Perfect Stranger (14 page)

It was my turn to drive on Saturday, so Rob could have a couple of beers with Malcolm. That was fine. I was happy to stay sober, while I tried to be sociable with Iris, Malcolm’s wife. We didn’t have much in common. She was stick thin and glamorous, and she talked about designer labels like they were old friends. I nodded and smiled a lot, and tried to steer the conversation onto something I could contribute to.

She didn’t like music or watch much TV. She’d never played a computer game in her life. That stunned me. “Not even
Angry Birds
? Or
Tetris
? You must have played
Solitaire
.”

Iris gazed at me. Was I talking in a foreign language? Possibly.

Her cooking was terrible. I understood why Rob was so keen on me taking dessert. After a canned-soup starter and steak so tough you could use it as an offensive weapon, we reached dessert course and annihilated the tiramisu and the cake. By this time, I wished we’d taken a cab instead of driving. I seriously needed a glass of wine. Cabs didn’t fit into our savings plan, though. More’s the pity.

Rob got on brilliantly with Malcolm, though, and that was the whole point of the evening. It would be churlish to grumble.

I expected Rob to sleep late on Sunday, but he was up first and fetched me tea in bed. “We’re going out,” he announced, a smile dancing on his lips. “I’ll make toast while you shower.” He held up a hand, to forestall my questions. “It’s a surprise.”

It wasn’t my birthday or any kind of anniversary, but I liked surprises. Good ones, of course.

We drove a short way out of the city, on the road through Altrincham, and Rob parked at the edge of a recently built housing estate on the edge of Hale Barns. Several houses still carried For Sale signs, while others looked recently occupied. Even with a favorable mortgage rate and a huge deposit, almost-Hale Barns was beyond our budget.

I stared at my husband. “Did we win the lottery or something?”

“Or something.” He gave me a quick kiss. “Come on. I want to show it to you.”

The semi-detached house he led me to was gorgeous—two full-sized bedrooms, a massive lounge-dining room, and a spacious kitchen, with a small patch of grass at the back. You could fit our current apartment in here twice over, and still have room to spare.

When he tugged me into the adjoining garage, I stood my ground. “We can’t afford this, Rob. It’s fun to pretend, but you know we don’t have this kind of money. This is an Altrincham postcode. We can’t even afford to
rent
here, let alone buy.”

He didn’t look cross at my outburst. Instead, he leaned against the garage wall and spread his arms wide. “What if I told you we
could
afford to live here? What would you say then?”

“I’d say you’ve come into a trust fund you’ve never mentioned. Or robbed a bank.”

“Nope.” His grin was irresistible. “How about a promotion?”

I shook my head. “That’d be one hell of a promotion. Try again.”

“Okay. A small promotion for now. And an investment.”

He made no sense. I gestured for him to continue.

“Malcolm owns this, and he’s going to rent it to us at an affordable price, the idea being that we eventually buy it from him. In fact, we’re going to buy a share of it right away and pay rent on the rest. Shared ownership properties have been around for ages, dumpling. They’re ideal for a first rung on the property ladder.”

“Yes I know all that.” We’d already looked at some shared-ownership houses and still not been able to afford anything we liked. Nothing like this. “And what do you mean about an investment?”

“Malcolm is looking for backers for a hotel he’s redeveloping. It’s a guaranteed return.”

I was missing something. Coffee probably. “I’m not sure I follow you.”

“Aww, Jen. It’s simple. We use our deposit money, supplemented by a loan, to invest in Malcolm’s hotel, and for the share of this house.” He counted each thing against his fingers. “We get out of that scuzzy flat and into a nice estate. When the hotel is completed, we get our investment back plus profit, and that’ll be enough to buy the rest of this place outright.”

Alarm bells rang inside my head. “Where do we get the loan?”

“Malcolm has links to financiers. It’ll be a breeze.” He stepped forward and swung me up in his arms. “We can move in right away, as soon as the paperwork is done. What do you think? Like a dream come true.”

Too good to be true, more like. Rob was normally so sharp with money. So intent on tracking every penny spent. He was the last person I expected to fall into a get-rich-quick scheme.

“I know what you’re thinking.” He chucked me under the chin. “What’s the catch?”

“Well, yes,”

“We sign a five-year lease on the rental portion of the house, but even that’s negotiable. If the hotel profits come in before then, we can buy our share early.”

“Five years?” That sounded wrong.

“And our investment in the hotel is nonrefundable for the first five years. Malcolm expects it to be completed within three, but it’s good to have some contingency.”

We’d been saving from the day we moved in together, and I’d pitched my own savings into the joint account too. The idea of throwing it all at a hotel development made me nervous. “Do I get to think about it?”

“Sure. But this is what we want, right?” He took my hands and squeezed them. “A home of our own. Somewhere to start our family.” Another gentle squeeze. “Don’t take too long. I promised Malcolm a decision tomorrow.”

How was it possible to go so swiftly from joy to despair?

Jordan was amazing. He took control of the situation, and before I knew it, we were packed in his car, with Sophie and Isaac in the back. He drove fast, but I wasn’t paying attention. The journey condensed into images, like stills from a film—Jordan holding my hand, tight, and raising it to his lips every now and then; Sophie crying softly; trees and roads flashing past.

The logical part of my brain churned away, reminding me I never grieved for my parents. My wonderful grandmother became the mother I never had, and if she died now, I’d be the eldest of our little family.

I had to call Adam. Even in my panic-fogged state, it was pretty obvious I wouldn’t be in work for a few days.

We stopped for gas, and to buy coffee and tissues, and I braced myself for the call. I balked at sending a text, in case he didn’t read it. There was a good chance it’d go to voicemail, but he answered, snapping his name as a greeting.

Shit. I wasn’t sure what to say. I went for the simplest option, a brief explanation of my unplanned absence.

“Kate, this is very inconvenient. I have a major announcement to make tomorrow, and I wanted you here for it.” I didn’t expect sympathy—Adam didn’t have a kind bone in his body—but his curt reply shocked me.

“I’m sorry this is
inconvenient
for you, but my grandmother takes priority over my job. I’ll call you tomorrow, to let you know how she is.”

My attempt at sarcasm was ignored. “Just make sure you’re back here, first thing Tuesday. There are also the details to be finalized, for the kick-off meeting. Who can do that in your absence?”

Why was he worrying about the kick-off? The details of the annual ComCo conference were sorted out months ago. “I’m sure anyone in my team can help you with last minute changes. I’ll see you soon.”

I hung up, feeling dangerously close to tears, and looked in the back to see how my sister was. Sophie’s crying had subsided. She snuggled up to Isaac, and they whispered together.

“Trouble?” Jordan handed me a paper cup of coffee, and I wrapped my hands around it, grateful for something to do with them.

“I had my suspicions, but now I
know
Adam is a jerk.” I stared out the window, wondered why everything was blurry, and realized I was crying. Not now. I had to hold it together.

* * * *

Jordan was a tower of strength. After we were shown to Gran’s room in the hospital, he disappeared and booked rooms at a nearby hotel, then came back, insisting we take it in turns to go with him for coffee and sandwiches. Gran was still alive, but only just. The doctor explained she had a massive heart attack while she slept. She was already frail after an earlier stroke, and it was touch and go how long she had left. To my dismay, she was unconscious and didn’t respond to my voice. My only comfort was in the knowledge we’d seen her yesterday. It seemed like weeks ago.

Hours later, she was gone. I sat there, amid the beeping of alarms and the bustle of staff, and said my private goodbye to her. To this darling woman who’d been like a mother to me.

Time passed in a daze of more disjointed images. Jordan took us all to the hotel, and we sat in a room together. He held me tight, while he tried to get me to drink some brandy. He was calm and capable, and more supportive than I would have ever thought possible.

We stayed in the hotel for the next few days, while Jordan made most of the arrangements for the funeral and sorted out the myriad of official paperwork. He suggested I nominate him as the point of contact for the solicitor, and I agreed. Every time I thought of something, he’d nod and say it was already dealt with.

Clearing Gran’s little apartment took most of our time and energy, and Sophie and I carefully divided her favorite things to share between us. Gran was wealthier than I expected, with a portfolio of properties that she rented out. Her solicitor said he needed a few weeks to tidy up the paperwork for her estate, and he’d go through Gran’s will with us then. There was no rush. 

I called Adam again, and at Jordan’s insistence said I’d be off work for the whole week. The funeral was arranged for Friday. There seemed little point in going home, only to come back again. We went back briefly on Wednesday, to get fresh clothes, but apart from that, we all stayed in Bristol.

It didn’t occur to me until the end of the week that Jordan didn’t go back to work. Instead, he seemed glued to my side.

Eventually the funeral was over, and Jordan drove us home.

I nodded when he told me gently that he had to return to London. I couldn’t ask him to stay, no matter how much I wanted to. He had to get back to work.

He gave me a soft kiss goodbye. He hardly touched me all the time we were in Bristol—we hadn’t made love since that Sunday morning at the V&A, now almost a week ago. It felt like a different lifetime. He held me tight before he left, said he’d call daily, and made me promise to come down to London next weekend. I feared he was glad to escape.

I also feared that, in the space of a week, I’d become completely dependent on him.

FROM: Isobel

TO: KateArcher

SUBJECT: OMG You will not believe!!

You will not believe the weekend I’ve had. Clubbing with Greg on Saturday night, and then he took me to La Maison for dinner on Sunday. You know, where all the TV people and footballers hang out. I was totally in celeb-spotting mode!

And then, if that wasn’t enough, he went down on one knee, and asked me to marry him. It was all planned out. You know Greg; he doesn’t leave anything to chance. He had a bottle of Bollinger on ice and a beautiful diamond solitaire sitting on my dessert plate. The entire freaking restaurant watched him propose. How could I possibly say
no
?

So now I’m engaged, and we’re talking about getting married sometime next year. I like the idea of a long engagement, and he’s so happy, he’ll wait until I’m ready.

I can’t wait to show you the ring.

Hope you’re okay and not working too hard.

Belle xoxo

* * * *

FROM: JenAllerton

TO: KateArcher

SUBJECT: Please call me. Now!

I’ve been trying to call you for the last 2 days, and your phone keeps dropping to voicemail. Your team said you were away all week. I’m scared he chopped you up and dumped you in the canal, after all.

Please call. Any time.

* hugs *

* * * *

FROM: Adam Jones

TO: Kate Archer

SUBECT: cover

Colin is covering for you this week. While it’s a good opportunity for him to become familiar with the accounts, I’m keen to avoid further disruption. Please let me know the soonest you expect to return to work.

Adam

Rob dropped me early at the office on Monday and raced away for a breakfast meeting with his team. We hadn’t reached agreement on the house yet. I wanted time to think about the offer, although as Rob pointed out, I knew nothing about the commercial property industry. I’d no way of knowing if it was a good or bad venture. I might as well roll a pair of dice or ask the Tarot cards.

He planned to sign the paperwork today. Sign away our savings and lock us into a long tenancy, in a house I wasn’t convinced we could afford. What if the hotel failed or didn’t do as well as they hoped? What would happen to us then?

I still found it hard for our investment to net enough profit to pay for that house.

The obvious solution would be to ask someone who knew the property market. My dad. Would he talk to me? After that horrible, ugly row over the wedding, he all but disowned me. That still hurt.

It was a dilemma, and one I had to act on quickly.

I arrived early, before anyone else in my team, and that meant I didn’t have to chat about the weekend. I could log in, filter through my email, and brace myself for calling Dad. Should I call Mum first? Test the water, so to speak?

Coffee was a priority. I dumped my bag and jacket on my desk and headed straight for the kitchen, expecting that to be empty too. I was wrong. Cade was there. He didn’t see me, so I could sneak away and pretend I hadn’t seen him, but I didn’t want to.

He stood at the counter, adding milk to a bowl of cereal, and I smiled at the sight. He’d always loved sugary cereals, and when we worked together, I’d tease him about his trashy breakfasts.

For a second, I forgot the weirdness between us. “Hey. What is it this time? Chocco-biks or HoneyNibs?”

Was it my imagination, or did his shoulders stiffen at my voice? He turned to face me. “Neither. I eat healthy these days.” I saw it was a carton of high-grain, low-fat muesli. “And good morning.”

“Wow. You’ve changed.”

His blue eyes narrowed. “I think we both have.”

We were venturing into dangerous territory. I needed to retreat. “I told Rob you were seeing Kate.” I blurted it out without thinking.

Cade’s eyebrows shot up, and he shook his head. “Did you just say what I thought you said?”

I took a step closer. “Yes. I’m sorry. He overheard me talking to Isobel, and I had to say
something
.”

“Well.” He put the milk down and leaned back against the counter, hands gripping the edge. “What did Kate say about it? And how is she? I’ve not seen her since I left ComCo.”

“She’s okay but just split up with her boyfriend, which is why I lied about her seeing you. It gives me breathing space, while I figure out what to say to Rob.”

“Who still doesn’t know I work here.”

“That’s right.”

“So what did Kate say?”

I found myself staring at him. At his shoulders that were broader than I remembered. At the blue stripe in his shirt, the exact same color as his eyes. “Did Tasha buy you that shirt? It suits you.” My cheeks heated as my tongue ran away on an unfiltered chattering spree. He was asking about Kate. I dragged my thoughts under control. “She hasn’t replied yet.” I hoped she was recovering from a weekend of spectacular sex, but a niggle of concern would remain until I heard from her.

“You have to tell him, Jen. You know that.” His voice was soft, concerned rather than angry, and my stomach twisted with shame.

I’d always thought myself to be honest, but I lied to my husband and was continuing by omission. I asked Kate to lie for me and hoped Cade would carry on with the deception. I wasn’t a very good friend.

We stood in the quiet kitchen, looking at each other. It was Cade who moved first. He turned around, replaced the milk in the fridge and his cereal in the cupboard, and then picked up his breakfast. “I have a meeting to prep for. Coffee later?”

What?
He moved to walk past me and paused, a strange half-amused expression on his face. “To talk about the Ynos account. I’m not with Tasha any more, by the way. We broke up ages ago. And it wasn’t her.
You
bought me this for my birthday. It’s one of my favorites.” With that, he walked briskly back to his end of the floor, greeting people on the way.

I drifted back to my desk, my brain whirling. How could I have forgotten about the shirt? I spent ages deciding what to buy for him, and found it in the Selfridges sale. It cost far more than I planned to spend, but the minute I saw it, I knew it’d be perfect. This was the first time I’d seen him wearing it. One of his favorites. The thought warmed me.

I picked up my phone and tapped out a text to Dad, before I could second-guess myself.

Hi. Really need to talk to you today. Is that okay?

His reply flew back, seconds later.

Of course. Call me now, or meet for lunch?

A quick glance around the office confirmed nobody was within earshot. All the same, I headed for the nearest conference room to make the call. “Hi, Dad. How are you?”

“Fine, and so’s your Mum. We miss you, though, poppet.” The gruff familiarity of his voice made tears prick at the backs of my eyes. “Have you come to your senses yet and left that idiot?”

Pride stiffened my spine. “That
idiot
is my husband, Dad. And no, I haven’t.” His sigh was heavy over the line, and I tightened my hand around the phone. “He plans to make an investment, a big one, and I wanted to get some advice about it.”

“Go on.”

“He’s working for Malcolm Wigg, at Wigg Properties, and they’re looking at a renovation near Salford Quays. Converting an old grain warehouse to a five-star hotel.”

“We looked at that opportunity and thought better. It’d be a huge project and a massive gamble. There are three luxury hotels already in that area, and they aren’t pulling in the business. A fourth one isn’t needed.” He hesitated. “If Allerton is planning to invest in that, I hope he’s not using your savings. You might as well shove your money down the toilet.”

Holy fuck. My heart pounded so hard, my chest felt bruised. I had to tell Rob before he signed our lives away.