The Second Chance Shoe Shop (14 page)

S
adie put
down her wine glass and wiped the tears falling from her eyes, but it was no use. For some reason, she couldn’t stop thinking about the night she and Ross met. She had been eighteen and carefree, out with her work colleague in the local nightclub. It had been called Tiffany’s and was in the building that Rembrandt’s now occupied. It was before she had started work at Chandler’s, long before she knew Riley and Dan. She and Lucy had been on the dance floor, energetically flinging their arms around, and had accidentally bumped into a group of men standing at the side. One of them had been Ross.

Sadie had paired up with him for a good kissing session, they’d fixed a date for the next evening, and their life as a couple began. Lucy had eventually married a man from Liverpool and had moved away. She and Sadie kept in touch with the odd text every now and then. Sadie and Ross were married three years after they met, just after her twenty-first birthday. They’d spent fifteen fabulous years together before the illness had taken him away.

She logged on to Grieve Together to see if Tanya was around. There was a message waiting for her.

Sadie paused. She hadn’t told anyone that before. She and Ross had been keen to have another child, but now she was glad that they hadn’t. It was one thing to have one child, an independent six-year-old who looked after herself more and more each day, but to throw a baby into the mix as well would have made things more than twice as hard. Of course, Christine didn’t mind looking after Esther, as she could have the day to herself while she was at school, but a baby would have been another matter. Maybe then Sadie would have had to give up her job completely and be a stay-at-home mum until they were both at school.

Sadie recalled what Ross had said to her on the morning before he’d died. ‘Find yourself someone else, another top man.’ He’d tried to laugh at his own attempt at a joke. ‘Don’t be on your own, and don’t feel guilty – someone else needs to love you as much as I do.’

Sadie closed the laptop. She knew in time that she would have to try – to give Esther a good upbringing as part of a family. Maybe she might meet someone else who had children?

Would she cope with stepchildren? She couldn’t see why not. She would have liked more children, but she wanted them to be hers and Ross’s.

More tears fell. Her mind was so mixed up. How would she get past the anniversary of his death? The first year without him. She still hadn’t decided what to do to mark the day. She could either go somewhere with Esther on their own, or involve everyone else.

Was it something she had to do solely with their daughter, or did she need to include family and friends? After all, they’d known him just as well, and they would be grieving too. She wasn’t the only one who had loved Ross and been left with a huge hole in her life. She could tell that Cooper was feeling it – coming round here, thinking he had to look after her because he had promised Ross that he would.

That was another thing she felt guilty about, especially after her outburst before the flash mob. One day, Cooper would have a family of his own, rather than trying to look out for her and Esther. She had been lucky that he was unattached. No girlfriend would let him spend all the time with her that he did at the moment without being jealous. She wouldn’t understand why they had such a close bond.

Sadie reached for her wine again. Talking to Tanya had made her feel a little better about the tears she had shed.

She tried to settle down and watch the television. Maybe catching up on
Coronation Street
would make her forget her own worries for a while, if she concentrated on someone else’s.

She scoffed. If only it were that simple.

D
an had hardly been
able to contain himself at work that day. Despite his misgivings about Sarah, he had decided to meet her again. And now that the initial shock had worn off, he found himself looking forward to seeing her that evening.

It had been like seeing a ghost when she had walked into the restaurant, and there was no denying that his heart had pounded when she smiled at him, sitting so close. She had kissed him at the end of the evening, before giving him a lift home. It had been a nervous kiss at first, tentative, daring even. Then they’d both relaxed into it, and it seemed as if they had never been apart. They’d pressed their bodies together, as good a fit as before. Breathless, they’d then pulled apart and gone their separate ways.

Yet, for some reason, he hadn’t been able to share his happiness with Riley and Sadie. Dan supposed it was a case of ‘once bitten, twice shy’. Getting back together with her would make him look like a fool. He didn’t want to chance it yet. He’d tell them when he was more comfortable with it himself.

He was a few minutes late when he pushed open the door to the busy bar and, glancing around quickly, was glad to see that Sarah was already there. She waved as he made his way over to her. There were two drinks already on the table.

‘How are you?’ He leaned over to kiss her, the familiar scent of her cloaking him.

‘I’m good, thanks.’ She smiled, taking his hand in hers. ‘How’s your day been?’

‘Hectic!’ Dan grinned. ‘I’m not getting trolled as the fat dancer, though, thank goodness. It’s Riley I’m worried about. She’s still getting the odd nasty comment, but we’re trying to keep everything positive by tweeting about the competition. There are some great photos of shoes coming through. Here, let me show you some.’

Dan got out his phone and scrolled through some of the competition entries, showing Sarah a few local celebrities who had joined in with the hashtag.

‘It all went a bit wild after Urban Angels joined in,’ Dan explained. ‘It’s been really busy in the shop, but it’s been great fun too. Everywhere I go, people start singing “Happy”. I get stopped in the High Street all the time.’

‘You’re a celebrity!’ Sarah’s laugh was friendly. ‘I can’t believe you, of all people, did that dance.’

‘Why ever not?’

‘You never wanted to dance whenever we went anywhere.’

‘That’s because I didn’t realise I
could
dance.’ He took a sip of his drink. ‘I’ve been thinking about taking classes. Serena, the dance instructor from the flash mob, has mentioned that I could join one of her regular groups. I thought it might help me to shift this too.’ He prodded his protruding stomach. ‘It’s a great way of keeping fit.’

‘Nonsense.’ Sarah put a hand on his chest. ‘I, for one, like you just the way you are.’

An hour later, they were still chatting but the mood had changed. There was a feeling of anticipation, a sense of urgency and the desire to be alone. Dan was the first to bring it up.

‘It’s busy in here, isn’t it?’ he said, glancing around the room. There were a few groups of people milling about the bar and most tables were full, but it wasn’t uncomfortable.

‘We could always have a coffee back at the flat?’ Sarah suggested.

‘I thought you’d never ask.’ Dan knocked back the last of his drink and stood up.

As Sarah parked her car outside his old home, a feeling of déjà vu washed over him. The last time he’d been to their old flat was to collect the rest of his belongings after he’d moved in with his parents, after Sarah had confessed to cheating. Pushing those thoughts to the back of his mind, he got out of the car. Now wasn’t the time to think about the past. He didn’t want anything to spoil the evening.

He held open the communal front door for Sarah to walk through first. Walking behind her up the two flights of stairs, he began to get excited. But stepping into the flat was a little weird, almost like being a stranger in his own home yet feeling as if he’d never been away.

The flat was exactly as he had left it. Nothing had moved. He sat down on the large leather corner settee they’d bought to create more space in the living room, glancing around at the wallpaper and paintings they’d hung together. There was even a photo of the two of them, taken in London last year, on the side unit.

‘So, do you want me to come dancing with you?’ Sarah shouted through from the kitchen, while she waited for the kettle to boil.

The question took him by surprise and he went in to her. ‘Well, yes, I suppose.’

‘You suppose?’ Sarah looked mock-insulted. She took one of his hands and put it around her waist. The other she clasped in the air. ‘I can do a mean tango,’ she said, proceeding to lead him across the tiny kitchen floor.

‘You don’t do it like that.’ Dan pulled her nearer and rested his cheek on hers. Then he strode across the room with her, humming a tune as he did so.

Sarah laughed as he turned. She followed his lead and they did it again. After a minute, laughing as they tangoed and then waltzed around the kitchen, they stopped, staring at each other while they caught their breath. The air was full of anticipation.

Sarah leaned forward and kissed him. It felt so good that for a moment he forgot to kiss her back. Within seconds, she reached for his jumper and pulled it over his head. He gasped as she touched the bare skin on his back. It was as if he’d been woken from a very long sleep. Sarah took his hand and led him through to the bedroom. As they removed each other’s clothes, Dan felt the passion building. They began to caress each other, knowing exactly how to give each other maximum pleasure. It felt so good to be together once more.

Afterwards, for a moment it was awkward again, until Sarah spoke.

‘That felt . . . strange,’ she admitted. ‘Kind of familiar but new at the same time.’

Dan nodded. ‘I was thinking the same thing.’

Sarah sat up. ‘Perhaps we should stay in bed and then do it again in a little while – you know, just so that it seems more natural. What do you think?’

Dan grinned. Oh, he was all for that.

‘I can’t see any harm in it,’ he said, as he pulled her into his arms again. How he’d missed doing that, holding her, making love to her.

And the next time, he was going to take the lead.

’
H
ow are
you feeling this morning?’ Dan asked Riley when they got into work. ‘I was checking Twitter last night. It seemed to be dying down a little.’

‘I’m okay,’ said Riley. ‘At least I’m today’s chip paper, so to speak. Someone else will take a battering online today, no doubt. How about you?’

Dan beamed.

‘Don’t tell me you’ve had a date that’s gone well!’

Then he blushed.

‘Oh!’ Riley gasped. ‘You’ve had a second date, haven’t you?’

Dan checked to see that Sadie wasn’t in hearing distance before looking back at Riley. ‘I have, and I haven’t.’

‘That sounds ominous.’ She beckoned him over to the till. Sadie was busy trying to persuade a three-year-old girl to take red pumps when she really wanted blue. There were only red ones left in her size and Sadie was trying to persuade her that red was a special colour.

Seeing Dan gnawing on his bottom lip, Riley knew that he wanted to speak but was unsure of the reply he’d get.

‘Come on, spill,’ she encouraged. ‘If she wasn’t the Bride of Godzilla, then what was she like?’

‘My blind date last week . . .’ Dan paused for a moment. ‘Turned out to be Sarah.’

Riley frowned before her eyes widened in disbelief. ‘As in,
your
Sarah?’

Dan nodded and quickly told her what had happened.

‘So why the long face?’

‘Because I wasn’t sure how you’d react.’

Riley snorted. ‘Like I’m the one to give out relationship advice.’

‘But you and Sadie were so pleased when I finished things with her.’

‘That was because we knew how hurt you were and we took your side. If you feel that you can make a go of things again, it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks.’

‘Sure it does! You are my friends. I value your opinions.’

‘You don’t need our approval! And we’ll always be here for you.’

‘I know, but I was hoping that you would swear and slag her off and tell me not to go there again so that I would stop seeing her and―’

‘What are you so scared of?’ Riley wasn’t one for mincing her words. She put her hand on his arm. ‘Getting intimate again?’

Dan’s face reddened in a second.

‘Oh,’ Riley grinned. ‘That
was
the second date. How do you feel about that?’

Dan smiled. ‘It was okay, actually. But . . . I don’t know. It was right. So familiar. But at the same time it felt so wrong. It was as if I was going backwards rather than moving forwards.’

‘Maybe it will take a little time to adjust.’ Riley patted him on the arm. ‘For things to slip back into place.’

‘What if it doesn’t work out, Riles?’

‘But, what if it
does
? Sarah knows she hurt you so much before. She won’t do it again, surely?’

Dan shrugged.

‘Anyone can make a mistake. It takes a lot of guts to say you’re sorry and to ask for forgiveness.’

‘I guess.’ Dan sighed.

An elderly gentleman in a dapper suit came into the shop and approached them.

‘If you feel you want to try again with Sarah, then do it,’ Riley said to him quickly. ‘Life’s too short, Dan. And, if it doesn’t work out, we’ll be here for hugs and pizza and cake― Hi there, can I help you?’

R
iley had only been back
from her lunch break for twenty minutes when a woman came in, walked straight up to her as she was checking through a list of invoices, and prodded her on the shoulder.

‘Do you enjoy going after other women’s men?’ she hissed.

Riley was taken aback by the woman’s tone. She didn’t recognise her at all. Late thirties at a guess, with blonde hair cut in a layered bob and red glasses that suited her face. Her clothes were smart and she was well turned out.

‘Hey, what do you think you’re doing?’ Dan was over to them in a flash.

The woman ignored him and continued to speak to Riley. ‘You were the one sleeping with my husband.’

‘I― I beg your pardon,’ Riley stuttered. Then she paled. Oh no, please, no. She couldn’t be talking about Nicholas. And if she was, how the hell had she found out? Ash was the only person she had told about what had happened. This was all she needed, with the farce that Clarissa had started still continuing online.

‘I saw your video,’ the woman continued, pointing a finger at her. ‘At first, I thought it was an excellent idea. I was even going to come down here myself and support you! But then I looked a little closer at you and I knew I recognised you from somewhere else.’ She pulled her mobile phone from her bag. ‘It was only last night that it came to me. It took me a while to check on his phone but, yes, there you were. Here, take a closer look. That’s you and him, isn’t it?’

Riley looked at the screen. It was a selfie of her and Nicholas. The woman must have copied it to from his phone to hers. It had been taken at Riley’s flat. She could remember the evening. She’d been happy then, not knowing any of his sordid secrets.

The stupid idiot – why the hell did he still have it?

The shop went silent as everyone waited for her to speak. What could she say but the truth? Which she had a feeling the woman wouldn’t want to hear.

‘It’s Liz, isn’t it?’ Riley said, quietly.

‘Yes.’ The woman nodded curtly.

‘He didn’t tell me he was married.’

‘And you expect me to believe that?’ The woman folded her arms.

‘But it’s not how it looks in―’ Riley began.

‘If what you’re suggesting is that Riley had an affair with your husband,’ said Dan, coming to her defence, ‘I suggest you get your facts straight first. She wouldn’t do that.’

‘I agree.’ Sadie stepped forward. ‘Riley isn’t that type of person.’

‘Thanks, Sadie.’ Riley tried to keep the shake from her voice. It had been bad enough when Clarissa had come into the shop and blasted her down in front of everyone. She wasn’t going to take it a second time.

‘I didn’t do anything wrong. Nicholas lied to us both.’

She saw Dan and Sadie share a look. Her shoulders drooped a little as she realised she had a lot of explaining to do once Liz had gone.

‘Do you want to come through to the staffroom and we can chat in private?’ she asked Liz, knowing that it was the lesser of two evils. She didn’t want her to cause more of a fuss in the shop, nor for it to spread out onto the High Street. It would be better if she could explain in private what had happened.

Liz stood still for a moment before nodding.

Feeling her skin flush as all eyes were on her, Riley led Liz through to the back, down the stairs and into the staffroom. She pointed to the small table crammed into the corner. ‘Please, sit down. I could do with a coffee. Would you like one?’

Liz shook her head. ‘I just want to know what’s going on.’

‘
Nothing
is going on. I haven’t seen Nicholas since last year.’

Liz frowned. ‘But I thought . . .’

The silence that fell became claustrophobic.

‘How long have you known?’ Riley asked eventually.

‘Since New Year. I found a present – I assume it was for you. It was shoved in the bottom of the wardrobe.’ Liz laughed snidely. ‘The idiot hadn’t even got the brains to hide it somewhere I wouldn’t find it, or even throw it away. It was wrapped in Christmas paper and had a tag with your name on it.’

Riley cringed inwardly. The stupid idiot, indeed.

‘When I confronted him, he said that it was for a woman at work. He said the gift was to thank her for helping him out with a business deal that had brought in a lot of money. It was a token gesture.’

‘And you didn’t believe him?’

Liz shook her head. ‘He’s cheated twice before. Both times I took him back because I don’t have the financial means to cope on my own. With two children under five, I know the law is on my side, but where would I go? I can’t throw him out of the house.’

Riley kept her expression neutral, fuming inwardly. He’d done it before? But of course. It was obvious.

‘So you checked his phone and found the photo of me?’ she asked.

Liz nodded. ‘How long did the affair go on?’

‘Four months. I only saw him a couple of times a week.’

‘Let me guess. Tuesdays and Thursdays?’

‘Yes, and the odd Friday.’

‘When he told me he was playing squash.’

Riley grimaced. ‘He told me he worked away, so couldn’t see me any more regularly. It was when it came to Christmas that it fell apart. I wanted to share Christmas Day with him.’

‘I don’t understand.’ Liz looked up with tears in her eyes. ‘How could he have left us at Christmas? How could he do that to his children?’

‘He couldn’t.’

‘Sorry?’

‘If you want to make your marriage work,’ said Riley, ‘that’s what you need to focus on. He couldn’t leave you for me.’

‘That doesn’t excuse what he did to us both!’

‘Maybe not. But when it came down to it, he didn’t want to leave you and the children.’

‘He didn’t want to rock the boat, you mean,’ Liz scoffed, folding her arms. ‘It was easier for him to walk away from you than it was to walk away from two children and a marriage. Don’t take this the wrong way, but he’ll probably have moved on to some other woman now. He can’t keep his dick in his trousers. He’s always been selfish, always wanted the best of both worlds.’

Riley looked away, tears welling in her eyes as the emotions came flooding back. She could spare Liz her tears at least.

‘Does he know that you know?’ she asked instead.

Liz shook her head. ‘Not yet. But his balls will be black by the time I’ve finished squeezing them.’

‘I am sorry,’ said Riley, sinking down into a chair opposite Liz. ‘Despite what you may have read about me lately, I would never have started an affair with a married man. He was deceitful to us both, but he was disloyal to you.’

‘Much more than you’ll ever know.’

‘I suppose you need to ask yourself how much you love him. Or how much you love what he can give you. If that’s enough, then great. But I suspect it isn’t.’

Liz shook her head. ‘He doesn’t think I’ll ever leave him. He thinks I’ll play along with it.’ She sat up tall. ‘He’s right about one thing, though. I
won’t
leave. I’ve put my heart and soul into our house, and looking after the children is my job.
He
can find somewhere else to live.’

Riley couldn’t help but smile. ‘Good for you,’ she said. ‘It won’t be easy, but it’s a start.’ Her smile slipped then. ‘I really am sorry.’

Liz nodded. ‘I should have got my facts right before I walked in here. But I was so angry when I saw you on YouTube.’

‘It’s forgotten.’ Riley waved the comment away, wishing everything else could be forgotten as easily.

They sat in quiet for a moment while Liz regained her composure. She stood up.

‘I’d better go. Leave you to your work while I sort out my own mess.’ She laughed awkwardly. ‘Maybe I should dump him by social media. It would serve him right.’

Riley balked. ‘Please don’t share that photo. I’ve had enough bad press with someone else blaming me for―’

‘I wouldn’t do that.’

‘Thanks.’ Riley’s shoulders dropped. ‘You should definitely dump him, though,’ she agreed.

Once Liz had gone, panic overtook Riley. Although she knew it was unlikely that Clarissa would find out about Liz and Nicholas, she hoped that none of what had happened today would leak out onto social media. Because if it did, it would just add more controversy.

And Suzanne didn’t need any more ammunition to call off the competition.