As Weekends Go (Choc Lit) (22 page)

‘No.
You
do,’ she said, trying to hold it together. ‘You may have a clear vision of your future agenda, but I’m baffled. You’ve completely changed your tune. I’m questioning whether we’re even compatible any more. And now, with Nina back on the scene …’

‘As I’ve said already, I should have told you about that,’ he said, running his fingers through his hair. ‘Just bear with me on this, okay?’

‘For how long?’

‘Until these big new contracts are up and running.’

‘So like it or lump it, in other words.’

Do not cry, Rebecca. Absolutely DO NOT cry!

Greg dropped to his haunches in front of her. ‘Look, I’m sorry you’ve felt so left out, but, believe me, this is all for us. It wouldn’t be fair to start a family for a while with me being away so much more. You’re my anchor, Bex. You’ve never let me down, so stick with it, okay?’

She could feel him backing her into an emotional corner.

‘I feel like I’m living with a stranger,’ she said. ‘You seriously need to think about what I’ve said to you today. I’ve been really, really unhappy.’

He wrapped his arms around her. ‘Listen, the money I’ll be earning over the next year or so will be enough for us to eventually produce our own mini football team.’

Rebecca would have laughed out loud at the irony of it if the mood hadn’t been so solemn.

She pulled away from him, mentally fatigued. ‘Your mum left some of her birthday presents here last night. They’re by the front door. Perhaps we could drop them round later?’

‘I’ll take them now.’ Greg rose to his feet, reaching for his discarded sock.

‘
Now?
’ The gulf between them gaped wide open again. ‘You’ve not long been in.’

‘It’s okay. I’ve got a few calls to make. I can do it on the way.’

She watched him walk out of the lounge, heard the clank of his car key, the front door opening. He didn’t even look back.

Inevitably, her thoughts turned to Alex. He was due to fly out to La Manga tomorrow morning. What she’d give to hear his voice right now, to see him once more.

She wandered upstairs to the bedroom, wondering how he was, whether he’d got that poor tooth of his fixed yet, and if he’d thought of her much at all. She stood there for ages, contemplating whether or not to text him to wish him a good flight to Spain, before despondently deciding against it.

That night in bed Greg tried to initiate sex as if nothing had happened, running his hand over her hip and thigh, ruching up her T-shirt nightie.

To her shame, Rebecca pretended to him that her period had started.

Monday presented challenges of a different kind – the sort of day that if Rebecca had been a diary-writer, she’d have struck a fat black line through. An early morning coffee spillage soaked her latest batch of freshly printed-off course notes, much to Greg’s exasperation.

‘Why print them off at all, when you have them filed away online?’ being the last words he chucked at her before bustling off to work.

Because I like having paper copies to read through, if that’s quite all right with you, Greg?

Grrr…

Then followed a lunchtime collision with her desk, leaving a bruise the size of a nectarine on her hip, and an afternoon double bill of a smashed favourite vase and a half-hour spent on all fours, combing the hallway stairs and carpet for an earring she’d dropped.

The only bright spot, in her otherwise shitty day, had been picking up the lovely dress she’d bought in York plus Abi’s, minus the beer stains, from the dry-cleaners. Rebecca had offered to do the honours for both garments as she’d also had one of Greg’s suits to collect.

What a bonus that Abi was coming over tonight. Greg was playing squash straight from work, so it would give Rebecca a chance to glean some much needed advice.

When Abi arrived at Rebecca’s with fish and chips at six thirty, it was
she
who looked more in need of guidance.

‘The engagement’s off,’ she announced.

‘
Off?
’ Rebecca spun round from the open kitchen cupboard, vinegar bottle in one hand, and sat back down at the breakfast bar.

‘Yes. Nick got off with some cow in Spain,’ said Abi, knocking back several gulps of her rosé spritzer. ‘Gary Swan took loads of pictures of them all over each other. His girlfriend found them on his phone and forwarded them to me. The idiot forgot to delete them.’ She tapped her phone screen a couple of times with such force, Rebecca feared she’d break it. ‘I mean, look at her, Bex.’ Rebecca tried not to baulk at the sight of a big-breasted woman groping Nick’s bum on some bar terrace. ‘And before you say anything, I know I was no angel in York, but at least I didn’t straddle anyone. She’s got her boobs in his face in this shot! Where are his hands, I wonder?’

Rebecca couldn’t make sense of it. ‘I’m sorry, but this is a set-up, surely? Nick wouldn’t cheat on you. I’m sure he wouldn’t.’

‘Oh, I accept he was probably as drunk as anything, but how can I be sure it didn’t go any further? He swears it didn’t, but I’m so angry with him for getting in that state, I can’t talk to him,’ said Abi, her face twisted with rage. ‘I knew something would happen on that poxy stag do. You can imagine what Gary Swan’s girlfriend thinks, who else she’s told!’ She swatted away a tear. ‘I’ve told him I need space to think; given him his ring back, and everything. He’s shattered.’

Rebecca shot round to Abi’s side, arms wide open. ‘I know you’re upset, but you and Nick love each other like crazy. I appreciate you need some thinking time, it’s all very raw, but at least talk to him further. What you two have together is worth fighting for.’

Abi smiled through her tears. ‘I will,’ she said, taking a swill of her spritzer. ‘You know me. I just knee-jerk reacted as usual.’

Rebecca never mentioned anything about Greg at all during the rest of the evening, or about the little card Alex had given her that she’d so far kept to herself.

None of it seemed appropriate.

The next morning, Greg set off for Birmingham for a couple of days’ schmoozing, promising Rebecca that whilst he was away he’d think about what she’d said to him. Rebecca, in turn, couldn’t stop thinking about Abi and Nick. She’d been tempted to call Nick, but good judgment told her not to interfere. Abi would deal with it. They’d work it out. Rebecca had faith in that.

After she’d finished eating her chicken salad that evening, she left a second supportive message on Abi’s voicemail, having failed to reach her in person.

Three hours later, she received a text back from her.
‘Hi, Bex, too knackered to discuss things now. I have a development to fill you in on. Are you free tomorrow night? Would ask you round here but the flat’s a tip, so may I book a pew at my favourite breakfast bar, please?’

And so began the twenty-four hour wait with baited breath.

‘I met up with Kenny,’ Abi confessed the following evening, thirty seconds after walking through Rebecca’s front door. ‘After I left you on Monday night, Nick and I had a massive row on the phone. I was so angry with him, I didn’t sleep a wink and ended up taking yesterday off work. In a moment of madness, I called Kenny.’

Aware of sounding sanctimonious, given how close she’d come to calling Alex the weekend before, Rebecca stayed quiet.

‘We met up at his gym in Clapham,’ Abi continued. ‘After he’d shown me round, we had a late lunch in this little bistro he knows and then went to a cocktail bar. I talked about Nick, he talked about his on/off girlfriend, we had a drink, then another, and lots of laughs about York, and he asked me to stay the night with him.’

Rebecca jerked her head back. ‘
And?
’

‘I turned him down,’ said Abi. ‘
Just
.’ She gave a half-hearted shrug. ‘I do realise this makes me sound no better than Nick.’ Her eyes misted over. ‘He’s left countless messages on my phone. Nick, I mean. Deano even sent me a text today backing up his story. And now I go and do the stupid tit for tat thing by meeting up with Kenny. What’s wrong with me?’

‘Hey, come on, like you said to me about Alex in York, these things happen,’ said Rebecca, squeezing Abi’s hand.

‘We spoke quite a lot about Alex.’

‘
Oh?
’ Rebecca’s heart galloped.

‘Yeah, Kenny reckons he’s got some woman he sees in La Manga whenever he goes out there, called Tyra,’ said Abi, avoiding eye contact.

‘Well, he is a free agent.’ Rebecca disguised her shock by walking over to the fridge to remove the fruit salad she’d made them.

‘He also said that Alex would be in London for a photo shoot next week. Something to do with the new England football kit. Both the apartments he owns down here are leased out, so he’s staying at Kenny’s place in Battersea. He’s flying down midweek, I think Kenny said.’

‘
Really?
’ Rebecca ladled out two bowlfuls, bringing them back over to the breakfast bar along with a pot of double cream.

‘I think Kenny’s being a bit mischievous telling me about this Tyra woman. He must have known I’d relay it to you. I suspect he’s secretly quite possessive of Alex, a little bit envious of how well the two of you got on in York, perhaps?’ She flopped her hand forward. ‘I could be wrong, of course, because he also agreed, once we’d sunk a couple of Manhattans each, how great together as a couple you looked. He said he hadn’t seen Alex laugh like that with a woman in ages. He was very complimentary about you, which, naturally, I did nothing to dispel.’

‘Who’s the mischief-maker now then?’ said Rebecca, her heart galloping even faster.

‘Although Kenny did also add that Alex wouldn’t play second fiddle to anyone. Which reminds me. Have you spoken to Greg yet?’

‘I have. I didn’t say anything to you before because you’ve had your own problems to deal with.’

‘Tell all!’

Rebecca filled Abi in on her post-party conversation with him.

‘Manipulating swine!’ Abi smothered her fruit in cream. ‘Still, well done, I’m proud of you. I hope he soaks up what you’ve said to him and changes his ways.’

‘And I hope you and Nick sort things out as well,’ said Rebecca.

‘Me, too. What a week, eh?’

‘Yes, and it’s only Wednesday!’

‘All set to go?’ Nina enquired, hanging her head through the open window of Greg’s Lexus the following afternoon. ‘Shame you can’t stay until tomorrow. A few of us thought we’d check out that Indian restaurant the concierge recommended. If my memory serves me right, you’re quite partial to a jalfrezi.’

‘Indeed I am,’ said Greg, drinking in the citrus undertones of her perfume, ‘but I need to show my face in the office. I also need to keep Rebecca sweet. I’ve told her that many fibs this past couple of weeks, I’m beginning to lose track of what’s true and what’s false.’

‘Not regretting our little arrangement, I hope?’ said Nina, lowering her voice.

Greg smiled at her. ‘Far from it. I just need to behave for a while, win her round a bit. She’s pretty pissed off with me at the moment.’ He glanced up at the hotel, in his opinion, one of Birmingham’s finest. ‘Quite a productive three days, wouldn’t you say? Bulk orders expected for Leeds, Manchester, and now Brum. I do hope Torrison can churn out the equipment fast enough.’

‘You just worry about the leasing side. I’ll handle the production side,’ said Nina, gazing into his eyes.

‘Yes, well according to my colleague, Steve Wolfe, one of the big Manchester clients has now said they want me and him on site until everything’s up and running.’ Greg started the engine. ‘I mean how difficult is it to use a bloody photocopier?’

Nina giggled. ‘Aw, come on. It’s not only the practical stuff, it’s the paperwork too. This is your big chance to outshine the previous leasing company. There’s a lot at stake. Torrison’s reputation for a start.’ She laid her hand on Greg’s shoulder. ‘And Rutland’s, of course.’

‘Yes, well I’m having a few of the sales guys over for a barbecue the weekend after next to say thank you for all the hard work they’ve put in.’

‘Ah, you big softie.’ Nina ran her hand down Greg’s face. ‘Don’t suppose I’m invited?’

‘What do you think?’ Greg checked his watch. ‘Hey, look I’d better get—’

‘Going … I know,’ said Nina, pouting. ‘Don’t forget that charity bash I mentioned. I’ve managed to swing Rutland four places thanks to an ex-colleague of mine who’s one of the chief organisers. Usual stuff, black tie, dinner dance, auction, etc. They’d planned to hold a quiz but the guy who was supposed to be compiling it for them has let them down.’

Greg narrowed his eyes. ‘Rebecca might be able to help with that, depending on what they want. I’ll ask her if you like.’

‘No disrespect, Greg, but some of the people attending are incredibly highbrow.’

‘Oh, no – she’s good. Very good, in fact.’

Nina arched her eyebrows. ‘Well, okay, I’ll ask the question and let you know.’

‘Fine. Oh, and as far as Rebecca’s concerned,’ said Greg, lightly pumping the accelerator, ‘I’ve heavily, and I mean
heavily
, played down our role together for now. Once she’s a little less stressed about everything, I’ll adapt the story accordingly, well, the non X-rated bits anyway.’

‘
Naughty!
’ Nina leaned further forward, knowing he could see down her top. ‘Don’t worry, I won’t dump you in it. What you see standing here before you is a total apparition,’ she said, playing with her silver locket. Greg saw her glance over her shoulder for eavesdroppers. ‘Actually, a source within has sounded me out about a marketing role in Zurich, of all places. Torrison’s new office. They’re looking for people to go over and help with the training. It won’t be long-term as in years, but will definitely mean relocating for part of the time. Fancy a bit of Swiss bliss? With your sales record and experience, they’d snap you up in no time. It’d make your current salary seem like chicken feed.’

Greg struggled to conceal his shock. ‘Seriously?’

‘Never more so. Keep it to yourself though.’

‘Blimey, how would your London branch cope without their golden girl?’

‘Oh, it wouldn’t be yet.’ Nina glanced round again. ‘Besides, nobody’s indispensable. The rest of the team are perfectly capable of handling things in my absence.’

‘So what does old Charlie Boy say about all this?’ Greg was aware she’d made no further reference to her supposed trial separation with him.

‘Oh, he’s fine about it. Didn’t I tell you? We’ve agreed to a permanent split. It’s all very amicable. Charles very generously offered me one of the properties he owns, but I’d rather carry on flat-sitting for my friend. She’ll be away for ages yet and said I can stay as long as I like. With the Zurich prospect on the horizon, that could suit me perfectly. Works pretty well for you and I as well, wouldn’t you say?’

‘Very much so.’ His gaze travelled from her eyes to her breasts and back up again. He released the handbrake. ‘I’ll see you bright and early on Monday,’ he said, pulling out of the car park.