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“No. I don’t think anyone knows him.” It wasn’t a lie; Mackenzie Miller was amystery.
“If it makes you feel good, Lauren, and it keeps that smile on your face and your eyes bright, then it’s not a bad thing. Just be careful that you don’t let feelings get in theway.”
We continued with our meal, and as much as Jerry kept the smile on his face, it didn’t reach his eyes. I felt bad, but I had no one I trusted to talk about what was happening, and after this afternoon, I needed totalk.
“That’s the problem, sometimes I like him, and other times I don’t. It’s all a game, exciting, but a gamenonetheless.”
“Does he want a relationship with you? Like, dates and allthat?”
“I don’t think so. Although, we've been out forlunch.”
“If it’s bothering you, stopit.”
As if it was thateasy.
“That’s the problem, I don’t really wantto.”
“Then quit moaning and just enjoy it,” he said with asmirk.
I shook my head and laughed. We sat and chatted some more about work, about what holiday Jerry was to take, and the fact that he wanted to take his mum with him. We laughed and I enjoyed my time withhim.
“I need to get home,” I said. Whether it was the drunken night’s sleep the previous night or an orgasm mid-afternoon, all of a sudden, I wastired.
Jerry paid the bill, waving away my insistence on contributing, and we headed out to his waiting car. He’d never learned to drive and living and working in London meant he hadn’t had to. But it was nice to not have to suffer the tube. His driver dropped me off home and I took the lift to my apartment collecting my mail on theway.
Leaving the mail on the kitchen table, I headed for the shower. It was while I was sitting with a cup of tea that I opened the pile of letters. There were bills, and then there was a letter from the solicitor. My hands shook when I read that Scott wanted a division of assets organised before he signed the divorce papers. He wanted half the equity of the apartment, pensions, and savings. Mysavings.
He’d brought nothing to the marriage. I was always the careful one, squirreling away money, even from my days doing a paper round. Why the fuck should he be entitled to any of it? Surely they’d have to take into account it was my money that put down the deposit. There wasn’t enough equity to buy another apartment in London, especially in Canary Wharf. Prices had skyrocketed, and sadly, I’d bought when property prices were at an unusually high peak. I’d hoped to sit on the apartment for another few years before having tosell.
If he took half my savings, half the equity, I’d barely be able to afford a one-bedroom apartment in the suburbs. As for my pension? Why the fuck should he be entitled to half of that? Was I entitled to half of his? Didn’t one cancel out theother?
My great evening had soured. I threw the letter on the table and headed for bed. As I lay there, I tried to calculate. The banks were on their knees, getting a mortgage was near on impossible. Then a thought hit me. Was this all the bitch’s idea? I wouldn’t let her get one penny fromme.
Sandra, her name was. She’d been the only real friend I had. We’d been in college together, and even back then it was clear she was in love with Scott. She’d often flirt and I wondered why I’d kept her as a friend. But back then, I was overconfident in our relationship, I guessed. When Jerry employed Scott, she soon followed. I hadn’t twigged at the time; I hadn’t been suspicious at all. She’d followed him around from job to job. Now I knewwhy.
As I lay, a more worrying thought hit me. If Scott lost his job because of the merger, he’d be more desperate formoney.
8
Ididn’t seeMackenzie for a few days, and in one way I was glad. I spent hours on the phone with my solicitor and hours more moaning to Jerry. His solution was to get Scott bumped off. If only. I was going to be asked to complete a form with my savings and assets, but the solicitor assured me, she’d make sure the apartment deposit was taken out before anydivision.
It was towards the end of the week that I finally heard fromhim.
Hi, I’m out of town, in LA actually. Family issues. I have a birthday party to attend next weekend that I’d like you to accompany me to.Mackenzie’s text hadsaid.
I’m sorry to hear you have family issues. And that sounds lovely, thankyou.
I remembered that he was due to celebrate his forty-first birthday but couldn’t remember when. It hadn’t sounded like it was his birthdayparty.
You’ll need a change of clothes. We’ll be awayovernight.
Oh! Did that mean we’d be staying in the same room together? Other than the first night, we hadn’t actually slept together and that hadn’t been intentional. Had I not fallen asleep, I’m sure I would have been doing the walk of shame a lot earlier than Ihad.
Okay, if you can just let me know the dress code that would begreat.
Dressy for the Saturday evening, casual forSunday.
Well, at least that gave me an excuse, or maybe it was a curse since I hated shopping, to purchase a newdress.
