Love or Money? (12 page)

As she’d observed him over the course of the night, she’d found it perplexing that a man so at ease with the basics of life, could also fit so easily into an atmosphere so refined. It wasn’t at all how she’d envisaged the evening.

Driving her back to Chasely Fields afterwards, she’d been confused about her feelings on the ‘date’. Had it even been a date? She was aware that he hadn’t made any flirtatious gestures or connotations. He’d simply acted as a friend would. Why anyway, was she bothered? He wasn’t the type of person she’d usually want to start something with. But as he’d pulled the car onto the drive of Chasely Fields, she’d found herself hoping that he’d kiss her, her stomach dancing at the thought.

He hadn’t. Instead, he’d thanked her for accompanying him to dinner and asked if she’d be interested in meeting him for coffee the next day. He had a project he wanted to run past her.
  Dismayed at his lack of action and with muddled emotions, she’d agreed to meet him.

Getting out of the car without so much as a kiss on the cheek, she’d spent the remainder of the evening trying to assimilate her baffled thoughts. She’d never met a man like Owen. He was odd, for lack of a better word.

Darlene was waiting for her as she made her way towards the front door. Sitting in a winged back chair reading a magazine, she looked up in excitement as Felicity approached.

“
Well, here she is. Something you’d like to share with me this morning, luvvie?” she teased, raising an eyebrow.

“
Did I miss something? What am I supposed to be sharing?” Felicity asked, puzzled.

“
Owen! I saw you two together, looking very cosy indeed in that big expensive car. You kept that one quiet. I thought he’d left for Cairns days ago.” 

Felicity laughed. Nothing got past Darlene.
 

“
I bumped into him a couple of days ago. He took on a project locally, so he didn’t leave Brisbane after all. He’s a nice person. We’re just friends.” 

Darlene let out
a loud huff. 

“
Friends! You might be able to fool yourself, luvvie, but you can’t fool me. You’ve got that look in your eye. And I saw the way you were looking at him in that car last night.”

Felicity bristled. She didn’t care for being spied on. Darlene was harmless but she needed to know boundaries.

“I’d appreciate if you kept your opinions to yourself, Darlene. What I do with Owen is my business.”

Darlene looked crushed and Felicity immediately regretted her outburst. She swiftly opened the front door before Darlene had a chance to respond and make her feel even guiltier.
  Relieved to be out of the house, she walked quickly to the train station. The last twenty-four hours had provided such distraction, she’d almost managed to forget her predicament. Was she going to stay in Australia? She smiled as she thought of Owen. Maybe he could help her decide?

Chapter Sixteen

Sylvia glanced once again at the dark blue line on the pregnancy stick she’d been holding in her hand for twenty minutes. It had said she’d needed to wait at least two minutes before a positive confirmation line would appear in the display window. It had taken less than thirty seconds. She was remarkably calm given the circumstances. Perhaps a little unnaturally so.
 

“Shit.”
Throwing the stick angrily in the bin, she stood up from the toilet and glanced at herself in the bathroom mirror. Her skin was breaking out uncharacteristically in acne. Even her own make-up techniques hadn’t managed to cover it effectively. Wasn’t pregnancy supposed to make a woman ‘glow’? She looked like a bloated, pimply mess. To top it all, Phillip was still acting coolly towards her.

She felt her heart plummet into her stomach as the realisation of her situation sank in. She was pregnant. And she had no idea who the father was. A sickening feeling swept through her. How was she going to break it to Phillip? She wasn’t even sure if he wanted children. Christ, she wasn’t even sure if he wanted her! And then there was Dan. Dan the ‘one night’ mistake. It couldn’t possibly be Dan’s baby - could it?

Walking into the kitchen, she half-heartedly prepared herself an avocado and tuna salad, her appetite waning as she set down the plate of food in front of her. It was impossible to go about her usual routine. Everything had just been changed for her. Her life had become a complicated mess in the space of twelve hours. She didn’t know where to turn. 

The doorbell rang as she stared in silence contemplating her options. It was Sunday and she wasn’t expecting visitors. Phillip had told her he was spending the afternoon at a charity football event. Getting up reluctantly, she walked into the hallway and looked through the spyhole of the street door. Phillip was stood waiting on the doorstep. Closing her eyes, she pinched the bridge of her nose to stop herself from becoming hysterical. She needed time to think, she wasn’t prepared to face him. Why wasn’t he at his event?

“Darling? Open up then” he said moving closer to the door.

Her heart sank. He’d heard her. She had no choice but to let him in. She fixed a smile to her face and opened the door.
 

“
Brrr. Cold out there today. Winter’s definitely on its way” Phillip said, walking into the hallway and rubbing his hands together. Sylvia noted his sports bag on his arm.

“
I thought you were taking part in the charity thing? I wasn’t expecting you until later.” 

He walked
ahead of her into the kitchen. “Yes I was going to, but they had a change of players at the last moment and asked me to do a commentary instead.” He picked a piece of avocado from her plate and popped it into his mouth. “I’m grateful though, as I get to spend more of the afternoon with you.” He leaned in to kiss her on the cheek and she felt herself swallowing back tears of guilt. She moved away from him quickly.

“Are you ok?”
Phillip asked, looking at her curiously. Sylvia felt herself paling. She couldn’t do it. She couldn’t be dishonest with him. She had always been a terrible liar and despite Phillip blowing hot and cold, he didn’t deserve to be left in the dark.

“
I’m pregnant” she said blurting the words and avoiding his eyes.

The silence seemed to stretch before her as she waited for him to respond. She looked up to see his face ashen and shocked.

“Pregnant? Wow. I wasn’t expecting that.” He rubbed his face nervously, standing transfixed.

“
Well, neither was I. But I guess that’s the beauty of life. A curveball comes at you when you least expect it.” Her voice wavered and she sat down at the kitchen table and sank her head into her hands, fighting back tears.

Phillip walked over to her. “
Darling, it’s not the end of the world. We’re two adults, we both have good jobs. We love each other, don’t we? We can do this.” He stroked her back and squeezed her shoulder supportively.

Sylvia was speechless, taken aback by his words. She stood up, turning to face him and huddled herself into his embrace.

“Phillip, do you mean that?” she asked, laying her head against his chest. His body felt frozen and she felt herself shivering. She didn’t know if it was from nerves or coldness.

“
Of course I mean it. I’ve already told you that you’re the one I want in my life. Ok, so we didn’t plan children yet, but it would have happened sooner or later. So why not now?” 

Sylvia pondered on his words. He seemed so certain and positive about it. It was the complete opposite of how she’d expected him to react. It had thrown her. Phillip wanted her and the baby. In that split second she made a conscious decision never to tell him about Dan. He couldn’t know. It would ruin everything.

“You’re right” she said, kissing him on the lips. “Why not now.”

“
Well in that case, you sit down while I make us a coffee to get over the shock.” Phillip joked, walking over to the kettle. “Then you can tell me everything.”

Sitting down again at the kitchen table with her back to him, she realised with great apprehension that she hadn’t considered her own feelings about being pregnant. She’d just assumed that Phillip wouldn’t want the baby and the most sensible outcome would be to have a termination. She hadn’t really considered that she’d keep the baby.

She reprimanded herself mentally, the reality that she was having a baby sinking in. It wasn’t a business transaction she could back out of, or a problem she could sweep under the carpet. It was a life. She was going to be a mum. Her very own little family to look forward to. Why then, didn’t she feel excited at the prospect? And why was she suddenly questioning her feelings towards Phillip again?

“Are you absolutely certain love?” Glenda asked, stroking Zara’s hair as she cradled the sobbing woman in her arms.

Zar
a hiccupped through her tears. “Yes, I’m positive. It explains everything, Glen. I knew there was something wrong but when Abbey said about Catherine…” 

“
Shh…” Glenda hushed her quietly, trying to keep her own nerves steady. That bastard Steve. How could he do it to Zara? All those times Felicity had shot him down and she’d stuck up for him. Her own daughter had been right all along. He was a spineless cheat.

“
Let me make you a cup of tea and you can tell me the whole story” Glenda said, patting Zara’s knee and wondering how on earth she was going to help the poor love get through this mess. She’d always held Steve in such high regard. He seemed such a doting husband and father to the girls. She couldn’t imagine him cheating on Zara. But then, she thought of James, Felicity’s ex and realised that not only were looks deceiving but what went on behind closed doors was always different to the image every couple liked to portray.

“
I’m sorry, Glen, to call you up again in tears.” Zara sat up straight and wiped her eyes with a scraggly piece of toilet tissue. “I didn’t want to worry Fee with her being so far away. She called me twice yesterday but I purposely didn’t answer. And I know how she feels about Steve. She doesn’t like him anyway.” Her bottom lip quivered.

“
Zara, I’ve told you a hundred times; you are like a daughter to me and anytime you need something, I’ll be there.” 

Glenda got up and walked into the kitchen with Zara following behind. She was silently grateful that Zara hadn’t told Fee yet. She’d only received an email from her daughter that morning with some heart-warming news. She’d decided to stay in Australia a little longer and there was a new man that had helped her to make the decision. An Australian voluntary worker called Owen. He sounded just what Felicity needed in a
friend – someone wise and down-to-earth. She didn’t want her daughter once again preoccupied with problems from back home. Maurice’s news had been enough for one week. The girl deserved to enjoy herself.

Using the opportunity to change the subject and try to get Zara
’s mind away from her situation, Glenda brought up Felicity.

“
Really? I didn’t know she’d made a new friend?” Zara said, seeming a little perplexed. “She didn’t mention anything to me in her last email. I wonder why.”

“
Well, love, with all due respect, you just said that she’d tried to call you twice yesterday – perhaps she thought she’d mention it to you then?” Glenda said tactfully.  She hadn’t appreciated just how anxious and suspicious Zara was feeling. The last thing she wanted was to cause a rift between the girls over something so trivial.

Zara sighed sadly. “
Sorry, you’re right. I’m just feeling really unhinged at the moment. The smallest of things are setting me off.” 

Glenda set down a hot cup of tea in front of Zara and sat down opposite her. She discreetly glanced at the clock on
the cooker. Bill was expecting to meet her for lunch, but she still had plenty of time. Had she known Zara was about to drop a bombshell on her, she would have re-arranged. As it was, she didn’t feel right making a call in front of Zara and rescheduling. It would make the poor love feel guilty for changing her plans.

“
So come on, tell me from the beginning. What exactly has been going on with you and Steve?” 

Glenda waited patiently as Zara took a sip of her hot drink and dabbed once again at the fresh wave of tears forming in her eyes.
 

It was going to be a long morning.

“
There you are!” Bill exclaimed, replacing the mobile he’d just taken from inside his suit jacket. “I was just about to call you to see where you’d got to.”

Glenda took a moment to catch her breath as she hurried the last few yards toward
s where he was waiting. “Sorry. I didn’t have a chance to call you. I’ve rushed all the way here.”

Bill kissed her on the cheek. “
Don’t worry, they’ve held a table for us and I haven’t got to be back at the office until three o’clock.”

“
That’s good then. We’ve got plenty of time.” Glenda smoothed down her vibrant blue flowing skirt and realigned her chunky beaded necklace.

Bill opened the restaurant door and gestured
for her to walk ahead of him. “You look lovely by the way.”

Glenda was pleased with
the comment. She’d treated herself to the skirt the previous day at the local charity shop and the beads she’d found in Felicity’s wardrobe. It was a little trendier than she was used to dressing, but she felt she carried it off well. She’d seen other women her age dressing in bold colours and Fee had always been on at her to change her appearance. It was refreshing to look in the mirror and actually like what she saw. It was just a shame she hadn’t had the chance to do her hair in the new style she’d tried out. What with Zara needing her assistance all morning, she’d barely had enough time to change outfits before taking the bus.

The Spanish restaurant was small and dark inside, with plenty of unoccupied tables to choose from. She made her way toward
s a table for two by the window. It was a cosy ambience, especially on a day that wasn’t particularly bright. The clouds outside loomed threateningly.

A foreign looking waiter immediately attended them.
“Buenas Tardes. Bienvenidos a Casa Pablo. What drinks can I get for you today?”

Bill picked up the wine menu and g
lanced quickly at the options. “Let’s go for that bottle of Red.” He pointed to his selection on the menu. 

“
Bottle? Bill are you sure? I wasn’t intending to have any more than one glass of wine.” 

Bill put down the w
ine menu and looked at Glenda. “Oh, we must. We’re celebrating.”

Glenda looked confused. “Celebrating? Celebrating what?”

The waiter cleared his throat, interrupting.
“I’ll give you a chance to look over the food menu and I’ll be back with your wine to take your order.”

Waiting until the waiter was out of earshot, Bill took Glenda’s h
ands in his, across the table. “I know we haven’t been seeing one another for that long but I must say Glenda, I haven’t felt this way in a long, long time.” Glenda felt her face flush and she smiled, nodding in agreement. “Which is why - given the news I’ve had at work today - I have to ask you something important.”

Glenda felt her anxiety return in volumes. Surely he wasn’t going to ask her to marry him?! She felt her eye twitching. It was far too early to be talking about marriage. What on earth would Felicity make of it all?
  As happy as she was with Bill, she had her daughter to consider as well….

“
I’ve been offered an eighteen month contract heading up a new start-up office in Cambridgeshire” Bill beamed, rubbing her hand excitedly in his.

Glenda was lost for words. He’d never mentioned a new work contract. And certainly not Cambridgeshire. She felt her heart skip a beat.
What did this mean for their relationship? 

Trying to keep the disappointment from her voice, she s
queezed his hand. “That’s great - you’re obviously over the moon about it. I’m pleased for you. Well done.” She was aware that she sounded a little contrived, but she didn’t care. She was crestfallen.  When it came down to it, he was just like all the other men she’d met. Selfish.