Yours Unfaithfully (51 page)

“Of course Nina. Anyway, it’s not his wife’s affair that bothers me. It’s his affair with you in the Lake District that I don’t like.”

“Hugh, I may have fallen for your little trick once but I’m not about to do so again.”

“So you did have an affair?”

“Hugh, I didn’t have an affair and you are going where you have no right to so leave it ...please?”

“Nina, my concern is based purely on the oldest motive for crime on our planet ... jealousy. You know how I feel about you. I want you again, in fact I want you full stop.”

“It was a mistake, Hugh. I already told you ... there’s someone else.”

“But that someone is married to your best friend, Nina. You are messing with dynamite and when your little secret comes out, as it will, then you’d better be prepared for the fall out.”

“Hugh, is there anything I can say that will make you butt out?”

“You could say you’ll have dinner with me tonight ... and stay over.”

“Dinner yes, stay over, no. I’ll ring my mother and check she’ll have the kids tonight, but I’ll be sleeping in my own bed... OK?”

“Very reasonable. I’ll pick you up from your place at eight.”

“Actually, Hugh, It’s just what I needed, a night out to cheer me up and make me forget all my problems.”

“You can tell me all your problems tonight.”

“I don’t think so, Hugh, but thanks anyway.”

Hugh was a regular in several of the best restaurants in town. He could get a table with one phone call even when the place had been fully booked for weeks. The Lobster Pot was a favorite of his, one he knew she would appreciate. She’d already told him of her love for all things fish.

The head waiter showed them to their table in the marbled palace that was a shrine to good food. A glass chandelier lit the room, while at the table a white candle lit their faces. In a cut glass vase, a single Ena Harkness red rose exuded its fabulous perfume. The setting was perfect, as was the service. The food was divine.

“Hugh, you’re hoping this meal will be an aphrodisiac... right?”

“Nina, I’ve already proved I don’t need any stimulant to win your affection, have I not?”

“You caught me in a moment of extreme weakness, Hugh, don’t assume that I’m an easy lay just because you got lucky last time, OK?”

“I employ you to give me good advice, Nina. Is that the best you can do?”

“For the moment, yes.”

“Good, then I’ll ask you again in a couple of hours.”

“My advice will be the same, Hugh, sorry, but if it wasn’t, you’d say I was inconsistent.”

He smiled easily and let her have her way. He’d found her weakness, her continual desire to be in control, to show her power. He’d let her have her way ... for now.

By the time the coffee and mints were served they’d both drunk far too much to drive. Hugh called a taxi and they rested on each other as they headed towards Elmthorpe. Nina didn’t question his decision to pay off the taxi and help her inside.

“Nina, do you think we could have a drop of something to go with the coffee?”

“How about a Cointreau?”

“Perfect.”

She poured the drinks and then slumped ungraciously next to him. “Cheers.”

He raised his glass, “Cheers, Nina, thank you for a wonderful evening.”

They clinked glasses and stared at each other. Hugh took her free hand and kissed it before moving in to kiss her lips. She responded willingly and they put their empty glasses on the floor to give themselves two free hands.

Nina warmed to Hugh’s advance. She hated spending her nights here alone and he was not only handsome and worldly, he was unattached.

The clock radio burst into life as usual at six thirty. Nina rubbed her eyes and gently sat up. At first her recollections of last night were hazy, distant ... but when she saw the sleeping torso of her boss beside her it all came flooding back with startling harshness. The reality of morning.

No point in complaining now, better get up, shower and bring him breakfast.

As she drove him into town to pick up his car, they talked about the day ahead as if nothing had happened. She dropped him off at the multi-story, then carried on to the office where they would soon meet up again for work.

When she checked her e-mails just before lunch she found a short message.

“I promised you would sleep in your own bed last night, and I kept my promise. Until next time ... Love Hugh xx”

An exchange of mails followed. “You were a perfect gentleman just as I expected. I wasn’t disappointed. Nina xxx”

He replied within seconds. “I’m serious, Neen, I want you 24 x 7 x 365.”

“Is that a proposal Hugh? ...If so it lacks the romance I would have expected from you.”

“It wasn’t a proposal ... that comes later, over dinner tonight ...?”

“I accept the invitation. Will sir be requiring a room?”

“Sir would be pleased to accept your kind offer.”

She heard him laughing from behind the partition which separated their offices. She smiled to herself. Life was better than it had been in years ... Ben had done her a huge favour when he moved himself into Beckie’s little hovel.

Planning a party would have to involve Nina, even if Mel was a bit sore with her over the seemingly pointless trip in search of Ben and the children. Anyway she wasn’t one to stay moody for long. When Nina said she wanted to share a bottle of white and bring Melanie up to date on things at work, she saw it as an opportunity to involve Nina in the plans for the party.

They sank back onto Nina’s cream leather sofa in preparation for an evening of tittle tattle, to be washed down with a Pinot Grigio that she had picked up at lunch time. As we don’t have the luxury of a nice Italian man to spend the evening with I thought this would be next best, she said.

“Fancying a Latin lover, are you?”

“I’m not sure if I’d have any time spare for one right now,” Nina replied.

“Really... does that mean that there’s romance in the air, Neen?”

“Could be. I think it’s up to me ... Hugh is coming on strong.”

“Wow, you could do a lot worse. I watched him when we were in Poland, he’s sophisticated, he’s exactly what a lot of women yearn for, me included.”

“I know, what a difference to Ben. I look back now and wonder how I put up with him for all those years.”

“Ben’s a slob, Neen, but even slobs can be attractive sometimes.”

“Well, I’m done with slobs. From now on I want my men to be successful, well heeled and passionately attentive to my every need.”

“Men... how many are you planning to have?”

“I don’t know ... how many do you think I should have?”

“Well, you know what they say, Neen, if two isn’t enough, ten isn’t too many.”

“Actually, Mel, I think it’s... ‘if one isn’t enough’...”

“Oh who cares ... what’s one man more or less between friends?”

“Exactly, but the advantage of Hugh is that he’s unattached, which means that if he’s serious ... well who knows? He’s got distinct possibilities!”

“Is that what you want, Neen, a partner? Another long-term one-on-one relationship?”

“Isn’t that what we all want, deep down, Mel?”

“Yes, I suppose so, but only if it’s with someone who lights you up inside, someone who can touch that soft spot, make you feel special when you’re feeling like shit.”

“Doesn’t Tim do that for you?”

“Not any more, Neen. In fact if I’m honest, he hasn’t done so for years. Sure, I love him because we’ve been together a long time. We’ve got three kids, we rub along together, discuss problems when we have to, get through life’s ups and downs together, but I can’t put my hand on my heart and say I long to spend time alone with him.”

“What you’re really saying Mel is you love him, but you’re not
In Love
with him.”

“That is exactly the way it is ... we make love but we’re not lovers.”

“Tell me honestly, Mel, is he you’re best friend?”

“Honestly... no. I can talk more easily to Ratty about my period pains or my varicose veins or about anything than I can to Tim.’

“That rhymed, Mel; that was quite good for a spontaneous quote.”

‘Spontaneous, that’s how I am when I’m with him. I do things I wouldn’t dream of doing ordinarily. I behave differently because he makes me feel different.’

“So would you say Ratty was your best friend?”

“I suppose he is, well apart from you, of course but if you mean ‘man’ then definitely. After all he knows lots more about me than Tim knows. He knows about my affair with him for a start.”

“Could you ever see yourself leaving Tim for Ratty?”

“It’s impossible Neen. I’ve got three children, they’re Tim’s children too. No we’re committed to each other, for better or worse.”

“Which is it?”

“Some days I’d say it’s for the worse, but he can be kind and thoughtful occasionally. He’s never going to understand me, or be passionate the way Ratty would be. He’s never going to share the same pleasures as I do in life but I have to accept that.”

“Why do you think Tim can’t be passionate with you Mel?”

“Hey, why all the questions? I don’t know why, he’s just not a passionate bloke Neen. He doesn’t have a clue when it comes to that sort of thing. He’s like so many men. Believe me, Neen, If you knew him in bed you’d know he’s never going to win any prizes in that department.”

Nina swallowed hard as she tried desperately not to think about him in bed. Mel’s description of Tim was a thousand miles from what she knew. Why was it that Tim couldn’t arouse Mel the way he did her? And why was it that Ratty could? Obviously there was nothing wrong with Mel and she knew only too well that there was nothing wrong with Tim. Nina had to change the subject.

“Who are you going to invite to your party?”

“Well, everyone from the bank, especially all those downstairs. I miss them, our daily banter was part of keeping in touch. Now I’m upstairs I have to contrive a reason to go downstairs and when I do it isn’t the same any more. There all talking about this or that and when I walk in I feel like an intruder.”

“But you wouldn’t swap your new job to go back down there?”

“No, I love my new job and Rachel is a great help. She’s good to work with and I’ll invite her of course.”

“What about Ratty?”

“I know... I’ve spent hours trying to work out what I should do. He’d have been really unhappy if I hadn’t invited him but I’m not sure how I’ll feel having him and Tim in the room together. And what about when I have to introduce the two of them? Don’t forget Tim still hates Ratty for taking me to Poland.”

“Won’t it look a bit odd if you don’t invite him?”

“I hadn’t thought about that. Do you think I should ask Tim if he minds Ratty coming?”

“Isn’t that a bit like admitting there’s a reason why he should mind?”

“Perhaps, but he’s the one who got nasty about my trip to Poland ... I don’t know if he’s going to be rude to him, or maybe he’ll just blank him, either way it’ll be embarrassing.”

“Supposing we did the same as we did for my party ... get rid of Tim for the night? Ask Ben to take him out drinking.”

“Oh yes, he’d love that ... ‘Tim I’m inviting Ratty round to my party at our house, do you mind buggering off for the night?”

They burst into laughter at the thought of Tim’s reaction.

“Neen, we’ve got a more immediate problem, this bottle is empty!”

“Don’t worry, Mel, there’s a Blossom Hill in the fridge.”

Suitably replenished, Mel sat down again.

“Mel, why don’t you let Ratty jump out of a cake at Midnight? That would be a bit different, and I’d pay to see the look on Tim’s face!”

“You might have to pay for my divorce as well if you did that.”

“No problem, I’ll do you a free one. Call it an early Christmas present.”

“It was your bloody fault all this started ... if I hadn’t met Ratty at your damned party I would have gone on happily with Tim never knowing what I was missing.”

“So I did you a favour?”

“Yes, you did... I’d have hated to miss those precious moments with Ratty ... but make no mistake, it’s over. I’ve told him it wouldn’t work. We can still be friends, even best friends, but I can’t give myself to him the way he wants.”

“You’re being too hard on yourself Mel, and for what? Let’s be honest ... you’ve put a lot more effort into your marriage than he ever has and yet you get very little out of it. You wash his clothes, you bring up his children, you cook his food and you supply his pleasure whenever he demands it. What do you get out of it ... what’s in it for you?”

“Not much.”

“Precisely. And in a stolen hour or two with Ratty you find love and passion from a man who wants you for yourself, not as someone to service his lifestyle. You’d be a fool to throw away a once-in-a lifetime chance of happiness with him, and he’s told you, hasn’t he, that he wants you forever... what more can you ask?”

“I know... I’m being stupid... but it just seems wrong.”

“What you do for Tim and what you get in return seems wrong to me.” This is your life, Mel, your only life. When this one’s gone you don’t get another. Enjoy happiness when you can... it may not come your way again.”

“What about you Neen? Where do you find the most happiness? With Hugh? Or could someone else make you happier?”

“I can’t answer that, Mel. Not at the moment, but one day... when I know the answer I will have to tell you.”

They sat silent for a moment, until Nina broke the peace.

“Are we doing the food or are you getting caterers?”

“What do you think I should do?”

“Oh bugger it, Mel, you’re celebrating your new job, your new salary scale. To hell with it. Get someone in to do the food, and while your at it get them to decorate the place up a bit, you know balloons and streamers and stuff.”

“What about Chris Rea? Should I book him to sing ‘Woman in Red’ to me?”

“Scarlet Woman maybe… definitely more appropriate.”

“Stop it... I’m not that bad ... am I?”

“I don’t know, Mel, I’ll have to ask Ratty.”

Saturday mornings were always manic in the Fisher household, but this one was more so. Trudy was taking care of James’s music lesson and Amy was going with Melanie to the hair salon. Tim was being his usual self and complaining bitterly about the disruption the party was causing.