Unravelled

by Jade Winters

  Rae shook her head, slightly jealous at the appreciative look he gave Lindsay. Not that she blamed him. Who wouldn’t find Lindsay attractive? ‘Friend. She’s been keeping me sane in Bourbon’s absence.’

  ‘If I didn’t know better I would have thought she was the one who’d lost her cat.’

  ‘She’s going through a difficult time,’ Rae said in a conspiratorial whisper.

  ‘Well at least yours is over now,’ Callum said, winking at Rae and catching her completely off guard.

  How could he mesmerise her with hardly more than a well-placed blink, or a quick lick of his bottom lip? There was no doubt that using his body language to have a silent conversation was his forte. There was something about this stranger that unsettled her, yet comforted her at the same time.

  ‘Well, then, I suppose I should be off,’ Callum said before lowering his voice and adding, ‘Friday nights are always busy for me.’

  He raised his eyebrows as if waiting for her to ask him what his plans were. But she didn’t rise to the bait. Instead she gave him a smile she hoped conveyed her disinterest in his social life. ‘Well, thanks for taking care of Bourbon.’

  Callum looked at her with a puzzled expression but didn’t speak again until he was standing in the open doorway. ‘Have a good night, Rae,’ he said politely.

  And before Rae could reply, Callum disappeared into the grey hazy sheets of rain.

  Chapter Four

  Lindsay gritted her teeth so hard her jaw ached. This can’t be happening, there has to be money in the bank! She pulled up the balance again and the reading said the same thing. One thousand pounds overdrawn.

  It could only mean one thing—Kim’s nights out partying had emptied the bank account, and she needed to pay for the children’s school dinners. If it weren’t for those meals she doubted the children would have any variation in their diets, and if she couldn’t pay for them she would have to send them in with packed lunches, for which there was also no money.

  Lindsay looked at Jake and Katie sitting in the back of her car. It wouldn’t be the first time she was late paying, but she still didn’t like it. She fished her mobile phone from her pocket and hit the speed dial linked to Kim’s number. It rang before going to voicemail. Lindsay took a measured breath, before leaving a message. ‘Either you’re ignoring me because you know why I’m calling or you’re just being your usual bitchy self. Regardless, you need to call me straight away. We’ve maxed out the overdraft and I need to pay for the kids’ school dinners. If you don’t call me back within ten seconds, I’m calling their dad. I don’t see why they have to suffer because you don’t know how to be a responsible parent.’

  Lindsay disconnected the phone and kept it in her hand as she sat on the car bonnet. She slowly counted to ten in her mind. As she suspected, the phone started to ring when she reached number nine. Kim’s name flashed on the small screen. She hit the answer button and was immediately accosted with an angry barrage of words.

  ‘I don’t like being threatened, Lindsay.’

  ‘And I don’t like my kids’ welfare not being top priority. So it’s a stalemate, wouldn’t you say?’

  ‘Whatever.’ Kim spat out the syllables of the word like a petulant teenager, causing Lindsay to seethe. In sheer frustration, and in an attempt to keep her cool, Lindsay took a deep breath. ‘So what am I supposed to do now? I’m already late dropping the kids at school.’

  ‘I don’t know, Lindsay. What are you going to do?’

  Kim’s mocking tone pushed Lindsay’s patience to its limit, and she snapped back, ‘Sod this. I should never have listened to you in the first place. I’m going to ask Steve for maintenance for the kids. I’m calling him now.’

  ‘Wait!’ the tone was urgent but at the same time full of tenderness. It irked Lindsay that Kim could change instantaneously and that she was willing to put up with it.

  ‘I was only pulling your leg. I’ll transfer some money into the account. Give it five minutes then check again. Okay?’ Kim said, her voice now soothing.

  Lindsay remained silent.

  ‘Okay?’ Kim’s voice held a hint of anxiety.

  Lindsay let her sweat for a while longer before disconnecting the call. Steve was Kim’s Achilles’ heel and Kim would do anything to make Steve believe everything between the women was perfect. Kim used Lindsay to hit him where it hurt the most—his oversized ego. Not that the target was difficult to miss.

  Steve had once been Kim’s colleague. At the time they had both been on course for managerial positions: that meant a cosy job in the head office, a hefty pay rise and, most importantly, no more travelling. But then the company suffered cutbacks, downsizing, rightsizing, call it what you like, but only one position became available. Steve had used every trick in the book to make sure he was chosen.

  Thus Kim hated Steve with a vengeance. She had made Lindsay promise to never again take anything from him. A promise Lindsay had faithfully kept so far, but if things carried on the way they were it was only a matter of time before she blew the lid on their sham of a relationship.

  Five minutes later, Lindsay checked the account again. This time it announced five hundred pounds credit. Lindsay gasped. Where has Kim found fifteen hundred pounds from in minutes? What else is she hiding from me?

  Lindsay withdrew three hundred pounds and for the first time in ages felt as if she were walking on air. She could finally afford to get the kids new uniforms—they had long since outgrown the current ones. Kim always complained they didn’t have enough money to squander on clothes and the little Lindsay got from child benefit was used for food, school outings and other treats for her children. It certainly didn’t stretch to new uniforms.

  I bet Kim’s funnelling money from her wages into another account. Lindsay’s rage built again, but she suppressed it as she climbed behind the wheel.

  ‘Mummy, we’re late,’ Jake said, as she inserted the key into the ignition.

  ‘I know, sweetie, but you’ll be at school soon.’ She tried to soothe him but the expression on her son’s face caught in the rear-view mirror showed her it was to no avail.

  They arrived at school and she gave Katie and Jake some money to buy something at the tuck shop. Jake’s eyes boggled at the money and even Katie looked at her mother in shock. ‘But Mum …’ Jake started.

  Lindsay shook her head. ‘It’s yours. And we’ll get pizza after school.’

  ‘Yes!’ Jake said pumping the air, before scrambling off to his class calling to Katie, ‘Come on, slow coach.’

  Lindsay watched as they scurried away before walking over to the administration office, intent on paying for their meals. The woman at the office looked at her oddly, possibly expecting some excuse as to why the payment would be late again, but smiled when Lindsay informed her that she’d come to pay for their meals.

  Once done she returned to her car and again pulled out her mobile, doing the one thing she had promised not to. But at that moment she felt no matter what decisions or mistakes she made, her children shouldn’t have to suffer.

  After one ring Steve picked up. His mobile was always glued to him—one of the many factors that had contributed to her seeking companionship from someone else. Not that she used emotional neglect and a sexless marriage as validation for her affair, but after six years of feeling she was nothing more than Steve’s paid servant, she had come to realise she was worth so much more. That she too deserved happiness and a devoted partner. By the time Kim had made a move, Lindsay was ripe for the picking.

  ‘And to what do I owe the honour?’ Steve said smugly. The sound of his voice irritated her.

  ‘Hello to you too,’ she said in a monotone.

  ‘What do you want me to say? You never call to let me know how my children—’

  ‘Whoa, hold it right there. I’m not your secretary. The children have phones. If you want to speak to them, you can call them.’

  ‘I’m busy, Lindsay,’ he said in a tired, bored tone. ‘What do you want?’
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  ‘It’s time you started paying maintenance for Jake and Katie.’

  ‘You say that like I haven’t tried.’

  ‘Yeah, well, you can try again. I’m going to set up a joint account in their names and you can pay it directly into there.’

  Steve let out a triumphant laugh. ‘Things not so rosy in lezza land, eh?’

  Lindsay chose to ignore his goading and kept her voice neutral. ‘Things have never been better. I don’t see why Kim should foot the bill for your children. Especially since you only spend all your money on big boy gadgets.’

  ‘Yeah, yeah, I believe you,’ he said mockingly. ‘You know I did say you’d be crawling on your hands and knees, begging me to take you back within two years of being with that bitch. By the look of it I was six months out.’ He laughed.

  Lindsay became overwhelmed by the desire to reach down the phone and slap the smirk off his face. ‘I would rather crawl to hell than go back to you!’ she flung back, defiantly. ‘I’ll set up the new account today and text you the details when I’m done.’

  Lindsay ended the call. How that bastard still manages to get under my skin I don’t know, but it has got to stop—now.

  Lindsay was determined to prove him wrong, she’d show him she could make it on her own, starting with a job and making the relationship she had with Kim work. She would never give Steve the satisfaction of seeing her fail … at anything.

  She would far rather die trying.

  Chapter Five

  The beginning of Rae’s day had her convinced that the gods of fate had all but turned against her. What other reason could there be for the hellish start? Twenty minutes before she was due to leave for work she dropped her Dyson hairdryer on the tiled floor, leaving hard shards of plastic strewn across the bathroom floor. In the process of sweeping them up, she trod on a smaller piece causing her to scream out in agony as she hopped to sit on the baths rim, dripping blood. Tentatively she extracted the offending piece of plastic, only to be left with a blood-gushing gash that throbbed. She went in search of her box of plasters, securing one over a piece of cotton wool she had used to stem the blood flow. She then went about her morning routine, only to find the milk for her granola had gone off. The coffee jar for her much needed morning boost was empty and to top it off it was ten past nine before she finally managed to leave home, which meant she was going to be late for the second time that week.

  Arriving at work, Rae tried her best to hide her limp, which was difficult enough in high heels. She restricted her movements to her office only and, thankfully, slipped off her shoes when seated behind her desk. About midday she went to the chemist to buy painkillers, since the slight throbbing had advanced to a burning ache. She returned to her office, only to find that her email had been hacked shortly before the call came through cancelling the project she’d been working on.

  Disgruntled, she called Jeff, their nerdy in-house IT specialist, who with a hundred odd clicks and steps had her email up and running again in no time. Her only saviour in what appeared to be an otherwise grey day.

  Rae had hoped that that was where it would end. Limping her way to her car and in no mood to cook, she opted for some comfort food. Something she considered herself more than worthy of given her day. She stopped at Mr Chow’s Chinese Take Away on King Street, ordering herself sweet and sour pork with rice and bamboo shoots.

  On her way home the throbbing increased in her heel and by the time she had navigated yet another traffic jam and parked her car outside her house, it had elevated to a sharp stabbing pain whenever she placed any weight on it.

  She pulled out her laptop bag and slung the strap over her shoulder, then picked up the Chinese and locked her car before carefully hobbling to the front door.

  Something stirred behind her, causing her to startle as she clumsily tried to fit the key into the slot. She turned her head to look, only for her heart to leap up in her throat. A nauseating sense filled her as the homeless man once again approached her. His smirk showed his yellowing teeth as he ogled her appreciatively from the end of the pathway.

  Oh God, please don’t come any closer. Please, please, I really don’t have the strength for this.

  The key slipped into place and Rae turned it in a sincere panic, but the lock would not give. Just then the man started up her pathway. Come on key! Turn dammit!

  He hobbled closer, in no way rushing, yet it felt as if he was sprinting.

  ‘Hello,’ he said as he neared. Though his voice was not vindictive, she was still wary.

  Something about the man made Rae extremely nervous, which was why she did not want to engage him in conversation. At the same time, she didn’t want to be rude either.

  The man came within a few feet of her when the lock finally turned, instantaneously allowing the door to open and for her to fall inwards, with little recourse. She hit the floor with a mighty bang: her Chinese food going in one direction, her laptop bag the other. Leaving her sprawled in a mess on the hallway floor.

  ‘Jesus!’ she screamed in annoyance. Rae shifted to hook the door with her foot and kick it shut, only to belatedly realise the keys were still in the lock. I just can’t win either way today, she thought as she sat up, trying to process what she would do if the man indeed tried to open the door. She waited, holding her breath in anticipation. A minute passed, yet it felt like forever and still nothing.

  She finally got up and kicked off her shoes, again not placing any weight on her heel. Rae checked the peephole to ensure it was clear before quickly retrieving the keys. She turned to look at the containers containing her meal. There was some moisture seeping from one of them. Possibly the water from the bamboo shoots, she thought as she picked up the bag and checked the contents: only the lid of the shoots had come off, but the rest had remained intact. A puddle had formed on the floor. Great.

  ‘Bourbon, I got you some goodies,’ she called out as she unpacked the Chinese and dished it out onto a plate.

  When Bourbon didn’t come running as usual, Rae released a sigh and shook her head. Trust him to go walkabout when I need his company. She spooned rice into her mouth, knowing Bourbon would return when he was hungry.

  Determined not to let her overactive imagination get the better of her, she settled in front of the TV after dinner. Curling up in a ball, the blue glow from the TV lit the room and before she knew it she slowly drifted off, until the dark abyss eventually enveloped her.

  ***

  The piercing sound of a phone ringing broke into Rae’s dream, jolting her awake. She sat up and looked about the room, momentarily confused. Rubbing her eyes, she realised she’d fallen asleep in the living room. The phone drilled its incessant tune into her skull and she quickly fumbled around in her bag on the floor, wondering if something had happened to Lindsay.

  She fished out her phone and with a groggy voice answered, ‘Hello?’

  ‘I like a husky, sleepy tone,’ the male voice said.

  He sounded vaguely familiar but at the same time she couldn’t place the voice.

  Rae cleared her throat and asked, ‘Can I help you?’

  ‘It’s not so much what you can do for me but what I can do for you,’ the voice on the end of the line teased.

  ‘Sorry?’

  ‘Just kidding, it’s Callum.’

  ‘Oh, Callum, hi,’ Rae said for a moment checking herself, then reprimanding herself because she knew he couldn’t see her through the phone.

  ‘You won’t believe who strolled into my garden again.’

  ‘Bourbon? I didn’t even realise he was missing. I pretty much fell asleep when I got in from work.’

  ‘It seems the talk I gave him about abandoning his beautiful owner was wasted.’

  Rae found herself unconsciously fixing her hair. ‘Certainly looks that way.’

  ‘If you want, I could swing by tonight and drop him off.’

  The suggestion filled her with horror, she was in no mood to entertain people, even one as beguiling as Callum.
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  She had to stall.

  Rae knew Bourbon was with Callum, so she had no need to concern herself about his safety or welfare.

  ‘Um, how about tomorrow evening, after work possibly?’ She bit her lip when she realised how much she wanted to see Callum again. The thought had her heart jump but she cautioned herself, be careful, his could be a blossoming crush.

  ‘No worries. I like having him around. He’s a cool cat. So shall we say seven-ish?’ Callum asked.

  ‘Seven-ish, yes, and thank you … again.’ She laughed. ‘Thank God he has the good sense to find his way to your house.’

  ‘I agree. So I’ll see you then,’ he said but added, ‘Oh, and Rae, it was lovely to hear your voice again.’

  ‘Um ... thanks.’ A smile crept over her lips, one she didn’t care to thwart. There was nothing wrong in taking pleasure from compliments, the same as looking never hurt either. But you don’t just want to look, the voice inside her head said. A thought that caused her to pause for several moments, to reflect. Would she, if given the chance, like things to go further with Callum?

  Still thinking about it, Rae took a long hot shower. Under the tepid waterfall, she closed her eyes. Immediately Callum’s face came into view—those eyes. Continuously she replayed their meeting in her head. The way he spoke, the way he looked in those jeans.

  But something occurred to her, how uncanny it was that he seemingly always found her cat whenever he went missing. Especially since Bourbon, in all the years she’d had him, had never run away from home. Rae took a moment to mull it around in her head. Was it a sign that she was meant to meet Callum? Or was it just a coincidence that Bourbon had taken a liking to him?

  Maybe Bourbon likes Callum’s eyes too. She couldn’t blame the cat if that was the case. She found herself grinning at the silly thought.

  Rae treated her sore heel with some antiseptic cream and breathable plaster. She gave the broken hair dryer in the bin one dirty look for causing the day to turn on its head as it had, and elected to run a comb through her hair and let it dry naturally instead. With her emotional state fully restored, and her body refreshed, she went to bed in a way she could not have foreseen— content.