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“Just tidy,” Daniel says in a clipped tone. Finally, a bit of support from him. Hallelujah. “I love an organised woman.”
“Okaaaay?” Connie says slowly.
“I like neatness, things to be in place,” I explain, smoothing down my hair as I chew the inside of my lip. I’m not liking this interrogation. This interview.
“So…” Connie leans forward, crossing her arms over the table, “you still haven’t answered my question.” I frown at her. What bloody question? She’s doing my head in. “Any little Audreys or Audriuses at home?”
“Oh, I see. No. Just three nephews.” I stroke Florian’s brown, cropped hair as he slurps on his chocolate milkshake, “And I love the bones of them.”
“Oh, dear.” Connie leans back in her chair, “Tick-tock, tick- tock.” She waves a finger to and fro at Daniel. “Well, you can forget about getting any off him.” She shifts around in her seat and then fixes her gaze on a tall, good-looking lad walking by our table in low hung jeans, displaying the rim of grey underpants and bare flesh. He looks back at her appreciatively as he passes with a lopsided grin.
“Connie,” Daniel warns.
“What?”
“You know what.” She pulls a face at him. “I mean it, Con.” But she completely ignores his warning and continues to grill me.
“Dad said you were with someone for years. How come you split up? Did he trade you in for a younger model?” She sucks the last drops of cola through her straw noisily and then berates Lily for taking too long to finish her meal.
I gaze down at my clasped hands on the table, fury bubbling in my chest. I can’t believe Daniel told her all about me and Nick. I give him a look, and, sensing my tension, he leans forward and says, “Now, come on, Connie. Enough. I’m sorry, Audrey.”
“Okay, okay.” She holds up her hands in submission, “Keep your drawers on.” She gives him a wry smile and for a few moments he holds onto his annoyance, his brows knotted in disdain, but then he cracks, shakes his head and laughs. She really does have him wrapped around her little finger, doesn’t she?
I refuse a lift home from Daniel, tell him that I’ve got my Oyster, remind him that Florian enjoys travelling on public transport, but agree to meet up later for dinner. I don’t think I can spend another moment with Connie, she’s completely drained me. But as they walk us to the underground, she grabs my arm as if we’re the best of friends and hurries me up the hill.
“Girl talk,” she calls over her shoulder at Daniel, “you take care of the kids.”
I glance back. Daniel is holding Florian in one hand and Lily in the other trotting several feet behind.
“Listen,” Connie says, chewing on a gum eagerly, “one of the reasons I wanted to meet you today was to tell you something important.” She looks back again to make sure Daniel isn’t within earshot.
“Oh, yeah?” I’m intrigued. We huddle closer, “Go on.”
“Well, Dad’s got his fiftieth coming up shortly.” Christ, he’s almost fifty? “We’re throwing a surprise birthday party for him at his flat up the road.” She points her finger aimlessly in the air, “And I wanted you in on it, what with you being his new love interest and all, he’ll be spending lots of time with you. What d’ya say?”
“Well, it sounds like a wonderful idea, Connie….”
“Great!”
“But I’m not sure how I can help with something as personal as this. We are still getting to know each other.” I push my hair behind my ears. I don’t tell her that I am starting to have some feelings for him, “He hasn’t even met any of my friends yet.”
“Yeah, so? Invite them all, he can meet them there.” She stops, spits her gum into a tissue and lights up a cigarette. “So?” She blows the smoke high up into the air. We’re walking up the hill again. “Come on, Audrey, don’t be a spoilsport.” And I agree to do all I can, within reason, if we’re still seeing each other by then that is. Well, it’s pretty difficult to say no to Connie.
On the journey home, Florian and I cuddle up on a two-seater chair, rocking gently in our seats as the train tears across the tracks. I think about this afternoon. It went well albeit the slight hiccup with collar-gate and her interrogation about my personal life. But as the train thunders through the dark tunnel, my mind starts ticking. I wonder what Connie meant about not getting any kids off Daniel? Has he had a vasectomy or doesn’t he want any more children? Certainly, Connie is a handful. I wonder why he cut short our first date to run to a crying twenty-nine-year-old woman. I wonder why he couldn’t cancel with her today even though he knew I wasn’t up to it. I wonder if Connie is a threat after all.
20
Pulling up outside Louise’s house, I glance at the dashboard. The red LCD flashes: 11.30. I’m half an hour early. She’ll not be back from the town centre yet. A young couple with a brawny dog shuffle past, laughing loudly; she’s got her arm threaded through his, he’s gripping the lead with resistance as the dog drags them down the road, sniffing and peeing against a lamp post on the way. I switch off the ignition and watch as they shrink into the distance. I wonder if they’re happy or if their lives are just as confusing as mine is.
I drum my fingers on the steering wheel, anxiety swishing around in my stomach. I just hope I’m doing the right thing, that’s all, and not digging myself into a bigger hole. I reach over and grab a bottle of mineral water from the glove compartment and take a quick swig. Of course if I’d stayed in bed with Daniel this morning instead of sneaking off with my mobile phone to check for any messages, this never would’ve happened. But is it my fault that gorgeous as he is, he snores?
I barely slept a wink last night. Although to give him credit, there were short periods when lying on his side, he was blissfully silent and I did start to drift off, only to be startled awake by loud snorts and gasps as he rolled onto his back and resumed snoring for England. In the end I just gave up, threw the sheets back and huffily got dressed.
I press my forehead against the steering wheel and stare into the darkness. It’s just that I wasn’t expecting to hear from Nick again, that’s all. He took me by surprise. I thought that after what happened with Tina he’d got the message. Damn, why does he have to be so stubborn? Why can’t he just leave me alone?
I take another swig of water. I mustn’t let him get to me. I’ve got to pull myself together. Louise will know what to do. I wish she’d bloody well hurry up. I glance at the clock again, still fifteen minutes to go. Deflated, I unbuckle my seatbelt and just then I catch sight of a figure at the front door. It’s Gerry. I buzz my window down quickly.
“Gerry,” I holler, “wait.”
