Poison in the Water

by Marissa de Luna

  ‘Perhaps he doesn’t tell you everything. We all know how you feel about cheating spouses.’

  Alex assured her Bill’s advances never went beyond a flirtation. Of course Alex had to say that – he held Bonnie’s affair against her and it had become his mantra after what he had witnessed his mother go through. The countless evenings he had seen her crying in the kitchen when she thought Alex was in his study. But despite that, Celeste wanted to remind him how concerned he had been when he thought Bill was making a pass at her, but she didn’t. She didn’t want a fight, not now.

  ‘He believes in the sanctity of marriage,’ Alex said.

  ‘So long as you don’t join him in chasing after other women.’

  ‘Celeste, honey, I only have eyes for you. Now hurry up. Why did you agree to East London? I hate East London. It’s so –’

  ‘Alternative.’

  ‘I was going to say dirty.’

  ‘Snob. I could get a cab.’

  ‘I never see you. Soon you’ll be getting cabs everywhere when I’m In Hong Kong. I’ll drop you and I’ll pick you up as well.’

  ‘Don’t you trust me, Alex? Think I’m meeting another man?’

  Alex put his arms around her. ‘I love you too much. That’s the problem.’

  ‘No one else gets the chauffer treatment these days from their other halves,’ Celeste said, brushing away any worrying thoughts of Alex’s need to be in control to one side.

  ‘I keep telling you that you’re one lucky gal,’ Alex said, letting go of Celeste. ‘Bill’s looking at a new contract in the East – something to do with carbon credits. He may be a neighbour when we’re in Hong Kong.’

  ‘I didn’t know he was into the environment.’

  ‘You know Bill. He’s a maverick.’

  Celeste nodded. But she didn’t know Bill, not that well and she had no interest in Bill’s business affairs either. So she let the matter drop. The thought of Bill being in Hong Kong gave her some comfort, though. At least Alex would have someone to call on. And Alex was right, Bill may have flirted, but as far as she knew it never went any further than that. She grabbed her yellow scarf and handbag from the bed and headed downstairs after Alex.

  *

  Celeste gazed straight ahead. Rain hit the windscreen as the car sped towards W1. The sky was black. As she and Alex headed home in the pouring rain, she wished she had never organised to with meet Bonnie and Alicia in the first place. The lunch had ended abruptly and had irreparably damaged the friendship she had with the girls. A tear ran down her cheek as she replayed what had happened.

  After they were seated and their drinks had arrived, Celeste had broken the news to Bonnie and Alicia. ‘Oh Celeste,’ Alicia cried embracing her best friend. ‘How utterly romantic. I wish that would happen to me. I’ll clear my diary and do whatever you need me to do. After all that’s what a maid of honour is for.’

  Bonnie had flashed Celeste a smile, but she could see by the way her lips were firmly pressed together that the smile wasn’t genuine. ‘You should take time to think about it. It’s worrying that he wants to get married so quickly,’ she said. She had picked up just a hint of a Scottish accent. It suited her and made her words sound less harsh than they were intended.

  She took a deep breath. She hadn’t seen much of Bonnie over the last year, but she expected her to trust her judgement, and at least be happy for her if nothing else.

  ‘Oh Bonnie,’ Alicia said, running her fingers through her fiery, red hair. ‘It’s because of Hong Kong, silly. See how happy Celeste is.’

  Bonnie excused herself and went to the toilet.

  ‘Take no notice of her, Celeste, she’s having a tough time with Matt – he won’t leave his wife. And look, she has practically finished her wine.’ Alicia pointed to Bonnie’s empty glass. ‘She’s terribly unhappy. I think she wants what you have. It’s just envy.’

  ‘It’s mean what she said, without understanding what Alex and I have together.’

  ‘Oh, do be kind to her. She’s so fragile at the moment.’

  Celeste sighed.

  ‘I don’t think I can make that weekend in any case,’ Bonnie said, returning to the table. Her eyeliner had smudged below her right eye and she kept touching the tip of her nose with the back of her hand. ‘I’ll try my best. But it’s the only weekend that Matt and I have got planned, and we booked a place in Ireland.’

  ‘Hmm,’ Celeste said. She glanced over at Alicia who was smiling brightly. She looked back at Bonnie. ‘I know it’s last minute, but it would mean the world to me if you could come. You two are the only friends I really want at my wedding. As it is, I have the Renshaws’ events planner to deal with. She’s as thin as a rake, wears skyscraper heels and her eyebrows twitch every time I make a suggestion. It’s awful. If I’m not careful she’ll ruin my wedding day. The old maid probably wants Alex for herself. I’m probably having the wedding she dreamed about as a child,’ Celeste said, trying to lighten the mood, but when Bonnie didn’t even attempt a smile she felt her body temperature creeping up.

  ‘Bonnie, come on,’ Alicia encouraged. ‘You can’t miss Celeste’s wedding!’

  ‘Why can’t I? No one cares about Matt. None of you ever want to meet him.’

  ‘So, this is why you are angry,’ Celeste folded her arms. She remembered her conversation with Alex earlier – how adultery had ruined his mother. Before she could stop herself she blurted out his words. ‘Matt’s married. What you’re doing, it’s wrong.’

  ‘What I have with Matt is real.’

  ‘It’s fake, Bonnie. Completely fake!’

  ‘You would know about that, wouldn’t you?’ Bonnie said. She topped up her glass with the bottle of wine. Alicia put her face in her hands.

  ‘What d’you mean by that?’ Celeste asked.

  ‘I know all about your little secret from Alicia,’ Bonnie said with a smirk.

  Celeste looked at Alicia and back at Bonnie. There were no secrets between them.

  ‘Tell me, does Alex know that you grew up in a council estate? Or are you saving that for the wedding night? You say my relationship isn’t real, but yours is built on lies. Pot calling the kettle black, wouldn’t you say?’

  Celeste looked at Bonnie her mouth ajar. She almost laughed. She turned to look at Alicia whose eyes were brimming. ‘I have nothing to be ashamed about. You know about my upbringing and you have no idea what Alex knows about me. I don’t know what Alicia has said to you, but even if she has told you a pack of lies, you can’t compare my situation to yours. It’s pathetic.’

  ‘Celeste, I never meant to…’ Alicia started.

  Celeste stood up. Taking her coat from the chair she walked towards the front of the restaurant.

  ‘Wait Celeste,’ Alicia said as she tried to catch up with Celeste. ‘Bonnie took everything I said out of context. I don’t know why. She asked me what Alex thought of your childhood and I said we hadn’t talked about it. I said that maybe you hadn’t told him yet. But I didn’t mean anything by that. It was just talk.’

  Celeste stopped and turned to face Alicia. She let her eyes focus on her friend for a second, but she found she had nothing to say. She turned around and carried on walking until she was out of the restaurant. She had immediately called Alex and had waited in the rain until he arrived. They had found an eatery close by, and over a plate of Pad Thai and a bottle of Gavi, Celeste explained what had happened.

  ‘Screw them. You don’t need them.’ Alex had wiped a tear from her face. ‘It doesn’t matter where you grew up. Bonnie is just trying to drive a wedge between us. You gotta be careful. She can’t even find a boyfriend who isn’t already married. It doesn’t matter where you grew up,’ he said again. ‘None of it matters.’

  Celeste shrugged. ‘And she is probably on coke too. She returned from the loo, desperately touching her nose.’

  Alex raised his eyebrows. ‘Well, you don’t want to get involved with that.’

  She had heard Alex previously snigger at where
people grew up, and she knew Bill and Alex pigeonholed their friends into “old” and “new” money. She had told him before that he shouldn’t be so judgemental, but he had laughed it off as a bit of fun. Was Alex being genuine or was there was some truth in what Bonnie had said? Perhaps there was some dishonesty in their relationship. But Celeste didn’t want to think about that. She never felt inferior when she was with Alex. Now no one questioned her past because Alex had validated her in this new circle of friends – one where flash cars and second homes were just a part of everyday life.

  *

  Later that night she had spoken to Alex about East Row until her eyes had closed, and in the morning, when she woke, she felt like she could take on the world. She wanted to call Alicia and make things right. Alicia wasn’t the sort to stir things up or talk badly of others. Back at university when they had met, Alicia hadn’t even batted an eyelid when she told her about the regular car fires she had witnessed living on the East Row estate. In fact, Alicia had always been her champion, her voice of reason when she felt she just didn’t fit in.

  Bonnie too deserved a call. And she had been the one to snap at Bonnie first. Celeste walked over to the phone, but something held her back. Bonnie hadn’t said what she had because she wanted to help her, she had said it because she wanted to hurt her, come between her and Alex. Even Alex had pointed that out last night. She crossed her arms over her chest and decided not to call either friend. As Alex had said to her yesterday, ‘Let them call you.’

  21

  25th November 2008

  Mayfair, London

  ‘There you are,’ Maryanne said as Celeste walked through the door.

  Celeste checked her watch. ‘It’s seven. You’re never in so early.’

  ‘I need to talk to you.’

  She took off her coat and hung it on the ornate gold stand in the corner of the room. She could feel Maryanne’s eyes on her, watching her every move. ‘What’s the matter?’ She asked noticing the dark circles around Maryanne’s eyes and the grey roots of her hair. Maryanne had let her appearance slip over the past year. It wasn’t surprising given the stress she was under. Maybe Alex was right, perhaps it was time for Maryanne to retire.

  It was then that she realised what her boss was about to tell her. Her stomach turned. This was it. It was over for Cross. There would be no summer collection to finish. She was free to go. She felt the knot in her stomach tighten. Her feelings were mixed. Cross was her world, but at the same time she couldn’t wait to be with Alex. She wasn’t herself when he wasn’t around, and he had been gone for four days now – an unavoidable trip before the wedding. It was only for a week, and she had become used to him flying here, there and everywhere. But this time with the wedding fast approaching, it felt like an eternity. More than anything, she missed his touch – the two kisses he gave her every morning before he left for work and the bear hugs he would spring on her when she was doing something mundane like sketching or chopping fruit. She didn’t want him to move to Hong Kong without her. But Cross… Cross was part of her. It was her only form of independence.

  Maryanne closed the office door and motioned for her to sit down and then took the seat opposite. She let out a sigh. ‘I have news.’

  Celeste leaned forward. She could feel her heart thumping in her chest.

  ‘I’ve told you we are in a financial situation, but I haven’t told you just how bad it is.’

  Celeste didn’t want to say that she had seen the damned spread-sheet for herself. Instead she remained silent and nodded for Maryanne to continue.

  ‘I didn’t want to do this just before your wedding, kid, but I’ve no choice. My hands are tied.’

  ‘Is it over?’ she asked. Her mouth was dry.

  ‘I’ve been meeting with a Mr Harris recently. He’s one of the investors that initially showed some interest, but then backed away. Then a few weeks ago he called with a whole host of new questions. I get the impression that he knows the trouble we’re in.’

  Celeste winced. It could easily happen. Alex had said so himself. A good accountant could cover up Cross’s mistakes but a better one could find them.

  ‘He’s had some retail experience, not much, but he’s looking for a readymade brand to invest in. He sounds like a rich kid with some money to spend. He’s not ideal. Ordinarily darlin’ we wouldn’t wanna get into bed with someone like this.’

  ‘We,’ Celeste thought, there probably was no ‘we’ anymore. She was planning to ask Maryanne today if she could do some freelance work for Cross from Hong Kong, but what was the point in asking now? A new investor was unlikely to work in her favour.

  ‘He knows more about Cross than I’ve told him. I suppose he’s done his homework.’ Maryanne rested her head on the back of her hand. ‘So they’re getting a good deal. He’s willing to purchase a fifty one per cent stake in Cross Boutiques.’

  ‘That’s a controlling share! He’ll more or less own it.’

  ‘I’ll still have a lifetime job with Cross. And you…’ She fiddled with the gold bumblebee broach on her lapel. ‘You don’t need to worry about the finer details. Your job is secure. Harris is polite and charmin’ and he’s someone we can both work with. Although I don’t think we’ll see much of him. He has this partner, a right-hand man, Toby Cain, who we’ll deal with – or so he said.’

  ‘But you’re giving up so much. You started this label from scratch – on your own.’

  Maryanne didn’t meet her eyes. ‘I’m old darlin’ but I’m not stupid. I can’t continue like this. Harris’ proposal came in at the right time.’

  ‘What about approaching other investors?’

  Maryanne shook her head. ‘You don’t just put an ad in the paper for such an investor darlin’. It’s all done through contacts and agents, and believe me I’ve spoken to people I know in the industry. Not many people are willing to invest with retail the way it is at the moment. I’ve been speaking with Mr Harris for sometime. We’ve finally reached an agreement. I’m sorry to have kept you in the dark. But the situation was…difficult.’

  She looked up at Maryanne – the woman she admired and respected, the woman she had one day hoped to become. Maryanne looked tired. The determination in her eyes had vanished. She was no longer the bright-eyed, feisty woman she had met on the first day of the job. But Celeste couldn’t hold what Maryanne had done against her. After all, it was her business. ‘So that’s it then.’

  ‘You still want to work after you get married? You aren’t tempted to be a lady of leisure? Alex Renshaw can certainly keep you,’

  ‘I don’t want to be a kept woman.’

  ‘Good, kid, stay independent for as long as you can. I tried to do that with Cross Boutiques.’

  ‘You did your best,’ Celeste said, forcing the words from her mouth. She noticed then that Maryanne’s eyes were moist and she realised she couldn’t be angry with her. The decision must have been hard for her.

  ‘I know that you want to go to Hong Kong with Alex after the wedding.’

  ‘You do?’ Celeste asked.

  Maryanne nodded.

  She really was as transparent as Alex said she was. She hadn’t confided in Maryanne about Hong Kong yet.

  ‘You needn’t worry about looking for a job in Hong Kong though.’

  ‘Why’s that?’

  ‘Part of my deal with Harris is that Cross opens a final boutique in Hong Kong. Turns out it works in his favour as well as mine. He already has dealings there and owns retail space on Causeway Bay on Hong Kong Island – Five hundred square feet. See, I told you he’d done his homework.’

  ‘It sounds too good to be true.’

  ‘Don’t question it, kid,’ Maryanne said, giving Celeste a steely look. ‘It’s good for you. That Alex of yours is a lucky charm.’ Maryanne tried a smile. ‘So, you’ll be leaving me soon.’

  ‘I could stay here for a while, if you need me.’

  Her boss smiled. ‘No darling’, you must go. Harris has specifically requested that
you head up the design team from the Hong Kong store. Hong Kong has some great opportunities. We’ll resource our materials from there as well from now on.’

  ‘How does Harris know me?’

  Maryanne looked away. ‘Word gets around in this industry, and you’ve come a long way since you started here.’

  ‘Will you be there too?’

  ‘I’ll come up and down, but I’m needed here, and you’re more than capable.’

  ‘I don’t know if I’ll be able to manage on my own.’

  ‘I won’t leave you to the wolves.’

  Celeste bit her lower lip. Maryanne was right, it was all going in her favour, but something about it just didn’t feel right. Was it just the nerves of running her own team without her old boss? ‘Do you have to do this?’ she asked. The words were out before she could stop them. ‘I spoke to Alex and he said we could get a specialist in. Consolidate our assets. Close the store in Paris and use the capital receipts from that to plough into Cross London.’

  Maryanne laughed. ‘Hell, this is a great opportunity for you, kid. Grab it with both hands. You get to stay at Cross and move to Hong Kong to be with your husband.’

  Celeste swallowed hard. It was a win-win situation for her.

  ‘So it is settled. After your honeymoon you’ll report to me from Hong Kong.’

  ‘So soon?’

  ‘It’s how Harris wants this to work.’

  ‘I don’t think I like the sound of him.’

  ‘You’ll get used to him. Now let’s start the day. It’s gone eight already.’ Maryanne stood up and smoothed her skirt with her hands. ‘Oh one other thing darlin’, I’m sorry for the late notice but I won’t be able to make Saturday.’

  ‘Our wedding?’

  ‘Sorry, family emergency.’

  ‘Oh.’ Maryanne had been the first to accept Celeste’s invitation. If she remembered correctly, Maryanne said that she would have gate-crashed had she not been invited. Maryanne didn’t even have family, as far as she knew. Alex’s words came back to her, ‘Maryanne’s selfish,’ he had said, when she told him about Cross’s financial ruin. ‘You’re sticking by her, but would she do the same for you?’ Celeste had ignored him. She and Maryanne were not just colleagues – they were friends she had reasoned. Had it all been an act? Could Alex see what she couldn’t?