Chapter Fifteen
November 2012
The first time Lydia realised exactly what Graham had meant at the wedding was when Theo went off to a buck’s night in Amsterdam. She’d been blinded to the subtle changes in him, and perhaps if Graham hadn’t had a word with her she would have gone on being oblivious to what was happening. Theo had always liked to have nice things. Even in his rugby days, his attire, even when casual, was always a good label, plus a decent rugby shirt. After university it was the flashy car, and then of course it was the corporate job and the suits, the highly polished shoes and the hobnobbing with a social circle that enjoyed spending a bit of cash. They went on outings to Ascot, trips to Europe, they ate at prestigious London restaurants and if Lydia hadn’t been looking closely, the undercurrent of what Theo had been keeping from her would’ve been missed.
Before Theo went on the buck’s night he surprised Lydia with a pre-booked trip to New York. ‘Call it an early Christmas present,’ he said.
‘Can we afford this?’ she squealed, throwing her arms around him. New York was high on her list of places to visit one day and it was the best present a girl could ask for.
He kissed her full on the lips. ‘I got a bonus so yes, we can afford it. I may even let you loose in Bloomingdales if you behave yourself.’
She hugged him tight even though he was already wrapped up in a winter coat ready for the off. ‘You behave yourself in Amsterdam,’ she said seriously. ‘I’ve heard all kinds of stories about that place.’
‘You’ve been there, you know it’s not all bad.’
‘When you and I went, it was bulb fields, bicycle rides and sunny days. You and the boys are about to embark upon the dark, the cold and seedy bars. We saw a few of those in broad daylight, remember?’
‘Hey, come here.’ He wrapped her in his arms again. ‘I promise I’ll be good and it’s only two nights so I’ll be back before you know it.’
After she waved him off and returned to the warmth of the flat, Lydia made herself a cup of tea and got back into bed to read her book. But she couldn’t concentrate. She was going to New York!
She shut her book and grabbed the laptop from the floor on Theo’s side of the bed instead. She wanted to immerse herself in photographs of the Big Apple, get excited for what they could see and do. The trip would be around the time the famous Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade was on, and she Googled proximity to the store from their hotel, wondering whether they could be a part of it this year.
With a second cup of tea and New York fully researched, she logged on to her bank account. She was managing to pay her credit card off every month, which was good, so she could afford a few treats in New York as long as she didn’t go too crazy. Maybe a pair of shoes like the girls inSex and the Cityor perhaps clothes from famous department stores. She’d look like Julia Roberts walking down the street with bags hanging off each arm!
Lydia didn’t log on to the savings account she and Theo had opened a couple of years ago very often. She tried to leave it alone. But she’d just take a quick peek today. Perhaps Theo wouldn’t mind if she took out a few hundred pounds for some extras on the trip, because once they tied themselves down with a mortgage, their holidays would probably have to come to an end. With a standing order going in to this account from each of them every month, she usually tried to forget about it, knowing it would be a surprise to see how much it had accumulated over time. The plan was to eventually buy their own place, whether a flat or a house, but something to get them onto the property ladder.
Lydia reached out to get her cup of tea as the circular symbol at the top of the banking page turned round and round, logging on to their savings account but her hand stopped when the balance appeared on the screen in bold black letters.
She’d wanted a surprise after not looking at it for so long, and a surprise was certainly what she got.
*
‘How could you?’ she yelled, almost before Theo had had a chance to put his bag down when he returned home after gallivanting around Amsterdam. ‘There’s less than five thousand in the account and we’ve been saving for two years!’
‘Jeez, Lydia. Stop shouting, my head’s going to explode.’
‘Everyone saves!’ She didn’t get any quieter. ‘We want our own place, but it’s also security for the future. How could you!’
‘Not everyone saves, Lydia.’
His comment added fuel to her anger. ‘For some reason you refuse to see the point of a safety net, you want to jump without a parachute and never mind the consequences!’
‘Stop yelling at me, for Christ’s sake!’
‘Your dad warned me, you know.’ Her comment got his attention.
‘What are you talking about?’
‘He told me to look out for you, that you were in with a bad crowd. I mean for God’s sake, Theo, you’re in your twenties, not your teens! Do you really need me to keep you on the straight and narrow?’
He slumped down on the sofa but Lydia had no idea whether he felt beaten, guilty, or whether it was simply because he was so hungover and completely knackered. ‘Dad had no right to say anything.’
‘He was thinking of you.’ He looked so defeated her voice softened, but she was still angry, upset more than anything because when she’d thought they were saving hard, he’d been helping himself to chunks of money along the way. ‘I think it’s about time you told me everything, Theo. What have you been buying? Is it more expensive suits? Going out on the town? What? I think you owe me the truth.’
When he looked at her, it was the first time since they’d been together that he’d looked genuinely lost and torn apart. It was the first time she’d ever seen him so completely devastated.
Lydia sat down on the opposite end of the sofa. She didn’t want to get too close to him, have him touch her and make her forget all about needing to know the truth.
