Wags To Riches (20 page)

I think about Adam and how happy I am when I’m with him.  About how nice he is and how lucky I am to have him.  “Absolutely” I say firmly.

“Well there’s your answer” Alex says.  “You’ll be fine – and if you’re not…”

“If I’m not?” I repeat slowly.

“If you’re not – you’ll sort it out – just like anybody else would.  Don’t worry about that though Gail, because you don’t need to.  You’re going to be fine” Alex says.

“Thanks mate” I say.

“It’s all right – you’re just feeling a bit nervous, which is perfectly natural you daft cow!” Alex adds and I laugh.  “Now come on, let’s go.  I can’t wait to see your new house and get that champagne open!”

“Right” I say firmly, “Let’s go.  Where are Gina and Sharon?”

“When I left them, they were sat in Gina’s car, talking about shoes” Alex says laughing as we go into the kitchen.  I lock the back door and then we go back into the hall and out the front door. I look up at the house as I lock the door.  “Bye house” I say and my eyes fill with tears.  Honestly.  Get a grip girl.

“Are you all right?” Alex asks concerned and I nodded, brushing underneath my eyes really carefully with my fingertips so I don’t smudge my mascara.

“I’m fine” I say smiling, “I’m just being an idiot that’s all.  Let’s go”.

“Yes lets” Alex says and links arms with me as we walk down to Gina’s car.  “Don’t be sad Gail” she says.  “Don’t think about leaving here – just think about where you are going to be living instead!  You are going to be living in a palace!” she says excitedly and I laugh.

“Are we ready to go?” Gina asks smiling as we get into the car.

“Yes let’s go” I say and sit back into the seat.  I feel scared and yet excited at the same time.  New life starts now then I think as Gina accelerates away down the street.  That’s if Gina’s driving doesn’t kill us all first.

****

Later, after a lovely champagne lunch with the girls, I sit down alone on the bottom step of the huge oak staircase and look round the reception area.
  I then look up at the beautiful chandelier that hangs down in the centre of the ceiling and a wide smile makes its way across my face.  This is it!  This is now my home!  I can’t believe it!  I hope I’ve done the right thing moving in with Adam – I’m sure I have.  It feels right.  Anyway – I suppose I’d better make a start on emptying some boxes while I wait for Adam to get back.  I find my little portable stereo, plug it in on the landing and fiddle about with the radio for a few moments, trying to find a sports radio station so I can keep up to date with the score in Adam’s match.  To my delight I find one that is covering the match in full, which is great as it means I can hear how it’s going while I unpack.

I carry a pile of clothes into the dressing room and lift my Prada jacket out of one of the boxes, marvelling at the neatness of Gina’s packing.  Suddenly I hear the commentator mention Adam’s name and I rush out of the room to better hear what the commentator is saying – “Yes – Finchley is certainly one of the key players on the team this season – he’s just made another brilliant pass to Winters...”  I feel a huge surge of pride and beam at the radio.

At six thirty I see Adam’s car pull in front of the house and I hurry to the front door and fling it open.  Adam steps out of the car and runs up to me, a wide smile across his face.  “Hey - guess what?  We won!” he says, picking me up and spinning her round.

“I know!  I was listening to it on the radio!” I reply giggling as he puts me down again.  “You want to be careful picking me up – you might hurt your back!”

Adam laughs.  “How has it been today?  Has everything gone all right?” he asks as we go into the house.

“It’s been fine” I reply, closing the front door.  “Alex, Sharon and Gina helped me and the removal men were really good – so yeah, it was fine.  I did feel a bit panicky at one point, because I thought we were never going to finish, but it all got sorted.  I didn’t know where to put some of my things though, like my ornaments and stuff,” I add, pointing to a couple of boxes at the bottom of the stairs.

“Put them wherever you like Gail.  This is your home too now you know!” Adam says and pulls me close for a hug.

“I know.  I can’t quite believe it really!” I say.

“Well it’s true!” Adam says grinning, “And tonight – we go out!”

“Oooh - lovely!” I say delighted, “Where are we going?”

“Somewhere very exclusive and expensive” Adam replies.  “I’ve got a table booked for eight so look sharp and go and get ready.”

****

“Gail?” Adam calls from the bedroom.  I’m in the dressing room and just putting my earrings in.  I’ve decided to wear my new crimson dress that I had bought when I went shopping with Gina and am just trying to work out which shoes to wear with it. 

“Yes?” I reply, trying to put the back on my earring.

“Come here a minute, I’ve got something for you”.

I walk into the bedroom where Adam is just sitting down on the edge of the bed.  “Sit down” he says and I sit down next to him.  “Here you go” he says and gives me a small navy leather box. 

“What’s this?” I ask smiling.

“A little moving in present.  Open it!” Adam says smiling back.

I open the box.  “Oh my God!” I say.  Inside is the most beautiful bracelet I’ve ever seen.  Large diamonds were clustered round smaller ones in a flower shape that repeats itself round and round the bracelet.  “Oh Adam it’s lovely!” I breathe.  “Are they like – real diamonds?”

“Oh definitely” Adam says.  “Well, they’d better be or I’ve been ripped off big time!” he continues and I laugh.  “Here - let me put it on you”.  He lifts the bracelet out of the box, puts it round my wrist and gently fastens the clasp.  Even in the dim light of Adam’s bedside lamp, the diamonds sparkle and twinkle.  I hold my arm out and twist my wrist left and right, admiring the bracelet.  It is so beautiful!  I feel quite overwhelmed.

“Adam – it’s fantastic!” I say.  “Thank you so much!”

“Pleasure.  I’m glad you like it!” Adam says smiling as he stands up.  “Now - are you about ready?” he asks as he walks over to the chair to get his jacket, “Because I am absolutely bloody starving!”

“Almost” I say going back into the dressing room whilst still admiring my bracelet, “I just need to decide what shoes to wear”.

“Oh right – I’ll change the reservation to nine then shall I?” Adam calls.

“I shall pelt you with shoes in a minute you cheeky git!” I reply and Adam laughs.  I’ve narrowed it down to a shortlist of three – I don’t know what he’s talking about.

I take the week off work to unpack and get settled in.  When I’m not busy unpacking boxes of books and clothes, I’m walking round the house and the garden, looking at everything in wonder and not quite believing how lucky I am.  Early on Thursday morning when Adam’s left for training, I stand outside looking at the back garden, a mug of hot tea in my hand.  All I can hear is the sound of birds in the trees.  It’s so peaceful here.  I didn’t realise how noisy my old street was, what with traffic thundering past all the time and people making a noise when they come back from the pub and deciding to have an argument outside my house.  Just got used to it I suppose.  It’s so nice to have all this space as well.  And it’s
fantastic
to have a swimming pool!  I’ve had a swim every morning this week – it’s so great to have a whole swimming pool to myself – being able to just swim up and down the pool and look out at the garden outside.  God – it’s going to be such a shock on Monday when I have got to get up and go to work.  In fact I’m dreading it.  I like being here – it’s wonderful.

“Hi!  Have you had a nice morning?” Adam says and kisses me when he comes back from training.  “What have you been up to?”

“I’ve had a very nice swim and then I’ve done a bit more unpacking” I reply.  “How was training today?”

“Fine thanks” Adam replies.  “Oh I meant to ask – are you around tomorrow morning?”

“Yes - why?”

“Well the cleaner will be coming in – she’s been away on holiday, but she’s back tomorrow so you’ll get to meet her.  She comes in three times a week”.

Hurray!  He’s got a cleaner as well – I was starting to think about going round with the hoover, but had not actually done any.  “Oh great!” I say, “I was going to go to the supermarket tomorrow morning as well if that’s okay as we are out of nearly everything” I say.

“Well if you don’t mind going that would be great,” Adam says.  “I’ll be getting up quite early tomorrow and I will be out most of the day as I’ve got an extended training session and then a meeting with my accountant.  If you are still in bed when I go, I’ll leave you some money for the food shopping under the fruit bowl”.

“Thank you” I say, “Now, what would you like for lunch?”

* * * *

The next morning after Adam’s left for training, I get up and have a quick swim before going back upstairs to shower and get dressed.  I pad downstairs to the kitchen and notice the fruit bowl is tilting rather a lot to one side, so I go over to it and see that there is a
huge
wad of notes underneath it.  I slide the notes out and count them.  Good God.  Adam has left me £300 for the grocery shopping! Does he think I’m actually going to fetch the pasta from Italy?  I shake my head in disbelief before folding the notes carefully in half and pushing them into the back pocket of my jeans.  That’s nearly double what I would normally spend in a month on food.  I make myself some tea and toast.  Bloody hell. 

After breakfast I clean my teeth and then wander into the dressing room to try and choose a coat to wear.  I don’t feel like wearing my electric blue furry coat for some reason and instead plump for my black Prada jacket that Gina had packed so beautifully and that teamed with my new jeans and boots, looks ubër cool.  I look at myself in the mirror for a moment.  I look so different from when I first met Adam in the supermarket.  But then, that’s what designer clothes do isn’t it?  I’m still me though inside.  Still riddled with self doubt and eat far too much chocolate. 

I get a taxi to the supermarket and potter round, trying to think what to get Adam for his tea.  Ooooh - fresh sea bass!  I bet he’d love that I think as I spot the special offer on the fish counter.  The assistant weighs two pieces and I ask him to change one of them for a larger piece.  Makes a change from when I normally buy fish – opting to spend more instead of getting the smallest piece I can to suit my budget.  Now - what will go with the sea bass?  A nice seafood salad and some noodles I think.  And I need to sort out some lunch for me as well today.  Think I’ll have a crisp sandwich and an apple.  Lovely.  I pick up some organic apples and put them in the trolley, along with organic raspberries, bananas, potatoes and mushrooms.  I’ll get some steak as well - I know Adam likes steak.  I head to the meat section and have a look through the packs, but can’t see anything that looks nice. 

I then spot two large organic rib eye steaks and can’t help but flinch at the price.  Good grief!  For that they should be wrapped in gold leaf.  They do look nice though.  Think I’ll get those.  Now what else?  Oh yes - mackerel.  I’ll get some salad to go with that and the potatoes.  I pick up a pack of mackerel fillets, then get some milk and t
ry to think what else we need. I ought to have done a list really.  Mind you, it’s great to just wonder round and buy whatever I want and not have to stick to a budget!  I’ve never been able to do this before.  Ooooh - organic bread!  I’ll have two loaves of that as well!  I also buy some Belgian chocolate biscuits, a big bag of chips and a box of the same really posh pasta that Adam had picked up on the night we met and I can’t help but smile to myself when I put the box into the trolley.  I’m such a prat.

I walk past the frozen dessert freezers and see some ice cream that I’ve always wanted to buy, but never have because it’s two pounds more than the supermarket’s own version and I’ve never been able to quite justify it to myself.  But today is different - today is the day when I can finally get to try the posh ice cream!  I pick up a tub of organic vanilla ice-cream with dark chocolate sauce and fudge pieces.  It looks bloody
marvellous
! I put it into the trolley and promise myself that I will do some extra sessions in the pool to make up for it.

Right – what else?  Ah yes – need some essentials too.  I pick up some washing liquid and top of the range quilted loo rolls.  No cheap scratchy arse paper today!  I also pick up a huge bunch of lilies to replace those in the bedroom and just before I go to the checkout, I get a bottle of wine.  Well – I can’t drink champagne all the time can I?  I think to myself and laugh.  What sort of world am I in where absurd statements like that can be made?  Before I met Adam my idea of luxury was putting the heating on for an hour.  I make my way to the expensive wines section, pick up a bottle of a stout looking red and read the label on the back.  That sounds nice.  I’ll have that.  I look at the price tag.  £19.99.  I’ve never spent more than £4.99 on a bottle of wine before – well apart from Christmas when I push the boat out and get a bottle of champagne for Christmas Day.  Right – better go and pay now I think.

  “That’s £96.37 please” the checkout operator says as I put the last few things into a bag. 

“How much sorry?” I ask feeling slightly faint at the amount of money I’ve spent.