‘What?’ Ellie prompted.
Ben sighed, his shoulders seeming to slump as he folded his arms tight across his chest. ‘Between you and me, I think I’m ready to go home now.’
Eight
Ellie got up early and returned to Constance Street to pick up her car before the first light of day had even peeked above the rooftops. She got the taxi to drop her off around the corner and as she walked to her Mini, could see that Ben was still huddled in his sleeping bag. The sight forced a wistful smile. It looked as though Kasumi’s assertion that TV would bring about a quick resolution was right – judging by what he had said to her the previous night, today might be the last day of Ben’s adventure, whether Gemma turned up or not. She felt buoyed by the idea. She was almost as fed-up with his situation as he had seemed to be. The thought of him sitting and waiting there upset her in ways that she couldn’t explain and far more, the longer it went on. Yawning, she unlocked the car and threw her bag onto the passenger seat, pulling her phone out and placing it within easy reach – pure habit, as it was unlikely anyone would be calling her at that hour. As she turned the key in the ignition, however, she noticed that there was an unread message.
You need to get your backside down to London again pronto. A fantastic new club has just opened up that I know you’ll love.
Jethro. It had come through the previous night and Ellie hadn’t noticed it. She dropped the phone back onto the seat and ran a hand through her hair. He would probably still be in bed anyway, so she might as well reply to him later. Somehow, despite the brilliant weekend they’d all shared recently, she didn’t much feel like partying at the moment. The engine started with a dull roar as she turned the key, the steering wheel icy beneath her hands. Her mind went back to Ben, still sleeping. It would be a good idea for someone from the Echo to be with him when the TV crew arrived, but after last night, there was no way that could be Ellie. Reluctantly, she would have to ask Ange to go again.
After dividing the day’s workload with her colleagues, Ellie found her own day a little on the empty side. It meant that she had a rare actual break over lunch. The film crew were with Ben, along with Patrick and Ange, and after a short burst of banter with Stavros, the gregarious Greek owner of the local deli, The Bountiful Isle – known as The Bounty – Ellie was back at her desk, her sandwich barely touched, staring at her phone. Jethro’s text still glared at her, unanswered. He would think something odd was going on if she didn’t reply soon. Her fingers hovered over the keyboard while she ran through excuses for why she couldn’t visit in her head. But as she was doing this, the phone rang.
‘Hey, sexy!’ Kasumi squeaked. ‘How’s it going? Has your Romeo finished filming yet?’
‘I don’t know.’
‘You’re not there with them?’
‘No…’
There was a pause, and then Kasumi’s voice came back, quiet and serious. ‘What’s wrong?’
‘Nothing,’ Ellie replied with forced brightness.
‘So why aren’t you at the heart of the action? And why do you sound like there’s something wrong? Is it your aunt?’
‘No,’ Ellie said, suddenly feeling doubly wretched as she realised how long it had been since she had seen Hazel, ‘nothing like that.’
‘So there is something wrong.’
‘Not wrong, exactly…’ Ellie picked at the corner of her sandwich, twisting off a small piece of the crust and rolling it between her thumb and forefinger. ‘Just… awkward…’
Ellie could almost hear the frown that was furrowing her friend’s forehead in her voice. ‘Awkward how?’
Ellie faltered for a moment. This was a conversation she hadn’t meant to start and didn’t want to have. She couldn’t even get her feelings straight in her own mind, let alone trying to explain them to someone else. She let out a deep sigh. ‘It doesn’t matter.’
‘You can’t give me half a story, lady, and expect me to let you off the rest. Spill.’
‘It’s nothing –’
‘Newton! You have to tell me now.’
‘OK. Don’t judge me… Last night I went to see Ben. It was pouring down, I felt sorry for him, so I took an umbrella and a towel and some whisky and I thought I might just cheer him up…’
‘Yeah, and?’
‘And there was kind of… a moment.’
There was silence down the line. ‘A moment?’ Kasumi finally asked. ‘The kind of moment I think you’re talking about?’
‘Yeah, probably.’
‘Jeez, Ellie. How long has this been going on?’
‘Nothing is going on,’ Ellie said with a bit more irritation than she had intended.
‘But you like him? What happened last night?’
‘Nothing. Not really, anyway. But it could have done.’
‘You stopped it or him?’
‘I think we both sort of did.’
‘Jeez, Ellie,’ Kasumi said again. ‘Your timing is amazing. So what’s the deal with Gemma?’
‘He’s still waiting for her. He loves her…’
‘I don’t know whether to be happy about that because at least my film crew is going to get their story or upset because I know how much that must be hurting you.’
‘It’s not hurting me. It was just a drunken moment, that’s all.’
‘What are you going to do?’
‘Nothing. What can I do? He’s waiting for his girlfriend. He loves her and that’s what he wants.’
‘And you’re certain of that? It doesn’t sound like it to me if he nearly kissed you.’
‘I think it was probably more me kissing him than the other way around.’
‘You did kiss him?’ Kasumi squeaked.
‘No! No, of course I didn’t.’
‘But you wanted to…’
‘Yes… no… It doesn’t matter what I wanted. What kind of heartless cow would I be if I took advantage of his current unhappiness to start some sort of sordid affair?’
‘You like him, right?’
Ellie was silent, not trusting herself to reply.
‘If your feelings are genuine,’ Kasumi continued, ‘then I don’t see what’s sordid about that. What are you going to do?’
‘I told you, I’m going to do nothing. There’s nothing I can do. I just think I should stay out of his way, that’s all.’
‘You’re not a bit tempted to get in there while his ex is still an ex?’
‘Kasumi!’
‘Alright! I was joking.’
‘Please don’t.’
‘Right.’
‘I mean it, the matter is over.’
There was silence for a moment. ‘Right then. I’ll say no more about it,’ Kasumi finally replied.
‘Kas…’
Ellie never got to finish her sentence. The office door opened and Patrick breezed in with a huge grin and a tray of take-out coffees, followed by Ange.
‘I’ll have to call you later,’ Ellie said. With a vague awareness of Kasumi’s reply, she ended the call and forced a smile for the new arrivals.
‘Good morning?’
‘Brilliant!’ Ange gushed. ‘Couldn’t have gone better.’
‘Wait till you see tonight’s paper,’ Patrick added, handing a cup to Ellie.
She wasn’t entirely sure she wanted to know what had happened, but without raising suspicions, she was going to have to show some sort of interest. ‘Come on then – tell all.’
‘Bloody brilliant it was,’ said Ange. ‘The residents were on top form, and Ben was so adorable he’ll have the female population of Britain melting as soon as the piece goes out. Whether Gemma comes back or not, he’s going to be a celebrity, you mark my words. I can only say it’s a good job women can’t get pregnant from watching the telly because there’d be a baby boom when this hits the air.’ She flopped onto her seat and prised the lid from her cup, giving the drink a satisfied sniff before taking a sip.
Ellie mulled over what Ange had just said as she pulled the lid from her own cup. There
was no doubt Ben was the sort of man who would win over the British public. Would that be enough to win Gemma back? Ellie wanted it not to matter but it did.
‘Are you alright?’ She looked up to see Patrick watching her closely.
‘Of course,’ Ellie said, shaking herself. ‘I just had a bit of a late night, that’s all.’
‘Oh?’ Ange said, winking at Patrick. ‘And who was the lucky man?’
Ellie glanced between the two of them. She wondered how much opportunity they’d had, with the film crew there, to actually talk to Ben. If they had, why hadn’t he mentioned that Ellie had been with him the previous night? They obviously didn’t know. Was it because he felt as guilty as her, despite the fact that they had nothing to feel guilty about? Was he aware of the danger too, of how close they had been to doing something they shouldn’t have done? Gemma had relinquished any claim over Ben when she left him, but in light of what he was doing on Constance Street, she was owed some sort of loyalty, or the whole event would be a hollow sham. Ben must have been aware of that as much as Ellie.
‘I drank a bit too much,’ Ellie replied carefully. ‘Got to bed later than I had planned.’
‘I need some mayo for this salad,’ Ange announced, apparently unconcerned by Ellie’s admission. ‘Anyone want anything from the kitchen?’
‘You’re not on another raid, are you?’ Patrick said, raising his eyebrows. ‘Rosie is already on the warpath.’
‘She’s not going to miss a bit of mayonnaise,’ Ange said, pushing herself up from her chair. ‘Not if I get the bottle back in the fridge quick enough.’ With a laugh, she skipped out of the room. Patrick turned to Ellie with a searching gaze. He leaned against the desk and folded his arms.
‘Lena told me that your Mini was on Constance Street all night.’
Ellie almost choked on her coffee. ‘What?’
‘You spent the night with Ben?’
‘Of course I didn’t!’
‘You were there last night, though.’
‘I… I took some things over to him. It was raining, I wanted to help.’
‘Sooooo…’ Patrick began in a flippant tone that masked something more like interrogation. ‘Your car stayed there all night and yet you didn’t?’
‘I was hardly going to shag anyone on a street corner, was I?’ Ellie snapped.
‘Nobody mentioned shagging. Lena was right; it was your car?’
Ellie paused. There was no point in denying it; her car was pretty distinctive – an original late seventies model, bright red with a union flag painted over the roof. ‘I stayed for a drink with him and I was over the limit so I got a taxi home. I went back for my car early this morning.’
‘Right. I find it weird that Ben himself didn’t mention it.’
‘He didn’t?’ Ellie shrugged, trying to look unconcerned despite the fact that her mind was racing with questions. ‘Maybe he was busy with all the TV stuff. Last night wasn’t that important.’
‘Ellie… It’s none of my business. As long as you know what you’re doing.’
She was about to snap a reply when Ange returned with a triumphant grin.
‘Just call me Raffles,’ she said, holding aloft a half-full bottle of mayonnaise.
Ellie shot a quick glance at Patrick, but his attention was now on his camera as he scrolled through some photos. She turned to her computer screen, wondering just what else had been seen by the sharp-eyed residents of Constance Street.
It had been tempting to go and see Ben on the way home, but in light of the day’s events, Ellie resisted. Instead, she popped into the nearest takeaway, picked up two curries, made a quick phone call to warn him she was coming, and turned the car towards her dad’s flat. Not the kind of Friday night debauchery that others her age were getting ready to indulge in, but Ellie was rarely in the mood for that sort of behaviour these days anyway. She had called Hazel to be told that her aunt would rather settle down for a quiet night alone and Ellie had known from experience not to argue. The alternative: a night with her recently rather neglected dad – telly and trays of food on their laps – seemed like a very attractive proposition. At least she knew where she stood with her dad.
After buzzing at the main entrance, Ellie found the apartment door open for her.
‘Hey, Dad!’ she called, wandering through into the living room.
Her dad was dressed for once – neatly-shaven and groomed. The room was clean, tidy and freshly aired. Ellie had to stop herself from doing a double-take.
‘Frank Newton is finally growing up,’ he announced with a rueful smile as he noted her glance around in a state of amazement. ‘Do you approve?’
‘It’s great, Dad,’ Ellie replied, wondering at what point she had fallen into a parallel universe. She half expected some doppelganger of herself to appear from the living room dressed in Prada and dripping with jewellery. Not knowing what else to say, she held out a carrier bag. ‘I got supper.’
‘Curry?’ He smiled. ‘Rogan Josh if my nostrils aren’t deceiving me.’
‘Of course. Unless you’ve suddenly stopped liking that as well as freaking me out with the whole cleaning up thing.’
‘Come on, let’s eat and I’ll explain my irrational behaviour,’ he smiled. ‘What have you had?’ he added. ‘Passanda?’
‘My usual wimp’s choice,’ Ellie laughed.
She followed him through to the kitchen where he searched in the cupboards for plates and cutlery and Ellie opened the fridge to look for something to drink.
‘Can I open this wine?’ she asked.
‘Aren’t you driving?’
‘Yes, but I can have a small one.’
She turned to see him nod vaguely. ‘I might as well finish it up anyway. This time tomorrow I’ll be teetotal.’
Ellie let the door close behind her and put the wine on the table. ‘What’s brought all this on?’
‘I’ve come to the conclusion that your mum may never take me back so there’s no point in continuing to mope about it. And if there is the slightest chance she might, moping is not going to persuade her. I’m taking a leaf out of your Constance Street man’s book. I’m doing something positive.’
Ellie almost winced at the mention of Ben. ‘You’re not going to camp out on Constance Street with him, I hope,’ she replied, rooting in a drawer for a corkscrew and trying to keep her voice neutral.
‘Of course not, that would be idiotic. I just mean that he hasn’t sat back and let himself fall apart. He’s doing something to change his situation, however misguided it may be. So I’m going to show your mother that I’m capable of being the strong and wise man that she wants. She may not take me back, despite that, but at least I’ve moved on and perhaps…’ He paused, and Ellie glanced up at him as she fiddled with the wrapping on the top of the wine bottle. ‘Perhaps,’ he continued as her head went back to her task, ‘I’ll find love again.’
Ellie’s head flicked up and she stared at him. ‘Wow! I didn’t see that coming.’
He shrugged slightly. ‘Neither did I.’
Ellie handed him the bottle and corkscrew. ‘You can do this; I always make a mess of the cork.’ She sat at the table and watched as he worked, reeling at this new development. Her mum and dad splitting up was one thing, but acceptance of it from them both? That was something she had never envisaged in her wildest dreams.
‘I’ve looked into getting our money back,’ he said, cutting in on her thoughts.
‘From the travel agents?’
He looked up and nodded as the cork withdrew from the bottle with a pop.
‘And?’
‘I can get some of it. We’ll still lose quite a lot, though.’
‘What are you going to do?’
He handed Ellie a glass of wine before digging into the takeaway bag and passing her a foil carton. ‘Part of me still wonders whether she’ll change her mind. It seems daft to lose all that money.’ He looked up hopefully from spooning rice onto his plate. ‘Unless I leave it booked and you might
fancy coming with me?’
‘All that money was the reason she left you. And as for coming with you, Mum would disown me. Not to mention the three months I would have to take off work. I can’t imagine Vernon being happy.’
He leaned forwards slightly, a new glint in his eye. ‘But it’s Australia! A once in a lifetime trip.’
‘That you re-mortgaged the house to pay for without consulting Mum.’
‘I wanted to do something amazing for us. I wanted us to share an experience that we would remember when we were old and grey. The house will still be there when we’re dead and gone but the chance of adventure won’t be. Was that such a crime?’
Ellie sighed. ‘No. But you should have asked her. She feels as though the rug has been pulled from under her now. You know how she likes order and security. She knew where she was with the house paid for, she felt safe in the knowledge that no matter what else happened you had a home.’
‘Feeling safe is boring.’
‘Adventure is what you wanted out of life, not what Mum wanted.’
‘She wanted it too, once upon a time. We’d talk about travelling the world for hours, before we had you. Used to read every travel guide and watch every programme on telly. We’d sit and say: one day, when we have some real money…’ His expression was suddenly wistful, as if he was reliving those long forgotten moments. ‘We never got the money, though. Until we had equity in the house.’
‘Maybe she changed. People do that.’
‘She certainly did,’ he replied, his tone hardening now. ‘Besides, I would have made sure that the home was safe, somehow. I would never have let us become homeless, no matter what your mum thinks.’
Ellie gazed at him thoughtfully as she swallowed a forkful of her meal. Her mind turned over possibilities for a solution. In a strange way, it was soothing to think about more practical problems for once, problems that actually had some kind of logical solution. ‘Can you get the cost of one ticket back? Give Mum her money, take on the small portion of the mortgage that’s left outstanding and go to Australia by yourself.’
Worth Waiting For: A heart-warming and feel-good romantic comedy Page 12