by Shari Low
‘Babe, is everything okay?’ he asked and she could hear the concern in his voice.
No, it’s not. My boyfriend’s wife is being a royal pain in the arse by refusing to allow me to destroy their marriage, he’s not taking the initiative and doing it for me, and now there’s a fairly good chance I’m about to get fired on Monday. No, everything is not bloody okay.
‘Of course, it is, darling,’ she assured him. Hair done, lipstick on, face the world.
‘I thought you’d be back home to change before we go out to dinner. I just got here and there’s no sign of you.’
She looked at the clock. Shit, it was after 7.30 p.m. Her first instinct was to just blow this whole thing off, but her parents would already be on the way. Nothing else for it. She’d have to go. She could eat, make some pretence about not feeling well, then come back here as soon as possible. No point in wasting a perfectly good restaurant booking. Besides, she was looking smoking hot, there was always some celebrity or another there, and the pics would go down a storm on her Instagram.
‘I’m sorry, honey, I just got held up with this meeting. Anyway, I picked up my pink dress from the dry cleaners this afternoon – you know, the Cavalli one, and it’s in the back of the car. I’ll just change and meet you there.’
She would just pop into the Hilton to get ready. It was the perfect work to party hack for someone with her social life. It was also another company perk she’d lose. Free membership of the gym in the basement of the Hilton. It was so close to the city centre that it came in handy for a quick swim, or a spa treatment, or getting dressed for a night out in a hurry.
Now wasn’t the time to dwell on that. It was all going to work out. No question. Lila Anderson didn’t do failure and she certainly wasn’t going to back down from getting what she wanted.
‘Ok, babe, try to get there as soon as you can.’
What was wrong with him? She’d get there when she bloody well got there. He was becoming entirely too high-maintenance. Just as well it was about to end because he was starting to seriously get on her nerves.
‘Will do,’ she said, managing to keep her voice light. The last thing she needed was an argument with him right now as well. What was the point? One more dinner, then back here, force the issue with Ken, and then they could just be together and none of this other stuff – Cammy, her job, the wife – would even matter.
She was so busy running the internal dialogue, that as she pulled out, did a U-turn and headed back towards the city centre, she didn’t notice Ken’s car coming from the other direction and slipping into the driveway in front of his empty house.
8 p.m. – 10 p.m.
Chapter 25
Caro
Lila wasn’t here.
Caro’s eyes swept the room on a thirty-second repeat cycle. Nope, still not there – but she was getting slightly lecherous looks from one of the guys at the footballers’ tables.
The waitress came to take her order, and she decided that since she needed to stretch this out, she would go for starter, main course and then she could order a dessert later too if she needed to buy more time. She went for brioche, salmon steak, and a large still water on the side.
She was taking a sip when the door opened and Caro’s diaphragm flipped as a man entered. She knew him. It was Lila’s boyfriend, he of the defined abs and unlimited capacity for gift-giving.
She was fairly sure she lost the ability to breathe for several seconds as she waited to see if Lila was there with him, but he let the door bang behind him.
Bugger.
But she must be coming, otherwise why would he be here?
Okay, time to calm down and regroup. The boyfriend – from Lila’s pictures she knew his name was Cammy- was shown to a table in the window, a semicircular booth with a crisp pink table cover and a huge goldfish bowl full of lilies in the centre. It was the only table that had that adornment, so he must have requested it. What kind of guy thought about stuff like that?
Caro knew it would be on Lila’s Facebook page the minute she walked in here. #cheesyboyfriend #luckycow #imrollingmyeyes #eurgh.
Time passed achingly slowly. Lila still wasn’t here and the boyfriend was now on his second drink and looking a little agitated, his eyes flicking between his watch and the door. She had to admit, Lila had good taste. This guy could be on the cover of a magazine. He was even better looking than any of the football players, even if he didn’t seem to have their laid-back confidence. Though that probably came from public adulation and having millions in the bank.
The door opened again. Heart started pounding. It was… Nope, a group of four – maybe two couples – all now standing chatting to the maître d.
Caro really, really wished she’d ordered a gin. This wasn’t the kind of emotional stress that could be soothed with still water.
Her eyes caught a movement at the desk. The two couples were still there, but behind them, she could see the top of the door and it was opening. Yes! It was opening again and… Her eyes darted to Cammy. He’d spotted something, he was standing up, he was smiling, his arms beginning to open…
Why the bloody hell couldn’t those people move and let her see who had just come in? It took every ounce of self-discipline not to yell right over the restaurant for them to get out of the bloody way.
It was like slow motion. Like the old episodes of Baywatch, where the lifeguard was running across the sands. Only in this case, it was Caro who was drowning and there was no one there to pull her out of the swirling riptide.
Cammy was stepping forward now. Eyes on the door. Someone small. A blonde. Yes it was…! No, it actually wasn’t. This woman was blonde, beautiful, but older than Lila. She searched her mental hard drive for a recollection. Her mother! It was her mum. Lila had posted countless photographs of them on cosy lunches, pamper days for two, weekend breaks, side-by-side sunloungers on tropical beaches. Things Caro and her mum had never done… and never would do now.
She was so distracted by the sudden flood of tears that swamped her lower lids that she almost missed him. The man. Walking behind Lila’s mum. It was the one in the pictures, the one Lila called dad, the one who looked, from this distance and through a mist of incredulity, a whole lot like the man who had walked out of Caro’s life years before. But she couldn’t be sure.
Turn this way. Turn this way. Let me see your full face, she begged, silently.
The waiter appeared out of nowhere with her starter, cutting off her view, blocking sight of him. She could see the boyfriend hugging the woman, then pulling out a chair for her.
By the time she had a clear view again, the older man was sitting down with his back to her. Nooooooo. Come on. Don’t let this be happening. Her heart was beating like a drum now, so loud it must be drowning out the music, the chat, the tactics the French team were discussing with the aim of securing a win against Scotland. She slipped her phone out of her bag and made the call.
‘WHAT IS HAPPENING?’ Todd wailed again, definitely his catchphrase of the day. ‘This is killing me. KILLING ME!’
‘Not as much as it’s killing me,’ Caro murmured, trying desperately not to let any other diners hear her speaking. Using a phone in here was probably frowned upon. Besides, there was nothing worse than someone who broke the ambience of any environment by chattering on a phone. ‘I think he might be here.’
‘Who’s there? Stop whispering. Did you mean Lila? Lila is there?’
‘No, she’s not here. He’s here.’
‘Who?’
Jesus, he didn’t catch on quickly, did he?
‘My dad!’ There was an audible gasp on the other end of the line, before she went on. ‘At least, it might be my dad. I honestly don’t know. He’s at the table with Lila’s mum and boyfriend, but he’s got his back to me so I can’t see for sure. Oh, that’s weird…’
‘What’s weird?’
‘Lila’s mum just jumped up and hugged the boyfriend. She looks delighted about something. The two men are now shaking hand
s. I’ve no idea what’s going on. Oh, God, Todd what will I do?’
‘Can you walk past him and get a closer look?’
‘No, he’s sitting at the front window. There would be no reason to go there unless I was leaving.’
‘Then you have to just go over there and confront him.’
‘I can’t.’
‘You can.’
‘I can’t.’
‘What are we – six?’ Todd teased, and she was grateful for the humour.
A woman at the next table but one didn’t seem to share her feeling, and gave her a filthy look, presumably for using her phone. Caro smiled back at her, then turned her attention back to the door.
‘I can’t stand this,’ Todd groaned. ‘Why am I not there?’
‘Because we didn’t know it would turn out this way.’
‘It doesn’t matter! I should have come. This is better than a double bill of EastEnders, and I’m having to hear about it second hand through a phone.’
‘Shhhhh,’ Caro chided him. ‘Hang on…’ Her voice trailed off as her gaze fixed on the opening door. Wider. Wider. Then wider again. Then it seemed like everything and everyone else in the room faded away. It was just Caro, watching, as the spectacle that was Lila Anderson strutted into the restaurant. She wasn’t exceptionally tall, perhaps 5’6’, with two added inches for hair that was last seen on an 80s supermodel. Tumbling, gorgeous, big mane, swept back from a face that had cheekbones you could ski off. But it was the body… It was enough to make an entire table of French football gods turn, as one, like a cross-channel wave, and stare in her direction. That dress looked a whole lot different on her than it did when she had posted a picture of it on the hanger. It was a pale pink, almost nude colour, with spaghetti-thin straps that left her shoulders bare, high cleavage and a silhouette so tight the outline of her hip bones were visible. She walked like she was walking down a catwalk, aware that she had suddenly become a focus of attention.
‘Hang up, quick, hang up…’ she hissed into the phone. She had no idea if Todd did as she asked, until she hit another button and immediately called him back on FaceTime. She surreptitiously aimed the camera at Lila, still standing, allowing her boyfriend to hug her, then working the table, kissing her mum on both cheeks, then her father. Caro tried once again to subliminally mind-warp him into turning around, but without success.
‘Buggering bollocks.’ That came from the speaker on her phone, thankfully only loud enough for Caro to hear. Although, Mrs Stern Face, at the next table but one, still wasn’t looking best pleased.
After the gregarious greetings, Lila sat down, her smile wide and flawless as she launched into an animated discussion with the group. Caro decided right there and then that the guy over there couldn’t be her dad, because even taking into account different mothers, there was no way she even had one foot in the same gene pool as that goddess.
Caro took the phone off speaker, hung up, and switched back to a voice call, so that she could hold the phone to her ear again. ‘Listen, I don’t have too much battery left because I didn’t think to bring a charger. I need to hang up for now.’
‘Don’t you dare! Caro, don’t even think…’ Click.
She hadn’t lied. Her battery was down to less than twenty per cent. But she had to get him off the phone because she wanted to focus on the group at the other table with no distractions, even loving ones. Also, she couldn’t stand what was already unbearable anxiety being added to by the worry that Mrs Stern Face would have her papped out for using a mobile phone in a high-class restaurant.
It was almost ten o’clock by the time Caro had finished all three courses, dragging it out by chewing every mouthful multiple times, and then adding a coffee on to the end. The food here was supposed to be among the best in the city, but Caro had been so distracted, even her taste buds were switched off for the night.
The whole time, she’d watched as the party of four who may or may not be related to her ate, chatted, laughed like they didn’t have a care in the world. The perfect happy family – even if the boyfriend seemed a bit on edge. And they all seemed to be absolutely fine with Lila’s incessant selfies. There was an incredible moment, just after they’d finished their main courses, when Lila got up and went over to one of the players at the French team’s table and whispered in his ear. Caro saw him nod, then watched, astonished, as Lila went around the entire table taking a photo with every player.
That’s some level of confidence right there, she thought. And more compelling evidence that we don’t paddle in the same gene pool.
There had yet to be an opportunity for intervention or clarification. Of course, Caro could walk over there right now and look that man in the face, and know if it was her dad, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. She would, but just not yet. Soon.
A text appeared on her screen.
If you don’t call me I’m sending in a SWAT team.
Despite her stomach-clenching, agonising state of stress, she phoned Todd back.
‘I’ve got nothing to report or I would have called. They’ve had dinner, they’ve chatted, and Lila hasn’t gone to the toilet even once. The woman must have the bladder of a camel. She has, however, gone around the two tables of the French football team taking a selfie with every one of them.’
A pause on the other end of the line, then ‘The French football team is there?’
‘Yeah, didn’t you see them when I FaceTime’d?’
‘No, I was too busy being overcome by a dose of giddiness. Seriously? Are you sure it’s the French football team and not a pub team of farmers from Marseilles?’
‘Yes. The maître d’ told me.’
She heard a loud, repetitive thud.
‘Todd, are you banging your head off your table?’
‘Maybe,’ he admitted. ‘I swear this is the worst night of my life.’
‘It’s not going too great for me either last time I checked,’ she retorted.
‘Sorry. You’re right. But I mean, the French football team in the same restaurant. That’s the equivalent of you getting stuck in a lift with Brad Pitt and Matt Damon.’
‘Point taken. Todd, I think I’m going to go for it. I need to go speak to this guy. Rule him out. I’ve finished my meal, I’ve paid the bill, my fake story about my husband’s flight being delayed is losing ground and it’s starting to get a bit suspect that I’m loitering. So I’m just going to leave the restaurant and on the way past, I’m going to stop at the table and do it.’
‘I take it you’ve planned this all out?’
“Not a single second of it,” she admitted, words tight with terror.
‘Terrific. What could go wrong? Leave the phone on, I want to hear everything.’
‘Okay, I’m going to do it.’
‘You said that a minute ago.’
‘I know! I’m working up to it. Give me a break! Right, I’m going…’ Halfway to a standing position, Caro froze as she saw what was happening across the room, then plumped back down on her seat. ‘Oh God, I can’t.’
‘Yes, you can. You’ve got this,’ Todd said encouragingly.
‘No, I mean I actually can’t do it right at this minute.’
‘Why? Why not? What’s happened?’
‘Lila’s boyfriend just got down on one knee.’
Chapter 26
Cammy
Nothing was going to plan.
For a start, he got there first, which – on the positive side – gave him enough time to sort out the ring. Neil, the manager, was nowhere to be seen so he gave it to the waiter who came to take his drinks order and introduced himself as Jude. ‘Can you give this to Neil please? I’m proposing to my girlfriend tonight and Neil has it covered. The ring is to be brought out with dessert.’
‘No problem at all,’ Jude said, slipping it in his pocket and going off to get the requested bottle of bubbly. Not Cammy’s drink of choice, but this was Lila’s night. He’d stick to water until the deed was done. Slurring out a half-assed pr
oposal probably wasn’t the best way to seal the deal.
As he watched Jude depart, he did have a moment of hesitation. He’d just given over the most important component of tonight’s events to a guy who didn’t look old enough to legally marry let alone to oversee another person’s proposal. Enough. He was just panicking, of course it would all be fine.
It would.
His phone buzzed with an incoming text, and he checked it anxiously, worried that Lila was cancelling.
It was Josie.
‘Not too late to change your mind. We’re here for you. Can storm building and have you out of there in seconds.’
His reply was succinct.
‘Go away’.
‘At least keep us regularly updated? We’re old, could die at any minute.’
‘I’m switching my phone off.’
Smiling, he flicked the handset to silent and put it back in his pocket.
Josie and Val coming tearing in here would be a nightmare.
He had plenty of time to ruminate over that, and at least a dozen other disaster scenarios in the twenty minutes he spent sitting on his own before Lila’s mum and dad came in. They were late, but at least they were there.
Okay, this was progress. Although, he would feel easier if Lila was here too.
He tried to engage as they chatted away about the round of golf they’d played that afternoon, but he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t distracted. So much for the French bloody football team being at the other end of the restaurant. He’d thought they’d be right up the back on the raised area, separate from the rest of the diners, but no – they were smack bang in the middle and just a few feet away from their table.
Great.
It did somewhat blow the romantic ambience. He could see Neil, the manager, floating around in the room, but, probably wisely, he avoided coming within shouting distance of Cammy. Instead, he gave him a thumbs up from a distance, and then pretended to ignore Cammy’s glare of annoyance. He’d be making sure he recommended trousers that were way too tight next time he was in the shop.