Before We Met: What Happens When You Fall For The Same Man Twice But Don't Even Know It

by Madeleine Cardell

  ‘Honey, I just called your place and found out from your mum that congratulations are in order!’ he started excitedly. ‘I’m so proud of you, babe!’

  ‘Thanks.’ Vera found herself smiling for the first time that day, and observed that every time she spoke to Shane, or was in his company, she smiled or laughed easily. ‘What are you doing right now?’ she asked him.

  ‘I’m working. Actually turning around in Zurich. I’m only making this sneaky phone call to congratulate you,’ he answered. ‘I expect that now you’re rich and famous, you will want to buy yourself lots of new clothes, and you might be looking for a stylist. Well, you’re in luck. I’m offering my services as a personal shopper, and what’s more …’ he paused, ‘they are free. So, when are we going shopping?’ he asked.

  Preoccupied with other things, Vera hadn’t even thought about shopping for clothes, or make-up, or other luxuries before. But now, she realized, she could spoil herself and the people she cared about.

  ‘Whenever you’re free!’ she shouted back, excitedly.

  ‘Excellent. Let’s meet in two days. I’ll call you tomorrow. I have to go, babe! Bye.’

  Vera put the phone back in her bag. How exciting was that? Shane and her were going on a shopping spree without worrying about the money! She guessed she trusted him to help her choose new clothes. He’d been so well-groomed and looked so stylish when he’d visited her at the hospital. And he clearly had an exciting lifestyle to match his pristine appearance, flying all over the world, eating breakfast, lunch and dinner in different cities every day. Surely anyone would love to be in his shoes, do his job. Suddenly, the noise of a plane made her look up. A huge, four-engine jet flew high above her. An unexplained shiver went through Vera’s body as she imagined herself being on board, with her feet not firmly on the ground, out of control of her destiny. She followed the plane with her eyes until she couldn’t see it anymore, and suddenly the idea of being in the skies, traveling the world or flying somewhere for a job wasn’t as exciting anymore.

  CHAPTER 17

  In the late afternoon, back home, and relieved to have found her way back to West Hampstead, Vera awoke from a nap on the sofa to the noise of plates being washed in the kitchen sink. There was a distinctive smell of beef coming from the kitchen, and she knew straight away that her mother had made a cottage pie. Her dad was sitting on the other end of the sofa, doing a crossword. Vera considered how her parents had been her rock since the accident, and wondered how strong their relationship had been throughout her twenties. They seemed to feel at home here, in her apartment, and she wondered if they’d visited her often. As she glanced around the living room, she wondered how long she had lived here, and if she had a rental agreement that would protect her from being asked to leave. She liked this apartment, and the last thing she wanted right now was to have to move out and look for another place.

  ‘I think I’d like to buy this flat.’ Vera looked at her dad, who upon hearing her sudden admission, put his crossword to the side.

  ‘I suppose there’s nothing stopping you from approaching your landlord,’ said Stanley, after a moment of thinking. ‘And you can afford to pay in full now. Just think, it would be great to never have to worry about mortgage repayments,’ he added.

  ‘Do you still have your mortgage?’ she asked.

  ‘Yes, we do. Only a few years left to go, though.’

  ‘How much do you still owe?’ she asked.

  Stanley stared into the wall moving his lips silently, calculating the repayments.

  ‘I suppose.’ He scratched his head, looking straight ahead. ‘Around £15,000. I can’t be one hundred per cent certain, but it must be close to that.’

  ‘Then I’d like to pay that off for you.’ she said quickly, and just as she did, Patricia, who had heard the whole conversation from the kitchen, appeared in the living room with an oven glove on, and said, ‘We’re not struggling, darling. We have decent pensions. You really don’t have to.’

  ‘But I want to, Mum. So Dad, please find out how to proceed, and once I get my money paid into the bank, I will,’ she said firmly.

  Both Patricia and Stanley were clearly touched, and tears filled her mother’s eyes.

  ‘And I will approach my landlord about buying this place. I love everything about this apartment, so it makes perfect sense to own it. And when I get back my memories, this flat will mean even more to me than it does right now.’ She looked around the room.

  Patricia came to sit next to her on the sofa.

  ‘I don’t know what to say, Vera. ‘You’re are so very kind! We never expected that anyone would do such a thing for us. We don’t do badly, your dad and I.’ She wiped away the tear that was running down her face. ‘But this will set us free from debt, give us financial freedom.’

  ‘That is why I want to do this,’ Vera said. ‘You deserve to be able to go on holiday, or just to spend a bit more on yourselves. You and dad have always tried your best to give me what I needed, and …’ She paused, before continuing, ‘you’ve been very supportive since all this happened.’ Vera hugged her mum. ‘But on that note,’ she said, when she freed herself from the embrace, ‘I think I’m ready to look after myself now, so don’t be afraid of going home.’ She looked at both of them. ‘Dad, I know you’ll no doubt have better things to do in your shed than sitting here doing a crossword, and Mum …’ She turned to Patricia. ‘Your neighbors and your garden will be missing you. I can cook, wash, clean and eat on my own. I’ll be fine.’

  ‘Is this what you really want, darling?’ Patricia studied Vera’s face to see if she was telling the truth, or just trying to spare them the hassle of being away from home for much longer.

  ‘It is mum. I won’t pretend I can do everything on my own. I know I can’t. And there are things I’m going to need help with. But if I start to struggle, I won’t be afraid to ask for help.’

  ‘I suppose I could always get on with rebuilding my shed, it’s barely standing,’ Stanley laughed, after a moment of hesitation. ‘Before your accident, I wanted to take it apart and put it together again.’ He stopped and looked at his wife. ‘I suppose I could go home tomorrow. What about you, love?’ he asked her.

  ‘That depends on Vera,’ answered Patricia. ‘Are you absolutely sure you don’t need me? I could always stay another few days?’

  ‘Mum, I’m sure. The sooner I start doing things on my own, the better for my recovery.’ But the truth was, Vera also wanted some space on her own now.

  ‘Fine, we will both leave tomorrow then, dad and I,’ said Patricia. ‘But promise me that if you need anything you’ll call us straight away.’ She brushed Vera’s hair off her forehead.

  ‘I promise! Who else would I call?’

  As she asked, she hoped to see a slight change on their faces, indicating the presence of someone close or special in her life, someone else Vera could rely on, but there was no sign of anything like that at all.

  Within the next twenty-four hours, Stan and Patricia were gone. As Vera closed the door behind them she sat down at her transparent dining table on an equally transparent chair. For the first time since the accident, she was completely alone. And although she didn’t mind her own company, she had the strange and unexplainable feeling of missing someone, although she didn’t know why or who it was. She put her head in her hands with her elbows on the table, and wondered who or what she was missing. A few minutes later, she turned off the light and went upstairs to the bedroom, promising herself to ask Shane about any boyfriends she may have had when she saw him next week.

  CHAPTER 18

  After money from her book was paid into her bank account, Shane and Vera met up to go on a shopping spree. Among items she was looking forward to buying, the most was a new handbag - the one she carried everyday had survived the accident, but looked tatty and old - and at least a couple of pairs of shoes. And as winter approached, a pair of black leather boots to wear every day, and a pair of designer stilettos for special occasions
. Vera also decided she needed a few new dresses, some cashmere jumpers, a couple of T-shirts, good quality leggings, and a new Burberry trench coat. The night before she was due to meet Shane, she felt so excited she could barely sleep. The next day, she took the Jubilee line from West Hampstead to Bond Street. When she got off and headed up the escalator, Shane was already waiting for her upstairs.

  ‘Finally!’ He waved his hand towards her, still clutching his phone. ‘I just called you, but you were out of reach. Have you had trouble getting here?’

  ‘Not at all,’ she said smiling. ‘I just left the house a bit too late. I had no idea that traveling five stops would take so long,’ she explained, scanning his appearance. Shane looked impeccable. He wore smart black trousers, a white fitted shirt and an equally fitted cardigan. His black hair was brushed down one side and didn’t move one bit - despite the wind. His smart-casual look was complimented by wearing vintage training shoes by New Balance and a Gucci leather tote.

  ‘Well, you’re here now. So, where do you want to start?’ he asked.

  ‘I thought that maybe we could go to A&C first, for some cashmere jumpers,’ she replied, as she reached the top of the stairs. ‘I definitely want a few in different colors. Then we could go to the shoe department - I was thinking of getting a pair of boots …’

  As she looked at Shane, Vera’s happy smile gradually disappeared.

  ‘You want to go to A&C?’ he asked in disbelief. ‘You have just made over a million pounds, and want to wear jumpers from A&C?’

  ‘I thought they had good quality cashmere?’ Vera tried hiding her embarrassment. ‘And they make them in different colors. So yeah,’ she continued, ‘why not?’

  ‘I’ll tell you why not, sweetheart.’ Shane pointed his index finger at her bag. ‘Because money is not an issue, so we’ll go places that offer something more exclusive. Now, I know you …’ he continued, ‘and I know what you need to re-vamp your wardrobe, so …’ He took her left hand, ‘just follow me and let me guide you.’ He pulled her towards him.

  ‘But I’m not sure I want to re vamp my wardrobe,’ Vera looked confused.

  ‘Just trust me on this, you’re going to look like a goddess by the time I’ve finished with you,’ he said, with a wicked smile on his face. ‘Think a cross between Victoria Beckham and Susie Bubble. You get me?’ he asked.

  ‘I don’t know who either of them are,’ Vera murmured, but Shane wasn’t listening anymore. He grabbed her arm and they disappeared in the depths of Oxford Street.

  Four hours later, exhausted but happy, Shane and Vera walked into a sushi bar near Marble Arch. In the last few hours they’d been to the finest boutiques in town, trying on clothes that Shane carefully selected for Vera. Earlier on, he’d decided that Vera’s new wardrobe should consist of key elements: blazers, white shirts and little black dresses, and the rest should be built around them. His dedication to her makeover was total, so firstly he took Vera to YSL, as according to him, no brand understood elegance better than they did. After leaving the premises with a couple of elegant blazers, they headed for Selfridges shoe department, where they both went completely wild and tried on countless pairs of shoes. In the end, Vera, who’d only planned to splurge on two pairs of shoes, ended up picking five. Next they went crazy on the High Street, buying a variety of accessories from earrings to hats. Shane had insisted that Vera bought a large brimmed, black floppy hat, as a statement piece to wear whenever she needed to feel glamorous. Than they shopped for dresses, and ended up buying a stylish silk maxi in jade green with a slim waistline and a leather belt, a floral shift from Club Monaco that Vera had seen in a recent edition of Vogue magazine, and a cream lace skater dress from Topshop, with the cutest Peter Pan-style collar. She bought a new Burberry trench coat, and her desire for jumpers from A&C had disappeared when she saw the knitwear at J Crew. As for handbags, they headed for Celine, where she decided on a black leather tote with zips, and later they walked to Michael Kors, where Shane chose a medium version of the designer’s Selma bag for her.

  Thinking that they’d bought everything Vera needed and wanted, they headed to the sushi bar, but on their way, Vera was drawn to the window of yet another boutique, where she saw a dress she clearly remembered from her early teens. She didn’t own it, she just remembered celebrities and supermodels wearing it in the magazines that she used to read. It was sleeveless, color-blocked and super-tight. The main beauty of it was the sexy V-neck, the keyhole detail at the front, and the perfectly concealed centered back zip. She looked and looked at the classic Hervé Léger bandage dress. Shane and her glanced at each other, and instantly headed for the door of the shop. In the fitting room, Vera found herself trying on the ultimate dress of the rich and famous, and when she emerged, Shane put his hand to his mouth and whispered through his fingers - ‘Oh my God …’

  Unsure of his reaction Vera asked quietly, ‘Doesn’t it fit?’ while studying his face carefully.

  ‘Can’t you see?’ He was amazed that she’d asked.

  Vera had lost a stone in weight lying in the hospital bed, and the bodycon dress hugged her body in all the right places, making her look even slimmer than she was.

  ‘I don’t know …’ She turned around and looked nervously into the mirror.

  ‘Honey, you look amazing. Amazing!’ Shane repeated euphorically.

  Encouraged by his praise, Vera examined herself carefully in the mirror. The dress fitted like a glove. The colors were flattering and elegant. This dress had been one of the objects of her desire when she was barely a young kid, but given the current circumstances, it seemed like only a few months ago. She imagined wearing a pair of the high-heeled shoes she’d just bought with it, and thought how much longer they’d make her legs look.

  ‘I think, Vera, that this dress has your name written all over it,’ Shane said. ‘It represents a harmony of opposites - just like you these days. You, Vera, have an irresistible appeal in this dress, a vibrant and sensual accord, and you capture the perfect ingredients of femininity. This dress was made for you. No man could resist you in this dress!’

  Vera looked at him with a smile. She was flattered, but right now she had something else on her mind. So she seized the opportunity and asked - ‘Shane, is there … was there … someone I should know about?’

  Shane gulped, and in a slightly nervous manner considered what to say. She must have remembered something about Tony, he instantly thought in despair, and now, she was testing his loyalty.

  ‘What makes you ask that?’ he said carefully.

  ‘I don’t know …’Vera answered hesitantly. She sat down on the velvet chair in the fitting room. ‘I just have a feeling that something or someone is missing from my life. I feel I’m meant to know about someone. Shane, was I seeing anyone when the accident happened?’

  But Shane seemed a million miles away. Little did she know that he was considering how to get out of telling her the truth. But just as she was about to question him further, he seemed to snap out of his daze.

  ‘No, you most definitely weren’t,’ he said suddenly, realizing he just couldn’t tell Vera about Tony, despite her being his best friend.

  And Vera had no choice but to accept his answer.

  CHAPTER 19

  Vera knew it was ten am by the sound of bells of the local church ringing, something she’d learnt since she returned home from the hospital. She was still in bed. Yesterday she and Shane had shared a couple of bottles of wine over dinner, and she was wondering if she was experiencing her first hangover. Her Hervé Léger dress was hanging on the wardrobe door, a few pairs of shoes were scattered on the carpet, and accessories were abandoned on the dresser. Vera admired her new clothes from the bed. All she had to do now was to find places to wear them to.

  At 11.00am the doorbell rang, and Vera went downstairs to find out who it was. She was excited to find a courier on the doorstep - who delivered a small parcel from the publishing house with her name handwritten on the label. It could only be on
e thing: a copy of her book. Inside the apartment, she quickly ripped the paper off the box. She was right! It was a copy of A Fair Affair. Feeling emotional, she called both Suzy and her mum to tell them what she’d just received. There was no point in calling Shane to share her happy news - he was already in Madrid.

  As Vera heard the rain bouncing of the window in the kitchen, she took her very own book upstairs, to the bedroom, and slipped back under the duvet. After flipping through it, she opened it at a random page and started reading.

  “‘You can’t live in Richmond and never go to Kew Gardens,’ said Liam.

  ‘I don’t live in Richmond,’ Meredith hit back, ‘I just spend a lot of time here. And I’ve never been interested in plants or gardening.’

  ‘Until now?’ Liam had his hands in his pockets and a cheeky grin on his face.

  Meredith blushed.

  ‘I’m still not interested in gardening,’ she retaliated. ‘I promised my boyfriend I’d help re-design the garden, that’s all.’

  Immediately, Liam ceased the opportunity to ask about her relationship with Arnaud.

  ‘How long have you been together, you and your boyfriend?’

  ‘Six months, no, almost seven,’ she corrected herself.

  ‘And are you happy?’

  Taken aback by the question, Meredith didn’t know whether to answer him honestly or be openly angry he asked something that personal. She chose the latter.

  ‘I don’t think it’s any of your business,’ she said, turning away from him.

  ‘That’s not an answer,’ said Liam, unaffected.