Pinstripes

by Faith Bleasdale

  “Josh, I can’t figure Clara out at the best of times. If you want to find out what’s going on in her mind, it’s best to ask her.”

  “Point taken. How long have you been friends?”

  “We’re not exactly friends. We all got sacked on the same day, but that’s about it.”

  “So why are you going through this together?”

  “Search me.” She smiled weakly.

  “I get the impression you confuse people as much as Clara does. Which way now?” Ella directed Josh through the streets until they found a car park near to the gym. They got out and walked. Ella’s legs felt like rubber. Her stomach was churning, and her hands were shaking. Josh kept throwing her encouraging smiles and Ella thought again how charming he was. Isabelle didn’t stand a chance. They got to the gym and went to sit in the bar.

  “Ella, I’m getting you a brandy. I know this is a gym, but I think that under the circumstances a brandy is excusable. Anyway, I need some Dutch courage.” He ordered the drinks and Ella sat down so she could see the lobby.

  “Are there any viewing galleries for the squash courts?” Josh asked.

  “Upstairs. Why?”

  “Because if I watch her play squash, I can tell her afterwards that I’d seen she was a good player then ask her for a game.”

  “What if she’s crap?” Ella asked.

  “Then she’ll be flattered. Trust me.” Ella did trust him.

  They sat in the bar until they saw Isabelle walk in.

  “That’s her,” Ella said, hiding behind a plant. “Over there.” She stuck out a finger.

  “I see her. Tall, nice legs, glasses.”

  “Yes,” Ella hissed.

  “All right, you stay behind the plant, I’m going to the viewing gallery.” Josh got up.

  ***

  It seemed like for ever before Isabelle and an overweight woman came on to court one. Josh stood and watched. He had decided to try to find this whole thing amusing, but it was anyway. Isabelle played to win; she had a killer instinct. Her opponent had obviously lost the will to live.

  “Harriet, do try to concentrate. That’s the fifth point in a row I’ve taken off you,” Isabelle shouted at the other woman, who was panting and cowering in the corner. As she lumbered about the court in stark contrast to Isabelle, who seemed to glide, she missed ball after ball. And when she did hit it, she seemed to hit it straight to Isabelle. Josh couldn’t understand why they played together.

  Half an hour later the plump woman could hardly breathe.

  “I think we’ll call it a day, shall we? You should practise more, you know,” Isabelle said, before stalking off the court leaving her opponent behind. Josh ran back downstairs. He knew now that Isabelle was a complete bitch. He gave Ella a thumbs-up but as she had moved her chair behind the plant now, he didn’t know if she had seen him.

  He waited in the lobby for what seemed like ages until Isabelle walked out. She was wearing a tracksuit and her hair was damp. He knew he had to approach her now.

  “Hi,” he said, standing in front of her.

  “Hello.” Isabelle tilted her head to one side questioningly.

  “I know you don’t know me, but I was watching your game,” Josh said, in his smoothest voice.

  “Really?”

  “You’re remarkably good, aren’t you?” Josh smiled his best smile.

  “I wouldn’t say that. I like to play twice a week, but there’s room for improvement.” Isabelle was twisting a strand of her wet hair.

  “Can I buy you a drink? It’s just that I really need a squash partner. The person I used to play against has emigrated to New Zealand.”

  “Oh dear.”

  “Actually, he didn’t play as well as you do. Perhaps we could discuss the idea of a game.”

  “Sure, that’d be lovely.” Isabelle was practically swooning.

  “What would you like?” Josh asked, going to the bar and trying not to laugh at Ella, who was invisible behind the plant.

  “White wine, please,” Isabelle said, and sat down with her back to the plant. Josh ordered a white wine and a beer and sat opposite her.

  ‘my name’s Josh Lambert, I’m a corporate lawyer and I work for Garrett. Have you heard of them? I’m telling you this so you don’t think I stalk squash clubs looking for pretty women.” He laughed, as did Isabelle, who was blushing.

  “Isabelle Holland. I’m a sales manager at SFH. I’ve heard of Garrett, it’s one of the most respected law firms in the City. I don’t think you’re a stalker.” She sounded less sure of herself than she had when she was shouting at her opponent.

  “Wow, good job. You must be very clever to hold such a key position with a great firm,” Josh said. He knew he sounded like a creep, but he guessed that with Isabelle flattery would get him everywhere.

  “Thank you, Josh, but it’s hard work.”

  “God, I know. I work such long hours myself. I understand. It’s nice to meet other ambitious, successful people.”

  “Yes, it is.” Isabelle thought it must be her lucky day. This man was a total babe.

  “You have a wonderful forearm,” Josh said.

  “Sorry?” Isabelle asked. Josh leant over, took her hand and pulled her left arm towards him.

  “Such a well-formed arm,” Josh repeated, trying not to laugh.

  “Thank you.” Isabelle was totally off-balance.

  “So, what about it?” Josh said.

  “Sorry?” Isabelle said.

  “Squash next week?”

  “Yes, that would be lovely. When?” Isabelle was hooked.

  Josh decided to make her sweat a bit. “I need to check my diary. But definitely next week. May I call you?” Josh saw disappointment flash for a second in Isabelle’s eyes.

  “Of course, here’s my card.” She fished in her handbag and pulled one out.

  “Fantastic. I’ll call you on Monday. Is there any day you’d prefer?” Now that he was sure of her interest he could afford to be a little generous.

  “Well, Wednesday’s good for me.”

  “Excellent. I’ll make myself available on Wednesday. But I’ll call on Monday to firm up arrangements.” He let his eyes fall to her tiny chest.

  “Lovely, I’ll look forward to it. So, I’ll hear from you on Monday?”

  “Yes,” Josh said, still trying not to laugh.

  “Super. Well, I must go now. “Bye, Josh, lovely to meet you. See you next week. Speak to you Monday.” Isabelle’s calm demeanour had disappeared.

  “Bye, Isabelle, the pleasure was all mine.” He kissed her cheek and could hear her heart pounding. He smiled again and she left.

  As soon as he was sure she was gone, he bellowed with laughter. So did the plant.

  “For God’s sake, Ella, come out of there.”

  Ella emerged. “I can’t believe how smooth you were. She was in pieces. God, no one but Isabelle would fall for the wonderful forearm thing.” Ella was hysterical.

  “I hope you’re not mocking my chat-up technique.” Josh feigned hurt.

  “Christ, if you used that one on Clara, no wonder she’s making you do this.” They looked at each other, and it was five minutes before either could speak.

  “I’ve got to call them. They’ll be having kittens by now,” Ella said, as she reached for her mobile phone.

  ***

  Virginia and Clara had been watching television because they didn’t know what else to do.

  “Why haven’t they called yet?”

  “You’ve asked that a million times and it won’t make the phone ring.” Virginia’s nerves were in shreds.

  “All right, just because you’ve got a personality now, or a bit of one, there’s no reason to snipe at me.”

  “I’m not sniping.”

  “You are too. God, I created a monster.”

  “Shut up, Clara.”

  “I wish they’d phone.” Clara jumped up for the thousandth time and started pacing again.

  “If you’re going to be like this w
hen it’s only the beginning what are you going to be like by the last one?” Virginia said.

  “In pieces. If we live that long.” Clara shot Virginia a warning glance, and Virginia shut up. She wasn’t ready to be more like Ella and Clara just yet. The telephone rang. Clara grabbed it. Virginia only got Clara’s side of the conversation, which consisted of “yes”. She hung up.

  “Well?” Virginia asked.

  “He did it. They’re meeting next week.”

  “Thank God,” Virginia said, and felt better.

  “Ella hid behind a plant,” Clara explained.

  “Right.”

  “I’m getting a drink. Want one?” Clara asked.

  They sat sipping wine until the doorbell rang and Josh and Ella walked in.

  “Mission accomplished,” Josh said, and sat down on the couch.

  “You should have heard him, he was so slick.” Ella chuckled.

  ‘tell me all,” Clara commanded, and. went to grab the wine bottle.

  Josh told them what had happened, and Ella gave her “behind the plant” version of how she had had to put her fist in her mouth to stifle her laughter.

  “OK, I’m leaving now. Virginia, you want a lift?” Ella asked.

  “I’ve got the scooter,” Virginia replied.

  “You’ve been drinking,” Clara said.

  “Only one glass, Clara, you had the rest.”

  “Oh, yes. So I did.” Clara giggled.

  After the pair had gone, Clara fell uncertainly into Josh’s arms.

  Chapter Twenty-three

  The three kept apart until Monday, when Ella rang them both to tell them the document had arrived. She had paid handsomely for it and was pleased to see that they had done a great job. It looked like a genuine company report.

  They met up at Clara’s flat and poured over it. They were less nervous now. They knew that the stakes were high, and that if the plan for Isabelle didn’t work they would have to abort the project, but now that they were getting close, they wanted revenge even more.

  Clara told them that she’d spent the whole weekend with Josh. He hadn’t left her side. “Aren’t you worried about him and Isabelle?” Ella asked.

  “No,” Clara replied, indicating that the subject was closed.

  Virginia shrugged. If she had someone like Josh interested in her, which would never happen, there was no way she would make him sleep with anyone else. They discussed the next phase of the plan.

  “I know we want this over and done with quickly, but perhaps we should make sure they have two dates before he lures her back to his flat,” Clara said.

  “I think you’re right, although it seems a little unfair on Josh. She’s not great company, is she?”

  “Yes, but we need to be sure that she falls for it. If it happens too quickly maybe she won’t,” Virginia said.

  “I agree. Two dates it is, then.”

  ***

  Josh called Isabelle on Monday afternoon. Her secretary answered.

  “Isabelle Holland please.” Josh put his business voice on.

  “May I say who’s calling?” the girl asked, in a singsong voice.

  “Josh Lambert.” He could tell the girl was new because she forgot to put him on hold and he heard her shouting over to Isabelle that a Josh was on the line and he heard Isabelle say, “Bloody well put him through, you idiot.” When Isabelle’s voice finally came on the line, he had managed to stop laughing.

  “Isabelle Holland.”

  “Hi, it’s Josh.”

  “Josh, how are you?” Her voice was more sickly sweet than before.

  “Fine. Are you on for Wednesday?”

  “Of course, I’ve booked a court.” She was very keen.

  “What time?” Josh asked. He wasn’t sure how he would be able to sleep with her.

  “Seven. Shall we meet at the club?”

  “Yes, sure. I’ll meet you in the lobby at five to, then.” Josh saw he had another call coming through.

  “Lovely, I’ll see you, then.”

  “I must dash, I’ll be looking forward to it. “Bye,” Josh hung up, picked up his other line and wondered how he had got mixed up in all this.

  ***

  Clara saw Josh on Tuesday night and gave him the report. He took her to bed, and after he fell asleep Clara cried. She got up and did another couple of lines of cocaine. Eventually, she passed out.

  ***

  Virginia sat at home and waited for the post. The response from her parents hadn’t arrived yet and they hadn’t called either. It was a worrying, if unsurprising, development.

  ***

  Ella spent a lot of time with Jackie and tried to keep her mind off the other two. She found them occupying her thoughts more than she wanted. And she didn’t understand why.

  Chapter Twenty-four

  On Wednesday as he got to work Josh was fuming. Clara had insisted he had two dates with Isabelle. He felt as though he had been hired to do this, and he felt cheap. He had tried to talk her out of it, but Clara wouldn’t budge. If he wanted her, he had to do this, and he wanted her so much. He put Isabelle out of his mind at work, although he couldn’t do the same with Clara. He would have loved to know what was going on in her head. But he had no idea. Resignedly, he got his secretary to order him a cab for half past six and went to the gym.

  He was there before Isabelle, and as he stood in the lobby in his crisp white shorts, he realised he was nervous. He couldn’t figure out whether going through with this would ensure that Clara and he could be together or whether it would do the opposite. He didn’t have much time to dwell on it, though, because Isabelle arrived. “Josh, hello,” she said, touching his arm.

  “Hey, there. Ready to play?” he said, in his most seductive voice. He guessed that if he ever left the legal profession he could get a job as a male prostitute. He had wanted so much to say no to Clara, and all his common sense told him that he should have done so. But he knew this was his only option, so he threw himself into the role. They walked on to the court and the game began.

  After the first few minutes, he had sussed her game. She wasn’t very good and Josh had to play below his usual standard to ensure she got any points at all. By the end, although he won, he hadn’t wiped the floor with her.

  “Great game,” he said, as they stood on the court.

  “Thanks, you play well,” Isabelle panted.

  “Can I tempt you to have dinner with me as a thank you?” Josh asked.

  “That would be lovely.” Isabelle’s eyes lit up.

  They changed and met in the lobby. Josh had been waiting for quite a while when Isabelle came out. She had doused herself in perfume, which made Josh feel nauseous, and she was wearing too much makeup. She looked unattractive.

  “Ready?” Josh asked.

  “Yes. Where are we going?” Isabelle asked. Josh had planned to take her to a restaurant near his flat, but that would have to wait for the second date.

  ‘”The Oxo tower,” Josh said. They walked outside and hailed a cab. Josh held open the door and ushered Isabelle in, lightly touching her bottom. He saw by the redness of her face that she had noticed.

  “So, tell me about your job,” Josh said, and switched off as she talked about her own importance for the entire journey. She was the most egotistical and boring woman he’d ever met.

  They arrived at the restaurant and she was still talking. She had told him about all the people she was in charge of, the money she made, the stupid secretaries she had to put up with. She talked and talked. Josh thought of Clara.

  When they sat down, Isabelle finally ran out of steam and Josh took control. He ordered the wine and suggested the food.

  ‘”Tell me about your job, Josh,” Isabelle said finally.

  “Well, as a City lawyer I get so much information about companies that I could make a fortune. Of course, I can’t do anything about it, more’s the pity. I’d be the richest guy in Britain – or nearly anyway,” Josh guffawed.

  “Really? How come
?” Isabelle asked, as the starter arrived.

  “I specialise in takeovers. That’s where the money is. Often the stock price is really low but about to go through the roof. Because I work on the takeovers I know what’s happening well before the information is public. Of course if I acted on it I’d be fired, and as I quite like my job and have a decent amount of money anyway, it’s not necessary. It’s also illegal, as you know, but it would be nice sometimes.”

  “So you get all the insider information. There are leaks, though – I’ve seen them myself.”

  “Sure, but that’s still illegal. Of course, if you got some information and used it no one could prove you’d been tipped off or worked on that tip. You could just have made a good judgement. But if I was involved, they’d probably hang me out to dry.”

  “Josh, that’s amazing. Imagine having that information and not being able to use it. It must be terribly frustrating.” Isabelle’s eyes were shining.

  “Yup, but that’s life. It’s frustrating.”

  “I guess so.”

  ‘there’s one I’m working on at the moment that’s a killer. It’s going to be so big, but again there’s nothing I can do about it.”

  “Perhaps you could let it slip to me?”

  “You know what? You’ve got a great sense of humour. And lovely eyes.” Josh looked into them. They weren’t lovely at all; they were on the small side, like her chest.

  “Thank you.” Isabelle flushed.

  Josh kept the wine flowing. After dinner, they had coffee and brandy, and Isabelle was drunk. Josh drank quite a lot himself. As he wasn’t going to sleep with her that night, the drink helped alleviate the boredom. He was not looking forward to seeing her again, but he had told himself he would, for Clara. As they finished the brandy, Josh leant his head close to Isabelle’s. “Isabelle, I’ve got a really early start. Regrettably, I must call it a night.”

  Isabella looked disappointed. “Oh, well, of course, if you must. Where do you live?”

  “Chelsea,” Josh said. “You?”

  “Hampstead. I guess we’re on opposite sides of London.” She laughed weakly, but Josh could feel her disappointment.