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‘Daisy?’
Thevoice was familiar.Anecho from her past and one she’d strived to forget.Shewhirled round, pruning shears in hand to come face to face withNeville. ‘Whatare you doing here?’
Herex stood on the pavement.Herfirst thought was that he’d aged.Andhadn’t aged well.Itmust be at least five years, if not more, since she’d seen him last.Sheflash-backed to theMondaylunchtime in the staff room when a concerned colleague had mentioned seeingNevillewith another woman at a party.Andthat they were clearly being referred to as a married couple.Witha sickening lurch things had begun to slot into place: why he was so often unavailable at weekends, his insistence on pubs and restaurants a ridiculous forty mile drive away, his demanding ageing parents who, allegedly, would never spendChristmasandNewYearor his birthday without him.
Eventhe weekend beforeNevillehad claimed his mother had wanted him there for all ofSaturdayandSundayto help clear a garden shed.Daisy, irritated at the prospect of yet another weekend alone, had offered to go along to help but had been rebuffed.Andnow she knew the reason why.Nevillemay well have difficult parents to whom he was overly attached but the real reason why she saw so little of him at certain times was that he was married.
She’drushed into the staff toilets and had been thoroughly and comprehensively sick.Shakingoff the kind enquiries and suggestions from her colleagues to go home ill, she’d staggered through the teaching afternoon like a zombie, her mind whirring, not focusing on the role of leaf stomata in gas exchange.Biologywith a trickyYearEightset had passed in a blur; the childrenseemed to recognise she was in a mood to take no nonsense.Assoon as the teaching day was overDaisyhad phonedNevilleand confronted him.Themeeting on a bench in the public gardens overlooking the harbour – she refused to have him in her flat and it had become abundantly clear why they couldn’t meet at his house – had been brief.She’dbeen ferociously angry; he’d been pleading and tearful.Ithad been awful.
‘It’sgood to see you again,Daisy.’
Daisycouldn’t say the same.HadNevillealways had that paunch?Hadhe always worn his hair in that greasy comb-over?Hadhis voice always had that whiny nasal quality?Lookingat him in his baggy surfer shorts andHawaiianshirt she couldn’t see why she’d wasted two years of her life on him.Hadshe really been so desperate to not be alone that she’d put up withthat?
‘Again, what are you doing here?Ithought you andFranhad moved away.’Sheadded the name of his wife deliberately.
‘Franwanted a day on the beach.Toohot for me, you knowIalways burn soIthoughtI’dhave a look round town.Bitdead though.’
‘It’sover thirtyCelsius.Noone in their right mind shops on a day as hot as this.’
Nevilleshuffled his feet in his battered leather flip-flops. ‘Yeah.You’reright.ThoughtI’dcome and check you out.Seeif you’re still here selling flowers.Seeif it all worked out for you.’
‘I’mstill a florist.Andit’s worked out very well for me, thank you.Youstill married?How’sthat working out foryou?’
Heshuffled his feet again.ToDaisy’sdisgust she saw he hadn’t bothered to cut his toenails and they were long and yellow.Ashiver of revulsion ripped through her.She’dnever, ever been shallow enough to dismiss someone on the grounds of their appearance, but the olderNevillereally was unpleasant-looking.
‘Oh, okay.Franwants kids butIdon’t know.’Heshrugged carelessly.
‘You’relucky to still have her after what you did.’
Hisface flushed an unbecoming maroon. ‘Shenever got me like you did,Daiz.Shenever understood me properly.I’venever had the connectionIhad with you with anyone else.’
Witha flash of insightDaisysaw what was happening.Shehad no idea whetherFranhad known about her but could imagineNevillecoming clean in a fit of abject confession thinking it was the right thing to do, unloading his guilt, making himself feel better and destroying his wife’s life in the process.Itlooked as thoughNevilleandFranhad worked through their problems and now poorFranwas thinking of children.Neville, panicking about the next stage in a committed relationship, had made an excuse to wander into town and look up his old girlfriend.
Daisyfelt a wave of nausea wash over her. ‘I’dsay, after your behaviour, you’re very fortunate to still have any woman in your life, let alone one who wants your children.’Shelooked in loathing at a stain on his shirt, half hidden by the vivid pattern.Thecrusted red might be ketchup.Nevillehad always been fond of a burger.Shecouldn’t believe she’d let this man anywhere near her.Surelyhe hadn’t been this repulsive when they’d been in a relationship?Shewouldn’t even give him the time of day now.Ontop of what she knew of his personality he was greasily sweaty and, her nostrils flared, he smelled.Notof body odour but more of clothes that hadn’t dried quickly enough.
‘Yeahwell,’ he let the sentence hang, looking hopeful.
‘Whatareyou doing here?Really?’
‘Thoughtwe could go for a quick drink, or a coffee for old times’ sake.’Henodded to the shop behind her. ‘Maybeyou could make me a coffee here?’Heinched nearer, looming over her, waggling his eyebrows in a pathetic parody of suggestiveness. ‘Youknow, do a bit of catching up, for old times’ sake.’
Thecheek of the man! ‘Thatwould suit you, wouldn’t it?Wellout of the way of prying eyes just in caseFrandecides to wander up into town after you.’Daisystepped back and blocked the doorway.Shetried not to brandish the secateurs; he didn’tdeserve that.Yet.HavingNevillein the space she’d so carefully constructed, that was hers and hers alone and of which she was inordinately proud, felt like a violation. ‘No.’Shelaughed at the ludicrousness of the situation. ‘We’redone,Neville.Wewere done years ago.Andwe were certainly done on the dayIdiscovered you were married.Goaway.Inever want to see you again.Goback to your poor wife waiting so patiently down on the beach.OrI’ll–’
‘Oryou’ll what?’
Wasshe imagining it, or was heswaggering?‘OrI’llmarch right on down to the beach and tell her what you’ve just done.Thatyou haven’t changed and don’t seem to have any intention of doing so.’ToolateDaisymissed the change in his mood.She’dforgottenNevilledidn’t like being thwarted.
‘Youbitch.Youalways were a sanctimonious cow.’Hetook a step nearer.
Daisygasped in shock.Thenshe laughed again, but this time from fear. ‘Youwhat?Youcome up here seeking me out after however many years and think we can simply carry on from where we left off?You’vegot another thing coming.’Sheraised her secateurs. ‘Goaway,Neville.’
Jakob, hearing raised voices, came and stood behind her in the shop doorway. ‘Isthere a problem here?’ he asked in his softDutchaccent.
‘Oh, so that’s it, is it,’Nevillesaid nastily. ‘Movedon, have you?’
Hadhe always been this thick?SuspectingNevillewould more easily take on board another man being around than her being happily single,Daisylaunched into a lie. ‘OfcourseI’vemoved on.It’sbeen five years!Everything’sfine,Jakob.I’mjust trying to convince this idiot to go back to his wife and do the right thing.’SheletJakobput a comforting arm around her shoulders.Hereally was a good friend.
Noneof them noticedRickmarch up the high street alerted by the shouting.
