The Great Escape (37 page)

‘Yeah? Play in a band or what?’

‘Um, I’ve got a few things on the go …’

The brief silence that follows is filled with the frantic strains of Judas Priest. Spike’s thoughts wander to Lou, and what she might be doing right now. ‘You know,’ Ralph muses, ‘I’m sure I know you from somewhere.’

Spike gazes at a sleek grey Porsche speeding ahead. ‘Yeah?’

‘What bands have you been in?’ he wants to know.

Just tell him, then he’ll stop jerking his head round and keep his mind on the road.
‘There’ve been a few things over the years,’ Spike says airily, ‘but the thing you probably remember is a song called ‘My Beauty’ that I recorded when—’

‘Not that horse song?’ Ralph exclaims, oblivious to the frantic beeping behind him as he veers into the outside lane.

‘That’s the one.’ Spike’s expression has set like cement.

‘God, yeah, I remember that,’ Ralph guffaws, and launches into an out-of-tune rendition of the song.

Spike glances down and checks his watch. They have just passed Carlisle and, by his reckoning, it will only take another three hours to get to York.

SIXTY-FOUR

Their last supper is a simple Italian. Not at Puccini’s – Johnny mentioned that no one goes there anymore – but a small basement candlelit place where the girls are given a corner table. ‘What’s going to happen, Lou?’ Sadie asks.

Lou places her cutlery neatly on the side of her plate. ‘Well, Spike will have to come and collect his stuff, I suppose. Not that he’s got much – guitars, a few books, his clothes and some manky old tubes of ointment in the bathroom …’

‘I mean apart from that.’ Sadie sips her wine and regards Lou over the rim of her glass.

Lou fixes her with a steady gaze. ‘I’ve decided I’m going to cut my hours at the hellhole and start work on some new jewellery.’

‘That’s fantastic,’ Hannah exclaims. ‘Are you going to tell Dave when you get back?’

‘Yep,’ Lou says firmly. ‘And eventually, if I can get things going again I can quit completely.’ She shrugs and smiles. ‘No, I
will
quit. I’m also going to look for another artist-in-residency post, like I should have done years ago, even if it means moving …’

‘Where to?’ Hannah asks.

‘I don’t know.’ Lou grins and tops up her glass of red. ‘Anywhere really. You know, it’s actually a lovely feeling to know that whatever I do, I won’t have to discuss it or do any persuading. It’s just
me
.’

‘Will you manage, though,’ Hannah asks tentatively, ‘paying the rent and everything all by yourself?’

‘I do that anyway,’ she says with a rueful smile. ‘And because Spike won’t be lying around in the day with the gas fire on full blast … God,’ she pauses to tear off a scrap of pizza crust, ‘I’ll be loaded.’

Lou can sense her friends studying her, perhaps suspecting that she’s just putting on a brave face. ‘So it’s definitely over with Spike,’ Hannah ventures, unable to erase the trace of hope from her voice.

‘Oh yes,’ Lou declares. ‘I was working it all out when we were in the jacuzzi. He sold that guitar – the one his parents bought for him – so I’d go to Glasgow leaving him completely free for his weekend of fun …’

‘And now she’s dumped him,’ Hannah observes.

Lou nods. ‘So the pour soul’s alone and it’s all been for nothing. Sorry, though, Han,’ she adds, ‘I think it might be a tiny bit awkward if he comes to your wedding.’

‘Oh, I’m sure we’ll manage to have a good time without him,’ Hannah smirks.

‘He’d bought his suit and everything. Well, not
bought
, Charlie said he had one he could borrow …’

Sadie twirls the remains of her spaghetti around her fork. ‘You are still going to go through with it, aren’t you, Han? The wedding, I mean?’

Hannah nods and smiles. ‘Yes, of course I am. I just had a wobble over him spending last night at Petra’s – I mean real, serious jealousy that actually made me feel sick …’ She pauses. ‘It made me realise, despite everything, how much I love him.’

‘What about Daisy and Josh?’ Sadie asks.

‘Oh, I’m sure, when I get home, the kids will still be …’ She laughs, trying to find the right words, ‘… still his kids. I mean, they’ll be around forever, won’t they? Bringing bags of stinking laundry home when they’re students, phoning up to say they can’t get their washing machines to work when they’re thirty-five … they love him to bits, you know. And now, after being away with you two, I feel … sort of hopeful that things will turn around.’

‘You really think so?’ Lou asks.

‘Yes, I do,’ Hannah says firmly. ‘God, it might be a complete disaster and they’ll resent me even more when I’m their dad’s wife, and I’ll sneak into their rooms and find little Hannah voodoo dolls with pins stuck in …’ The waitress refills their glasses and deftly clears away the clutter of plates.

‘Han,’ Sadie says when they’re alone again, ‘I’ve decided I’m not bringing the babies to your wedding.’

‘What?’ Hannah exclaims. ‘We don’t mind, you know’ – she’s slipped into we-speak, she realises – ‘even if they bawl the registry office down when we’re saying our vows. Isn’t that supposed to happen at weddings? And there’ll be other kids there – Ryan’s sister is bringing her three kids and his friend Adam has a newborn …’

‘I just don’t think we should,’ Sadie explains. ‘You know how many times me and Barney have been out on our own since we had the boys?’ Hannah and Lou look blank. ‘None,’ she announces.

‘Really?’ Lou gasps.

‘Yep, really. Shocking, isn’t it?’

‘But who will you leave them with?’ Hannah asks.

‘Barney’s parents,’ Sadie says.

‘Will they be okay with looking after the kids?’ Lou asks, frowning.

‘They’ll be fine, even if they don’t do things the way I would. Anyway, it’ll be good for the boys to get to know their grandparents better, and me and Barney …’ She grins and opens the dessert menu with its old-fashioned, wedding-invitation-style script. ‘Well, that means we’ll get to spend the night in a hotel, doesn’t it?’

‘Careful,’ Hannah sniggers. ‘You know what happens on these drink-fuelled nights,
especially
at weddings …’

‘I don’t know what you mean.’ Sadie’s dark eyes gleam in the light of the stuttering candle. ‘I’ll be tucked up in bed in my sensible pyjamas with a book by nine o’clock.’

‘You haven’t done much reading on this weekend,’ Lou remarks.

‘Well, I’ve been a bit busy.’

‘We’ve noticed.’ Hannah smiles teasingly. ‘I take it he hasn’t texted you yet?’

‘No, thank God,’ Sadie exclaims. ‘But listen, what I was thinking is … coming to your wedding on our own might make me and Barney feel a bit more …
together
. We need to do something, I’ve realised that. Something weird’s happened to me since we had the boys …’

‘What kind of weird?’ Lou asks.

Sadie shakes her head. ‘I’ve become this … routiney person, obsessed with everything being absolutely right and by the book. As if it’ll all fall apart unless we stick to the schedules I’ve set up. And just being away for one night has proved that it won’t, that I
can
relax and just be myself and maybe, more than anything, that’s what me and Barney need right now.’

‘It sounds as if you’re blaming yourself for everything,’ Hannah says, touching her hand.

‘I’m not. It’s up to me
and
Barney to make it work, but …’ Sadie’s eyes mist as she takes a deep breath. ‘I think,’ she continues, ‘if I had more in my life to think about, then I wouldn’t blow little things out of proportion …’

‘Are you thinking of going back to work?’ Lou suggests.

‘Maybe. I hadn’t planned to, but maybe in a few months’ time, I’ll look into going back part-time. I might even start designing again too.’

‘What, lingerie?’ Hannah grins. ‘You really should. You’re wasting your talents, you know …’

‘Well, I’ve been wondering,’ Sadie says, ‘whether there’s a market out for there for maternity and nursing underwear that’s not hideous, and bras that don’t look like awful satin hammocks …’

‘Would that mean moving back to London?’ Hannah blurts out. ‘I hope it does. God, I’d love it if you were near me. I need an ally …’

‘Well, a bit closer maybe, if I was teaching …’ Sadie tails off. ‘I’ll have to talk it over with Barney.’

‘Go on,’ Hannah urges her. ‘Use all your persuasive womanly powers.’

‘You should mention it on Han’s wedding night,’ Lou suggests, ‘at that hotel. And don’t wear your sensible nursing bra either. Dig out one of your hand-made corsets from the old days.’

‘You know,’ Sadie says, smiling mischievously as the waitress approaches to take their dessert orders, ‘I might do just that.’

‘I’ve got a proposition for you, Hannah.’ Felix places three tall glasses of inky liquid on their table and perches on the vacant fourth chair.

‘Felix, she’s marrying Ryan,’ Sadie teases, placing a conciliatory hand on his arm. ‘I’m sorry, but it’s all sorted …’

‘You break my heart,’ he declares with a shake of his head, ‘but listen – I’ve had an idea about those wicked little stepkids of yours, Hannah …’

‘What’s that?’

‘You need some space, right? Somewhere you can call your own, at least for a couple of hours or so …’ He pushes back his badly-cut choppy blond hair.

‘She needs a shed,’ Lou smirks.

‘Well, I was actually thinking of my flat. It’s in Bow, so not far from you …’

‘You’d be like Woody Allen and Mia Farrow,’ Lou exclaims.

Hannah laughs, fishing a perfectly-formed blackberry from her drink and popping it into her mouth. ‘Felix, I think you’re great, but I’m not so sure about you and me as flatmates, you know?’

‘Yes, but I’m up here for the next twelve days and later on I’m in Bath, scouting for premises for a new place. You could use it for a bit of respite.’

‘I can’t just
use
your flat,’ she exclaims.

‘Ah, but you’d be doing me a favour,’ he explains. ‘You see, I’ve hardly been there these past few months and it’s been empty for far too long.’

‘You’d like me to flat-sit for you?’ she asks.

Felix nods. ‘God, one of these days I’m going to come back and find a load of squatters lying pissed on my Heal’s rug.’

‘I’ll roll up the rug first,’ Hannah teases him, ‘if I’m planning on having a few drinks.’

Felix touches her arm, his cheeks flushed, his beady little eyes framed by pale lashes. ‘I can tell you’re a well-brought up girl, Hannah. But there’s another thing too. It’s a soulless place – I’ve only had it for a year, never had the time to do anything with it. And I’ve seen your paintings, had a good old prowl around on the web and I know this isn’t the usual sort of thing you do, but …’ He hesitates, smiling in recognition at a group of smart thirty-somethings who’ve swept into the bar, all toffee tans and Armani.

‘You want me to do your portrait?’ She sips the blackberry cocktail, heady and fruity with a potent kick.

‘God, no,’ Felix guffaws. ‘It’s traumatic enough having my passport photo done. No, I mean … I wondered if you’d paint a mural for me in the living room. Nothing huge – just something to personalise the space, give it some life. I was thinking of something around the window in the living room – it’s got a fabulous view and I’d like to make a feature of it. I’d pay you of course.’

‘I wouldn’t take any money from you, Felix,’ Hannah exclaims. ‘You’ve kept us in cocktails these past couple of nights and anyway, I haven’t painted for months and I need a project. So yes, I’d love to do it.’

Felix beams at her. ‘That’s fantastic. What time’s your train home tomorrow? I’ll have a spare key cut and meet you at the station.’

‘We leave at three.’

‘Okay, I’ll call you in the morning.’ Felix stands up, picking up the empty tray.

‘Felix,’ Hannah calls after him, ‘can I ask you something?’ He nods and heads back towards their table.

‘What is it, Han?’

‘I …’ She hesitates. ‘Why have you been so generous these past few days? There was all that champagne on the train and cocktails both nights. We must’ve cost you a fortune …’

‘Well,’ he blusters, and even in the dim light she can tell he’s blushing. ‘I guess I’m just the sharing sort.’

‘But there’s more to it than that, isn’t there?’ Hannah pauses. ‘I don’t want to seem ungrateful, but—’

Felix nods. ‘You’re right. I guess I was just lucky to meet you girls at a particularly, um … I don’t want to sound overdramatic but …’

‘A particularly what, Felix?’ Lou asks, frowning.

Looking around, he fixes his gaze on each of the girls in turn. ‘You remember I told you about my wedding that never happened?’

‘Uh-huh,’ Sadie murmurs.

‘Well, it was supposed to be yesterday.’

‘What?’ Hannah exclaims. ‘You mean … you’d only found about your girlfriend and that other man—’

‘Rashley.’ He nods. ‘Yep – the big announcement was on Thursday night.’

‘So, while we were all drinking your champagne on the train, you should’ve been getting married?’ Sadie blurts out. ‘God, Felix. I wish we’d known.’

Felix nods, pressing his lips firmly together. ‘I had to get away. They don’t need me here’ – he gestures around the packed bar – ‘in fact the place runs better when I’m not around, getting in the way, insisting on my ridiculous bespoke cocktails, which my staff reckon are the most ridiculous idea they’ve ever heard …’

‘Why didn’t you tell us it’d just happened?’ Lou asks softly.

Felix sighs. ‘I couldn’t, not with you all heading off to celebrate Hannah’s wedding. I didn’t want to put a dampener on your celebrations.’

‘You did anything but,’ Hannah says warmly. ‘It was lovely meeting you.’

‘And running into you three has got me through these past couple of days,’ he declares. ‘D’you know, I was all set to down all that champagne by myself. God knows what state I’d have been in if you hadn’t been there. I’d probably have ended up in the Royal Infirmary having my stomach pumped.’

‘Glad we could help,’ Sadie says, touching his arm.

‘You definitely did me a favour.’ He smiles now, absent-mindedly picking up Hannah’s glass and taking a sip. ‘Seriously, you took me out of myself and made me think, well, if I can meet three lovely girls who are happy to hang out with me and don’t write me off as a complete fuck-up …’