Page 59 of The Way We Are Now

Theo nodded.

‘Look, I don’t mind staying, if you don’t? I’ve had it in spades with exes wanting more. That little performance with your ex – I assume she knows she’s your ex? – was nothing compared to what I had in the office this afternoon.’ I looked at Theo. ‘Is she still, you know… does she still think…?’

Theo looked miserable. ‘No, no, I broke it off. I just hate upsetting people.’

‘Well, at least you didn’t have to kick her in the balls!’ A sudden vision of me booting John Dyson in his wedding tackle made me want to laugh.

‘You are going to report him?’ Theo said, taking my hand once more.

‘Oh, yes? His word against mine. It’s a closed shop – old boys’ network when it comes to the police and management.’ I suddenly felt more cheerful, my anger dissipating. ‘I reckon I gave back as good as I got. And I’ve only a few more weeks working there. As I said, I refuse to become a victim.’ I drained my own glass. ‘But you know what the whole episode did, Theo, is remind me what Fliss possibly went through. I mean, was she trying to get away from someone who was trying to force himself on her?’

‘You still don’t think I had anything to do with her death?’

‘No, no. I don’t. Fliss just used you as a cover for what she was really up to – to explain her absences at night.’ I hesitated. ‘I was very jealous, you know, when she was off every evening, all dolled up, when I thought she was meeting up with you.’

‘Were you? Really?’ Theo leaned in, kissing my eyes, little butterfly kisses that had me wanting more. Oh so much more. ‘Look, I need to feed you…’

‘Theo, I’m not a duck waiting to be thrown some bread crusts.’

That made him laugh and I joined in. ‘Jesus,’ he said, ‘if I don’t make love to you very soon…’

‘Hang on,’ I said, heat radiating through every bit of me. ‘Just let me go to the loo. Where’ve you parked your Mini?’

‘Aire Street multistorey,’ Theo said, winding a long strand of my hair around his finger and pulling me towards him.

‘What about the wine?’

‘What about it?’

‘We can’t just leave it!’

‘We’ll take it with us.’

‘Is that allowed? You know, some law about not having alcohol on the streets…?’

‘You tell that to the winos down under the dark arches!’

‘Hey, I’d be a wino if I was homeless and sleeping on the street. Wouldn’t you?’

‘Point taken!’ Theo grinned, placing the half-full bottle under his jacket.

I leaned in to kiss him and, standing, made my way to the ladies’. I had a quick pee before moving over to the washbasin and mirror. Hell, my pupils were enormous, my cheeks slightly flushed in anticipation of what was to come. I added lippy and smiled at myself in the mirror…

‘He’ll break your heart.’

‘Sorry?’ I stared at the reflection of the blonde girl standing behind me, before turning to face her.

‘You heard,’ she said calmly. ‘He’s very good at doing just that.’ Susannah held my eye for several seconds before raising an eyebrow, slowly smiling in my direction and then walking out of the door.

I was floored. I waited a minute, turned the tap and held both wrists under the cold water for a couple of seconds, dried my hands and left.

There was no sign of Susannah.

Theo had long since left his student digs at Bodington Hall and was now sharing a red-bricked terraced house, very similar to the one I’d shared with Fliss, not far from the main campus. Once in the Mini, Theo turned to me, handed me the bottle of wine but, frowning slightly, asked, ‘You all right?’

I’d been sitting in the passenger seat, belt still unbuckled, debating with myself whether I should tell Theo what Susannah had said. She’d clearly been watching us from somewhere and had intentionally followed me to the loo.

I moved to kiss his cheek, and then his mouth, but Theo was gazing at me with such intensity I felt quite winded. He lowered his face, taking my own between his two hands and kissing me with such expertise I found myself floating away. ‘Come on, take me home,’ I said finally. ‘I just hope there’s no naked men in the bath this time.’