A Year of Taking Chances

by Jennifer Bohnet

  When her phone pinged with a text from Nicola asking her to call into The Taste of the Countryside as soon as possible as there were a couple of things to discuss for the promo for the village Christmas fete, she grabbed the opportunity to get out of the house for a while. Anything to stop her thoughts whirling around uselessly.

  Nicola, busy rearranging a display of pottery when she arrived, was pleased to see her.

  ‘Hi. Thanks for coming down so quickly. Gilles wants your opinion on these ideas,’ she added, picking up a folder of papers.

  ‘I needed to get out of the house,’ Jodie said, taking the folder. ‘Long story but there’s stuff coming out of the woodwork I’m having trouble dealing with.’

  Nicola looked at her anxiously when Jodie shrugged.

  ‘I’ll tell you about it when everything has settled.’

  ‘OK,’ Nicola said. ‘So long as you’re sure you’re all right. Virus all gone? You still look a bit peaky. Not doing too much too soon, are you?’

  ‘I’m fine,’ Jodie assured her. ‘Definitely over the bug.’

  ‘When Annette said you were being sick at all times of the day, we did wonder whether it was a case of “new house, new baby” rather than a virus,’ Nicola said.

  ‘Never heard that expression before,’ Jodie said, laughing. ‘I’m definitely not…’ She stopped and stared at Nicola. She couldn’t be. Could she?

  ‘Ohmygod. It didn’t occur to me it could be anything other than a virus. I’m on the pill.’ The pill she’d run out of and had had to wait two days for the pharmacy to order because they didn’t have her particular brand, the voice in her head said. It had only been two days, after all, and Ben was busy and tired every night so it wouldn’t be a problem. Only he hadn’t been tired one of those nights, had he?

  Nicola smiled at her. ‘Maybe call in at the pharmacy on your way home and pick up a test. Just to reassure yourself.’

  ‘Good idea. Actually, I think I’ll go now,’ Jodie said, turning to leave.

  ‘Don’t forget to let me know the result,’ Nicola called after her.

  Ben was waiting for her when Jodie arrived home, a worried look on his face.

  ‘Where have you been? You didn’t say you were going out.’

  ‘Sorry. Nicola rang and I left in a hurry. And right now I need the bathroom.’ As Jodie went to rush past him, Ben stopped her.

  ‘Travis came.’

  ‘He did?’

  ‘I’ve asked him to come for lunch after Mama’s wedding,’ Ben said. ‘Is that OK? There’s a lot to do this week and to be honest I didn’t want you getting upset so close to the big day.’

  ‘After is better, I think,’ Jodie said absently. ‘Can you put the actual day on the calendar, please?’

  ‘Are you all right?’ Ben asked. ‘You seem a bit vague.’

  ‘I’m fine but I really do need the loo.’ And Jodie disappeared in the direction of the bathroom, leaving a worried Ben staring after her.

  Chapter Forty

  ‘This is so good. Thank you for bringing me here tonight,’ Tina said, before forking up a piece of the large, four-cheese pizza on the plate in front of her.

  The invite had taken her by surprise if she was honest. Since the walk in the park and supper, their communications had all been connected to his book. When Luc had rung suggesting he came over the evening before she flew down to France and took her out for supper, her first thought had been a hopeful ‘why?’ Was he finally going to open up to her about his past? Maybe tell her what the complications in his life were? But so far there hadn’t been a hint of him wanting to talk about his past.

  When he offered to take her to the airport in the morning, she shook her head. ‘All sorted, thanks. I’m flying from London City so it’s the tube and Docklands Light Railway. Easy peasy. Besides, you’ll be at work, won’t you?’

  ‘I would have taken time off,’ Luc said.

  Tina looked at him silently. It was impossible for him to take the weekend off but he could take a working weekday morning off? It didn’t add up in her mind. She realised with a start she didn’t know what he actually did. He’d never mentioned his day job. She remembered his query letter had mentioned writing features and a non-fiction book and she’d assumed he had some sort of nine-to-five job.

  ‘You’ve never told me what your day job is?’

  ‘I work in the City,’ Luc said briefly.

  ‘Like Fiona?’

  He shook his head. ‘Once, but not now. She’s a trader on the Stock Exchange. These days I work flexitime as an accountant for an international company.’ He paused. ‘It’s not a job I particularly enjoy but I need to keep regular money coming in. The frenzy and stress of trading in the City isn’t for me anymore but being financially secure is important.’ He took a drink from his glass of beer before smiling at her. ‘Now you know why I’ve written a novel – I’m hoping for that bestseller and to escape the rat race.’

  Tina looked at him. She wouldn’t have put him down as being so money-orientated. ‘Is that why you still live at home? Saving money?’

  ‘Partly, yes, but there are other factors involved too.’

  Tina waited for Luc to explain the other factors, but he shrugged his shoulders. ‘C’est la vie. We all collect a certain amount of baggage in life. Come on, eat up and I’ll walk you home.’

  Walking back to the flat hand in hand, Tina had to stop herself saying, ‘Fiona hoped I liked you enough to accept your past but wouldn’t tell me what she meant.’ He’d tell her when he was ready; until then, she’d have to try and be patient.

  ‘Fancy a coffee before you go home?’ she said when they reached the entrance to her block of flats.

  ‘I’d better not,’ Luc said before surprising Tina and gently pulling her into his arms and kissing her. It was the kind of kiss that sent her senses spinning.

  ‘I’m more sorry than I can say that I can’t come with you this weekend. It would have been the ideal opportunity to explain to you about things,’ Luc said when they pulled apart.

  Tina caught her breath. ‘Come in for that coffee and talk to me now?’

  Luc shook his head. ‘No. It’s not something I can tell you quickly. I have to explain certain things. And what their actual effect is on my life. Next week, when you’re back from France, I promise I’ll tell you everything and then you’ll have a decision to make.’ He held her tight. ‘Meantime, travel safe – and let me know when you get to Jodie’s.’

  Tina normally loved the buzz of airports and the excitement of physically boarding a plane to jet off somewhere, but she made her way through London City airport the next morning on autopilot. She’d spent a restless night thinking about Luc, unable to stop wondering about the kind of decision he was expecting her to make after they’d talked.

  As the plane took off she resolved to try and put Luc out of her mind for the weekend. Until she knew what the complication – and there could be more than one for all she knew – in Luc’s life was, and why he’d said something about her having to make a decision, there was nothing she could do. Speculating merely sent her round and round in circles and didn’t help. Talk about messing with her head. Enough was enough. Resolutely she pulled her Kindle out of her bag and settled down to read.

  Two hours later, when the plane touched down in Nice, she’d pushed her worries to the back of her mind and was determined to enjoy the next few days. Collecting her hire car she took a few moments to familiarise herself with the layout and set the sat nav for Jodie’s address before making her way carefully out of the terminal towards the busy N202.

  Heading up into the back country behind Nice towards the snow-capped mountains on the skyline, Tina finally began to relax. She was in the South of France. It might be November but the sun was shining and she was about to see her bestie for the first time in nearly a year. There was so much to catch up on because, despite their regular Skype chats, she knew lots of stuff never got mentioned when they were both too busy to spare the time for
a long chat.

  It was just over an hour later when Tina pulled up in front of Jodie and Ben’s new house and Jodie came out to greet her.

  ‘Wow. The photos you sent didn’t do this place justice,’ Tina said. ‘It’s beautiful.’

  ‘Thanks,’ Jodie said. ‘Oh, it’s good to see you. Come on in. Ben’s working so we’ve got a couple of hours to ourselves. Oh, mind Tess, she wants to say hello too. Don’t let her jump up.’

  ‘I’ll just get my stuff out of the car,’ Tina said.

  A quarter of an hour later the two of them were on the veranda and Jodie handed Tina a glass of rosé. Tina looked at the orange juice Jodie had poured herself. ‘Health kick?’

  ‘Sort of. I’m trying to cut back a bit. Living in France, there’s always wine around,’ Jodie said, smiling.

  Tina looked at her, shaking her head. ‘This is me you’re talking to and I don’t buy that. You’re pregnant, aren’t you?’

  Jodie hesitated before pressing her finger against her lips. ‘Shh. Ben doesn’t know. I only did the test yesterday – haven’t had a chance to tell him yet.’

  ‘If you’re not drinking this weekend he might guess like I did,’ Tina said.

  ‘I’ll tell him before he notices,’ Jodie said.

  ‘I’m so pleased for you. Best kind of news,’ Tina said, hugging her. ‘I promise I won’t say a word. Just put me at the top of the list for godmum.’

  ‘Who else would be there?’ Jodie said.

  ‘You never did ring me back and tell me about this Travis,’ Tina said. ‘Is he really your long-lost brother?’

  ‘Well, half-brother and not so much long-lost as never known about.’

  Tina stared at Jodie. ‘Your mum had another baby before she met your dad and had you?’

  Jodie shook her head. ‘Nope, not Mum. Dad had a son – after he died. Only he wasn’t dead. Just living in Australia after he left Mum and she divorced him.’

  ‘Excuse me?’ Tina said. ‘How d’you know all this? And why didn’t you tell me before?’’

  ‘Travis literally turned up on the doorstep one day and made me listen to him.’ Jodie looked at Tina. ‘I couldn’t talk to anyone about it. I’ve spent the last few weeks refusing to acknowledge either him or the fact that my father abandoned me, moved to Australia and had another family.’ Jodie bit her lip. ‘I can’t get my head around Mum lying to me, to everyone, about being a widow for all those years. And the consequences of her actions.’

  Because even though the news was finally sinking in, it was still weird knowing she had a brother who’d grown up on the opposite side of the world, enjoying an idyllic childhood with two parents while she’d grown up in a single-parent family. And her thoughts were becoming increasingly resentful of the life Travis had had in Australia. If their parents had remained friends, had had a so-called civilised divorce instead of the ‘you’re dead as far as I’m concerned, never contact me again’ one seemingly instigated by her mother, would she and Travis have met before, even been friends as they were growing up? Her mother’s letter and the regret she’d expressed seemed to indicate it could have been a possibility under those circumstances.

  Tina, sensing her friend was on the verge of tears, moved towards her and gave her another hug.

  Jodie sighed. ‘But I’ve finally had to accept it’s true.’

  ‘Why, what changed?’

  ‘I found a letter from Mum,’ Jodie said quietly. ‘It confirmed everything Travis had been saying. I’ll show you the letter later.’

  ‘Are you going to get in touch with your dad?’ Tina said.

  ‘No. He’s dead.’

  ‘That’s so sad, that you can’t get to meet him now you know about him.’

  Jodie sighed. ‘It’s all a bit of a nightmare really.’ But nothing could change the fact that the dead father she’d placed on a pedestal for all those years, believing her life would have been better if he’d been alive, had abandoned both his wife and daughter and started a new family almost without a second thought, it seemed to her.

  Jodie gave herself a mental shake and pushed her angry thoughts away. ‘But enough about me – I want to know all about you and this Luc. I’m sure there are things you haven’t told me about him.’

  ‘He’s signing a two-book contract this week. He’s busy finishing his second…’

  ‘Tina, stop it! Not agency stuff – I want to know about you and him.’

  Tina shook her head. ‘Nothing much to tell there. When I get back we’re supposed to have a talk about the complications in his life and I apparently will have a decision to make.’ She shook her head. ‘I can’t help thinking, though, that he’s expecting me to veto any personal relationship with him when I hear what he has to say.’

  Tina took a sip of her wine. ‘I keep wondering what sort of complication it can possibly turn out to be. Is there an ex-wife who took him to the cleaners in a divorce and he’s paying her a huge amount of maintenance? A wife who died who he’ll love forever maybe? A girlfriend who was seriously injured in an accident he feels guilty about and he’s promised to take care of her for the rest of her life? Something that stops him from moving on with another love?’

  ‘Has he ever mentioned being married?’ Jodie said.

  ‘No. Only talked about how we all have baggage in our lives.’ Tina sighed. ‘A few more days and I’ll know.’

  She placed her glass on the table. ‘Come on then. Show me the rest of this wonderful house and fill me in on the details of the big day tomorrow.’

  Chapter Forty-One

  Maisie was tired when she got home from work Saturday evening. The boutique had been busy all day and she sighed contentedly as she kicked off her shoes and sank down on the settee. It felt strange being alone in the flat and once her pizza delivery had arrived she made sure the door was locked and the chain on. It might be Saturday evening when she should be going out somewhere but she was looking forward to slobbing out in front of the TV with her supper and a glass of wine for a couple of hours before going to bed.

  Hours later, loud shouting in the corridor outside woke Maisie up with a start. Blearily she glanced at the clock. One o’clock. A drunken neighbour coming home after an evening out. It happened sometimes. At least she was safe and secure in the flat and not trying to sleep hiding away in a shop doorway somewhere, praying none of the local druggies would see her.

  She snuggled down under her duvet, wishing they’d hurry up and carry on upstairs. Then the banging started on the flat door. And a voice she recognised shouting, ‘Maisie. Open the door and talk to me.’

  John.

  Bang. Bang. Should she get up and threaten to phone the police if he didn’t go away? Should she phone the police anyway? Damn, she couldn’t do that in any case. She remembered she’d left her mobile on the coffee table in the sitting room.

  ‘I’m not leaving until you’ve talked to me.’ Bang. No way was she going to open the door. If she didn’t answer, perhaps John would think she wasn’t in and give up and go away.

  Fleetingly she wished Tina was in the next bedroom, that she wasn’t alone in the flat. Slowly she got out of bed and made her way into the sitting room and felt for her phone in the dark. Pointless to put a light on; it would only alert John to the fact she was in and awake. Picking up the phone, she was turning to go back to the bedroom when she heard another man’s voice. If two of them were going to be banging on her door it was definitely time to phone the police.

  But the other voice was quieter and, with relief, Maisie realised that whoever it was was trying to reason with John.

  ‘Come on, mate, go home. You’ve had too much to drink and you’re waking up everyone in the building.’

  ‘I don’t give a damn about anyone else,’ John shouted. ‘You can butt out and mind your own business. Maisie, open this bloody door. I know you’re in there. I’ve come to say goodbye.’

  ‘If this Maisie’s got any sense, opening the door is the last thing she’s going to do. Saying goo
dbye is a good idea, though, because if you don’t shut up and go away right now, I’m phoning the police,’ the quiet voice said.

  ‘Already done. They’re on their way.’ A voice Maisie recognised as belonging to the neighbour in the next-door flat. Maisie heard a door close.

  The flat door vibrated under a last kick. ‘I’m not hanging around here for the fuzz. I’m away off back home tomorrow. You’re a stupid bint not coming with me.’ Another kick of the door.

  ‘I’ll walk you downstairs,’ the second voice said. ‘Make sure you’re off the premises.’

  Maisie stood listening to the sound of John crashing down the stairs until she could only hear silence. Then she released a huge breath she hadn’t realised she’d been holding in. He was gone. She switched on the light. The next minute she caught her breath again as there was a gentle knock on the door.

  ‘I’m not sure whether you’re there listening or not, but your unwanted caller has gone now. I hope you’re OK?’

  Maisie moved across to the door and whispered, ‘Thank you. I’m fine. I can’t thank you enough for getting rid of him.’

  ‘Think it was the thought of the police arriving that did that in the end. I’m off to bed now. I’m in the flat directly above you, so if he comes back, just bang on the ceiling and I’ll come straight down. Night.’

  ‘Night,’ Maisie said. ‘And thank you again.’

  Back in bed she tossed and turned for a while, Tina’s worry about John stalking her uppermost in her mind so that she half-expected him to return and start shouting and banging again. Eventually she fell asleep thinking about ‘the voice’ from upstairs. He was definitely her hero of the night.

  It was gone nine o’clock when a wintry sun shining through the curtains eventually woke her. Lying in bed looking up at the ceiling, she wondered who the owner of last night’s voice was. Tina had told her there was a middle-aged man in that flat. Had he moved out? ‘The voice’ didn’t sound old but he had definitely said he was living in the upstairs flat. Whoever he was, she owed him for last night.