Wags To Riches (41 page)

   “Go to check-in and then through to departures straight away” she says.

   “Okay.  Thanks a lot.  I really appreciate it”.

   “No problem” the girl says and I hurry over to check in.  I then quickly ring Alex to tell her what flight I’m on and hurry to the departure lounge.

In no time at all, the plane boards and I find my seat.  I shove my bag under the seat in front, fasten my seatbelt, sit back in the seat and close my eyes, feeling totally devastated.  How could he do this?  And her – bloody Justine!  Bloody cow!  How could she do this?  What gives a woman the right to walk into another woman’s life and wreck it – to whip the carpet out from under her feet and completely turn her life upside down?  Awful mental images of them together flash in front of my eyes and inwardly I wince.  The plane starts speeding up and soon we are taking off.  I bite my lip, trying not to cry again.

   “Would you like a drink?” a voice suddenly asks at my side.  I open my eyes with a start and one of the cabin crew is stood there smiling with a drinks trolley.  She looks about the same age as me, but with a lot more makeup on.

   “Cup of tea please” I say quietly.  The girl pours some water into the cup and pulls the plastic tray down on the back of the seat in front of me so she could rest the cup on it.  “Can I have a bar of
Dairy Milk
as well please?” I ask.

   “There you go,” she says, handing me a bar of chocolate.  “Cheer up – it might never happen,” she continues breezily and a huge sob wells up in my throat.  Suddenly I’m crying like mad, tears running down my face and then my nose starts running and there’s all this snot and tears everywhere.  “Oh dear me!” the air hostess says, looking at me with eyes full of concern, “let me find you a tissue”.  She rummages in a little basket underneath the trolley and then gives me a small packet of tissues.  The man sitting next to me looks at me and then looks away, faintly embarrassed as I try to stop crying.

   “What is it?  Is it flying?” the air hostess asks and I shake my head, snivelling.

   “Is it a man?” she asks quietly and I nod my head and screw my eyes up. The air hostess crouches down next to me.  “Right – I’ll just get one of the other girls to take the trolley down to the other passengers and then you can tell me all about it” she says, patting my arm, before standing up and gesturing towards one of the other cabin crew members stood further down the plane.

Sometime later, there isn’t just the girl who was pushing the trolley earlier stood near me, but two other cabin crew members as well.

   “Bloody men!” the trolley-pushing girl says and the other two nod in agreement after I tell them what happened between me and Adam, although I don’t tell them who Adam is, just that he’s someone quite famous.

   “We’ve heard it all before on here haven’t we?” one of the girls says to the trolley pushing girl who nods her head vigorously.

   “Do you remember that girl who sings in that band – you know - them that had the Christmas number one last year?” she says and the other two nod.  “She had flown in to surprise her fella and found him in bed with someone else!” she explains to me.

   “Really?” a woman chips in from the row across from me.  The cabin crew all nod their heads slowly.

   “Yes – she just got straight on the first plane back and cried all the way didn’t she – poor thing!” one of the other girls says.

   “Bloody men!” says the trolley-pushing girl again.

   “Hey we’re not all like that,” the guy sitting next to me says unexpectedly.  We all turn to stare at him.  “Well we’re not!” he says and then adds, “If you want my opinion, I think that the bloke in question is an idiot,” and I can’t help but smile weakly.

   “We’re going to be landing soon so we’d better go and get some things sorted,” the trolley-pushing girl says.  “Sure you’ll be okay?” she asks.

   “I’ll be fine.  Thanks a lot” I say and the girl pats me on the arm, before heading off down the aisle.

   “You’ll be fine!” one of the other girls says and gives me an encouraging smile as she walks off.

   “You will you know,” the woman sat across from me adds.

   “Thanks” I say and take a deep breath.  At this moment though, I don’t think I’ll ever feel fine again.

   I arrive at the airport, and after collecting my suitcase, put on my sunglasses to hide my red eyes.  I’m glad I do because as I walk through into arrivals, I walk straight into a photographer in search of a story.

   “Gail!  You must be devastated!” he says, rushing up to me.  “Any comment on the stories?”

   “I have no comment to make at this time thank you” I say whilst thinking, why don’t you just piss off and leave me alone?  I don’t know why I thought I liked this celebrity game.  It’s horrible, absolutely horrible.  I rush over to Alex who I can see waiting for me, looking anxious.  As soon as she sees me, Alex runs towards me and envelopes me in a massive hug.

   “Gail!  Are you all right?” she asks.

   “I’ve been better, I have to say,” I say, giving her a wan smile.

   “Come on – let’s go home.  We can talk about it in the car on the way back,” she says, leading the way out of the terminal building to the car park.  We get to the car, put my suitcase in the boot and set off.

   “So what happened then?” Alex asks and I tell her all about the massive argument I had with Adam earlier. 

   “It was dreadful Alex – I just can’t believe it,” I say snivelling.

   “I know.  It sounds awful,” Alex says soothingly.  “Look, you are welcome to stay at ours for a bit while you sort things out - if you don’t mind sleeping on the settee that is - because the spare room is full of decorating stuff at the moment”.

   “Thanks Alex” I say gratefully.

   “I’m just going to nip in the supermarket” Alex says as we near her home “and get some things I need.  Do you want to wait in the car or do you want to come in with me?” she asks as she pulls into a car parking space.

I rub my face with my sleeve.  “I’ll come in actually – I need to get some bits and bobs myself” I say.  “I did leave in rather a hurry and I think I’ve left most of my toiletries behind”.

   “Okay” Alex says and we get out of the car and go into the supermarket.  I pick up a basket and quickly select some shampoo, conditioner and shower gel.  I’m just about to go to the till when I notice one of the newspapers on the stand near the magazines and my mouth drops open.  There’s only a picture of Brenda from
Delightful Plastic
draped across the front of the newspaper, wearing just a pair of knickers under the headline –

‘ANOTHER FINCHLEY EXCLUSIVE!’

And like a moth to a flame, I have to go and look at it.  Oh my God!  Brenda is only claiming in an exclusive on page 9 that she fell for Adam’s charms as well after they had flirted a bit in a nightclub!  “BRENDA?” I say loudly in complete disbelief.  I feel sick.  I can’t read any more.  Adam hasn’t even met Brenda!  The lying cow!  I think furiously.  I thought she was my friend!  Some friend!

   “What are you looking at?” Alex says, walking up behind me.  She looks at the newspaper and gasps.  “Oh my God!  No way!” she whispers.  “I can’t believe she has done this!”

   “Neither can I” I say quietly.

   “Well you know that it’s not true!” Alex says.  “God!  The two faced conniving cow!  I can’t believe she has made all this up and for what?  A bit of money?  You wait till I see her!” She shakes her head.  “What a bitch!”

   “I don’t think I can take much more today” I say, putting the newspaper back.  I feel sick.  “Look,” I say in a low voice to Alex, “I feel really tired and I just want to get out of here.  Let’s pay for this shopping and go home.  I need to ring my mum and dad as well – let them know that I’m staying at yours”.  I feel so exhausted and stressed and fraught that I’m sure what I’m saying isn’t making sense anymore.

   “Right.  Come on, let’s go” Alex says.  We pay for our shopping and as Alex drives home, I reach for my phone and switch it back on.  I’ve got several voicemail messages.  Heart pounding, I press the button to listen to the messages.  I bet they are from Adam and sure enough, seconds later, his voice comes on the line.

   “Gail – it’s me.  Please ring me so we can talk about this.  Call me when you get this message.” 

   I don’t think so I think and immediately delete the message.  I listen to the second message, again from Adam, but this one is much briefer.  “Gail – it’s Adam.  Please phone me” he says and then hangs up.

   “Adam’s left two messages” I say.

   “Don’t you think you should ring him and talk to him properly?” Alex says gently.

   “No!” I shout suddenly, making Alex jump.  “Look – I’m sorry – I’m feeling really shitty and tired and hungry – I can’t think straight at the minute!”

   “All right, all right” Alex replies soothingly, “let’s get home and have something to eat, a glass of wine and then you’d better get some rest.  I’m sure things will look a lot better in the morning”.

   “I doubt it,” I say miserably.  Things will still be as shit in the morning as they are now.

“It’s only us!” Alex shouts up the stairs as she opens the door.  “Do you want a cup of tea Dave?” she calls as I lift my suitcase inside.

   “Yes please!” Dave answers from upstairs.

   “He’s painting the landing” Alex explains, “I’ll just make us all a drink Gail, and then I’ll sort out some dinner”. She takes off her coat and goes to hang it up.  She then carries the shopping into the kitchen, fills the kettle and starts to put the shopping away.

   “I’ll make the tea Alex,” I say, taking three mugs off the mug tree.

   “Oh thanks Gail” she replies, putting a bag of frozen veggie mince into one of the freezer drawers.  “Is pizza and chips all right for tea?”

“Yeah great – whatever” I reply.  I’m so hungry I don’t really care.  I know a lot of women can’t eat when they’re upset but it’s the opposite with me.  Right now, I could eat a bloody horse and a mangy one at that as I am so hungry.

Just then Dave walks in, wearing paint splattered jeans and T-shirt.  “I’m gasping for a cup of tea” he says.  “How are you Gail – all right?” he asks smiling kindly at me. 

   “Yeah, not too bad thanks” I reply smiling back.  “How’s the decorating going?”

   “Oh all right thanks” he says smiling.  “Ceiling was a bit of a sod, but I’ve done it now”.

   Alex looks up from the freezer drawer she is busily rearranging.  “You’ve finished the ceiling?” she says delighted.  “Oh brilliant!  Thanks Dave!  I’ll go up and have a look at it in a minute when I’ve had a drink”. 

   “Just watch yourself on the stairs – the walls are still a bit wet” Dave says, “Oh thanks Gail,” he says to me as I pass him a cup of tea.  “How was the traffic Alex?  Not too bad?”

   “Not too bad at all.  There were road works between junctions 17 and 18, but apart from that it was fine” Alex replies.

   “Oh that’s good.  I’ve arranged to meet Rob for a pint later by the way, after I’ve had some dinner” Dave continues, drinking his tea.  “Think I’ve earnt it, seeing as you abandoned me halfway through doing the ceiling to dash off to the airport!  Only joking,” he adds, his eyes twinkling at Alex.

   “Any excuse for a pint!” she replies and smiles at him fondly.  “Well, I’ll get some pizza and chips started then”.

   “Marvellous” Dave replies, “And be very generous with the chips – I’m starving!  I’ll go and tidy up and then I’ll get cleaned up,” he says, getting up and going back upstairs.

   “Thanks for coming to fetch me Alex.  I’m sorry I dragged you away from your decorating” I say apologetically.

   “Oh don’t be!  I’m not!” Alex replies laughing.  “Anyway, I can’t leave you stranded at the airport can I?  Which pizza would you like?” she asks, “Pepperoni or spinach and ricotta cheese?  I’m sorry it’s only pizza - I know you must be used to eating really posh food now!”

   “Don’t be daft – it’s fine,” I say hastily.  “Spinach and ricotta pizza would be great”.

* * * *

“I’m off then,” Dave says later, sticking his head round the living room door after we’ve had dinner and washed up.

   “See you later” Alex says and gets up from the sofa to give him a kiss.  I hear the front door open and close and Alex waves at Dave through the window.  “Right – I’ll just go and fetch some wine” she says and goes into the kitchen, returning a few moments later carrying two wine glasses, a bottle of wine and a huge bar of chocolate. 

   “It’s alright Gail, calories don’t count when you are upset – I checked with the diet police,” she says grinning at me.  She pours out two generous glasses of wine and sits down on the sofa.  “Here you go – get that down you” she says, passing one of the glasses to me.

   “Cheers” I say and take a generous gulp of wine.  “I don’t know what I’m going to do now you know” I say to Alex.

   “How do you mean?” Alex asks, opening the chocolate and snapping off a few chunks.

   “Well – I’ve got nowhere to live, no job, no boyfriend, nothing” I say and I can feel tears welling up in my eyes.  “I wish I’d never packed in my job at
Delightful
”.