Jo suddenly sat down. ‘We’re having sex,’ she said. Her voice was perhaps a little louder than was necessary.
Tommy flinched, but didn’t deny it.
‘And I’m not convinced you care all that much about Zoe, Sarah, but – for what it’s worth – she’s been sleeping with her client. The director of that company she represents, the one that makes them fitness watches. That’s why she went to Hong Kong. He invited her. And Tommy’s fine about it,’ she added firmly. ‘He came round to my flat the night she told him and we had too much to drink and . . . well.’
Tommy looked at Jo, as if to say,Really?Then he shrugged and inclined his head, as if to confirm what she’d said. He was puce with embarrassment.
Another long silence.
‘I’m sorry, but that’s not good enough,’ I said. ‘What do you mean, “We had too much to drink and . . . well”? Getting drunk and having sex are not interdependent, you know.’
‘Stop trying to catch me out with your long words,’ Jo muttered.
‘Oh, behave yourself.’
She sighed. ‘It was the night we all came here for dinner,’ she said, not quite meeting my eye. ‘That ramen you made, Sarah. You went to bed, all upset because of Eddie, and I went home. Then Zoe broke the news to Tommy and he stormed out of the flat, but after a few minutes he realized he had nowhere to go. So he called me, rather than storm right back inside. Got an Uber.’
A smile I wasn’t used to illuminated a corner of her face. She looked at him, perhaps torn between the need to respect his privacy and to say this out loud. To confirm the affair.
I looked at Tommy. ‘So you got in a taxi to Bow and, I mean, were you planning to . . .’ I trailed off. I couldn’t even say it.
‘No,’ he said quickly. ‘Not at all. But that doesn’t mean I regretted it,’ he added, when the smile slid from Jo’s face.
‘I see. So . . . is this a – a fling? Or a thing?’ I asked.
There was a very long silence. Then: ‘Well, I love him,’ Jo said. ‘But I can’t speak for Tommy.’
Tommy looked up sharply. ‘I’m sorry?’
‘You heard what I said,’ she snapped. She furiously zipped and unzipped one of the pockets on his ski jacket. ‘But that’s by the by. The reason we didn’t tell you, Sarah, is that we haven’t told anyone. Zoe’s told Tommy he can stay here as long as he needs to – until he finds somewhere to live. She’s been staying with her fancy man at night so Tommy could tell you in his own time. He thinks she’s being really generous; I think she just can’t stand looking like the bad guy.’
After a moment’s thought, I smiled. This, at least, rang true.
‘But she’s not the issue here. It’s Shawn.’ She stopped zipping. ‘He’s the real problem.’
‘Why? What’s he done?’
‘It’s what he could do,’ Tommy said, when he realized Jo was struggling. ‘She’s worried he’ll turn the whole custody thing into a nightmare if he finds out she’s been seeing someone else. So she’s going to split up with him, sort out custody, not mention me. Then we’ll . . . well, we’ll see what happens with us, I suppose.’
Jo’s face gave nothing away, but I saw it – even through my shock, I saw it. She really was in love with him. And she had been for a long time. She was petrified this was just a fling. A rebound. The poor woman could barely meet his eye.We’ll see what happens with uswas nowhere near enough for her.
Tommy, as if sensing the same, moved round the island and sat next to her. I saw her glance down as he placed his hand carefully on her leg, and something tender began to swell in my throat.
‘He’s a vindictive fucker,’ Jo said quietly. Shawn was safer territory than her feelings for Tommy. ‘I can’t let him find out.’
‘Personally, I can’t see how he’d ever get custody,’ Tommy said. ‘He’s the worst he’s ever been – not turning up to pick Rudi up from school, he’s stoned most of the time, and he even left Rudi on his own in the flat a couple of weeks ago. Rudi nearly set fire to the place, trying to make his own tea. Jo’s dad’s got Rudi tonight.’ He glanced again at Jo, but she had closed down, as she always did when she’d exposed too much of herself.
Zoe’s trendy wall clock rolled silently to 3.30 a.m.
‘So that’s that,’ Jo said, unable to bear the silence. She put her hands on the worktop, two raw little fists. ‘And Imanaged to bare my soul in the middle of it! Sorry,’ she said, half turning towards Tommy. ‘I really don’t mind if it’s just sex, babe. Forget the love thing. I was just being silly. OTT, you know me.’
There was an uncomfortable silence.
‘I should give you two some space,’ I said.
‘Stay,’ Jo barked.
‘OK, thanks,’ Tommy said simultaneously.
