Yours Unfaithfully (43 page)

Tim also left early and sometimes stayed away overnight but even when he wasn’t away he seldom got home before six thirty. He had usually eaten during the day and wasted little time in heading for the Globe.

Whether it was an improvement in their relationship or simply a lack of opportunity Mel wasn’t sure, but they hadn’t had another row since that night in the Walnut Tree. They’d made several more attempts to find physical satisfaction together but each time it had been a failure.

Tim apologised to Melanie, but she blamed herself for not being ready for him yet. He didn’t understand that but then he never understood women, so it was nothing new to him.

As he left for the Globe each evening, Nina was in her front garden where she could catch a few words with him. As tonight was Friday there would be a pool match. He was in the team and couldn’t wait to get there. He saw Nina hovering with secateurs near a climbing rose. To anyone else she would have appeared to be busy deadheading but to Tim she looked like a cat waiting to pounce on an unsuspecting bird.

“Tim, that’s lucky, I was hoping to get a word with you before the weekend.”

“Why, Neen, are you off somewhere?”

“No such luck. No, I wondered how things are between you two... Mel hinted to me that you aren’t having much success in the bedroom.”

“Bloody Hell, Neen. Why’s she telling you that?”

“Because she obviously sees it as a problem, one she wants to share with a friend. Tim I need to talk to you. I’m missing you like anything, I know we said it would have to end once she got back, but be honest Tim, it isn’t working for you or her is it, not like it did for you and me.”

“Neen, we shouldn’t be having this conversation. That’s past and we both knew that when we did it. There’s no way I could see you, not with her next door, you must be mad to suggest it.”

“I wasn’t suggesting we did it here, we could meet somewhere else. You must get times when your boss doesn’t need you to drive him anywhere. With my new job I can take a few hours out any time I like. We could meet in town, you could pick me up in that car you’re always going on about. Does it have tinted windows or a bed in the back?” She smiled to put him at ease.

“Nina, be sensible. I know what you mean about us ... and yes ... it was better with us than with me and Mel, but it’s too risky.”

“So you’d like to if it wasn’t so risky, is that what you’re saying?”

“I suppose so, yes, but it is and just think how hard the shit would hit the fan if we got found out.”

“We won’t get found out, I promise. Tim you’ve got my mobile number, let’s meet tomorrow, you can easily get away on a Saturday for a while. Ring me when you’ve got a couple of hours free.”

“I’ll see, Neen, I’m not promising.”

“If I don’t see you tomorrow, I’ll see you next week, Tim, I’m looking forward to it.”

Tim was surprised to find Ben waiting for him in the Globe.

“What are you doing here? You’re a stranger here these days. How’s Beckie?”

“Beckie’s fine, we’re fine, she’s out with Sophie tonight so I’m here to catch up on the news from my old digs; you know, loud lady with an attitude problem, lives next door to you?”

“Nina’s sound, you aren’t fair to her. She’s just got a promotion, did you know?”

“No, funny enough she must have forgotten to phone me up and tell me that. Tim, I haven’t spoken to Nina for weeks and I’m not likely to. If I need to send her messages I’ll tell you, OK?”

“Yes, OK Ben, you might as well, I see her every day pretty much.”

“Unlucky you, you could always move I suppose. How’s your job working out?”

“Very nicely, I’m driving Simon’s sister around at the moment; she’s over from Australia for a short break. Makes a change from driving him about.”

“How are you and Mel now?”

“Pretty good... I think… that four weeks away was a bad time for me, gave me a lot of problems.”

“Like what?”

“Oh, it doesn’t matter, just silly problems, in my head mostly, but I still have to deal with some of them now she’s back.”

“Well if you want to talk about them you can… that’s what mates are for, Tim.”

“Thanks, Ben. I will if it gets to be a real problem.” He shuddered at the prospect of telling Ben that his biggest problem was that he was having an affair with his ex-wife, no, correction, his wife. Although Ben made a big thing of slating Nina at every opportunity there was bound to be something still between them, surely after so many years and three children together? Would Ben laugh at the idea or would he see it as a betrayal by his best friend?

What about tomorrow? Could he really meet up with her behind Mel’s back? His moral instinct said no but his basic instinct said yes. The battle within his brain might decide his entire future. Get this wrong and he might not have a future.

Saturday dawned with the rain clouds gone and the sun back as bright as before. Tim would go to the Manor and offer to drive Veronica out for the day. That would make it impossible for him to do something he shouldn’t. He found Veronica strolling in the rose gardens and joined her. “I thought we might take a drive out today, perhaps to the coast or anywhere that takes your fancy,” he said.

“Oh Tim, that’s so kind of you, but I’ve managed to track down an old school friend, someone I haven’t seen since I left for Brisbane all those years ago. She’s coming over for lunch and I expect we’ll sit out here and have tea as well, but it was lovely of you to think of me like that.”

“I enjoy driving you places, and to be honest when we go off it’s like a holiday compared to driving Simon, where it’s always business. I’ve enjoyed having you here. I shall miss you when you go back.”

“That’s nice Tim, but don’t worry, I’m not planning to go back just yet. I think Simon may have to get used to living in the same house as me for a while, whether he likes it or not.”

“Good for you. Can I bring the family over on Wednesday for the meal?”

“Of course. I’ll tell cook to lay on something special. I’m so looking forward to meeting your family. Now as it’s Saturday you must go home and look after them, I’ll be fine, I’m quite certain they need you more today than I do, so run along and I’ll see you on Monday. I want you take me to Stratford upon Avon, and maybe we could head across into North Wales, that’s if your wife won’t mind you being away overnight?”

“No problem, leave everything to me, I’ll see you on Monday.”

Tim decided to drive the Maybach home. Simon had said he could use it and the thought of having it for a whole weekend where he could do what he wanted, go where he wanted was too good to miss. Less than a mile from the manor his mobile rang. He had it on hands free and guessed it was probably Veronica changing her mind and wanting him to drive her and her friend out for the day.

“Tim, what are you doing, where are you?” It was Nina’s voice that was asking.

“Oh, hi Neen, I’m on my way home from the Manor, is there a problem?”

“Yes and no. I’m missing you like anything and if I don’t have you soon, today even, there will be a problem, but if we can meet up for a couple of hours I’ll be fine. I could head out and meet you, say on Kingshay Common in half an hour?’

This was as near to a threat as made no difference. However you looked at it, Nina held all the cards, her marriage was already in tatters, she had nowhere near as much to lose if this all blew up as Tim did. He stood to lose everything and if all she wanted was a couple of hours of his time why risk everything by denying her? After all, he’d sworn to be her friend, always to be there for her, he could hardly go back on that. All she wanted was a shoulder to cry on, someone to tell her things would soon get better, even Mel would expect him to do that much for her.

He found a well hidden place to park among some trees on the common, well away from the busy side near the main road. He rang her back and gave her directions to find the track that would lead to where he was parked.

“My God, Tim, I thought I was on safari, are you worried we might be seen or something?”

“Of course I am. We’d have a lot of explaining to do if we were seen talking together out here, don’t you think?”

“Well even the sheep looked surprised as I drove the last half mile, so it’s not a problem is it? Perhaps you found this isolated spot in the hope that we would do more than just talk, is that it?”

“Of course not. I was protecting your good reputation.”

“Rubbish Can we sit in the back Tim, it would be a bit more sociable?”

“Better still let’s get out and mooch about, it’s a fabulous spot.”

They walked slowly under the trees, each waiting for the other to make conversation. After a minute Nina stopped. Tim turned to see why and she looked him in the eyes and reached out to pull him towards her. He didn’t resist, even when she ran her hands up his back inside his shirt.

His determination to keep this meeting plutonic was evaporating rapidly. All the urges he’d experienced when Melanie was in Poland were surging back though his veins. What was it about this woman that could turn him on in seconds, electrify him with her touch? Already he wanted her, he knew that if she decided to have him he would agree willingly.

They stood under the trees groping at each other for a while; it was a beautiful way to reach the crescendo of emotion that would shortly explode into an all out desire to pull each other’s clothes off in a deeply passionate session of sex.

They’d already started removing clothes by the time they made it back to the car, where they took everything from each other in turn, wrapping themselves tightly together in a huddle of lovemaking.

When they’d satisfied their needs they slowly dressed, talking about their plans for the weekend as if they’d just shared a coffee instead of each other.

Nina explained, “I’ll probably take the kids out tomorrow for the day, what about you?”

“I’ll do the same if that’s what Mel wants. Trouble is she’s hard to talk to since she got back. All I ever get for a reply is, ‘I don’t mind, it’s up to you,’ and I’m left wondering what she wants. She used to be quite definite about what we were doing but now it’s like she doesn’t care.”

“Tim, why don’t you face it, it’s not working with you two is it?”

“How can you say that? She’s been away, we’ve had a lot to contend with ... and, let’s be honest, I’ve got a lot to deal with in my head, thanks to you.”

“Is that an attack on me? I didn’t hear you saying no just a minute ago?”

“I’m not attacking anyone, but surely you can accept that my head’s in a mess, can’t you?”

“Only because you’re too blinkered to see the obvious, to see what’s staring you in the face.”

“I don’t follow you, what is it that I’m not seeing?”

“Tim, wake up, Mel’s been away for a month, she’s come back and instead of being all over you like a rash she’s luke warm to you. Doesn’t that tell you something?”

“If you’re hinting at her having been with someone while she was away, forget it. I know Mel too well for that, she isn’t that kind of woman.”

“You mean I am that kind of woman, is that it? After all, I’m still married.”

“Yes, I suppose so. You are very different to Mel, you know that, she’s more shy than you are, you’ve always been more...”

“Brassy. Is that what I am Tim? Brassy?”

“No, stupid, you’re worldlier.”

“Maybe travel and independence, being away for so long on her own has made her more ... worldly?”

“She wasn’t on her own was she?”

“No, Tim, she wasn’t. Isn’t that the whole point?”

“Don’t even suggest that, Neen, I thought about that while she was out there, you know I did, but once she got back I realised how daft I’d been to even think about it. I’d know if Mel had ever been unfaithful to me.”

“Would you, Tim? How would you know?”

“I just would, she’d feel different, she wouldn’t be the same as she’s always been.”

“I thought that’s exactly what you said not five minutes ago… she was different.”

“Not in that way though. Why do you want me to think she’s been unfaithful ... so that I leave her for you?”

“Don’t flatter yourself, Tim. I’d only have you on my terms, not because Mel had finished with you.”

“I’ve had enough of this, let’s get back. I’ve got things to do, better things than sitting here tearing my marriage apart.”

“Wasn’t that what you were doing when we made love just now? You seemed very willing to ‘tear your marriage apart then’ ... or was it only to get what you wanted?”

“Why are you doing this, Neen? You’re twisting my head inside out? It was you that wanted us to meet here. I agreed to please you. OK, I enjoyed it, of course I did, I’ve told you before you’re a beautiful woman and we are great together, but why do you have to say things that you know will hurt me? Why?’

“I don’t know, Tim, I’m sorry. Maybe it’s because I’m a woman, women do that to men, I read it in a magazine. Eighty per cent of men say their women abuse them verbally. I suppose it’s a bit like men abusing women physically.”

“But I’ve never abused you in any way, and I never would... I thought we agreed to be friends, to be there for each other?”

“We did and I’m sorry. I’m jealous Tim, I’m jealous that you are going home to spend a weekend with Mel while I spend mine next door without you.”

“Tim pondered what to say that wouldn’t send her away angry and upset. Jealousy was a powerful emotion; it could run wild, go out of control. Sending her home in this state was not a wise move.”

“Come here ... he took hold of her and cuddled her into him and she instantly responded with her arms and her lips. It was a while before they spoke again.”

“Neen, what we have is a kind of arrangement isn’t it?”

“How do you mean? That sounds business like, legally binding, not at all romantic...”

“I don’t mean it like that, but I’m seeing you while carrying on my marriage to Mel. It’s like we’re having the best of both world’s isn’t it?”

“For you maybe, Tim, I’m sure lots of men would find your position in this ‘arrangement’ enviable. I’m certainly not getting the best of both worlds, that’s for sure.”

“But you’ve got your freedom. You said yourself you enjoyed not having Ben around you all the time, you said you didn’t miss his company, and when you want... well, you know, what you wanted this morning, you just ring me. Isn’t that a good situation for you?”