Patently in Love (19 page)

She supposed it was possible that the journalist had seen her go into the restaurant by
chance and just waited for her to come out again. It wouldn't be the first time something like
that had happened.

* * * *

Text from: Stevie
To: Marsh

Marsh! Where are you? I'm coming home. I
don't know what else 2 do!

##

Text from: Marsh
To: Stevie

I'm here. Don't panic. Your mobile reception is
patchy. Where are you?

##

Text from: Stevie
To: Marsh

I'm on the train. It's the last train & a bit
creepy. I didn't know what else 2 do. Didn't want 2 stay at uni.

##

Text from: Marsh
To: Stevie phone>
Are you okay? Did he hurt you?

##

Text from: Stevie
To: Marsh

No, didn't hurt me. Just scared me. He was so
angry when I told him that U wouldn't let me have any more
money.
OMG. You don't think he'll come and attack U, do U? He knows
where we live.

##

Text From: Marsh
To Stevie

Calm down. I doubt very much that he'll do
that. Don't worry.
I'll come and get you from the station. I shall see if I can
find a late shop that sells ice cream. I seem to remember that helps with a
broken heart. ;-)

##

Text from: Stevie
To: Marshphone>
Ice cream would b lovely.
I can't believe I fell 4 him so
completely. He seemed so nice! & he was so gorgeous and generous.

##

Text from: Marsh
To: Stevie phone>
I hate to say it, but he was generous with YOUR money.

##

Text from: Stevie
To: Marsh

I know. I know. U were right.
I should
have listened to U.
Thing is, my head knows I'm better off out of it, but my
heart doesn't agree. I feel so miserable.

##

Text from: Stevie
To: Marsh

I've just realised tonight was Ur d8 with Jane!
OMG, I'm so sorry. Is it ok me coming home? I can C if I can find somewr
else. Maybe U could put me up in a travellodge 4 the night.

##

Text from: Marsh
To: Stevie

Of course it's fine for you to come home. It'll
ALWAYS be fine for you to come home. Idiot.
The date went okay, but
things went a bit weird at the end. I'll tell you when you get home.

##

Text from: Stevie
To Marshphone>
Tell me now. I've got nothing better to do sat on this
train.
Please?

##

Text From: Marsh
To: Stevie

Dinner was lovely. Jane was lovely too. All
was going well, until we left. There was a photographer and a journalist
waiting outside.
Jane went to pieces. She was crying and shaking. She
tried to explain but ended up talking about how her ex cheated on her. From
what she said, there's a magazine harassing her and her ex is behind it all.

##

Text From: Stevie
To: Marsh

Were they from Cause Celeb? They're running
a cause to find Jane.

##

Text From: Marsh
To: Stevie

I know. She told me--eventually.
What I
want to know is, how did they know she was going to be there?
You didn't
mention it to anyone, did you?

##

Text From: Stevie
To: Marsh

Sorry about the delay. Had 2 move carriages.
A really drunk bloke trying to chat me up.
NO! I didn't mention it to any1.
Not even Buzz. Why would I?
Who did U tell?

##

Text From: Marsh
To: Stevie

That's just it. I can't think of anyone. Jim
suggested the restaurant, but he wouldn't tell anyone. Neither would Lou. It's a
mystery.
I've found a 24 hr supermarket. They have Ben and Jerry's. I shall
get the biggest tub of Phish Food I can find.

##

Text From: Stevie
To: Marsh

Phish food? I'm not a baby anymore
Marsh!
Chunky Monkey, please.

Jane was jumpy as she travelled to work the next day, constantly on the lookout for
anyone who might work for the press. Having reached work without incident, she stood in the
lift, breathing slowly and working to relax her shoulders, which were trying to touch her ears.
The office should be safer. The photograph was only taken yesterday. No one would know
about it yet.

* * * *

From: Keith Durridge

To: Sally Thomas

Have you seen the latest
edition of Cause Celeb? Came out this morning. Page 13.
K

##

From: Sally Thomas

To: Keith Durridge

Since when do you read
Cause Celeb?

##

From: Keith Durridge

To: Sally Thomas

You'd be surprised. I'm a
man of hidden shallows. ;-)

##

From: Sally Thomas

To: Ruth Jones

Ruth, have you seen the
today's Cause Celeb? I told you it was the same Jane Porter.
Everyone else
seems really surprised. I told them we figured it out ages
ago.

* * * *

The minute she stepped into reception at the office, Jane knew something was up.
The receptionist looked up from what she was reading and hurriedly pulled a piece of paper
across to cover it up. "Hi," she said, her voice unnaturally bright.

Jane signed in and started across the open areas to her office. She was in later than
usual, so most of the desks were occupied. A group of secretaries was huddled round a
computer screen. They all went silent when Jane walked by.

"I got it" someone said, behind her. Jane turned to see one of the secretaries
brandishing a magazine. When she saw Jane she froze in place, her mouth a horrified
O
. "Er... Hi."

Surely they couldn't have published the photo so quickly? No, there must be some
other explanation. She fled to the sanctuary of her office, sank into her chair and opened up
her emails.

##

From: Marshall Winfield

To: Jane Porter

Hi Jane, hope you're feeling
better today.
I'm probably not going to be in until this afternoon. Do you
want to meet up after work? Somewhere discrete, of
course.
Marsh

* * * *

It had been sent very early in the morning. Maybe he hadn't been able to sleep either.
She wished she were with him. If ever she'd needed a hug, it was now.

She rubbed her burning eyes. The lack of sleep and her nervous agitation were
starting to take its toll. Perhaps another coffee would help. It would mean going past all the
whispering gossips, but she felt so awful, it was almost worth it. She was resigned to the fact
that her photo was in the magazine. She might as well face it. The whispering wasn't going to
go away.

Her quiet life was over. Again.

How had they managed to get the photo in today's edition? Surely it took longer than
that to get copy into place. Unless they'd been expecting to get the photo last night.

If the journalist had known for certain that she would be coming out of that restaurant
last night...

The realisation hit her like an unexpected snowball in the chest.

Shaken, she pushed herself out of her chair. Gossips be damned. She needed
coffee.

As she stood, there was a knock on the door. Without waiting, Keith entered. "Do
you mind if I come in. I'd like to have a word, in private." He was holding a magazine in his
hand and his tone was grave.

Was she in trouble?

He closed the door and pulled Ruth's chair to Jane's desk. "Here. Have a look at
this."

Acting on a tip off from a reader,
Cause Celeb
's
very own Amber Jackson tracked down Jane Porter, sought after ex-girlfriend
of Ashby Thornton and
Cause Celeb
cause of the month.

Unfortunately for Ashby, it looks like our plea went out too late. Jane was
seen smooching with her new boyfriend --pictured below and left. Sources say
that Jane's new hunk is Patent Lawyer Marshall Winfield.

Friends say Ashby is devastated by the news. "I'm hoping that Jane would
come back to me. I love her and miss her. I know I treated her terribly, but I
pray that she could see it in her heart to forgive me," Ashby told reporters
when asked about Jane just last week.

Is Jane right to move on with her life? Is her new love hotter than
Ashby?

Have your say! Log on to
www.causeceleb.com
and
comment.

Reader Poll: Should Jane forgive Ashby and take him back? Voting closes
midnight on Saturday.

Jane's hand shook as she read the short piece of copy. There was a picture of her and
Marsh kissing outside the restaurant and another, less clear, photo of the two of them getting
into a taxi. She sank slowly into her chair.

"That edition came out this morning," said Keith, still using that grave tone.

Jane was too shaken to speak. Her hopes of rebuilding her career in blissful
anonymity were shattered. She scanned the article again and noted with relief that they hadn't
mentioned where Marsh worked. It wouldn't be too difficult to find out though. His name was
on the website, after all.

"At least they didn't mention the firm," Keith said, as though reading her thoughts.
He looked at her intently. "Are you okay?"

"Yes. I was just..." She rubbed her eyes. "I was hoping I'd left all of this behind. I
didn't think they'd be interested in me once I was away from Ashby."

"You moved city, you changed your hair colour, your job. You did everything you
could." He sighed. "I blame myself."

"Why? What does it have to do with you?"

"I should have warned you. About Marshall."

"Marshall?"

Keith leaned forward, hands clasped, elbows resting on his knees. "I didn't want to
say anything against a colleague, you know. It's a bit unprofessional. But Marshall is... How
can I put this? He's not above using people."

He held up a hand as Jane drew breath to protest. "No, please, hear me out. There
was a trainee here, Dominique De Vale. She and Marshall--"

"I heard about that," said Jane. It was sweet of Keith to tell her all this, but she didn't
see what it had to do with the current situation. She really needed some caffeine.

"They had...have...an on/off relationship. From what I've heard, they're off again at
the moment and she's recently been seen snogging a footballer. I think Marshall may have
done this to get back at her and make her jealous."

That couldn't be true. Could it? "They split up," Jane said, weakly. She felt as though
all her energy was draining out of her. All she wanted to do was curl up and disappear. "Over
a year ago."

"Is that what he told you?" He shrugged, as though to indicate scepticism. "Anyway,
I'm pretty sure he told the magazine where you were."

That didn't sound at all like Marsh. Surely, she had spent enough time with him to
know what he was like. She would have known if he was using her... Wouldn't she?

"I see he's got you believing exactly what he wants." Keith stood up. "I won't waste
my time trying to tell you otherwise, but think about it. How else would they know you were
going to be at that restaurant last night?"

Jane stared at him. The same question had been bothering her all this time.

Keith patted her hand. "It's a lot to take in, I know. If you need someone to talk to,
just come and see me." He walked to the door, where he paused. "One more thing. He and
Dominique didn't split up until last month. As far as I know, her stuff is still in his flat. She's
out of the country a lot. She works for a multinational company now. Google her if you don't
believe me." He gave her an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry you had to find out like this."

Once Keith had left, Jane turned to her computer and stared numbly at it for what
seemed like ages.

* * * *

From: Marshall Winfield

To: James Edwards

Jim
I won't be in until
late this morning. Stevie turned up in the small hours this morning. She and
Buzz have split up. I was up all night talking to her and I'm too shattered to
function. Am hoping to get a couple of hours kip before I stagger into the
office.
Marsh

##

From: Marshall Winfield

To: Susan Jameson

Hi Susan
I'm afraid I
won't be in until a bit later than usual today as I've got a small family
emergency on my hands. I should be in before lunch though. I will, of course,
take the morning off as annual leave.
I don't believe I have any urgent
deadlines that cannot wait until tomorrow. I am currently proofreading my
section of the opposition report. I will get this done and email it to you by this
afternoon.
Regards
Marshall.

##

From: Susan Jameson

To: Marshall Winfield

Fine.

##

From: James Edwards

To: Marshall Winfield

Is Stevie okay? She
sounded pretty upset when she phoned us in the middle of the night. I'm
guessing she got hold of you, seeing as she didn't phone us back.
I guess
there's not much point asking what happened on your date, if Stevie called and
broke it up.
Jim

##

From: Marshall Winfield

To: James Edwards

Sorry about the delay
replying. I've had a bit of sleep, but still feel like I've been hit by a
train.
I'm taking public transport in today. I really can't face
running.
Stevie's heart broken. She ate a whole tub of ice cream last night,
which is a sure sign that she's upset. I'm surprised she wasn't sick. I think she'll
be okay though. I wish I'd been wrong about Buzz, but turns out I
wasn't.
Date was going really well until we stepped out of the restaurant
and found a photographer waiting for us. Jane was extremely upset. She thinks
her ex is trying to make her life miserable. I'm not sure I understand it totally.
All I know is that it's upsetting Jane and I don't like it.
Taking the girl
home in tears doesn't really count as a successful date. At least it wasn't my
fault she was crying.
Marsh

##

From: James Edwards

To: Marshall Winfield

Sounds like things didn't
go so well last night, then.
It's a shame I can't tell you anything about the
partner's meeting to cheer you up. ;-)
Jim