Lola's House (Lola Series) (15 page)

Then
my eyes light up as I remember the schedule Chrissie had given to me last week.  The hotel address is on it, I’m sure.  I feel myself fill with hope and delve into my handbag and root around.  I pull out makeup, purse, keys, a crumpled tissue, a bulldog clip, a pen that doesn’t work and a free perfume sample.  Everything but the kitchen sink, but the schedule isn’t there. I search my mind trying to think what have I done with it?  Then, I roll my eyes as I remember leaving it on the kitchen table.  I quickly dial home.  Hopefully Robert will be there so he can take a look at the schedule.  It rings several times, then goes to answer phone and I hear my own voice telling me to leave a message.  Not much bloody point leaving a message for myself, so I hang up feeling irritated.

Damn, Damn.  I tr
y his mobile, but no answer.  Everyone I know is having so much fun they can’t be bothered to answer their phones, which is rather inconsiderate I think.  I am contemplating throwing my phone into the sea in frustration when it rings in my hand, making me jump. 

‘Hey, Lola,’
Robert says.

‘Oh, thank God.  Robert,
could you check in the kitchen please? I left a schedule on the kitchen table, and I’m on this hen weekend and now I can’t find my way back to the hotel and the address is on it, I’m sure.’

‘Sorry
, Lola.  No can do, I’m not at home.’

‘Damn, Damn, Damn.’

‘What?’

‘Sorry, Robert.
  You were my last hope.  I’ve sort of lost everyone and now I’m lost too.  No one is answering their phones and I don’t know what else to do.’  My voice wavers as tears of desperation start to prick my eyes.  ‘I’ve been sitting on a bench for the last hour considering throwing myself in the sea.’

‘Sit
tight, I’ll come and find you,’ he says, decisively. 

‘You can’t, I’m in Brighton.’
The sense of desperation is intensifying.

‘That’s okay, I’m in London for the weekend so it won’t take me long
to get there.’

‘Oh
god no, Robert, I can’t ask you to spoil your weekend to come and rescue me.’

‘Firstly, you didn’t ask.  Secondly, you wouldn’t be spoiling it, so shut up and sit
tight, I’ll be there in an hour.’  With that the line goes dead.

I sit and watch the sea coming in and going out as the sun goes down.  There are plenty of people walking past, which I give the odd smile to, while trying not to look like a vagrant or Billy no mates.  I sigh as they trundle past me happily, couples holding hands and groups of rowdy men out for a good night.  Even a hen party, but not the one I’m on unfortunately.  I smile weakly as they go past, laughing and screeching, obviously already full of booze.  I bet their friends would answer their phones if they were needed urgently.

After
what seems like an age, I see Robert walking up the promenade with Harley on his lead.  Although I feel guilty about dragging Robert away from his weekend, I have never been so happy to see someone I know.  Harley jumps up onto the bench beside me wagging his tail and snuffling his nose into my ear.  Robert sits on the other side of him.

‘So, how long have you been lost for?’
he says, a tiny smile tugging at the side of his mouth.

‘About five hours.’ I sa
y, sheepishly.

He just grin
s from ear to ear.

‘Oh don’t rub it in, I feel
like a right knob head as it is,’ I say, a blush creeping up my face.

He nudge
s Harley off the bench and slides over to me.  ‘Don’t beat yourself up, Lola.’  He puts his arm around my shoulders in a friendly hug.  ‘It could happen to anyone.’

‘
Yes, anyone who’s a knob head.  Have I messed up your weekend?’  In my mind he has been eating strawberries and sipping champagne with a leggy brunette, while they take it in turns to remove items of clothing.  She has her breasts out ready to rub all over him.

‘No, not at all.
  I was with a few old Uni mates.  They’re all accountants now and duller than a matt finish,’ he laughs.  ‘If anything, you saved me from death by tedium.’

I laugh w
ith him.  ‘So, what do you do, Robert, you never did tell me?’

He h
olds up his hands.  ‘Guilty as charged.  I’m also an accountant.  That’s why I never told you.  Didn’t want you to categorise me as dull before I got chance to prove otherwise.’

‘You
could never be classed as dull,’ I smile up at him. 

He
goes pink in the cheeks and momentarily stuck for words, then coughs and changes the subject.  ‘So, what are we going to do about you?’  He rubs the bristle on his chin thoughtfully.  ‘Have you called all of your mates?’

‘Yes, repeatedly but now my battery has gone dead.’
I hold up my lifeless phone.

‘And you don’t know the name of the hotel?’

‘No, we got dropped off there
last night and I never took much notice.’ I shrug my shoulders.

He look
s out to sea thoughtfully.  ‘Okay, are you hungry?’

‘God yes, I’m starved
, I haven’t eaten since breakfast.’ I have been ignoring the increasingly desperate sounds coming from my stomach.

He passe
s Harley’s lead to me.  ‘I’ll be back in a tick.’

Ten minutes later he appears with two boxes full of steaming hot fish and chips, liberally covered in salt and vinegar.  He passes one box to me as he sits back down and produces two wooden forks from his shirt pocket and two cans of pop from under his arm.

‘You are a genius,
’ I laugh, my stomach now going into hyper rumbles.

We both
concentrate as we dig into the boxes, taking it in turns to feed chips to Harley. While we eat, I tell Robert about the events of the weekend, how Chrissie had been having a mini meltdown and the turnaround earlier today and how happy she is now.  He nods all the way though, listening intently.  Then, I don’t know why, but I tell him about James and the proposal I had turned down.

‘I thought you guys had only just got back together?’
he says, piercing a chip with his fork.

‘We have.’
I nod, swallowing a mouthful of fish and crispy batter.

He th
inks about this as he takes a sip from his can.  ‘Isn’t it a little bit soon, if you don’t mind me saying?’

‘Yes, that’s what I told James, but I’m not sure he gets it.  I’m sure he
still thinks we will be getting married at some point soon.’

He’s
silent as he looks out to sea, now inky black with the moon a bright orb in the sky, lighting a strip of water in the reflection.  ‘I think I need to explain something to you, Lola.  About the other night, you know when I kissed you?’

‘You don’t need to explain
, Robert, its okay, all forgotten now.’ I place the now empty chip box onto the bench beside me, ready to bin.

‘No, I do. You had been asking me questions about my fiancé.  Or should I say
, ex fiancé.’  He rubs his hands through his hair.  ‘Anyway, when you asked me I cut you off quite abruptly.’

‘It’s okay.  I was being nosey.  You don’t have to tell me.’
I touch his arm to reassure him.

‘I want to tell you.  You see the thing
is, when you asked me, it was all still fresh in my mind and a bit raw.  Samantha and I had been together for years, we did the normal things couples do like getting engaged and I believed we would get married.’  He bends down and rubs Harley’s ears and the dog nuzzles its head into his hand.

‘
She was a partner in the accountancy firm we ran together.  Her mother had been ill for a while and she wanted to move back down to the midlands to be nearer her parents, so we decided between us to move the office. Initially we couldn’t find a house we wanted to buy so decided to rent in the meantime and found a great little house and put down the deposit.  We packed everything up, put the flat in Edinburgh on the market, and then on the day we were due to move she told me she couldn’t go with me.’ I can see the pain on his face as he looks out to sea.  He takes a deep breath before carrying on.

‘
I was stunned to say the least, it had been her idea to move in the first place and there hadn’t been any clues something was up.  I spent hours talking to her and trying to find out what was wrong but she wouldn’t say and she was determined to stay.  I just couldn’t understand it, it didn’t make any sense.  Then eventually she broke down crying and told me everything.  She said she was pregnant.  I hadn’t any clue, we hadn’t planned to have kids but I didn’t see why that should stop us moving.  Then she told me the baby wasn’t mine.  To say I hadn’t seen it coming is an understatement.’ 

‘
While I had been busy closing the business down and making arrangements for the new house, she had been having it off with one of the junior accountants.  He was only twenty-three, at least ten years her junior but she wanted to make a go of it with him for the sake of the baby.’  He laughs to himself.  ‘The worse thing was I couldn’t even fire him at that point as we had already closed down the office.’

He was leaning forward
, his head in his hands, so I put my arm around his shoulders.  ‘I’m so sorry, Robert, it must have been awful for you.’

‘It was pretty
rough - I’m not sure how you’re supposed to move on from something like that.  I just knew I had to put distance between us, so I went ahead with the move, I cancelled the lease on the new house, I couldn’t face moving in there after what had happened, so that’s how I eventually landed on your doorstep.’  He sits back up again and turns towards me. 

‘
That night at the pub, it just felt so good having fun with someone again and not thinking about what had happened with Samantha.  Coming home with you just felt right, and you looked so adorable when we got back in the rain.  I just couldn’t help myself, I know I shouldn’t have done it.’

‘
It’s okay, Robert.  I was as much to blame as you.  I could have put a stop to it, but I didn’t.’  I look into his eyes and he holds my gaze.  I see something there, deep in his eyes, something that pulls me in, and I just want to keep it with me forever.

Harley yaps.  I come back to reality with a jolt.
  We both smile at each other, the spell broken, and stare back out to sea awkwardly. 

Th
e moment gone, he slaps his hands on his legs decisively.  ‘Okay, so let’s sort out your sleeping arrangements for tonight, come on.’  He holds out his hand to me and leads me back down the promenade, with Harley trotting at his side.

Chapter Fifteen

Three hotels later
, I am sitting in the lobby of the latest one with Harley at my feet watching Robert talk to the concierge.  He turns and walks over to me, a smile on his face.  ‘There’s good news, bad news and some more good news.’

‘Okay.’  I sa
y, cautiously.

‘Good news is you have somewhere to sleep tonight.   Bad news is they only have one room free so we
’ll have to share, but, don’t worry I’ll be a complete gentleman and sleep on the floor.’ 

My heart stops.  I study his face looking for any sign that he realises I can’t share a room with him.  My mouth opens to speak but I can’t find the words.

Realisation dawns on his face.  ‘Oh god, I’m sorry, Lola.  I never thought.  You take the room and I’ll get my head down in the car.’

‘No, I can’t let you sleep in the car,
it wouldn’t be fair.’  What else can I do?  We’re both grownups and I’m not going to cheat on James. I’m perfectly capable of controlling myself, besides what other choice do I have?

‘If you’re sure, I don’t want to put you in a difficult situation.’ He looks so earnest, I feel bad for doubting him.

‘Well I’m so tired I’ll probably be asleep within seconds,’ I say, making light of it.

‘Okay, but if you feel uncomfortable just give me the nod and I’ll take off.’
He waits for me to respond but I am so busy with my internal struggles I’m struck dumb.

‘
The other good news is they have a phone charger,’ he says, dangling it from his hand, grinning.  ‘If you feel the need to escape, at least you’ll be able to call your friends now.’

I kn
ow he is trying to diffuse the tension, but I’m not sure this is a good idea.  In fact, every nerve in my body is screaming at me that it isn’t a good idea.  But I shouldn’t doubt him after he has come all this way to rescue me, and I have no other option. 

But i
t’s taking all of my strength just to keep my hands off him.  I have felt the spark between us every time our skin comes into contact and yes, I do feel really bad having those feelings.  It is just so wrong being here with Robert when James is probably sitting at home thinking I am out on a hen night with the girls.  It’s deceitful, but at the same time, it feels really good too and I can’t stop myself.  God, what am I thinking?

My head is spinning and I’m not thinking straight, that’s probably why I take one look at the bed and decide to divide it in half.  So while Robert has a shower, I lay pillows down the middle.  He can sleep on his half and me on mine.  It’s a big bed, no reason why we should meet in the middle.  I know this isn’t an ideal solution but I can’t let him sleep on the floor either and I don’t see any harm in us sharing a bed that has been divided with pillows, it will be like two separate beds, I tell myself. 

When he c
omes out of the bathroom I am making a bed on the floor for Harley out of a spare blanket I have found in the wardrobe.  ‘Is that for me?’  He asks, rubbing his hair with a towel.

‘No, it’s for Harley,’ I laugh
and motion towards the bed.  ‘There’s plenty of room for us both to sleep separately.  Otherwise, I’ll sleep on the floor myself.’

He d
oesn’t argue, he just gets into the bed while I disappear into the bathroom.  When I emerge he is already deep in sleep, so I get into my half of the bed and turn out the lights.  Despite feeling utterly exhausted, I lie there for a long time just listening to the sound of his breathing and wondering to myself how different things may have turned out if James hadn’t come back into my life when he did.  It’s as if the universe sent Robert to my door as a test of my feelings for James, and so far I don’t know whether I would pass or not. My emotions are so mixed up, I just can’t think straight. 

The short buzz of my phone vibrating on the bedside table stirs me from my sleep.  The sun is streaming in through a gap in the curtains and bouncing off a spot on the pillow just above my head.  I feel an expanse of warm citrus scented skin right in front of my face.  I breathe it in and snuggle closer.  My arm is thrown over the top and I run my hand down the warm body and make lazy circles in the downy hair around the navel, which is strange I think, I don’t remember James having hair like that.  The thought drifts away and I smile to myself, pulling my body in closer to his back and resting my cheek against his skin.  Then my phone buzzes again and I awake properly with a start.  I sit bolt upright and look down to where I have been lying.  I smack myself on the forehead with the heel of my hand realising I have been cuddling Robert in my sleep.  I start to move gingerly across the bed hoping I haven’t woken him.

‘Don’t stop now,’
I hear him say.  ‘I was enjoying that.’

‘I’m so sorry
, I didn’t realise I was doing it.’  My face flushes scarlet and I feel the heat coming off it.  ‘What happened to the pillows?’

‘You threw them off in the night, said you were too hot.’

‘Oh my god, Robert, what must you think of me.’  I hold my head in my hands trying to cover up my embarrassment.

‘Don’t worry about it
, Lola, you were asleep,’ he yawns and stretches.  ‘And we’re both still intact.’

I
blush again and pick my phone off the bedside table, squinting at the screen to read the latest of many text messages. ‘Oh my goodness, apparently, Cal couldn’t stand to be without Chrissie any longer and he drove down here last night.  They got a new room and have been holed up there ever since.  She thought I was with the others and they thought I was with her.  It was only at breakfast they’ve realised I’m not with either.  I had better call her back now.’

I grab t
he cover off the bed and wrap it around me while Robert disappears into the bathroom.  Chrissie’s phone answers on the first ring. ‘Where the hell are you, Lola, I was just about to call the police?’

‘Good question, I spent ages last night trying to get in touch with you and eventually my phone went dead.  I couldn’t find our hotel and in the end we got a room somewhere else.  I was in a real panic
, Chrissie, what were you doing?’

‘I was having very detailed and satisfying telephone foreplay, Cal drove down and we finished off what we started on the phone.  I thought you were with
Poppy, and I didn’t see her until this morning and found out that no one had seen you, I was really worried, Lola, are you okay?  Hang on a second, what do you mean we, is James with you?’

‘
Erm no, not quite.  When I couldn’t get hold of you I called home and to cut a long story short, Robert called me back, then came to find me,’ I say, trying to make light of it.

‘Robert?  Where is he now?’

‘He’s in the shower.’

The line
goes quiet for a few seconds while her brain is ticking over.  ‘Have you slept with him, Lola?’

‘No.  Yes.  No, not in
how you would interpret sleeping with someone.  We shared a bed but obviously didn’t do anything other than sleep.’

‘You had
a beefcake like Robert in your bed and you never shagged him?’

‘Of course I didn’t shag him.
’ I lower my voice to disguise the irritation as I hear the water stop in the bathroom.  ‘Listen, I have to go.  Just give me directions to the hotel and I’ll see you soon, we can talk properly then.’

After a shower and a huge breakfast I walk back to my original hotel with Robert, which turns out to be two streets away from where I have spent the night.  Chrissie is in our room getting her belongings together.  She runs at me and holds my arms down in a big bear hug.  ‘Lola, I was so worried about you.’  She steps back and looks at me.  ‘You’re definitely a dark horse you dirty little mare.’

‘Never mind that, Chrissie, I cannot believe you just abandoned me like that.  I couldn’t get in touch with anyone, I phoned you and
Poppy so many times my battery went flat and I ended up sitting on a bench like a bloody homeless person.  If it wasn’t for Robert I would probably be there still.’

‘I’m sorry, Lola, I didn’t realise honestly.  You know I wouldn’t have done that to you on purpose.’

‘Yes well, I had to let myself be rescued by, and subsequently share a bed with my lodger.  When I woke up this morning I was cuddled into his back.  Bloody spooning him and rubbing my hand over his stomach.’  I stop when I see the smirk forming on her face and burst out laughing. Then she hugs me again.

‘I really am sorry, Lola, I would never have left you on purpose, I genuinely thought you were with
Poppy.  I shouldn’t have gotten carried away with the phone sex, but I was so happy to be back with Cal.’ She pulls back from me and examines my face.  ‘You do believe me don’t you?’

I c
an’t stay mad with Chrissie for long and I feel my anger ebbing away.  ‘Of course I do, and I’m really happy for you and Cal.’

She release
s me from the hug and throws clothes into her bag.  ‘So, did your hand travel further south and check him out properly?’

‘What?  No, it was just a bit of a cuddle and I was asleep
, so I don’t think it counts if I’m not aware I’m doing it,’ I nod, trying to justify it to myself.  Then a big smile breaks out on my face.  ‘But it was so nice, Chrissie, he smelt so good and his body was, oh god, so fantastic.’

She giggle
s.  ‘I bet it was, I’d love to get my hands on him.  I like your style, Lola. Where is he now, has he gone?’

‘No, he’s taken Harley for a quick walk.  He’s going to take me back home.’

‘You two are getting very cosy together, although, I think you’re a fool for not having your wicked way with him last night.’  She picks up her cosmetics off the dresser and throws them in her bag a faraway look on her face.  ‘Hmm I could just imagine how good it would be with man like that.’

‘You are insatiable, Chrissie, but
I wouldn’t do anything anyway, I’m with James remember?’

‘Oh yeah, James,’ she sa
ys, dismissively.

‘Don’t say it like that, we’re trying to make a go of it, he’ll be beside himself if he finds out about
me sharing a bed with Robert, you know how jealous he gets and I’ve already covered up the snogging incident.  Now I’ve got this to hide too.’

‘Oh blah, blah, blah bloody James.
  I think you should wake up and smell the coffee.  You’ve got a hot man under your duvet just there for the taking.  Fate keeps throwing Robert at you and you keep ignoring the signals and whining on about James all the time.  The very same James who left you heartbroken last year because he couldn’t get his own way.  Why don’t you just cut your losses with him, Lola?’

‘I’ve been given a second chance with him, I think you’re being unfair
, Chrissie.’

‘A second chance?
  But you never screwed up the first one.  And if you care to cast you mind back, you’ll remember he was coupled up with some big boobed nympho within days of you two splitting up, while you were still crying yourself to sleep every night.’

I fe
el tears pricking at the back of my eyes just remembering the events of last year and pinch the bridge of my nose stop them turning into full tears.

‘Look I’m sorry,
Lola.  I shouldn’t be so harsh, but I wouldn’t be a very good friend if I didn’t tell you I just don’t trust him and I think you deserve much better.  What sort of friend would I be if I didn’t try and stand up for you?’

‘I know, but it’s different this time honestly.’
I bite my lip.  ‘I’m sure he’s changed for the better.’

‘If you say so,’ s
he pouts, so I know she isn’t convinced. 

‘Just give him a chance please, Chrissie.  Things will be different this time, I’m sure they will, he’s trying really hard and he wants us to move on with our relationship.’

She stops what she is doing and looks me directly in the eyes.  ‘Does he make you happy?’

I pause for a moment
, considering my feelings since James has returned on the scene. How do you define happiness in a relationship?  Life has certainly changed quite a bit over the last few weeks and picked up a pace, we’ve had fun together and the sex is always good. Although his petulant sulking gets me down when he can’t have his own way, but we’ve known each other for years so it feels comfortable, like an old pair of socks.

‘Yes, I think so,’ I
reply, with a smile.

‘Well if you’re happy, then I’m happy.’  I kn
ow she doesn’t believe me but she hugs me anyway. ‘Now, I have to finish getting my stuff together.  Cal and I are staying over for another few nights so I have to move my stuff to the other room.  And then, I have some extremely serious shagging to catch up with.’

I roll my eyes and g
et my bag out ready to pack.

The rain is still falling in a steady drizzle, by the time we arrive home.  I’ve slept for most of the journey back apart for a short stop off to get lunch.  As we pull up on the drive, I stretch my aching muscles, and my only thought is to get into the house and put the kettle on.  I look up and see James’ car parked in the driveway in front of us.  He isn’t in the car so my eyes quickly scan the front of the house until I spot him standing under the portico talking into his phone.