Busy Woman Seeks Wife (37 page)

T
hey both stood there in silence as the taillights of the limo disappeared out of the mews and onto the main road.

“I think,” said Frankie slowly, still looking ahead of him, “that we have been well and truly stitched up.”

Alex found herself laughing awkwardly. “Story of my life! The old witch. She knew full well she was going out.”

Now Frankie turned to her. “Do you mind?”

“Mind what?”

“Spending the evening with me? Look at us—we’ve made such an effort to dress up.” He glanced at her cautiously, the laughter
dancing in his eyes. “If you don’t keep me company I’ll feel like Johnny No Mates and I could never eat all that food on my
own. You’d be doing me a favor.”

“Well, Frankie,” replied Alex. “I do owe you a favor. In fact I owe you big-time. If it wasn’t for you I’d be looking for
a job tonight and Bettina would have had to appear stark naked.”

Frankie laughed. “Nice image.”

They stood in silence. Alex was itching to ask. “Tell me, how did you know to challenge Camilla? When did you realize?”

Frankie absentmindedly scuffed his shoe along a ridge in the cobblestones. “Well, to be honest I wasn’t sure even until the
last minute. Her eagerness to help all the time was beginning to raise my suspicions, and she was so swift to offer to go
to Turkey. Then it was Melik who pointed out the e-mail changing the delivery date. It was sent from your computer last Friday
evening, but of course last Friday you were, we were…” He faltered.

“Together at my place?” Alex willed him to look at her. If she could only see his eyes she’d know what he was thinking. That
he felt the same way she did.

“Yes.” He looked at her boldly. “We were, weren’t we?” There was a small smile on his lips. “So the penny dropped finally
when I was in Turkey and so I alerted Ella. I realized whoever it was would try something at the launch. It would be irresistible.
I was starting to feel like an extra from
Poirot.
I asked Ella to leave some T-shirts Melik had given me in the changing room—he’s quite an admirer of yours, by the way—and
it was mad, really! But just by chance I spotted Camilla coming out through the doors carrying them and, well, I followed
her—getting Ella to alert you.”

“And wiring up Gavin so he heard it all too?”

“That was Ella’s idea. She’s very persuasive, you know. The poor man hadn’t a hope.”

Alex chuckled, thinking of Ella’s first call about the “wife” job. “You’re telling me! And thank goodness she is.” She saw
Frankie glance at her questioningly. “What I mean is, you both saved the day. I owe her too.”

“The launch—it was wonderful. You know that, don’t you?”

“I hope so. And so much thanks to you.” She laughed softly at the thought. “What a lot of debts to pay. I needed people, didn’t
I? And not just for that. What about all you did for my mother? You’ve made her come alive, and I think I understand her much
better now than I ever have. We both have you to thank for that.”

Frankie stepped closer to her, and Alex found herself studying his shoes intently. “I love your mother,” he said quietly.
“She’s helped me so much—especially to get this role.” He paused. “You have more in common with her than you think.”

Alex looked up, horrified. “Oh, I should have congratulated you! It’s wonderful news, Frankie. Saff told me about it. I didn’t
realize Mum was helping you, I’m sorry.”

“It wasn’t only your mother who helped me get the part, you know.” He gently put his hand on her cheek. “It was you for making
me feel so miserable.”

What had she done? “I don’t understand.”

He put his other hand to her face and cupped it in his hands. “You have such perfect skin. Do you know how long I’ve wanted
to do this?”

“About a week?” she teased gently.

“Oh no, longer than that. Even before that time in the park. In fact…” He gently lowered his head and rubbed his nose
against the tip of hers. “Probably since the first time I ironed your knickers!” Alex gasped with embarrassment and put her
head against his chest to hide her face, but he put his hand under her chin to raise her lips to his warm mouth.

Standing on the pavement they kissed for what felt to Alex like ages, exploring each other’s mouths and touching each other
in wonder, and it wasn’t the driving, selfish passion they had felt last week. This was something deeper. Then Frankie pulled
gently away and rested his forehead against hers. “I was right, you look so beautiful in that dress.” He kissed her forehead
thoughtfully. “Alex, what do we do about the American boyfriend? Because if we don’t have a future, then please tell me now
and I’ll go. You don’t have to do this out of gratitude.”

Is that what he thought this was all about? Alex almost laughed until she saw how serious he looked. Soul-baring didn’t come
easily to her but he deserved her honesty. She had to do this right because it felt as if he could be the missing piece in
her life. And until the past few weeks she’d hadn’t even realized anything was missing at all.

This time she took his face in her hands. “Frankie, I never had anything with Todd that comes close to what I feel for you.”
She watched with pleasure as relief flooded into his eyes. “You were so not part of my life plan. But do you know? I’m beginning
to think I’m fed up of being ruled by plans and schedules and other people’s needs.”

“My life doesn’t even have a plan.” Frankie smiled ruefully. “We’re so different. Could you cope? Could you live with an actor?”

This time Alex did laugh out loud. “Frankie, I was brought up by one! But at least you can cook!”

Frankie gasped. “The food! It’s probably burned!” He took her hand.

Alex held him back for a moment and kissed him again. “Frankie,” she said. “You are the best wife any woman could hope for.”
And they both ran, laughing, towards the front door.

A
NNIE
S
ANDERS
is actually two people but not in the way that means you need medication. Or at least not often. Though it sounds
clever for two people to write a novel, we’re slightly worried that each of us is only half an author. Good thing then that
we ran into each other. Though to confuse you, at the time of meeting we were actually four people—both vastly pregnant and
launching immediately into the nitty-gritty of hemorrhoids and stretch marks. Five children later and communication is still
as frank. You sure have to know someone well to be able to say that at times her prose sucks and her plotting is slack.

Busy Woman Seeks Wife
came about on one of those rare moments when we sitting over coffee and gazing at the chaos that was our lives. We both decided
we needed a proper wife and not one like us. Then we started totting up how much it would cost to employ people to do all
the jobs you do as a wife and mother. We’re currently putting in for a pay claim of a thousand dollars a day—though we hope
it won’t be performance-related. We had fun in the novel playing around with gender stereotypes—are men genetically incapable
of handling a vacuum cleaner or have women simply liberated themselves into a position where they do everything now?

We both have arts degrees and backgrounds in publishing. We have five children between us, have no domestic help, and most
days we struggle to get everyone out of the house in clean underwear.

Five reasons a woman needs a wife

Because if she didn’t have a wife she’d have to employ a secretary, chef, taxi driver, laundry administrator, mechanic, decorator,
chambermaid, nurse, gardener, social diary coordinator, seamstress, school gate administrator, technician, psychologist, therapist… oh, that’s fifteen!