Catch me! Catch me not! (7 page)

Dear Emma

I received your email and feel it would be better to speak about these things face to face.

I went out with Fabio tonight and we spoke about you, I think the way he sees things I have been a spineless moron! I tend to agree with him.

The puppy sounds a positive idea, but are you sure you want that commitment for the next 15 years of your life and aren’t Labradors rather big and boisterous?

You mention that you have found someone else. I feel we should talk about this in person too. I am booking flights so I can come over as soon as possible.

Love

Carlo

Carlo re-read the email to make sure  that there was nothing which could offend Emma. Their future together depended on it. Happy that it was brief and to the point without being insulting, he stabbed “
invia” or “send”.

Emma grabbed a cup of  espresso, looked at her inbox and moaned....Carlo had replied already. Even now after all this time on her own, admit it Emma, he could still affect her.
Oh how she had loved him. Hah, she had learnt that love was a fickle emotion best kept to the text of a romantic novel!

Before she had time to open his email, her phone rang...oh dear Andrew!

“Hello, darling I just wanted to remind you that we were going out tonight. Opening night of the wine bar do you remember...oh and wear that gorgeous pink dress  you wore the other night! You looked edible!”  Emma cringed...she did not want to look edible.”It is good for a man to have such a beautiful woman on his arm at these promotional evenings...I am sure it helps boost the sales!” Crikey....she sounded like a Louis Vuitton Bag! “....have you come to your senses about the puppy...it just would not fit in with our lifestyle...can you imagine it peeing everywhere!” Emma breathed in slowly and exhaled with care before even deigning to answer...good grief and she had thought that she could live with this man...he is a jerk!!

“
Andrew. I am independent. If I choose to have a hundred dogs it is up to me. Technically I am still married, even if I haven’t seen my husband for four years, so I need to finish this chapter before I begin another one...”

“But darling we made plans together, we have an invested interest...”

“I am not an investment!” Emma tried to sound reasonable.

“Emma darling...you are fraught because you have been following your divorce..I will pick you up at seven” The phone we
nt dead before she could even deign it necessary to give a negative answer! Flummoxed that was how she felt utterly flummoxed and she hadn’t even left the house for work this morning...things could not get worse. I need another coffee. Oh Emma you never have two espressos in the morning or in the daytime in general...get a grip of yourself.

Damn! Bother! How is it possible to elucidate with a man with skin like a rhino and to think just 2 days ago she was contemplating trying to make it work...

The phone rang again, Emma had to chew her lip to stop from yelling into the speaker, “Hello can I speak to Emma please?” Carlo...oh god this morning was not going well...Carlo!

“Speaking. What can I do for you Carlo?”

“Emma, have you got my email?”

“Yes..but have not had time to read it yet why?”

“I am at the airport...Changi...I am on my way to London, we need to talk face to face and see what is really best for the future.”

“Oh NO!! So when are you coming here then?”
Please god let this morning be a nightmare, she would wake up and it would just be a horrid dream!

“If I get a flight tomorrow morning...I expect you will be at work so I thought I could meet you for a drink in the evening or whatever. We can just be friends..the day after we can go out to supper and discuss our next move. Would that fit in with your plans Emma?”

Better sooner than later...today was a day from hell. All this before she got to work!!

“Carlo...ok I am late for work and must go now. Call me when you get here!”
she shoved down the phone and grabbed her briefcase literally running out of the front door locking it and hailing a taxi..it was pouring with rain and she was drenched not having even thought of grabbing an umbrella. Things can only get better!

             
                            ****    ****    ****    ****    ****

Emma literally catapulted through the door, everyone in the office gaped at her.

Stunned!

Speechless!

Shocked!

One of the less diplomatic secretaries rushed forward before she could leave a pool of water in the reception area!

“Here is a towel!” she was dragged into a nearby office! “Good grief Emma! Get your hair dry and your clothes changed now you have a meeting in ten minutes and you can’t go in there looking like a drowned rat!”

Emma meekly put up with three women stripping her, dressing her in new office clothes and re-applying her drenched makeup and quickly drying her hair! In nine minutes she was walking confidently into the meeting room, file in hand and looking as if she was completely switched on and did not have a care in the world, although she was still slightly breathless!!

“Ladies and gentlemen, good morning! “

All eyes were on her as she showed them clips of the new documentary. This was the woman they had put their money on...not the pathetic drowned rat who had arrived ten minutes before in the office. This was the cool, calm and confident woman they knew and respected! There was an audible sigh of relief!

Emma smiled. Yes this was the person she wa
s, she was a successful career woman, not the chaotic chit of a girl who had cascaded out of her flat this morning, all because her ex had called before work this morning..she did not even deign it necessary to remember Andrew! Now that was bizarre, last week she had thought she could have made a go of it with him, but this morning had put paid to that one.  No man would ever hurt her again as she had been hurt by her husband.

             
                                          ****    ****   ****    ****

Fabio drove Carlo to the airport, this was a déjà vu! Carlo looked awful. It could not have been what he had drunk last night because they had not over indulged. He thought of the past four years he had had with Georgina! Oh what fun, laughter, love, the arrival of two more children, the feeling of belonging....Carlo had had none of that, his wife was several thousand kilometres away. There were no children, there had been precious little fun, laughter or love in both of their lives...both had surged forward in their chosen careers, but had zero social life and zero silliness in their lives! Oh forgive me if I wish for them both to find love and silliness!!

Carlo suddenly turned to look at Fabio...He tried to put into words all he felt but it was difficult.

“Fabio, fratello mio! My brother! I really don’t know what to do. I love her. I made a mistake.
Fratello mio what am I going to do...I can’t lose her!”

“
Vai piano...go slowly and be romantic, remember the songs she loves, the flowers she loves, the perfume she loves..remember the things that made her fall in love with you before...treat her like a lady.  Above all women like to have listeners, friends, lovers, soul mates all in one...good luck my friend...good luck!”

Carlo had 16 hours to plan his next move  carefully. He had already ordered flowers to reach her at work and at home. With a simple message. Do not over react Carlo, you could lose her!

Oh God I could really lose her! Carlo dug up memories of how they had fallen in love and how they had finished...oh god for trying for children...selfish or not...if they had come or not was of secondary importance to him. He loved his wife!! Labrador puppy included or not!!

             
                            *****       *****      *****

Andrew arrived at precisely seven. He found Emma in her yoga pants doing yoga.

He looked cross!!

“I told you to be ready for seven!”

“If you had listened long enough...I would have told you no! I am not interested!”

“We are a team! Investors believe in you!”

“We are not a team and I am not an investment!”

“Get dressed now!”

“Don’t you dare order me around! For your information..my husband is arriving now...HUSBAND!”  she shouted for good measure...god I miss Georgina!!

“I have invested time, energy and money in you my dear and now it is
pay back time!”

“My dear if you don’t leave this house now I will call the police!”

He lost his cool and lunged for her...he had no idea she was well versed in the art of self defence.

She went for his knee, the rammed the heel of her hand against his nose and scratched his eyes for good measure..
.she lugged him outside and tied him to a lamppost. She rang the police and found that he was removed quite soon. He had lost out on this investment.

Emma was feeling quite hysterical by this time, what a day
!! I just want to go to bed and wake up and find that today has been a hideous nightmare! I need a drink!!

Please help tomorrow be a better day with Carlo. Heavens she almost missed him!!

She put on
Greensleeves
to make her remember what he had done..

“
Alas, my love, you do me wrong,
To cast me off discourteously.
For I have loved you well and long,
Delighting in your company.
Chorus:
Greensleeves was all my joy
Greensleeves was my delight,
Greensleeves was my heart of gold,
And who but my lady greensleeves.
Your vows you've broken, like my heart,
Oh, why did you so enrapture me?
Now I remain in a world apart
But my heart remains in captivity.....”

Quite appropriate really....her heart still did feel in captivity. Oh God would she ever be able to seriously forgive....

The phone rang.

Reluctantly she answered.

“Hi, just calling to say you can pick up Pedro whenever you want. Perhaps the weekend would be a good time...it would give you two days together!”

“Actually if it were not a problem for you I would like to pick him up now...”

“I am afraid it is late and we don’t recommend puppies to go to new homes in the evening...we ...”

“Tomorrow lunch time?”

“Tomorrow lunch time would be alright but...”

“I will
will pick him up at one thirty...”

“Have you got the list of things we asked you to get? Two bowls one for water one for food, lead, alarm clock and hot water bottle for the first night!”

“I have even got classical music for him!”

“OK...one thirty sharp”

                            ****    ****    ****   ****    ****

The next day, Emma thanked her lucky stars she had to think of Pedro’s arrival and not Carlo’s!

She looked down at the soft little thing with velvet ears and a cool, wet, black little nose! He was hers...his life and happiness depended on her...his behaviour...she was flummoxed for a second...this little warm breathing thing now depended on her and needed her...he was hers she was his...she buried her nose in his soft ears, he smelt of talc!

They went back home and she introduced him to the new surroundings and then took him for his first “walk”! She never thought she would get so excited about a little puppy peeing or
poohing! She religiously praised him and gave him a little piece of cooked ham for good measure.

They went back inside and switched on some relaxing music.

The phone rang.

Carlo had arrived.

Emma hugged Pedro close and massaged his little tummy...not leave me she pleaded with him...I need you!

They were a team! He would never disregard her heart discourteously!! She flung herself into the new role as a dog owner with gusto! He gave her strength with the battle ahead....

She sang softly to Pedro, so that he would understand!

“
Alas, my love, you do me wrong,
To cast me off discourteously.
For I have loved you well and long,
Delighting in your company.....”

Pedro snuffled in her hand licking it. She was entranced!

“Oh Pedro, let’s see how the guy reacts to you and if after all this time I can live

With another person! Men can be quite difficult you know! He will laugh when he sees this house....unless you destroy it today...it is supposed to be perfectly Feng Shui or should I say Feng Shuid!! This means the environment is happy and there is no clutter so the energy can travel around freely! Dogs are supposed to like it too!”

Pedro looked up at her with adoring hazelnut eyes, the sound of  her voice seemed to calm him down as this was the first time he had been away from his brothers and sisters, thus the alarm clock and the hot water bottle to put under a blanket to make
the sound of a heart beating and the warmth of a body...Emma was not keen on having a dog sleeping on her bed.

“Oh Pedro. I feel so grown up with a dog of my very own. We didn’t have children. They didn’t want to come. I was very unhappy, but Carlo seemed not to mind...he had a good job a routine. He was unfaithful...I could not forgive him, but I think I have now....I just
don’t want him attached to my life anymore...you my little one are going to be the only male I want in this house!! I find the toothpaste squeezed in the wrong way..dirty socks hanging around, pyjamas ....let’s not go down that road!! I think I am going to take you to work tomorrow unless you get on with Carlo and he takes you for a few walks! You will get bored on your own and the dog-sitter is not coming until next week...you have to wait until you have had all your jabs before you can go to the doggie school” Pedro thumped his tail as if in agreement.