Semi-Detached Marriage (14 page)

From that moment on their friendship altered
subtly, became at once both easier and yet more binding. Cassie didn't again
suggest that he date another girl, and she didn't draw away when he kept hold
of her hand after helping her down some steps or across the street, or when he
gave her a friendly kiss of greeting or farewell. And being American, he was
very solicitous, making sure she was always comfortable and had everything she
wanted, buying her small, crazy surprise presents as well as the flowers that
he always brought whenever he called at the flat to pick her up. And Cassie
sparkled under his attentions, loving being made such a fuss of, especially as
there were no strings, knowing that he valued her for her friendship. It was a
heady feeling, like old wine.

Simon was still battling with his problems in
Scotland; several times Cassie came home late from an evening spent with Tom
after he'd picked her up straight from work, and found that Simon had left a
message on the answer-phone for her. She had told him, of course, that she was
showing Tom round London, but that was at the beginning and since then she had
played it down, knowing that there was no harm in her going out with Tom for
the couple of weeks he was to be in England, but afraid that Simon wouldn't see
it the same way.

Only Tom showed no sign of hurrying back to
America. He had found premises for his new branch quite quickly and had ordered
all the necessary equipment: computer, telex, word processor, that kind of
thing, and had placed ads for staff in the London area papers. That he was a
dynamic businessman behind his lazy grin and casual air, Cassie found out
almost at once when she went with him to an estate agent's office and they
attempted to keep him waiting for someone they thought would be a more
financially rewarding client. Tom didn't say much, but what he did say made the
red-faced estate agent give him his immediate and undivided attention. So she
knew that he could get things moving when he wanted to, but now he showed no
signs of hurry, taking his time in interviewing staff and driving all over the
place to follow up contacts and leads for new business.

Cassie saw him nearly every night now as a
matter of course, and she no longer suggested somewhere for them to go; Tom had
quickly got to know London and now took her to places she would never have
dreamt of going with Simon, such as to watch greyhound racing, Japanese
wrestling, or to an open-air jazz concert in the grounds of a mansion in
Hertfordshire. During the latter they had shared a bottle of champagne and were
merry and laughing on the way back in the car that Tom had hired. Tom was
singing old Colonial songs and making Cassie join in the choruses even though
she protested that she couldn't sing, so that she was still gurgling with
laughter as she let herself into the flat.

Tom followed her in. 'You okay now?'

'Mm, fine.' Cassie turned to face him. 'Goodnight,
Tom. Thanks for a great evening.'

'My pleasure.' He bent to kiss her goodbye
and Cassie giggled and put a hand up to rub her mouth. 'What is it?'

'It's your moustache, it tickles.'

He laughed and put his hands on her arms,
holding her. 'It does, huh? Now I know how to get at you, then.' And he
teasingly bent to try and kiss her again while Cassie laughingly pulled away.
Only his hands were holding her so firmly that she couldn't move and had to
submit to his teasing. She wasn't quite sure how or when it happened; one
minute they were both laughing and she was struggling to get free, the next his
hands on her arms were tightening, hurting her and the laughter had gone from
his face, to be replaced by a look of intense desire. And then his lips were on
hers, not friendly or teasing anymore, but filled with a passionate hunger as
his mouth pressed against hers, hard and insistent, demanding that she open her
lips and yield her mouth to the hot importunities of his. For a few brief
minutes, Cassie submitted before jerking her head away and saying sharply, 'No!
Tom, don't.'

Immediately he lifted his head, but his
fingers still bit into her arms and his breathing was unsteady.

`You-you'd better go.'

'Cassie?' His voice still sounded thick as he
put a hand up to her chin, made her turn and look at him. 'Look, Ii know I
shouldn't have done that, but you're so darned lovely that I…' He broke off and
ran a hand through his hair, pushing it back off his forehead, then stepped
away from her. 'I know I shouldn't have done it. I'm sorry. But it just
happened. You don't have to be afraid, I'm not going to make a pass. So don't
think that anything's changed, okay?' He came near her again, raised his hand
as if he was going to touch her but then shoved it in his pocket. Cassie looked
at him, her eyes troubled, knowing in her heart that it couldn't be the same
again and yet willing to believe that he meant it because that was what she
wanted, too.

'I'll pick you up tomorrow; we'll go for a
drive in the country, right?'

'Ii don't know.'

'Honey, trust me.' He grinned at her. 'Just
pals, huh?'

Cassie laughed and said in a mock Cockney
accent, 'Right y'are then, me old mate.'

Tom's eyes widened and he gave a full
masculine laugh of appreciation. 'You're crazy, do you know that? Beautiful but
crazy.' He kissed her very lightly on the forehead. 'See you tomorrow.'

Cassie lay awake for some time that night,
telling herself that Tom had just got a little carried away, that was all. That
it was just a kiss, and what was one kiss nowadays? Why, if she'd been single
she'd have thought nothing of it, would have been surprised, in fact, if Tom
hadn't tried to make a pass. But even though she told herself that it was
nothing, the fact remained that no other man had kissed her like that since her
marriage, and she felt strangely guilty, knowing that she should have pulled
away earlier, that she hadn't protested forcibly enough or said no, she
wouldn't go out with him again. And yet, at the same time, the very fact that
Tom obviously found her attractive and desired her was a heady excitement.
Simon had been away for so long that she had begun to doubt her own power and
looks, and it was intensely satisfying to have them reconfirmed by someone as
good- looking and macho as Tom.

But even so the fact that it had happened at
all frightened her, and she wished fervently that Simon would come home. It had
been so long now, over two months since she had seen him. She remembered that
it was his birthday next week; usually they went out to the theatre to
celebrate, but this year they might as well be a million miles apart for all
the chance there was of him coming home. Cassie stirred restlessly and thumped
the pillow. For heaven's sake, it was only half a day's journey away, you'd
think he'd be able to get home for his damn birthday! The thought gave her an
idea; perhaps he could be made to come home.

The next morning she started phoning round
their friends, inviting them to a party the following Saturday, Simon's
birthday. Then came the more difficult part. She dialed the number in Scotland,
imagining the numbers singing along the telephone wires, clicking into place
and the phone ringing in the house by the sea. But it was the maid who answered
and told her that Simon had gone into Kinray, so she had to leave a message for
him to phone back. Tom called to collect her before he did so, however, and it wasn't
until she got home that evening that they made contact.

`I phoned earlier,' Simon told her, `but you
were out. You seem to be out quite often lately.'     'Do I?'

Simon resisted the challenge in her voice and
asked,

`Where were you, at your mother's?'

'No,' Cassie hesitated for the briefest
second. `I was with Tom. We went to see the Hell Fire Caves at High Wycombe.'
She went on hurriedly, before he could speak, `Simon, I've had a wonderful
idea. Everyone's been asking me how you're getting on—all our friends, that
is—-arid you haven't seen any of them for so long that I thought it would be
great if we could get them all together at the same time, so I-well, I've
arranged a party for next Saturday for your birthday. Don't you think that
that's a great idea?' she added on a note of desperation.

Simon's voice sounded tired. `Yes, darling, I
do, but you know the situation I'm in here. AU the negotiations are at a very
delicate stage and I have to be on hand in case any problems crop up. If you'll
just be patient until the new contracts are all agreed on, then I promise I'll
take a couple of weeks off and we'll go away together somewhere.'

`Oh, and when do you think that will be?'
     

`If all goes well it could be at the end of
this month.'      

`If all goes well. If one of the unions
doesn't decide that someone else is getting more than them. If…'

Cassie, listen…' Simon broke in.

`No, you listen. I'm sick and tired of
listening to your promises. It's been over two months now. I want you here for
that party next Saturday. Do you understand, Simon? I want you here!'

There was a pause in which
she could hear her own heart beating. She gripped the receiver until her
knuckles showed white, striving to control the mixture of anger, fear and
yearning that had gone into her demand.

'Cassie, has something happened?'

For a moment she was tempted to tell him
about Tom, but what was there to tell, just a kiss that had gone a bit deeper,
that was all. So she answered, 'No. I just want you to be here, that's all.'

His voice hardened. 'So you decided to pressgang
me by arranging this party?'

'Call it that, if you like. If your head
office sent for you, you'd be on the next plane,' she pointed out furiously.
'Well, now I'm sending for you. I want you here on Saturday, so just-just be
here!' Then she slammed the phone down, afraid that she would break down and he
would hear her.

During the rest of that week, Cassie saw Tom
as often as before, and though at first she had been afraid he would follow up
his pass, he made no attempt to do so, was just as friendly and attentive as
he'd been before, so that she was able to relax in his company again. For a
while she had been in two minds about inviting him to Simon's party, but now
she did so, and he immediately offered to buy all the drink.

'Oh, but I couldn't let you do that,' Cassie
protested.

'Why not? Call it my birthday present to
Simon, if you like.'

And he overrode her objections, entering into
the organisation of the party with enthusiasm and coming round on the Saturday
afternoon to bring all the drink and staying to help her with the food.

`What time's Simon arriving?' he asked her
when they had more or less finished and were having a well earned cup of
coffee.

'I'm not sure, it depends on when he can get
away,' Cassie prevaricated. Actually she had only spoken to Simon once since
she had issued her ultimatum. That had been on Thursday evening when he had
phoned briefly to say that he would try to get home on Saturday but couldn't
guarantee it or give a time. And that was it. He had then rung off, obviously still
angry with her.

'I'm sure looking forward to seeing him
again,' Tom remarked casually.

'Yes, I expect you'll have a lot to talk
about,' Cassie answered absently, her mind still on Simon's abrupt telephone call.
Tom said something else which she didn't catch. 'I'm sorry, what did you say?'

'I said that Simon was a lucky man.'

Cassie turned towards him and found that Tom
was watching her.

'Lucky? Oh, why? Because he works for
Mullaine's still?'

'No, because he has this,' he told her,
putting out his hand in a sweeping gesture to take in the flat, 'and because he
has you.'

Cassie shook her head and opened her mouth to
protest, but before she could speak Tom went on, 'Of course I also think he's
kind of crazy.'

'Why?'

'Because he's gone to Scotland and left you
alone here.'

Cassie's face hardened. 'And just what's that
supposed to mean?' She set down her cup and stood up angrily. 'Just because
Simon's away it doesn't necessarily mean that I'm going to be unfaithful to
him, you know.'

Tom, too, stood up and came over to her.
'Hey, simmer down! I didn't say it did.' He put his hands on her shoulders. 'I
merely meant that any guy who can stay away from someone as beautiful as you
for so long must be crazy, that's all.'

'Oh! I'm sorry, I suppose I must be a bit
edgy.' Cassie became aware of his hands on her shoulders, of his closeness, and
moved away. 'Giving parties always makes me nervous.'

Tom watched her for a minute as she fussed
over the table, rearranging some of the dishes and straightening the serving
spoons. 'I also think that you're not the kind of girl who likes being alone.'

Cassie turned to him, shaking her head and
laughing. 'Oh, but that's where you're wrong; I'm very independent and
self-sufficient.'

'On the surface, maybe.' He moved to her
side, his blue eyes fixed on her face. 'But underneath I think you're as
vulnerable as the next girl. You need a man around, Cassie, someone to take
care of you.'

His eyes held hers as Cassie gazed back at
him uncertainly, then she quickly turned her head and said, 'No. No, I don't.
I'm quite content to be on my own while Simon's away.'