A Taste of Love (10 page)

*

Next morning Helen gave Karen a kiss and a huge hug before she was chased from the room by the theatre nurse and Karen was wheeled on a trolley towards the operating room. Within two hours Helen and Greg were sitting by the bed and Karen was waking up.

Helen
leaned over and kissed her forehead. ‘It’s over, sweetheart. You’re all done and dusted and the doctor says it’s gone like a dream.’

Karen
looked at them both. ‘Oh, that’s good. It was the first general anaesthetic I’ve ever had and I loved the floating feeling and total loss of control I remembered when I woke up.’

Greg
made a comment about modern drugs they used nowadays and Karen smiled fondly at him. ‘I’m so glad you’re both here,’ she said, squeezing their hands. ‘My mouth tastes rank. Can I get a drink of water?’

Helen
laughed. ‘Yeah, it’s certainly smelt better.’ She passed her the glass. ‘I’m just so glad you’re okay. Is it sore?’

She put her hand under the gown and felt the support jacket the nurse had told her to expect. ‘No, I can’t feel anything at the moment. So far so good,’ she said.

*

Back in the office Helen told Richard, Annette and Tom that Karen had got through the operation well, was coming home later that day and that they had to see the surgeon in the clinic for the results. Amidst well wishes and feelings of relief flooding through her she concentrated upon her plan of new Sushi ideas.

Over
the next few weeks her relationship with Richard grew and soon she found, where everyone else longed for Fridays and the end of a working week, she dreaded them because he went home for the weekend. And when everyone hated Monday mornings they fast became her favourite time of the week because he returned to work. Mondays nights were always full-on with very little sleep as they passionately made love to each other trying to quell the frustrations of three nights spent apart. She often felt like she was in the fairground on a rollercoaster and her feet were slipping away from her every time she tried to climb off – but she simply couldn’t get enough of him. They were managing to keep their relationship secret at work although Helen was convinced that Annette suspected something. By the time Karen’s results were due she was spending four nights every week with him.

*

‘I’ve followed all the information in my booklet by resting on the settee, doing the exercises, taking the painkillers and letting you and Greg fuss over me,’ Karen told Helen as they strolled arm in arm into the breast clinic waiting area.

Greg
gave her name at the desk and then sat on the other side of Karen holding her hand. Helen smiled fondly at them both, delighted to see how their marriage had strengthened over the last few months. Karen had told her that Greg was spending less and less time in his office.

‘It
just feels ordinary compared to the first time I came for the mammogram and had been frightened. I wonder if it’s possible to get used to being scared.’ Karen mused quietly. ‘Because I’m not as terrified as I was the first time we came and really these results are more important.’

Greg
squeezed her hand. ‘We’re going to get good news this time, I just know it,’ he said and turned her to face him. ‘And I know we’ve had a rough ride over the last few months, darling, but I can’t tell you how proud of you I am and how well you’ve handled this operation.’

*

The surgeon shuffled in his chair as all three took seats at his desk. ‘The results from the lab show us that there were some cancerous cells inside the cyst but they have not broken through the sack. So I can tell you that I’ve removed all the cancer and there is no spread to the lymph glands, which is great news.’

‘There
now! What did I tell you?’ Greg cried jubilantly.

Helen
felt as though a heavy bag had been lifted from the back of her neck and choked back tears of relief. Karen, however, couldn’t hold her tears in check and dabbed at her eyes with a tissue.

‘But
we do have a plan of follow-up care that we’d like you to undertake, which we class as our insurance policy to prevent these cells reforming,’ he said. ‘This consists of taking a tablet every day for the next ten years and we’ll expect to see you every year for a mammogram.’

Karen
nodded and the nurse took them into a small room to discuss the treatment. Helen thought it was amazing how quickly the mind assessed such information and although the initial news was brilliant, Karen did have cancer cells removed from her breast. It was there – the dreaded disease – the same as it had been with their mother and aunt.

*

‘It’s sort of a wake-up call,’ she said to Richard later. ‘I suppose it could happen to me anytime in the future.’

He
wrapped his arms around her tightly. ‘Maybe you could go to your GP and ask to be checked earlier than the normal timescales?’

‘Hmm,
I had thought of that,’ she said, seductively wrapping her arms around his neck. ‘But I know one thing for sure, it certainly makes you put your life into perspective and makes you want to live for today.’ She began to kiss the side of his neck. ‘So you won’t mind if I do that right now and make love to you,’ she giggled.

He
began to slowly unbutton her shirt. ‘It would be my pleasure,’ he laughed

Chapter Eleven

The office was abuzz with excitement and Helen, Annette, Tom and Richard had worked solidly for days preparing the new lines to show the retailers, who were arriving on site within the hour.

Helen
had prepared the taste panel room with sample packs of what the new range could look like on supermarket shelves. Annette had a slide presentation ready with up-to-date marketing statistics. Tom had new packaging designs ready to discuss and Richard had costs for each new pack in readiness to negotiate.

After
a welcome talk with coffee and biscuits Helen walked the retailers alongside the table stopping at each pack while she explained the rationale and they tasted a sample. Amongst others, the cucumber-wrapped Gunkans looked amazing while Helen explained her choices of smoked salmon and prawn cocktail fillings. The Japanese Tofu, wrapped in a cone shape around flavoured rice, had excellent vegetarian connotations and was thought by all to have enormous potential. The new samples Helen had cooked of tempura prawns, pork dumplings, chilli rice crackers and dim sum parcels were all tasted enthusiastically and packed into imitation Bento lunch boxes to show the concept and variations they could consider.

For
lunch Helen had prepared large platters of mackerel, tuna, squid, crab and salmon with piles of edamame beans, and open flatbreads with salad. By the end of the visit Helen had a list of the product lines they liked and wanted to take forward, a list of changes to make to some lines and only a couple of ideas in which they had no particular interest.

*

After they had all left, Richard sidled up behind Helen in the kitchen. ‘That was a great visit. The packaging and marketing ideas were well received. But I think your presentation stole the show,’ he whispered in her ear. ‘I can see you are as impressive at work as you are in the bedroom.’

‘It
was a team effort,’ she giggled, and continued to clear away the left overs. ‘But I think we all, especially you and I, work well together.’

He
breathed heavily and felt a stirring of desire creep through him. It still amazed him what an effect this woman could instantly have upon him. It didn’t matter where he was or what situation he was in – he wanted her. ‘Oh, we are good together, Helen. Never doubt that for one minute.’

She
turned to face him but warily looked over his shoulder always conscious of the fact that anyone could walk into the kitchen. She smiled. ‘Hang onto those thoughts till Monday night and think of me this weekend. I know I’ll be thinking of you…’

‘You
need have no worries on that score,’ he said. ‘Even when I go up to Durham to watch Christopher play rugby I’ll be thinking of you and wishing you were with me.’

From
the night Helen had told him about Rachel he’d decided to do something constructive about his relationship with his children and although his efforts with Emily had not produced any positive outcome as yet, he was determined to keep trying. Christopher, however, had been delighted with his interest – they’d been emailing and texting each other and he’d invited him to Durham, accompanied by Patricia.

‘You’ll
have a lovely weekend, especially as it will mean spending some time with your mum too,’ she said.

Richard agreed, then pulled her firmly behind the door out of eyesight, and kissed her with every inch of passion and strength he could muster. He pulled away from her gasping for breath. ‘Hold on to that for two days,’ he urged, cheekily squeezing the cheeks of her bottom as he bid her farewell and strode out of the kitchen.

*

On Saturday night, after supper with Karen, Helen knew her sister had a determined, I’m going to find out what’s going on, look in her eye. She’d dropped a few hints as they’d eaten a Chinese takeaway and Helen knew she wouldn’t be able to lie to her about Richard. She settled herself on the settee with a cushion under her arm to protect the operation scar and swallowed the last of her coffee. ‘Helen, I want to know who the man is who’s making you grin like a Cheshire cat.’

Helen
took a deep breath and told her all about Richard from their first night at Sushi Samba to how he had left her in the kitchen the day before. She told her how he made her feel, how fantastic the sex was between them and how she never wanted it to end.

‘And
he’s divorced or a widower?’ Karen quizzed, raising an eyebrow.

But
Helen could tell by the dubious expression on her sister’s face that she already knew the answer and flatly replied, ‘No. He’s still married but very unhappy…’

‘Christ,
Helen,’ Karen said, shaking her head slowly in dismay. ‘Don’t you know that’s what they all say?’

Helen
got up and paced around the lounge with her stomach tightening. ‘I know. Of course I know that. But it’s different. It isn’t just a casual few nights of rampant sex,’ she shouted.

‘Sit
down,’ Karen uttered, staring up at her. ‘It’s hurting my neck having to watch you pace around.’

She
sat back down on the corner of the settee and grabbed a cushion holding it defensively in her arms. She wished he was here to help explain their relationship. ‘I know it sounds just like the old cliché and I’ve gone over and over it in my mind,’ she said, licking her dry lips. ‘A-and I’ve been racked with guilt over the last few weeks. And when he goes home for the weekend I decide I’m going to stop seeing him but the minute I’m within an inch of him my feelings just override everything else and I simply can’t do it!’

Karen took her hand. ‘And have you thought of his wife and children in all of this and what’s going to happen? I mean, does he intend to leave them and get divorced?’

‘I
don’t know,’ she wailed, snatching her hand away. She could feel her cheeks flushing at her sister’s accusations as if she was the world’s biggest home-wrecker, and she was shocked at Karen’s reaction.

She’d
thought Karen would have been more liberal in her views, but she could see by the look of disappointment on her face that she wasn’t. ‘I can’t believe you’re making such a fuss.’ Helen said. ‘I mean, for years I’ve listened to your stories about people in the theatre company having affairs and you’ve always been blasé about it.’

‘Yeah,
well it’s different when it’s my sister doing it!’ Karen tutted and then snorted slightly. ‘And my advice for what it’s worth, is to finish it now before anyone gets hurt. I can’t believe after all the years you’ve been on the receiving end of Rob’s affairs that you would even contemplate it.’

‘Exactly,’
Helen countered. ‘I mean, after all those years – don’t I deserve a bit of happiness?’

Karen
lowered her head and stared at her hands. ‘Not at someone else’s expense, Helen.’

Helen
felt like she was a teenager again and Karen was telling her off for not doing her homework. Miserably she mumbled, ‘I didn’t mean it to happen – it just did. And I never thought for one minute that I could be the other woman but there again, I’ve never felt like this about a man – ever!’

‘Maybe
it’s some type of reaction to Rob leaving you, and you’ll soon come to your senses,’ Karen said.

Helen
could tell Karen was trying to make excuses for her, which is what everyone did when someone they loved was acting out of character. But an uneasy silence settled between them and Karen rang for a taxi claiming tiredness and the need for an early night. Although they kissed and hugged each other goodnight, when Karen climbed into the taxi, Helen felt wretched. It wasn’t very often they ever argued or disagreed about matters but she could feel the upset hanging between them like a big black cloud.

*

One of Rob’s colleagues was interested in buying their house and a deal was quickly put together to which they both agreed. For once in her life Helen was thankful that Rob was good with money matters and had negotiated the best figure he could get – it meant more money for her. She took Richard along with her to an early morning viewing at a two-bedroomed apartment on Uxbridge Road and was surprised when he went from room to room raving about the design and architecture.

‘But
you live in an old cottage?’ she queried. ‘I thought you’d be into old wood beams and thatched roofs.’

He
grinned at her while they stood in the state-of-the-art kitchen, and ran his hands along the smooth surfaces. ‘The cottage was Angela’s choice – not mine,’ he said. ‘It ties in with her vision of our wealthy lifestyle. In fact, I think she loves the place a damn sight more than she ever has done me…’

How
could any woman treat him this way, she wondered, when all he’d done was give her everything she wanted? Helen smiled sympathetically at him. ‘Oh, right,’ she teased. ‘You like the modern look?’

He
grabbed her tightly. ‘I love the new sleek designs. But if you wanted to live in a tent in the garden I’d love that too.’

‘That’s
good because I’m going to put an offer in and because it’s empty things should move pretty quickly,’ she said giggling excitedly. ‘I’ll just bring Rachel along to double-check she’ll be happy here on weekends and then go for it…’

As
they drove back to work she wondered what he’d meant about the tent and if he was thinking of them being together in the future. This had, so far, been unspoken territory because he seemed as happy to live in the moment as she was. But Karen’s warnings tumbled through her mind making her frown – she hated to think that she’d upset her sister.

‘Hey,
what’s up?’ he asked. ‘Having second thoughts already?’

She
shook herself and smiled. ‘Oh no. I’d just remembered it was Friday and you’ll be heading off later this afternoon.’

She’d
promised herself that night after Karen had left that she would make a conscious effort to cool things between them. But she’d failed and now six weeks later they were inseparable. When they were together she felt as if she had no choice – it was beyond her to even try and stay away from him.

The
previous morning they’d been down to the retailer’s head office and presented the new products Helen had changed, and later in the afternoon they’d shown the proposed range to all the management on site. The factory manager was confident they would work well in production and the MD was delighted with the new working relationship between herself, Richard, Annette and Tom.

While
she began to request specifications from suppliers for their technical manager and drew her paperwork together for the new lines, Richard sat on a stool in the corner of the room talking to Tom about packaging.

‘How
interesting,’ Annette said. ‘Listen to this article. It states that the next city, outside of London, to have the highest sales in Sushi is Glasgow.’

‘Hmm,’
Richard said. ‘I’m quite partial to a bit of haggis!’

They
all burst into laughter and he winked at Helen. As Helen lay in bed alone that night she opened a text from Richard which read, “please keep next weekend free I’m flying us up to Glasgow. XX”

*

At eight o’clock the following Friday evening they checked in to the Hotel du Vin on Devonshire Gardens, a lovely tree-lined Victorian terrace in the fashionable West End of Glasgow. Half of the walls in the room were dark wood panelling and in the centre stood a huge four-poster bed. She gasped at the luxury of the room and interior design. ‘Oh, Richard, it’s beautiful,’ she said, hugging his arm while they stood in the doorway.

He
threw their bags onto the floor and walked across to the corner desk where there was a bottle of champagne chilling in an ice bucket. ‘I thought we deserved the best,’ he said as she closed the door and slipped her jacket off. He popped the cork and she held the two glass flutes while he filled them.

She
took a sip and giggled. ‘The bubbles have gone right up my nose,’ she said teasing him with a look of pure lust.

They
clinked glasses and he leered at her. ‘Here’s to us. And you still haven’t told me what the surprise is that you bought at the shops.’

She
gulped her champagne, felt the relaxing calm feeling spread through her veins and wanted to squeal with happiness and excitement. ‘OK,’ – she drained the champagne from the flute and placed it carefully on the table – ‘I just need a moment in the bathroom.’

He
raised an eyebrow. ‘Don’t be too long. I don’t want to waste a minute of having you all to myself for two days.’

‘I
think it’ll be worth your wait,’ she threw over her shoulder as she headed into the bathroom.

She
stood in front of the long mirror and removed the black pencil skirt and shirt letting them fall to the floor. For one quick second she thought back to the days with Rob and knew she would never have had the confidence in her body to do this in front of him. But then realised she had never wanted to please him as she did Richard.

She
pulled her shoulders back, straightened the tartan plunge bra and hipster knickers around the black suspender belt and stockings, then took a deep breath and walked slowly in her kitten heels back into the room.