‘Look, I’m sorry, I’m at work, and Ross knew I wasn’t able to come in. I gather Ms Vassallo isn’t around?’
‘No one’s been here since his daughter left earlier.’
‘Well, his other daughter will be in this evening. Maybe you can remind him.’
‘I will, thanks, Mrs Corcoran.’
Andie hung up with a heavy sigh. Why was this happening? Her fingers were trembling as she returned the call to the bank.
‘Thank you for getting back to us, Mrs Corcoran,’ the woman said. ‘We have been trying to get in touch directly with your husband —’
‘He’s in the hospital right now.’
‘Oh, I see.’
‘What’s this about?’
‘There has been some unusual activity on Mr Corcoran’s accounts in the last few hours.’
Andie felt sick in the stomach. ‘What do you mean, “unusual activity”?’
‘There have been several large credit transactions, as well as a substantial cash advance, all within the space of an hour or two.’
Shit. ‘Can you put a stop on the credit cards?’
‘Do you have reason to believe the cards have been stolen?’
‘Um, well . . . it’s complicated. Can’t you just put a stop on them?’
‘Not without Mr Corcoran’s authorisation, unless you’re prepared to officially report the cards as stolen.’
Andie thought about it. She had no idea what Tasha was doing, but Ross would have given her the cards, so Andie couldn’t accuse her of stealing.
‘No, I don’t want to do that. I’ll see what I can find out, and I’ll get back to you.’
‘You have my direct number.’
Cosmo popped his head around the door. ‘There you are, Andie. I need that clarified butter.’
‘Yes, goodbye,’ she said, hanging up quickly. ‘Of course, Cosmo, sorry about that.’
She raced back to her station and got to work chopping up the butter and placing it in a large pot. Her head was spinning. So Tasha had disappeared, and was in the process of maxing out Ross’s credit cards. Andie wondered how many she had, what kind of limit was on them. Ross had always been very generous with her, but they were married; she hoped he’d been a little more judicious with someone he hadn’t known so long. But it was unlikely. He was a bit of a show-off with his money; he liked to splash it around.
Andie tried to calm down, think it through rationally. So Tasha had left the hospital without waiting to see Ross after his operation, it didn’t mean she was never going back. She might have been relieved, gone off and had a bit of a spending spree; she may even have been buying something for him . . . to help with his recovery.
Yeah, right. Not likely. Andie wasn’t going to stress about it, it wasn’t her problem. Ross could afford it, and it was his own stupid fault anyway.
It suddenly occurred to her – who was going to look after him after he left the hospital if Tasha was gone? He couldn’t go back to the apartment alone. Shit. Matty and Brooke were going to have to stay with him, take turns. That was the only way. Andie refused to be roped into this, it just wasn’t possible anyway; she had a job, she had a life of her own —
‘Andie, what are you doing?’
It was Cosmo, in front of her. The butter was foaming up almost out of the pot. Shit. She quickly moved it off the flame. ‘Oh my God, I’m so sorry.’
He peered into the pot. ‘It’s no good, you’ll have to discard that batch and start again.’
‘Cosmo.’ It was Dominic, right behind her. ‘Have one of the others take over. Andie, could I see you in my office?’
Shit. Shit.
She followed him into the office and he closed the door behind her. ‘Take a seat,’ he said.
He was being very formal, so Andie followed suit.
‘I apologise, Chef,’ said Andie. ‘It was a mistake, it won’t happen again.’ After all, he didn’t believe people should make mistakes twice.
‘Are you sure, Andie?’ Dominic said gravely, as he walked around his desk and sat down. ‘You have to decide if you’re up to this right now. I noticed you missing from the floor a couple of times today. You said everything was over with. It doesn’t appear to be.’
‘I really do apologise, Chef —’
‘Andie, it’s me, Dominic,’ he said. ‘Talk to me.’
She sighed. ‘There have been some . . . unexpected developments today.’
‘Is your ex-husband all right?’
‘He’s fine. It’s, um . . .’ Andie looked at him. She really wasn’t sure she should go into it with him.
‘You have to tell me what’s going on, Andie.’
She took a breath. ‘Ross’s girlfriend has decided she’s not up for this, so she’s taken off, and it looks like she’s spent the day maxing out his credit cards. He’s going to be released from hospital as soon as the day after tomorrow and I don’t know who’s going to look after him, or what’s going to happen, quite frankly.’
There was a pause before he spoke. ‘Then I think you should take a few days off to sort it out.’
‘No, Dominic, I don’t need to. Really, it’s not my problem any more.’
‘It sounds as though it’s very much your problem, Andie.’
‘Look, I’ll leave my phone in my locker from now on, I’ll deal with it after work.’
‘You had your phone on the floor?’ he said darkly.
‘I didn’t take any calls —’
‘It is expressly forbidden, and you know it is. You’re the one who didn’t want special treatment, and now you’re taking calls on the floor —’
‘I wasn’t on the floor,’ she cried.
‘But you should have been,’ he snapped back at her, raising his voice above hers.
Andie just stared at him.
‘Take a few days,’ he said levelly. ‘And I’m sorry, Andie, but that’s not a suggestion.’
‘No,’ she said, ‘it sounds like an order. You’re Chef again, right? Not Dominic.’
‘Don’t be like that,’ he returned. ‘I just cannot have this kind of disruption in my kitchen.’
‘No, that would never do, would it?’
He frowned at her. ‘So now you’re pissed at me? Seriously, Andie?’
She bristled. ‘It’s just that you should know there are some things more important than trying to create the perfect dish. This kitchen, the way it works, it’s not like real life.’
‘No, it’s a place of work, where there are standards and expectations.’
‘It was just a pot of butter, for Chrissakes, I’ll pay for it. Nobody died, Chef.’
‘Okay, that’s quite enough,’ he said harshly. ‘Now, please leave as I asked . . . and try to restrain yourself from running out this time, show some decorum.’
Andie was mortified. She got up and walked out the door without looking at him again.
She was shaking when she got back to her car, and she had to sit for a while to pull herself together. What the hell was that? Where was the Dominic of only a day or two ago, offering her comfort, reassuring her he’d be there for her? But not in his precious bloody kitchen.
Oh God, maybe she was expecting special treatment. Not consciously, but she knew the rules, and she’d consciously broken them. And Dominic was right, she had acted pissed off with him for daring to challenge her about it. Damn! It was an impossible situation, she should never have gone out with him in the first place . . . She felt a stabbing sensation in her heart with the realisation. It was hopeless.
Andie started the car and drove out of the carpark, and she had the strongest feeling it would be the last time. She couldn’t come back, how could she work here and have a relationship with Dominic? And now she wasn’t sure she could have that either, it was spoiled like that blasted butter in the bottom of the pot. Tears welled in her eyes and spilled over onto her cheeks. She drove aimlessly through the city, she didn’t know what to do, or where to go. One thing, she wasn’t going to see Ross, she was i
n no state to deal with his pathetic mooning over her. No wonder Tasha had had enough of him.
Then Andie knew, that’s what she had to do. Confront the woman and find out what was going on. Get her to see sense, face up to her responsibilities. It was probably hopeless, but she had to do something to try to sort out this mess. She wiped her eyes and looked around to get her bearings. She turned down the next street, and headed in the direction of Ross’s apartment.
Andie parked outside the apartment block and checked her face in the rearview mirror. She wiped the smudges from under her eyes and fixed her hair, still flattened from the stupid chef’s hat. Well, she wouldn’t have to worry about that any more. She got out of the car and walked wearily up to the entrance. She had no idea if Tasha would even be here, but if she really was doing a runner, she had to come back some time, and she would assume the coast was clear for the next couple of days. Andie still had keys to the apartment, she had meant to give them back to Ross, but the opportunity had never presented itself. So if there was no answer, she would just let herself in and wait, see if she could get any clues as to what was going on. Andie had vowed never to set foot in the place again, but desperate times . . .
She pressed the button on the intercom at the entrance and waited. Her heart lurched when she heard the click and Tasha’s voice came through the speaker. ‘Who is it?’
She cleared her throat. ‘Tasha, it’s me, Andie.’
There was no response, but she didn’t hang up either.
‘I need to speak to you,’ Andie persisted.
‘Is Ross all right?’
‘Well, no, actually. He’s very upset that you haven’t been to see him.’
‘I doubt that he’s asking for me,’ she said bluntly.
‘Tasha, we have to talk.’
‘I have nothing to say to you.’
‘Look, I still have keys to the apartment, but I gave you the courtesy of not just barging in on you. But I will, if you won’t let me in.’
There was a long pause.
‘I only want to talk,’ said Andie. ‘It’s not as though I can force you to do anything you don’t want to do.’
There was another pause, and finally the buzz sounded, releasing the door. Andie pushed it open and stepped into the foyer. She caught the lift up, and as she walked out into the hall, she could see the door of the apartment was ajar. Andie stood tentatively in the doorway and knocked.
‘I’m in here,’ Tasha called.
God, she expected Andie to have this out with her in the bedroom? She sighed. ‘Okay.’ She picked her way slowly across the living room. She wondered if Tasha would have tidied up if she realised she was going to have company, but somehow Andie doubted it. Clothes were strewn across chairs, shoes scattered around the floor, cups, glasses and plates of half-eaten food were spread across the kitchen bench. She couldn’t help noticing the splashes of hot pink and purple – garish picture frames, a lava lamp, and some ridiculous fluffy cushions tossed on the chesterfield; she was surprised Ross tolerated that, the thing was sacrosanct.
Andie took a breath as she approached the bedroom door. It was open. ‘Tasha?’
‘Yeah.’
As she walked in, she saw two large suitcases lying open on the bed – a different bed, not their marital bed, the one they’d defiled. Tasha was busy folding clothes.
‘So you’re actually leaving him?’ said Andie.
‘What does it look like?’ She glanced across at Andie without really looking at her. ‘Look, I don’t have much time, so just say whatever you came here to say.’
‘What are you doing, Tasha? You’re really going to leave him at a time like this?’
She sighed. ‘You can think whatever you want to about me, you will anyway. But the fact is, I didn’t sign up for this.’
‘You hooked up with a man thirty years your senior,’ Andie pointed out. ‘It was on the cards.’
‘Ross is, or was, an extremely fit, healthy man,’ she returned. ‘I didn’t see this coming.’
‘And you don’t feel any responsibility?’
She turned to look at Andie. ‘For his heart attack?’
‘No, for him as a person,’ she said. ‘A person you are in love with, that you’re in a relationship with.’
‘He doesn’t love me,’ she said squarely. ‘He’s still in love with you.’
‘No, he isn’t. It’s just talk.’
She rolled her eyes. ‘It’s not just talk. I’ve had to put up with it all week. I was the one there every day, sitting by his bedside, and all he could talk about was you, when you were coming in, why you couldn’t take time off work to be with him. And then that doctor is saying he’ll have to be looked after for another couple of weeks, longer, that he can’t drive, that he’s going to have anxiety, depression . . .’ She shook her head. ‘And I’m the one who’s supposed to put up with all that? Take more time off work while he mopes around for you? I can’t do it. And I’m not going to.’
‘Okay,’ said Andie.
Tasha frowned at her.
‘Okay, I understand.’
‘No offence, but I really don’t give a fuck whether you understand or not.’
Andie took a deep breath. ‘I’m just saying that I get why you’re angry. I’m afraid Ross has always been self-centred. It’s not that he loves me more than you, he just wants everyone fussing over him.’
Tasha returned to her packing, bustling around the room. Andie wasn’t even sure she was listening.
‘This just seems very sudden, Tasha. You were still hanging on to him this morning before his surgery. You must have feelings for him. I can’t help thinking you’re going to regret this.’
‘I don’t believe in regrets.’
Nice to have the luxury.
‘All I’m suggesting is why don’t you take a couple of days off, have a break from all of this? Then you could sort out something with the kids. If you have to work, they can come and stay with him, I’ll even help when I can. Ross does need to have someone with him at first, but it doesn’t have to be you all the time.’
Tasha had actually stopped halfway through to listen. Andie only hoped she was getting through to her.
But suddenly she shook her head. ‘No, I think a clean break is best.’ She pranced off into the bathroom, returning a moment later with a bag of toiletries she must have packed earlier.
Now Andie was just pissed off. ‘So a clean break involves maxing out his credit cards before you leave him in the lurch?’ she accused.
Tasha narrowed her eyes. ‘How do you know about that?’
‘The bank called. Unfortunately I’m still his legal wife.’
Tasha shrugged. ‘I paid some bills, and I ordered some furniture, stuff I’m going to need to set myself up again. I gave up a lot to be with Ross, and I’m just reimbursing myself for my losses. I can do it the simple way, like this, or I can get a lawyer afterwards, like you did.’
‘That was entirely different, Tasha. We were married for ten years.’
‘Yes, and you were pretty quick to cut and run.’
‘I’m sorry?’ said Andie.
‘You didn’t waste any time arranging that property settlement. And you made sure it all went your way.’
Andie steeled herself. ‘I don’t know what Ross told you, Tasha, but I didn’t take anything of his, I didn’t want anything.’
‘But now you’ve got your inheritance all to yourself. He was entitled to some of that, you know.’
‘I didn’t hide it from him,’ Andie said, almost gritting her teeth. ‘Ross ran everything by his lawyers . . .’ She really didn’t want to be discussing this with Tasha, it wasn’t any of her business anyway.
Tasha was glaring at her. ‘Do you really think Ross would begrudge me this? You know what he’s like. If I asked for a cash settlement, he’d give it to me.’
She was right. Part showing off, part guilt money, probably.
‘Now, as you can see, I’m very busy, so if you’ve said ev
erything you came to say . . .’
‘Just one more thing,’ said Andie. ‘Are you going to go and see him, tell him yourself?’
She shrugged. ‘I wasn’t planning to.’
‘Tasha, that’s really unfair to put it onto the kids to tell him.’
‘Then you tell him.’
‘It’s not my responsibility!’
‘Fine,’ she retorted. ‘I’ll send him a text.’
Andie blinked. ‘Are you serious?’
‘Don’t worry, I’ll make it a long one.’
Saturday morning
Andie rolled over in bed, hugging her pillow and staring out the window. She was going to have to visit Ross today, she couldn’t put it off any longer. She wasn’t up to dealing with him last night, and it had occurred to her that she didn’t have to. Everyone would be assuming she was at work, so that meant she could at least have one lousy night to herself.
How had her life come to this? A couple of days ago she had a great job, a blossoming relationship, and now she was unemployed and alone, and not only that, she was going to have to coordinate her ex-husband’s post-operative care. When she wasn’t able to get onto either Brooke or Matty yesterday, she’d finally called Joanna.
‘Sorry to bother you,’ Andie said when she answered. ‘I was wondering if you’ve talked to Ross?’
‘No, but Brooke called,’ she explained, ‘said he was sulking that you didn’t stay to see him after his operation. Oh, and apparently Tasha has gone MIA.’
‘So Ross hasn’t heard anything from her? Not even a text message?’
‘He doesn’t have his phone, as far as I know,’ said Joanna.
Of course. They wouldn’t have let him have it in the high-dependency unit, with all that equipment around, and now he had to be careful about mobile phones near the implant. Andie hadn’t expected Tasha to text him immediately, but it didn’t matter, he wasn’t going to get her break-up message anyway.
‘Is there anything wrong, Andie?’ Joanna was asking.
She took a deep breath. ‘I have something to tell you . . .’
Joanna had insisted that she would break the news to Ross about Tasha, bless her. Andie thought it was her own responsibility, as she was the one who had got it from the horse’s mouth, so to speak, but Joanna assured her that she was the best person to handle Ross. She would be sympathetic, but she wouldn’t take any nonsense. And nonsense was all Andie was likely to get from him. Joanna had reminded her again to keep her guard up, that now Ross would be more desperate than before to get her back. He would play on her feelings of guilt and responsibility, and they both knew how convincing he could be.
The Secret Ingredient Page 38