you were going out on the boat. What, so diving trips extended to Ruby Skye too?’

‘I know I shouldn’t have lied about going to the club, and you’re right I was an asshole to do that. But me and the guys had a couple of beers and well… I thought you’d get on my case for staying out late. Look, I know what you saw, but that’s all there was too it and –’

‘But you’re
still
an asshole, Seth!’ she cried, refusing to listen. ‘And tonight is just another example of that! You knew I was meeting Jon here, so you decided to come along and make things difficult – just because you could. This is just a game to you isn’t it?’ she said, running a hand through her hair in frustration.

It all was becoming too much. First, there was the huge step of getting over Seth and involved with Jon, and just when she’d done that – just as she’d got her life back on an even keel, Seth had sent her emotions flying again when she met him in Monterey. And as if that wasn’t enough, now there was all this talk about him supposedly wanting to ‘try again’, when deep down Alex knew he didn’t mean a word of it. Why did he have to keep messing with her head like this? Small wonder she’d automatically assumed the Valentine flowers were from him when it was exactly the kind of thing he’d do!