Pinstripes (26 page)

Chapter Twenty

As Clara and Virginia pushed a trolley around the supermarket, they looked an odd couple. Virginia was wearing her usual uniform of jeans and a patterned jumper. Her short hair sat on her head like a hat and her awkward movements made her look as if she was still at school. Clara was wearing tight black trousers and a cropped pale blue cashmere jumper. A pair of designer sunglasses sat on her head and she clipped around the supermarket in high-heeled suede boots.

“
Where do you buy your clothes?” Clara asked, as Virginia piled fresh vegetables and herbs into the trolley.

“
What?” Virginia blushed.

“
You should think about updating your wardrobe. I’ll help,” Clara offered.

“Thank
s, but I don’t have money for clothes.”

“
Well, what
do
you spend it on? You don’t do anything.”

“
I just lost my job, in case you’d forgotten.” Virginia moved on to the meat counter.

“
I hadn’t. I just wondered why you only seem to have one pair of out-of-date jeans and a number of horrific sweaters.” Clara now knew why she never went to supermarkets: she was bored out of her mind.

“
Does he eat lamb?”

“
I don’t know. I guess so.”

Virginia picked out a joint.

“What are you going to cook? By the looks of my trolley not pasta and sauce.”

“
Lamb with rosemary and a mint sauce, baby new potatoes and baby vegetables. That’ll be the main course. For starters, you’re having fresh watercress soup. For dessert, cheese. OK?”

“
Well, it all sounds a bit ordinary, doesn’t it?”

“
Yes, but he’s a man and men like roasts. And you can’t cook so if I produce something complicated you’ll be stuck for ever. Roasts are simple, but done well they’re delicious. And don’t forget, I’ll cook the meal but I can’t stay to dish it up. I’ll leave you the instructions.”

“
Good point. God, Virginia, where did you learn about men?”

“
From Noel. He loved my roasts. And this isn’t the sort of Sunday-dinner roast. This is a nice roast. The meat will be sliced thinly and decorated with herbs. And I’ll make the soup.”

“
OK. Sounds good, not that I eat much anyway. So Noel, he was the ex, was he?”

“
Yes.”

“
The Bible-bashing virgin who liked roasts.”

“
Yes.” Virginia did her best not to get upset by Clara.

“
Was he good-looking?”

“
He was all right. He was tall and slim with dark hair, but he had glasses on which were always too big for his face.” Virginia had often wanted to tell Noel he should get new glasses but had never found the words.

“
Sounds divine. It’s probably a good job you didn’t sleep with him. Did you do other things?”

“
Like what?”

“
You know hand jobs, blowjobs and pussy-licking. That sort of thing.”

“
None of your business.” Virginia blushed and Clara laughed.

“
OK, let’s go get some booze.”

When the trolley was stacked high with wine and champagne, they finally made their way to the checkout.

“Do you have a loyalty card?” The girl at the checkout asked Clara as she handed over her credit card.

“
I don’t do supermarkets,” Clara replied. The girl looked at Virginia who shrugged.

Back at the flat, Virginia started to make the soup and Clara sat on the sofa reading a magazine. That was how Ella found them.

“I see you’ve got her slaving in the kitchen,” Ella said.

“
She offered,” Clara replied.

“
I know, but you could help.”

“
I went to the bloody supermarket, didn’t I?”

Ella sat down.
“I faxed the document and it’ll be ready in a day or two. We probably won’t have it for Josh’s first meeting with Isabelle, but that’s just the introduction, isn’t it?”

“
Yes, that’s fine. I’ll make sure Josh knows what he has to do over dinner tonight. You’ll meet him on Friday.”

Virginia appeared.
“Everything’s under control,” she announced.

“
She’s so fucking organised,” Clara groaned.

“
You OK?” Ella asked. Virginia nodded. “So, what now?”

“
Well, my cleaner must be sick because she hasn’t been this week. I don’t suppose you two could help me get this place clean, could you?” Clara suggested.

Ella looked sharply at Clara. She was the type of person who always got everyone else to do things for her. However, she had come through with the details for the plan that had eluded Ella. She felt she owed her.

“Sure,” they both said.

Ella was helping Clara clean the bedroom when she came across a vanity case filled with wraps of white powder.

“Your coke stash, I take it,” Ella said.

Clara snatched it off her.

“How much have you got in there?”

“
Look, I don’t take that much. Tim gave me most of this.”

“
So he gave you cocaine as well as everything else.”

“
I think he thought that if he kept me high I wouldn’t be able to work.”

“
Really?”

“
When I started working hard, he gave me more and more coke.”

“
How much do you use?”

“
Not much.”

“
Really?” Ella raised an eyebrow.

“
Yes, really. Now, how do you put a duvet cover on?”

The flat was cleaned, the dinner was cooking and Virginia wrote out instructions for Clara before they left.
“Have fun,” she said, and Clara watched them go.

“
I suppose one of us has to,” Ella said, feeling lonely.

“
Ella,” Virginia said.

“
Yes?”

“
What are you doing now?”

“
Going home, I guess.”

“
I don’t suppose you want some company? It’s just that, well, being alone is hard at the moment.” Virginia was nervous about saying what she felt, but she finished the sentence.

“
I tell you what, come to mine and we’ll have pasta for dinner. Not quite the feast you whipped up for the queen in there, but it’s better than nothing.” Ella was torn between wanting to reach out to Virginia and wanting to push her away. She felt sorry for her, but she didn’t particularly like her. However, she didn’t particularly like herself.

“Thank
s,” Virginia said.

***

They sat in Ella’s living room drinking red wine.

‘t
his is a great flat,” Virginia said.

“
I know, but it’s so big,” Ella said apologetically.

“
Compared to my shoebox.”

Compared to most flats in London. Great views, though.

“Look.” Ella led Virginia over to the window from where she could see the river all lit up.

“
It’s lovely,” Virginia said.

“
I know, but it’s so City. Shall I tell you something?” Virginia nodded. “When I got this job, I tried so hard to become a stereotype – I guess I thought it would stop people finding out. I bought this with my second bonus. I’d already bought the fast car and a wardrobe of pinstripe suits. I worked out in the gym with a trainer recommended to me by the HR woman. I mean, how sad is that?”

“
You wanted to fit in,” Virginia said.

“
I certainly did. But you know what everyone thinks about the City? They think it’s full of pinstripes and Porsches. But it’s more than that. I loved the atmosphere, the buzz, the sheer excitement of making money, the frustration of losing it. It was more than fitting in. I took that to extremes, but I loved my job.”

“
I know,” Virginia said.

“
How?” Ella asked.

“
I can hear it in your voice. I hated my job, and you know why. But I was about to get a job as a salesperson, my lifelong ambition. I wanted it for the same reasons you did, but I didn’t get it. Well, I nearly did, but I guess that doesn’t count, does it?”

“
It does. I don’t know how we can have something in common, but I guess we just found it.”

“
I know you think I’m boring. I think so too,” Virginia said.

“
I don’t,” Ella said, but not convincingly.

“
Never be a lawyer, Ella, you’re no good at lying.”

“
Virginia, was that almost a joke you cracked there?” They both laughed and went to make food.

By the time Virginia went home, she felt a lot better. And, for reasons she would never be able to explain, so did Ella.

***

Clara decided she loved Virginia. The food smelt divine and her step-by-step guide put Delia Smith to shame. When Josh turned up, Clara had changed into a sexy dress, she had put on her best underwear and had had a couple of lines of cocaine with a large vodka. She felt like a Girl Guide: she was prepared.

When Josh arrived, she almost fell apart just looking at him. She pulled herself together. “I hope you’re hungry,” she said, as he kissed her.

“
Starving,” he replied, and pinched her bottom.

“
Sit,” she commanded, and went to get the champagne. “How did you find that company so quickly?” she asked, as she poured it into two glasses.

“
Luck. My friend was talking about it in the office that morning. He’ll go mad if he knows I’ve told you, but I thought it through and I don’t see how anyone can ever find out.”

“
Of course they won’t. And if they do I’ll tell them I seduced it out of you.”

“
The judge would probably believe that. I should have held out for more seducing.”

“
I’m cooking you dinner, aren’t I?”

“
Yes, I was rather surprised. What are we having?”

“
Wait and see,” Clara couldn’t resist kissing his champagne lips before they sat at the dining-table.

Ella had set the table saying that she had been a waitress in a past life. She had made it look lovely with candles and flowers.

“I’m impressed. You make better girlfriend material every second,” Josh said, tasting the soup. “God, this is divine. How did you make it?”

“
Secret recipe,” Clara blushed. Josh was about the only person who could make her blush.

“
I’ll drink to that.” They had white wine with the soup, red wine with the main course, and although Clara didn’t eat much, Josh devoured it all. After cheese then more champagne, they settled together on the sofa.

“
I need to talk more about the plan,” Clara said.

“
You haven’t decided to abandon phase two?”

“
No, you said you’d do this, Josh, you have to.”

“
OK. You win, I’ll do it.” Josh was still smiling, but he was confused. He hadn’t expected to fall for Clara so heavily, but he had the minute he saw her again. He had been a bit tired of her before: she loved partying and she was so silly and immature. At the same time, he was going through women like they were about to go out of fashion. No one had held his interest for long, but now Clara seemed more grown-up and even more beautiful.

“
You’re going to Ella’s fitness club on Friday with Ella. She’ll point Isabelle out. You need to talk to her at some point, so look sexy. She’ll be playing squash and you should ask her if she’d like a game with you some time. Then you arrange it. That’s all you need to do at this stage.”

“
Right, even I can manage that. What if she tells me to piss off?”

“
Josh, has a woman ever told you to piss off?”

“
No.”

“
Well, then. After you play squash you ask her to dinner and then you get her back to your flat. Don’t forget to talk about your work all night, tell her how much information you’re privy to. But we can discuss that nearer the time. I can’t decide whether you should have two dates with her or just one. Um, what do you think?”

“
Whatever. Clara, can we talk about us now?”