by Beth Abbott
Unfortunately, by the time she was ready to go back to work, Lacey, the new PA, had ingratiated herself so much with Matt, JT and the rest of the staff, that Suzy’s position had been all but made redundant.
When Matt had told her that he actually liked the idea of her being a stay at home mum for a few years, Suzy had found it difficult to come up with a rational argument against it.
After all, money wasn’t any obstacle, because they were pretty much set up for life thanks to the success of Alpha Company.
And what new mother would ever admit that she didn’t want to spend time with her child?
Well, probably quite a few, truth be told. But it still wasn’t something you could shout to the world without the risk of being labelled a lousy parent.
When Matt came home a few weeks later and informed her that he and JT had discussed it, and it was a done deal, Suzy had been too stunned to complain.
That was it. She was out, and the new PA was in.
So, while she had instantly been relegated to the background, Lacey had happily stolen the job that Suzy loved, and if Suzy was any judge of character, and she liked to think she was, Lacey was busy trying to steal her husband as well.
Suzy turned her face into the pillow, so she could blow her nose into the pile of toilet paper she was clutching, desperately trying not to make a noise and wake Rory up.
What made the whole situation a hundred times worse was that whenever she tried to broach the subject of Lacey with Matt, he refused to hear anything bad about the stupid woman.
Lacey was professional, she was thorough, she was efficient, she was meticulous, and she was dedicated. At least according to Matt, she was. All of which he considered good reasons for her to continue doing Suzy’s former job.
So, did that mean he thought Suzy had been unprofessional, haphazard, inefficient, slapdash and careless?
Well, he hadn’t said as much, but that was the implication.
It hadn’t taken long for him to become irritated by the slightest criticism of his young PA, to the point where on one occasion he’d even suggested Suzy see the doctor because he thought her resentment of Lacey could have been attributable to post-natal depression.
Of course, she hadn’t, because it wasn’t, and after a week of being in the doghouse, Matt had finally come around and apologised. But, even to this day, she really didn’t think Matt knew how much his words had hurt her.
So, what was she going to do about this situation they’d found themselves in?
Talking wasn’t doing much good, when it always ended up in an argument. Not talking was even worse, because that meant pretending everything was fine.
If Matt wouldn’t actually believe that Lacey was trying to come between them, what could she do anyway?
Lacey controlled Matt’s calendar, his phone, his life, well… almost.
Suzy was starting to feel more and more pushed out.
She wiped the tears away again and blew her nose. The problem with living in Birmingham when the rest of the family was in London, was that she missed out on having the immediate support of the sisterhood.
Yes, she could pick up the phone and any one of them would come running, but that required planning and effort. If she’d lived closer, she could have just popped around to Ellen’s and cried on her shoulder, or maybe gone over to Hannah’s and persuaded the Queen of Badass to do something mean to the bitch, like clean out her bank account.
Obviously, Hannah would’ve had to put the money back the next day, but Suzy would have felt great, if only for a short while.
It just wasn’t the same when you had to whine down the phone to your friends.
Thank goodness they were supposed to be going down to London for the babies’ birthdays this weekend. She seriously needed to speak to the sisterhood about her problem, and get some sound advice, along with a huge chunk of moral support.
She was just starting to feel a little calmer when she heard Rory’s bedroom door open, and one quick glance at the silhouette in the doorway told her Matt had come to get her.
It didn’t matter how badly they’d argued, or how mad they were with each other, Matt’s golden rule was that they slept in the same bed.
He walked quietly into the room, stopping by the bed to pull the duvet off her.
“Come on, Suze.” He murmured as he reached down and lifted her into his arms. “You can be just as mad at me in our room.”
As Matt carried her from Rory’s room, he paused while Suzy pulled the door quietly closed, but she deliberately said nothing to him all the way back to their room.
When he placed her on the bed, instead of walking around to his side and climbing in, he covered her in the duvet and then sat on the floor next to her head.
“I’m sorry I forgot Rory’s birthday, Suze.” He sighed. “I don’t know how it wasn’t in my calendar, because I remember putting his birth in there last year, the same day he was born. It should have popped up as a reminder the same way all the birthdays do. You know I’ve always been shit at remembering things, which is why the calendar has every important date in it.”
“Maybe Lacey deleted it.” Suzy couldn’t help herself. In her mind, that was the logical explanation.
“Oh, come on, Suzy.” Matt scoffed. “Why would she do that? To spite my one-year-old son? I hardly think so.”
“So, why wasn’t Taylor’s school nativity play in your calendar?” Suzy challenged. “I watched you type it in myself.”
“I don’t know that, either.” Matt shrugged. “Maybe I didn’t save it properly. Shit like that happens sometimes.”
Suzy wanted to scream at him for being so naïve. Women like Lacey had been around since the beginning of time. Well, at least since men had needed secretaries and PA’s.
“Matt, I want you to see what’s going on under your nose.” Suzy sat up and faced him. “You’re blowing off family events, whether by accident or intentionally I don’t know, but it’s hurting people. First it was Taylor’s nativity, this time it’s Rory’s birthday party. Charlie is so pissed at you he’s fit to burst, and Taylor thinks her daddy doesn’t love her anymore. Can’t you see what’s going on here? We’re your family, and you’re acting like we mean less to you than your PA.”
“I think you’re being a little melodramatic here, don’t you?” Matt snorted a laugh. “Taylor knows how much I adore her. I explained that there was a mix up and that I was sorry I didn’t get to see her perform, and she was fine with it. And as for Charlie, well, he’s just mummy’s little soldier, isn’t he? Always taking your side. Mummy’s protector.”
“I beg your pardon?” Suzy gasped. “He’s your fifteen-year-old son, Matt. If he’s acting like mummy’s protector, or mummy’s little soldier, perhaps that’s because he thinks his dad’s not up to the task. You should be the one here giving him guidance, teaching him to be a man. He shouldn’t have to figure it out by himself because you’re too busy to set him an example.”
Suzy watched Matt’s eyes narrow, and she could see that her words had hit the mark.
“I’m sorry I have to work so hard to support our family, and that it stops me attending your little tea-parties.” He bit out. “I thought that was setting a good example for our son to follow, but obviously I was wrong.”
“You didn’t used to spend so much time at the office when we worked together.” Suzy pointed out. “It’s only since Lacey took my job that you’ve increased your hours.”
“Which coincided with our taking on the second football club contract.” Matt pointed out. “Twice the work means longer hours at the office.”
“Maybe so, but at least when we worked together, I got to see more of you, and when I had free time, I could bring the kids in to spend time with you.” Suzy argued. “The last time I brought Taylor and Rory in to have a picnic lunch with you, Lacey informed me you weren’t available because you were out at meetings, when I could see your Range Rover sitting in the carpark with my own eyes.”
“I
t’s always Lacey’s fault with you, isn’t it?” Matt shook his head. “Maybe I’d taken a taxi to the meetings, or maybe someone had driven me there? Did you consider that?”
“I considered it.” Suzy nodded. “But if that was the case, why wouldn’t she allow us anywhere near your office? She damn near pushed me back out of the door and to the elevator, before I had a chance to argue.”
“She was probably just trying to be helpful.” Matt shrugged. “She’s like that. Helpful. And Lacey didn’t take your job. She was appointed my PA while you were on maternity leave, and then you decided to stay home to look after Rory and the kids.”
Suzy blinked hard several times, incapable of believing that Matt had just twisted history and his nose hadn’t grown six inches.
“For the record, the decision for me to stay at home wasn’t taken by me.” She said quietly. “You informed me I should stay at home and be a full-time mum, and I couldn’t say no for fear of being judged as a mother and found wanting. If I’d worked for any other company, and you hadn’t been my husband, I would have taken you to an employment tribunal on the grounds of constructive dismissal.”
“So, now you’re telling me you wanted to leave your son at home to come to work every day?” Matt scoffed.
“That’s exactly what I’m telling you.” Suzy hissed. “And before you get all judgemental on me, it’s no different for a woman to want to have some responsibility outside of the family than it is for a man. It doesn’t make me a bad mother to want to have grown-up time and find some level of fulfilment that doesn’t involve breast-feeding and potty-training.”
“Well, perhaps you should have vocalised that before Lacey took on the full extent of your duties and made the job her own.” Matt huffed. “I can’t exactly sack her now, can I?”
“Of course, you can’t.” Suzy yelled. “Not when she’s so bloody perfect.”
Matt stared at her for a few seconds before rolling his eyes dismissively.
“Tell me, Matt…” Suzy lowered her voice. “Does she do all the other little things for you that I used to do? The occasional lunchtime blowjob in your bathroom? The regular ‘extra meeting’ over in that little hotel across the street from the office. The one where you used to take your briefcase full of our favourite toys? Does she do that job instead of me as well?”
Matt stood up and walked to the door.
“I have never cheated on you.” He hissed. “Not with Lacey, and not with anyone else.”
“No?” Suzy scoffed. “Obviously she hasn’t started on phase two of her little plan then. But phase one seems to have been a total success so far. Alienate the boss from his family…? Check! Be sure to pass on my congratulations to her for a plan well-executed.”
Matt opened the door slowly, but even from a distance, Suzy could feel the anger rippling off him.
“What’s wrong Matt?” She said sweetly. “Not coming to bed to cuddle?”
Matt paused at the door and she held her breath.
“No Suze, I’m not.” He said quietly. “Not tonight.”
Chapter 5 – Evan
Evan stood on the side of the training pitch, watching the first team going through their drills. He’d never really given much thought to how much time they put into honing their skills or just keeping match fit, but the last few weeks had given him a greater appreciation for the effort they put in.
Did he think they were worth the fifty or a hundred grand a week they were being paid? Hell, NO!
But he could see how having the right players could make a difference to the club, both on and off the pitch, so if they brought that much more success and revenue to the club, then he guessed that the law of the market dictated how much their pay should be.
As the session came to an end, the players started to trudge off the field, and he watched Robbie Jones turn and look around.
The kid was your typical nineteen-year-old. About six feet tall and skinny, he had a body that hadn’t filled out yet, and a mop of dark brown curls that he obviously tried to keep short to stop them from getting out of hand. His eyes were a warm hazel, and they crinkled at the edges when he smiled.
Evan had spent about two hours last night lying in bed, trying to figure out how the kid might have known him, but he hadn’t been able to come up with anything. He supposed Robbie looked a little bit familiar, but then his colouring was fairly typical of half of the Welsh population.
He tried to think if he could have known Robbie’s family, but they didn’t even come from the same part of Cardiff.
“Hey.” Robbie nodded nervously as he approached Evan. “Are you gonna be with me all day today?”
“Yep.” Evan grinned, looking down on the kid from his six and a half feet. “But don’t expect me to take you to any lap-dancing clubs or massage parlours. They’re on your no-go list.”
Robbie blushed, but a shy grin crept over his face.
“I have a no-go list?” He asked. “Is it negotiable?”
Evan shrugged.
“It depends what you have in mind.”
“Well, I need to get showered and changed, so I’ll be about twenty minutes, but the most important part is that I need to get out of here before Cerys shows up.” Robbie scowled. “I deliberately told her I wouldn’t be finished until one o’clock, so we need to be out of here by twelve-thirty at the latest.”
“You’re trying to blow off your sister?” Evan clarified.
“Hell, yes!” Robbie nodded like a little kid. “She’s doing my head in.”
“And where do you want to go?” He asked suspiciously.
“There’s a shop I want to go to.” Robbie grinned. “Don’t worry, it doesn’t sell sex toys, or pornography.”
Evan couldn’t help but smile.
“Go on then. Get yourself ready.” He nodded towards the changing rooms. “But if I don’t like the shop you want to go in when we get there, I’m just gonna keep driving on past.”
“Deal.” Robbie held his hand out, and Evan returned the weird fist-pump awkwardly, earning himself a teenage eye-roll. “Man, how old are you that you don’t know how to fist-pump yet?”
“I’m old enough to know that your sister is gonna be here before you’ve finished flapping your lips, if you don’t hurry up.” Evan grinned.
Robbie turned and ran across to the changing rooms, and Evan moved closer to the entrance. There was little risk of anyone entering the building that wasn’t authorised to be there, but he needed to be close by in case anything happened.
Ten minutes later, Robbie was the first player out of the changing rooms, and he marched up to Evan, his bag slung over his shoulder.
“Are you driving me today, or do we need to wait for Len?” He asked.
“I’ll drive you wherever you need to go.” Evan grabbed the bag and stowed it in the back of the car. “We only need Len to drive when you’re going to an official function, or somewhere everyone knows in advance you’ll be showing up.”
As Robbie marched to the passenger side of the car, he glanced at both doors.
“Do I sit in the back?” He looked at Evan for direction.
“Do you want to sit in the back?” Evan grinned. “I’m sure if I looked around the office, I could find a cap that would make me look like your chauffeur. Would you prefer that?”
“Fuck no!” Robbie pulled a face. “The idea is that you help me blend in, not stick out like a sore thumb.”
Evan opened the doors and they climbed in.
“Where exactly is it you want to go?” He asked. “I’m not from around these parts, in case you haven’t noticed. I need the postcode or address for the satnav.”
“It’s not far.” Robbie smiled secretively. “Pull out onto the main road and turn left. About a mile ahead there’s a retail park on your right-hand side. The shop I want to go in is at the far end, away from the rest of the shops.”
Evan followed Robbie’s directions and found himself pulling up outside a large toyshop.
“You�
�ve got to be kidding me.” He muttered. “Is this just a front, and they really do sell sex-toys inside?”
Robbie grinned at him.
“Nope. No sex-toys. Just real kids’ toys, and lots of them.” He started walking towards the shop. “Are you coming in, or are you just gonna stand there gaping?”
Evan followed Robbie into the store and was surprised when the kid walked straight up to a shop assistant.
“Hello, lovely.” Robbie turned on the Welsh charm and exaggerated the accent by about two hundred percent. “I need to speak to your manager, urgent like. D’you think you could get him to meet me over by the Xboxes?”
The woman looked like she was about to tell Robbie how busy and important the manager was, so Evan stepped forward.
“We really are in a hurry, so as quick as you can, there’s a love.” He kept a smile on his face but made sure his tone left no room for argument.
As the woman scurried away, Evan followed Robbie across the shop floor.
“What exactly are you in here to buy?” He looked around. “I’ve seen the inside of your house, and you do not need another games console.”
Robbie turned and grinned.
“I don’t, but I know a bunch of people who do.”
“Umm, hello?” A middle-aged man with a spreading waistline hurried across the shop. “Did you want something?”
Robbie turned to the guy with his most winning smile.
“Do you have a delivery van?” He asked, leaving the man flummoxed.
“A delivery van?” He repeated. “We’re not a vehicle rental company, young man. We sell toys.”
Robbie’s smile wavered, but his politeness was unrelenting.
“I understand that.” He nodded. “But what I wanted to know was whether you had a van and driver I could borrow to deliver the toys I plan on buying, if I spent enough money to make it worth your while.”
“You get free delivery within a five-mile radius, provided you spend more than two hundred pounds.” The manager said haughtily, looking Robbie up and down, clearly unimpressed.
Evan could’ve laughed, because Robby’s sneakers alone were worth at least fifteen hundred pounds, and probably a lot more seeing as his sponsor had personalised them with his name and shirt number.