Dream Lover (19 page)

‘Yes, well I’ve got a whole lot more growing to do yet,’ she replied with a smile.

Even the doctor had commented on her size, double-checking the ultra sound for the size of the baby. He told her it was the expected size for her time, she wasn’t fat, the only parts of her, which had grown, were her breasts and stomach.

‘I’ve got a casserole in the oven it’s ready when you are,’ she busied herself with the plates disappointed at his welcome, but trying hard not to react, he was tired she told herself.

Max had taken his jacket off and loosened his tie, ‘I’ll just wash give me two minutes,’ he said moving quickly toward the stairs. On his return he seemed a little more relaxed as he sat down to eat his meal. ‘This is good, you shouldn’t have gone to all this trouble,’ he smiled as he took her offer for a second helping.

‘No trouble, I enjoy cooking, and even if I didn’t I do it for you anyway,’ their eyes met across the table, ‘because I love you.’

‘That is a sweet thing to say,’ he said catching her hand for a moment before bringing it to his lips.

Later when they were getting ready for bed Quinn sat at her dressing table brushing her hair, Max came up behind he resting his hands on her shoulders.

‘Quinn is something bothering you?’ he asked stooping down beside her so he could look into her eyes, ‘only you’ve looked troubled for most of the night.’

She shrugged her shoulders, ‘I suppose I’m just being silly really,’ she looked into his concerned eyes, ‘Do you find me unattractive now?’ she rested her hands on her stomach at five months she had a considerable lump.

He smiled, pulling her gently from her chair and into his arms, ‘I think you are beautiful.’

She took a step back from him, ‘But what about this,’ she asked resting her hands back against her rounded tummy.

His hands followed the path of hers, ‘It’s our baby Quinn, part of us both,’ he lifted her chin and looked into her eyes, ‘you are still the same beautiful woman I married. I still want to make love to you but only if it’s what you want and it’s not uncomfortable for you.’ He sealed his words with a kiss that took her breath away, leaving her in no doubts that he still found her desirable.

But as the weeks went by her insecurities grew with her expanding midriff. Time and time again she wondered if her feelings were fuelled by the fact he had still not told her he loved her. Perhaps if he had she wouldn’t be so desperate for him to make love to her. Other times she wondered if it was her hormones, the books she read were vague and unhelpful and she was too embarrassed to ask at the anti-natal clinic so said nothing.

Max had been away for three nights to Paris, his flight was delayed, and then his car broke down. By the time he arrived home he was tired and grumpy; Quinn was tired, insecure and grumpy. They had their first row since they had married nothing too serious, but both were their usual stubborn selves.

She could see he looked tired, she knew it wasn’t his fault he was late and his meal was spoilt and she had, had to prepare another for him. But she was tired as well, the baby kicked and turned nearly all night keeping her awake, as soon as she tried to nap during the day it would start again.

They greeted each other with tired smiles, both wanting and needing more from the other. When his cool blue eyes flicked her over, it added another crack in her already insecure shell especially when he commented on her size once again.

‘Well I still have another three months to go, get used to it I’m going to get bigger,’ she snapped.

He said nothing but walked away, but not before she had seen the look in his eyes, which she read, as distaste.

Later while he was eating he commented that she looked tired and asked if she had seen the doctor lately.

‘I’m not sleeping well, the baby kicks most of the night and keeps me awake,’ she told him with a tone of voice that said she clearly blamed him.

Again he did not comment but just shrugged his broad shoulders and sat at the table, eyeing his meal with disappointment ‘I thought you were doing chicken for my dinner,’ he said as he looked down at his plate filled with succulent pork fillet.

‘It spoilt you’re over three hours late,’ she accused. Not even sure herself where the anger in her voice came from, she was aware it wasn’t his fault.

Max swallowed the mouthful of food before he spoke, ‘I know how late I am Quinn I don’t need reminding,’ he snapped as he started eating again. Suddenly he pushed the plate away, ‘I don’t want anymore,’ he informed her moodily.

She stood up and snatched the meal away, as she moved the plate the knife tipped off and onto his lap taking food with it. He cursed loudly and she slammed the plate back on the table, ‘Clean up after yourself,’ she snapped, ‘I need to sit down,’ turning she left him sat at the table with his dinner across his lap.

That night when they went to bed neither attempted to hold the other, after a curt ‘goodnight’ both fell into an uneasy sleep. Quinn disturbed his sleep twice with her sleepwalking, so the next morning he was still tired. Most of the weekend was tense on both sides, until the Sunday evening.

Quinn was in the kitchen preparing supper when Max came out to her, standing behind her he rested his head on her shoulder and pressed his lips against her cheek.

‘Are you okay?’ he asked turning her around to face him.

‘I’m just really tired,’ she replied resting her head against his chest.

‘Are you worried…. about anything?’ he lifted her head and looked into her eyes, ‘anything at all?’ he repeated.

She shook her head, ‘No, why?’

He sighed, ‘Because you’ve started sleepwalking again, and we both know that means you’re upset about something.’

She looked up into his eyes and thought for a moment, one thing they had always been was honest with each other, ‘I don’t think you are happy and that troubles me,’ she ventured.

‘I am very happy,’ he told her honestly, ‘I enjoy being with you very, very much, I look forward to coming home of an evening and being you, I miss you when I have to stay away.’ He pulled her back against his chest and kissed her lips before carrying on, ‘I hate the thought of you not being happy especially if I have to be away from home.’

‘I am fine really, please don’t worry about me,’ she returned his kiss and smiled reassuringly.

The following day Max went down to London, intending to stay for three nights. All through the day he had rang home to speak to Quinn and received no reply, he rang again just after ten o’clock that night, concerned he rang a neighbour and asked if they would call in on her for him. ‘It looks as though she is out, the house is in darkness,’ he told him. Trying to convince himself she had probably gone to visit her mother Max went back into the board meeting that was going on longer than anyone imagined, in fact it finished so late he didn’t even go back to his hotel but slept on a very uncomfortable sofa in the overseas managers room.

The next morning he woke early and rang home, when he still received no reply he was more than a little concerned. Maxwell informed the directors and finance managers that he would not be able to attend the next meeting; he gave his apologies and told them it would be rescheduled for later that month. An hour later he told Paul they would be leaving immediately, and soon they were on the motorway heading toward home; Max was beside himself with worry as he kept trying to contact his wife to no avail. To add to his state of distress there was a major traffic accident and what should have been a four-hour journey took six.

He tore through the quiet empty house dashing from room to room calling her name, ‘She’s not here,’ he told Paul who waited in the lounge.

‘Maybe she’s gone to friends,’ he offered hopefully.

‘Without telling me?’ he asked, ‘she always tells me when she intends to stay out.’

Paul shrugged his shoulders; ‘Women do odd things when they are pregnant. I know Melissa did some very strange things,’ he told him in the hope it would help his boss stop worrying.

‘I’ll try the hospital just in case, you may as well get off,’ he told Paul as he picked up the phone and started dialling.

He drew a blank with the local hospitals suddenly his brow creased and he ran up the stairs two at a time into their bedroom. Snatching open draws and wardrobes he was relived to find her clothes hanging neatly on their hangers. Relieved Max slumped down onto the bed; his eyes fell on the bedside table to her open diary. Normally he would never touch anything so personal, but he was desperate to find her. He flicked the pages back over the last two weeks then let the leather bound book slide from his fingers. She was even unhappier than he had imagined judging by the words neatly written on each page.
‘Sleep, and perchance to dream you love me.’

Quinn always did in her dreams what she lacked courage or sometimes stubbornly refused to do while awake. She had been asleep the first time they had made love, was asleep when she told him she loved him for the first time. His brow creased as he realised something, she hadn’t told him for weeks she loved him. He didn’t doubt she loved him, but she didn’t say the words and suddenly that troubled him.

While Max sat thinking about their relationship Quinn drove her small car into the driveway. Her brow creased as she brought her car to a stop, the curtains had been moved in the lounge, standing uncertainly by the front door she hesitated before slipping the key into the lock, taking a quick step back when the door suddenly sprung open.

‘Thank God,’ Maxwell sighed while taking her by the arm and pulling her into the hallway. ‘I’ve been worried,’ he explained.

‘Is something wrong?’ she asked concerned he was home two days early.

‘I didn’t know were you where,’ he said trying hard not to be angry with her.

‘I left a message, no I left two,’ she corrected, ‘one with the hotel reception and one with the woman who answered your mobile phone last night.’

His brow creased, ‘I did not receive either message,’ suddenly his expression changed. ‘Where have you been?’

Quinn ignored his question and dropped her bag onto the floor before looking back up to him, ‘Oh well your friend must have forgotten…’

Before she had the chance to go on he cut in, ‘I asked where have you been?’ he repeated.

Quickly before she had the chance to go on he cut in, ‘I asked where you have been?’ he asked again but this time with an angry edge to his words.

Quinn pressed her lips together for a moment, ‘To visit a friend… Nicole,’ she said looking away from him, the lie burning at her skin.

Max caught her chin and looked into her eyes, shook his head slowly before turning away.

Both aware the she had lied, while he stubbornly refused to tell her where he had been, she mistakenly believed he was with another woman. Although he didn’t think she had been with another man, but at the same time he didn’t believe she was with ‘Nicole.’

The truth was Quinn had left a message with the hotel telling him she was going away for the night. What she didn't tell him was that she had been to his hotel to see him, or that she had been sat in his room until one in the morning waiting for him to return. Or tell him that the woman who answered his mobile said to her,
'he's asleep do you want me to wake him?'

But things had not been as she imagined; he hadn’t been in bed as she thought, but on the sofa in the overseas manager’s room in another hotel where he had spent most of the night, and the woman who answered his mobile was the other mans secretary working late into the night with her boss.

Max was home for two days, the atmosphere between them strained at first but the evening before he was travelling back to London he came to sit with her while she sat quietly in the lounge. Once again he expressed his concerns over her very apparent listlessness, he didn’t make any comment when she replied, ‘It will be my hormones, don’t worry.’

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

A week later Quinn had been to the anti-natal clinic for another scan, she was on her way home waiting at a busy road junction for the traffic lights to change, she was disappointed Max had not kept his promise to accompany her, not only had he not turned up he had not even bothered to ring to let her know he would not be there.

Quinn’s attention was drawn to a sleek black car as it drew up beside her, as the lights changed she turned to look at the occupants. Max was sitting in the passenger seat while a very attractive blonde woman sat beside him, her arm resting across his broad shoulders, her fingers stroking the side of his face. Quinn could not see all of the woman’s face but she was sure she had seen her before. And then she realised who she was Azzurra De Santos.

The blare of car horns brought Quinn out of her state of shock; of course she couldn't drive but had enough presence of mind to pull into the curb. Cheating on your partner was a dreadful thing to do. To cheat on your pregnant partner was in Quinn's estimations so low it didn't register on any scale. The unbelievable hurt which tore into her heart and smashed it into tiny pieces took her breath away and all she could do was sit and sob. With no idea of how long she sat at the curb side, she jumped when someone tapped on the window.

‘You can't park here,’ the traffic warden told her.