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There’s another rap at the knocker and I haul myself out of bed, pull on my dressing gown and go to see who’s there.
It’s Nina and she has a pile of newspapers in her arms. ‘I didn’t wake you, did I?’
I yawn in response.
‘Sorry, sorry. But I couldn’t wait any longer.’
‘Where’s the fire?’ I say sleepily, marvelling that all is well in my world again. I wander through to my kitchen and Nina follows. She’s looking very bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, whereas I am not.
‘Oh, Janie.’ Nina flops into a chair. ‘I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw these in the shop this morning. Have you seen this? Dominic’s everywhere.’ She holds up a selection of the newspapers and, sure enough, my lover’s handsome face is splashed all over them. The story of him tackling a mugger has hit the headlines with a vengeance. HAVE A GO HERO! and MAASAI MAULS MUGGER are just two of the colourful banners. I take one from her and scan the story. It’s glowing in its praise for him and my heart swells with pride.
‘He’ll be very embarrassed,’ I note.
‘He is a hero, Janie. Who would do what he did these days? You’d be frightened to death of intervening in case you got knifed.’
‘Dominic doesn’t think like that,’ I tell her.
‘Good job too,’ Nina says. ‘That poor old woman had been pushed to the ground and beaten. I’m glad someone stepped in to save her.’
I’m glad that it was my man, my Maasai warrior, as it has brought him back to me.
‘I was only trying to protect you, Janie,’ she says earnestly. ‘You do know that now? I thought I knew better.’ She tries a laugh. ‘As you can imagine living with Gerry, I’ve got a downer on men in general.’
I’m sure that it’s Gerry who’s been feeding her half of her warped ideas, but I say nothing.
My friend casts a glance at the papers in her hand. ‘Looks like I was wrong.’
‘Very wrong,’ I remind her. Doesn’t hurt to rub a bit of salt into the wound. The outcome, thankfully, has been a good one, but anything could have happened to Dominic out there on the streets.
Nina hangs her head, but I won’t make her suffer too much as she did come good when I needed her to.
‘Come on then.’ I kiss the top of her head. ‘Let’s not dwell on that. I’ll get the kettle on. I don’t know about you, but I’m starving.’ My appetite, which has been missing as long as Dominic has, suddenly comes rushing back and is demanding bacon sandwiches.
She flicks through the papers, reading out snippets of the stories about Dominic to me while I start to fix us some breakfast.
‘I’ve something else to tell you,’ Nina says as I slide some bacon under the grill. ‘I’m leaving Gerry.’
I stop what I'm doing and stare at her.
‘He’s seeing someone at work,’ she adds. ‘Younger, needless to say.’
‘Oh, Nina.’
‘Cliché, hey?’ She gives a brittle laugh. ‘But that’s the last time he’s doing it to me.’
She must see the doubt in my eyes as she adds, ‘Definitely. No going back.’
‘Sure?’
‘Yeah, I’m sure. I’m feeling OK,’ Nina insists. ‘And I know that you’d tell me that I’m better off without him, anyway.’
‘I’m not the one to criticise your choice of man,’ I point out.
‘No.’ She laughs tearfully. ‘Once I get over the shock, I’m sure it’ll be for the best. I thought it was love we had – the highs, the lows, the passion of making up after yet another bust-up. Now I realise it wasn’t love at all. What you have with Dominic, that’s real love. Seeing how you felt about him made me wake up to it. This last year, I’ve been trying to force feelings for Gerry that, if I’m honest, are no longer there. I’ve just been frightened to be on my own.’
‘It’s not so bad,’ I tell her. ‘I managed.’
‘You’re a different person to me,’ she says. ‘Stronger.’
‘I don’t know about that.’
‘You wouldn’t want to be on your own again.’
‘No,’ I agree. ‘Life is definitely a lot better with someone you love.’
‘And someone who loves you in return.’ She sighs sadly. ‘Gerry’s made a fool out of me for years, hasn’t he?’
‘Yes,’ I agree.
‘Fucker,’ she continues. ‘I feel he’s had the best years of my life. Would I have had children by now if it wasn’t for loving him?’
