Patently in Love (13 page)

"I won't take no for an answer," he said.

Deciding she had nothing to lose by getting to know him a bit better, Jane went with
him.

They passed the row of high street shops and bagel bars where she normally bought
lunch. Keith ushered her past an impressive looking, pink stone building and down a lane. It
opened into a crowded streetmarket. There were stalls selling cheap jumpers. A man in a
tracksuit shouted his wares, his breath condensing in the cold air. Men and women in suits
rummaged through stalls selling imitation designer goods. Stallholders stood around
chatting.

"Leather Lane market," Keith said. He led her past various stalls, and finally guided
her through a gap between a man selling jewellery and a dreadlocked woman who was selling
dried fruit.

The front of the Moroccan café bore brightly coloured sheets of paper
announcing meals for a few pounds. When the door opened to let a group of women out, Jane
and Keith squeezed inside.

The shop was beautifully warm and the air was heavy with the smell of cinnamon
and cumin. On one side was a counter with steaming tureens of stew. Opposite it plastic tables
were crammed together, with people huddled around them, laughing and chatting as they
tucked into plates heaped with couscous and sauce. The place was filled with voices and the
clatter of cutlery.

Keith leaned close to speak in her ear. "What would you like?"

Jane pointed at an appetising looking vegetable stew.

"I'll get it," said Keith. "You find us a table. There's more room at the back."

She headed in the direction he pointed. The back room was small and equally
crowded. As she hovered by the doorway, a couple finished their meal and stood up. She
immediately grabbed their vacated table.

As she waited she stacked up the used plates and wiped the table. Doing so reminded
her of having been a waitress in her student days. Looking 'round, she felt a wave of nostalgia.
This was the sort of place she and Ashby would have gone to for lunch as a treat. He had been
fun and interesting, not the self-absorbed pop brat he now was.

Jane imagined Marshall here with her. She could see similarities between him and the
Ashby she'd fallen for all those years ago. It was an unsettling thought.

A waiter whisked the stack of plates away. He wiped the table down with a wet cloth,
leaving a slippery smear behind. "Enjoy your meal," he said.

Jane folded her hands on her lap, not touching the tabletop. She knew she shouldn't
compare Marsh to Ashby, but she couldn't help it. She thought about the night before. In some
ways, Marsh and Ashby were very different indeed.

She was still smiling when Keith arrived with two heaped plates. She reached for her
purse to pay for hers, but he dismissed it with a wave. "I know you've got cashflow problems
until your new cards come through. So, tuck in. It's on me."

"Thanks." Just as she raised her first forkful to her mouth, her phone rang. Marsh's
name came up on the display. Mouthing "Excuse me" to Keith, she answered it.

"Hi, it's me. Marsh." He paused, as though unsure what to say. "Um...are you in the
office at the moment?"

"No."

"Great. Listen, I was wondering..."

"Yes..." Jane prompted.

"Would you like to come over to my place for the weekend? We could loaf around
town a bit and...do stuff."

Keith was making a great show of pretending he wasn't listening. She wondered how
much of what Marsh was saying was audible to Keith. "That sounds good."

There was a short silence from the other end. "Is there someone else there?"

"Oh yes." She felt oddly guilty that she was out with another man, and reminded
herself that she and Marshall weren't really an item yet. And she was only having lunch with a
colleague. It wasn't like a date. She knew Marshall and Keith didn't see eye to eye, but that
was no reason for her not to interact with Keith. After all, Marshall's dislike could be
misplaced.

"Okay. I'd best let you go then," Marshall said. "I'll call you after work this evening
and we'll sort out a time to meet. See you later."

"Yes. Thanks for calling," she said, trying to sound casual for Keith's benefit.
"Bye."

"That was the estate agent," she said as she put her phone away. She hoped it
sounded convincing. "I'm looking for a place to stay."

"Really? I thought you were staying with a friend."

"I am, sort of. It's her spare room; she normally uses it as a study, so it's really tiny.
There's barely room to walk around the bed. It's a bit like being a student again." She picked
up her fork and started to eat. The food was surprisingly good. "This is lovely."

"Isn't it?" said Keith. "I come here a lot. Although, it's much more fun in company. I
usually end up getting a takeaway and having it back at work."

Again Jane wondered if he was lonely.

"I bet you don't get this sort of diversity up in Yorkshire," he said.

"Lancashire," she corrected. "I'm from Manchester. That's in Lancashire."

Keith shrugged. "Sorry, I've never really got to grips with the difference. I'm a
London boy, you see. The rest of the country is just 'not London' to me." He grinned, as if to
take the sting out of his words.

As the meal went on, they talked about work and life. For some reason Keith had
stopped trying to make a pass at her. Without the threat of lechery, Jane found he was
surprisingly good company. When it was time to go back, she was genuinely sorry.

"You know Jane," said Keith, as they walked back to the office, "I think we got off
on the wrong foot. I know I can come across as a little...brash. It's like a nervous tick I have
when I meet new people. I open my mouth and this horrendous crap comes out. It takes me a
while to relax and be myself, if you see what I mean."

She had suspected as much and felt sorry for judging him too hastily. She was glad
she hadn't let herself be influenced by Marshall's prejudices and had taken the time to talk to
Keith. "That's okay. I wasn't offended by your anti-Northern stance."

"Oh that was for real," he said, grinning. "Can't stand Yorkshiremen."

Jane laughed too. "Nowt good never came out of Yorkshire," she said solemnly.
"'Cept road to Lancashire."

Keith roared with laughter. "Is that a real saying?"

"Oh yes. Us Lancashire folk don't get on with Yorkshire folk. Well known fact."

"What, county rivalry? Like Kent and Essex?"

"If you like."

"Brilliant. I shall have to remember that," Keith said, as they arrived at the entrance
to their building. "Now, alas, I have to love you and leave you. I've got to get this opinion
written by tomorrow and I haven't read half the documents yet." He held the door open for
her. "It was nice talking to you properly. We should do this again sometime."

Jane nodded. "That would be nice," she said. And meant it.

From: Stevie
Winfield
To: Marshall
Winfield
Guess what
Marsh, Buzz and I are coming down to London tonight to go to a party. We'll
be crashing at the flat after. Hope that's okay with you.
We're probably not
going out until about 10, so fancy grabbing some takeout with
us?
Love
Stevie

##

From: Marshall Winfield

To: Stevie
Winfield
I'm supposed to be
inviting Jane over...I'll postpone if you guys are going to be there. I don't want
to miss the opportunity to meet the famous Buzz.
Will you two be staying
the whole weekend?
Marsh

##

From: Stevie
Winfield
To: Marshall
Winfield
Shit. I forgot
about Jane. Look, we'll find somewhere else to stay. Don't worry about it.

##

From: Marshall Winfield

To: Stevie
Winfield
No, that's fine. It
will be nice to see you and to meet Buzz.
I can always have Jane round on
Saturday. So long as you're not planning to stay the whole weekend...?

##

From: Stevie
Winfield
To: Marshall
Winfield
We'll clear off
on Saturday afternoon, I promise.
Can I meet Jane?
It's only fair, you
get to meet my boyfriend.

##

From: Marshall Winfield

To: Stevie
Winfield
No. You can't meet
her. Sorry.
I've only seen her twice outside of work. I'd like to get to know
her better before I introduce her to my sister.

##

From: Stevie
Winfield
To: Marshall
Winfield
From what I've
heard you know her pretty well after yesterday. But fear not, brother dear.
We'll be out of your hair by Saturday afternoon.
Gotta go. Train in 20
minutes. See you later.
Love
Stevie

##

From: Marshall Winfield

To: James Edwards

Drat. I was planning to
cook a nice meal for Jane and Stevie emails to say that she and her no good
boyfriend are coming down for the weekend. Much as I love Stevie, she
somehow manages to throw a spanner in my romantic aspirations.
On the
other hand, I get to meet Buzz, finally. I'll be interested to see if he is as in love
with her as she is with him.
Marsh

##

From: James Edwards

To: Marshall Winfield

You shouldn't prejudge
the poor guy, you know. Sounds like Stevie really likes him, so it is possible
he's totally besotted with her too. He may genuinely mean to pay back
everything he's borrowed from her.
Just because you were ultra sensible
with money when you were a student, it doesn't mean everyone has to
be.
Jim

##

From: James Edwards

To: Marshall Winfield

PS: Are you going to let
Stevie have this Buzz guy sleeping in her room and risk them having sex while
you're in the building? Or are you going to make him sleep on the
sofa?
Jim

##

From: Marshall Winfield

To: James Edwards

Ugh. Why did you just do
that? I hadn't even thought about it and now you've put it in my head.
I'm
guessing I don't have any choice in the matter anyway, she's too old for me to
dictate that sort of thing now.
Just you wait until Molly's old enough to
have a boyfriend. I'm going to remind you of
this.
Marsh

* * * *

Work was becoming increasingly difficult. Despite the fast approaching deadlines,
Jane was having trouble keeping her mind on the job. Her thoughts kept straying towards
Marsh, who was only a flimsy office wall away from her. Occasionally, she would catch
herself staring at the plasterboard, daydreaming to the muffled sound of his voice.

So far, she had managed to avoid bumping into him too often, but all her senses had
been on high alert all day. As a result she felt physically and emotionally exhausted. It was
almost a relief to be away from the office and back at the flat. She dug her keys out of her
new bag and, remembering the last time, knocked. Loudly.

Polly pulled the door open. "Oh good. I've been waiting for you to come home." She
ushered Jane inside. "Tell me everything."

"Don't I get to have a shower first?" said Jane, laughing.

Polly looked her up and down. "I suppose. But you've got to tell me immediately
after."

"I promise." Jane hung up her handbag and coat and headed towards her room.

"Are you going out with him tonight?" Polly shouted after her.

"He's going to call me to sort out a time and place." She returned to the living room
and fished her new phone out of her bag. Looking meaningfully at Polly, she took it into the
bathroom with her.

* * * *

Refreshed after her shower, Jane spent a few minutes in her room, blow-drying her
hair so that it fell smoothly around her face. She was sitting on the bed, using a mirror that
was propped on a bookcase to apply her makeup when Polly knocked.

"It's open," she said.

Polly put her head round the door. "I've poured you a glass of wine." Her eyes drifted
to the phone, which was lying on the bed, next to Jane. "Did he ring?"

"Not yet," Jane looked at her watch. Seven o'clock. Perhaps Marsh was still at
work.

"He's probably on his way home. There's no reception on the underground."

Jane set her eyeliner pencil aside and stood. "I think I'll come have that glass of wine
in the living room."

She followed Polly out and flopped onto the sofa. "Where's Andy tonight?" She
picked up the glass of wine Polly had poured.

"Never mind him," said Polly. "Tell me what happened last night."

Jane outlined the evening's events up to the point where she went to Marsh's flat.
When she finished, Polly was staring at her, a hand up to her mouth.

"Oh, that's just so... romantic. I haven't had excitement like that in...oh, years."

"But you've got Andy. And you love each other. All I've had so far is one night." Her
gaze slid to the phone. Until now, she had been confident there was more to it than that, but
the fact that Marsh hadn't rung yet was starting to worry her.

"He'll call." As if on cue, the phone rang. Polly gave a little squeak.

Jane picked up the phone and walked towards the kitchen.

"Hi Jane, it's Marsh."

There was an awkward silence. Jane felt a creeping sense of unease. "Marsh?"

"Jane, I'm really sorry, but I'm going to have to postpone meeting up. My sister and
her boyfriend are descending on the flat tonight..."

"Okay," said Jane, her mood starting to sink. "Do you, want to go out instead?"