by Melissa Hill
“I know,” Karen said fondly. “She could teach us all a thing or two. I think that I’m more self-conscious about my weight than Jenny is.”
“You shouldn’t be – you look fantastic.” With this, Charlie leaned forward and kissed her firmly on the lips.
Karen instantly pulled away.
“I’m sorry,” he said, genuinely. “I’m sorry if I was a bit forward. But I thought that you…”
Karen exhaled loudly. He was nice, he was gorgeous and he was funny. But he wasn’t Shane.
“I’m sorry, Charlie. I thought I did too. But I’ve just come out of a relationship and … ” she shrugged.
Charlie smiled. “It doesn’t matter. I knew it was too good to be true that a fine thing like yourself would be interested in someone like me. Never mind,” he said, catching her hand, and quickening his step to catch up with the others, “let’s go and have a drink and a bit of a laugh anyway – no funny business, OK?”
“OK,” Karen said, letting Charlie pull her along beside him, relieved that he hadn’t made a big deal out of it.
She must be crazy. Any girl would be crazy to knock back someone like him. But it was too soon. No matter what he had done, and no matter how much he had hurt her, Karen was realistic enough to know that it would a very long time before she got over Shane Quinn.
But in the meantime, and to help her along the way, a bit of a laugh would be the next best thing.
“What’s this?” said Karen to Jenny in surprise, a few days later.
“I’m not sure. It was on the floor when I got back from work earlier. Someone must have put it under the door.”
Jenny didn’t like lying to her friend, but she couldn’t tell Karen that Shane had dropped in the note on his way to the airport. Karen would go ballistic. She was still raging with him and had insisted that she never wanted to see him again. She had so far refused to take any of his phone calls, and wouldn’t talk about him under any circumstances. Jenny knew better than to risk Karen’s wrath by telling her that she had spoken to Shane the day before, when Karen had been at Tessa’s. He was flying out to Germany that very morning.
“If I could just tell her that nothing happened, Jen,” he had said, still clearly upset,
“but she won’t listen to me, she won’t let me explain –”
“Shane, she’s still hurting very badly. It was a terrible thing for her to find you two together. Maybe nothing had happened, but still –”
“I know, I know … I’ve been such a fool. I just wish she’d talk to me. Will I take a chance and call down to Tessa’s before I go, do you think?”
“It wouldn’t be a good idea, Shane,” Jenny said softly. That was putting it mildly. Jenny couldn’t be sure what Karen might do or say, if he went near her.
“Well then …” He stood up and took something out of his back pocket. “I suppose I have no choice but to leave this here.” He handed Jenny a small white envelope addressed to Karen. “Maybe if she won’t listen to me, I can explain things another way.”
Jenny took the envelope from him, and promised to pass it on to Karen.
Karen held the envelope in her hand for a few seconds before opening it. “I hope it’s not from that lying bastard,” she said vehemently, although Jenny saw that it had piqued her interest.
“Why don’t you go into the bedroom and read it in private?” she suggested, busying herself with the washing-up.
Karen sat on her bed and carefully tore open the envelope. Her heart was pounding as she did so. Was it from Shane? If so, what could she expect from this? Would it be good or bad? Karen didn’t know. She had spent night after night, lying awake, tossing and turning, trying to get the image of Lydia and Shane out of her head. She had thought about nothing else over the following days. She couldn’t face talking about it with anyone, not wanting to let anyone know how much the bastard had hurt her. She opened the note and began to read.
Karen read, and reread the note a few times, before going back out to the living-room.
Jenny looked at her curiously. “Well?”
Karen rolled her eyes. “He’s just feeling sorry for himself,” she said airily, but her eyes were bright.
Jenny read the note and her eyes were glistening when she looked up. “Oh, Karen, he’s really suffering over this. You have to try and contact him.”
“Just because he comes up with this soppy rubbish doesn’t mean that I’m going to run back into his arms,” Karen said vehemently. “That’s it, as far as I’m concerned. He said in the letter that I deserve better, and he’s right. I do deserve better.”
Jenny shook her head as she handed the letter back. “Sometimes, I just don’t understand you at all. I mean, the guy has told you everything any girl would want to hear and, after all,” she said, her voice lowering, “you dumped him before he went near Lydia.”
Karen sank down on the sofa, and folded her arms defiantly. “That’s not the point, Jen, and you know it. How you would you feel if Roan went off and shagged someone else and you caught the two of them at it? It’s no fun, I can tell you.”
“They didn’t actually sleep together though, did they?” Jenny retorted, unable to understand her attitude. She knew how hard it had been for Shane to write that letter. Her friend really was too stubborn for her own good. The poor guy had explained himself, and it still wasn’t enough for Karen. In fact, Jenny thought, Karen was partly to blame. They had both made mistakes but obviously still had feelings for one another, so what else mattered?
Both girls were silent for a while, before Karen stood up and stretched her arms out above her head. “Ah forget it.” she said, “I don’t want to talk about it any more. He’s leaving anyway, so that’s the end of it. What’s the story with you and Roan anyway?” She deftly changed the subject. “Are you two OK after that argument about the money?”
Jenny smiled. “We’re fine. I haven’t seen much of him lately though – he took on a lot of extra hours at work so he could pay for this trip. Of course, I’ll have him to myself for a whole week then.”
Karen grinned at her, feeling more gracious about Roan these days, particularly since she had found out about Shane. “Yeah, Venice is coming soon, isn’t it? The break will do you good – you must be really looking forward to it”
Jenny was. Only last weekend, Roan had been talking ninety to the dozen about the trip, and making plans as to where they should go, and what they should do when they got there. He had taken her out to dinner, and had promised to pay back the money he owed once he got paid at the end of the month, which Jenny reasoned should have been the previous weekend. But of course, she hadn’t seen him then, what with her being out with the girls on the Friday night, and he out with Kevin on the Saturday night. She was looking forward to spending time with him on the trip, and knew that Roan too would need the break, what with all the overtime he was doing.
“I am looking forward to it,” she answered Karen. “It’ll be nice to be able to spend a bit of time together on our own. Anyway,” she said, winking at her, “this man-less spell you and I are having at the moment could well work to our advantage. We should give Tessa a ring and arrange another night out in town, just the three of us.
“No men involved? Suits me down the ground,” Karen said, rubbing her hands together with glee, “I’ve had enough hassle with the opposite sex lately to put me off them altogether.”
With this, she tore up Shane’s note, and cheerfully tossed it into the dustbin.
Chapter 15
Jenny examined the contents of her wardrobe, and wondered what she should pack in her suitcase. She wasn’t sure what kind of weather to expect in Venice at this time of the year. It was bound to be warm though – Italy was a warm country, wasn’t it?
She and Roan were due to fly out tomorrow morning.
This holiday would be a celebration for Roan, because the company he worked for had this week been taken over by an American firm. It seemed that not only would Roan be earning more money,
but he would be moving to another department, where he would get a chance to work on, what he called, ‘some serious stuff’.
Maybe she should pop down to the shopping Centre and pick out a few new bits and pieces to take on holiday with her, she thought. Still, money was tight and she’d need some spending money during the trip too. She certainly couldn’t expect Roan to pay for everything. She might leave the clothes shopping for the time being, and make do with what she had. Luckily she remembered to bring a lot of her summer clothes back with her, the last time she had been home.
But she still wasn’t sure what she should bring. This capsule wardrobe that they were always going on about in the magazines looked easy, but just didn’t seem practical. For one thing, she wasn’t sure whether or not they would be going out to formal restaurants, or casual pizzeria-type places for dinner, and what if they went sightseeing? She would need to bring comfortable clothes for that, and dressy clothes for going out in the evening.
Maybe the likes of Tessa, who was so tiny that she could fit most of her clothes in her back pocket, could get away with a capsule wardrobe, but for Jenny, putting the whole lot on a freight container would be more like it.
She should give Roan a ring and ask him about it. Then she could decide once and for all. She went downstairs to the public phone and dialled the number of Roan’s flat expectantly. Kevin answered on the first ring.
“Hi, Kevin, it’s Jenny. Is Roan there?”
“Jenny, how’s it going? No, he’s not here – he went home to Kildare for a few days to… um, get some stuff. How are you?”
“I’m fine, Kev – I’m really looking forward to this trip. I’m getting the suitcase organised as we speak.”
“Uh – right, right,” Kevin sounded uncomfortable. “Do you want his home number, Jenny? You’d probably get him there now.”
“That would be brilliant, thanks.”
“Right – hold on.”
Jenny heard shuffling as Kevin searched for the number. A few seconds later, he came back to the phone and read it out to her. Jenny scribbled the number on the front of her hand.
“OK, thanks again. See you soon. Byee.” she said gleefully.
Of course. Roan had probably booked the trip while he was at home in Kildare, and needed to collect the tickets from the travel agents down there. Jenny decided that she’d better ring the house and find out when he would be back – or to make it handy, she could just meet him at the airport. She dialled the number that Kevin had given her, and waited as it rang a few times. Then she heard a friendly female voice answer.
“Hello, Joan Williams speaking.”
“Hello, Mrs Williams. I wonder if I could speak to Roan please?” Jenny said pleasantly.
“Roan? Oh, he’s not here, I’m afraid. He left not long ago. Would you like to leave a message?”
Pity, Jenny thought. She’d missed him again. “Yes, if you wouldn’t mind. Could you tell him that Jenny called, please?” She waited for any sign of recognition at the mention of her name. “Jenny Hamilton? I’m calling from Dublin.”
“Jenny? Yes, I’ll tell him that. You must be a friend from work, is that right?”
Jenny’s heart sank. Mrs Williams didn’t know who she was. The name didn’t seem to mean anything to her. Maybe Roan hadn’t told his mother that he had a girlfriend in Dublin. But, surely he must have told her about the holiday? She was starting to say something when Mrs Williams continued.
“He’s in great form altogether these days,” she said, not noticing Jenny’s silence. “I suppose he’s delighted with the takeover. Same as yourself, I’d imagine.”
“Well, I don’t work with him, actually. I –”
“Oh, sorry love,” she laughed pleasantly, “I can’t keep up with all his friends these days. Between the ones here, and the ones in Dublin, you couldn’t keep track of him. Anyway,” she continued, “they left for Dublin not long ago. They’re staying in some hotel near the airport tonight, because of the early flight tomorrow morning. Venice, imagine? I don’t know where Roan gets it. His father hasn’t a romantic bone in his body.”
Jenny’s heart lifted. Roan was on his way back to Dublin and he had arranged for them to stay in a hotel tonight. What a lovely surprise.
“Well, that’s why I’m ringing actually,” Jenny said. “I was wondering about the time of the flight.”
“Oh, are you collecting them from the airport when they come back, love? I wondered about that because Siobhan’s car is in the garage.”
Siobhan? Roan hadn’t mentioned that they were still on speaking terms. But then again, they were bound to be still friendly, thought Jenny. Hadn’t they grown up together in the same town, and known each other for years? It was only natural that Roan might expect Siobhan to drop him back to Dublin, if it was on her way. Pity her car was out of action though, Jenny thought. She wouldn’t have minded a look at the other girl to see what her predecessor had been like.
Mrs Williams’ voice interrupted her thoughts. “You should have seen Siobhan last night – she’s a gas woman altogether. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her so excited. And the same one flies here, there, and everywhere, all the time. Still, I suppose it’s different when you’re working. Anyway they deserve this trip, the two of them. She works away so much they hardly see one other, and then what with Roan working so hard all the time . . .”
The two of them? Jenny felt her knees weaken, and her heart quickened in panic. For a split second, she wondered if maybe she had rung the wrong number.
Roan was taking Siobhan to Venice with him?
She thought she heard Mrs Williams voice but she hadn’t a clue what the woman was saying. Maybe she had taken it up all wrong. Or, maybe Mrs Williams had taken it up wrong. That was it, Jenny thought quickly. Maybe Roan hadn’t said anything to his mother about the break-up with Siobhan. The woman sounded as though she was quite fond of the other girl, maybe Roan thought she would take it badly.
“Hello? Are you still there, love?”
Jenny clasped the receiver tightly. “Mrs Williams – hi, I’m here. I’m sorry – someone just interrupted me there. You were saying? About the holiday?”
“Oh, I was just saying that with the amount the two of them were packing here last night, I doubt that they’ll fit their suitcases on the plane, let alone in your car.” She laughed loudly. “Roan was nagging Siobhan like there was no tomorrow about all the clothes she was bringing. You’d swear they were already married, with the way they were carrying on.”
Jenny felt as though she had been hit with a sledgehammer as Mrs Williams continued.
“It’s very funny altogether. They’ve been together so long now, that the two of them are just like an old married couple.”
Chapter 16
Karen looked in disbelief at the person standing before her in the doorway. “What are you doing here?”
“Can I come in for a few minutes?” Shane asked, nervously twisting a piece of tissue paper in one hand.
“I’m not sure …”
“Please, I really need to talk to you.” He looked up at her with such a mournful expression that Karen faltered. She stood back and waved him in and as he passed her she caught the familiar scent of his Hugo Boss aftershave – her favourite.
She tried to collect herself as she walked upstairs behind him. Her heart was pounding so much, she could hardly breathe.
She was alone in the flat, poor Jenny having gone home for a few days, upon discovering that Roan had upped and off to Venice with his supposed ex-fiance.
“What do you want, Shane?” Karen asked, when they were both inside the flat. “Why aren’t you in Germany?”
She made no motion for him to sit down, so he didn’t dare.
“Did Jenny give you my note?” he asked hesitantly.
Karen shrugged her shoulders, her expression defiant. “I don’t know what you expected, Shane. I haven’t changed my mind about anything, if that’s what you want to know.”
“But
you believe what I told you – about Lydia that day?”
“I’ll never know one way or the other, will I? But, I hope you haven’t come here expecting forgiveness and happy ever after, because you won’t get it. You made an absolutely show of me that day, Shane. Lydia must have been thrilled –”
“Lydia wasn’t thrilled,” Shane interjected flatly, “she didn’t set the whole thing up just for you to find us, you know.”
Karen sniffed. “I wouldn’t be surprised if she had.”
“Believe what you like. But did you ever consider the possibility that Lydia might be hurt by all of this too?”
How dare he come in here and start defending her?
“I know you don’t care. But I do. Lydia’s all right, and it wasn’t fair of me to do what I did to her. She has a bit of a thing for me, and I took advantage of that.”
“Spare me the details, Shane. I have no interest in ‘what you did to her’ that day.”
He shook his head from side to side. “You know damn well that nothing happened between us – you’re just too stubborn to admit it. You won’t give an inch, will you, Karen?”
She put her hands on her hips. “Tell me, why the hell should I? Did you call in here expecting me to run to you with open arms? If you thought that, then you can think again. It’s just not that simple.” Karen felt her hands shake as she spoke. It was so difficult having Shane so near to her, and yet she couldn’t bring herself to forgive him. It was too hard. Although she knew from his face that he was telling the truth. She also knew that if he had slept with Lydia that day, he would have admitted it. It wasn’t in him to lie.
But what should she do now? She wasn’t going to run back to him just like that. And what about Germany – why wasn’t he … ?
“Will you marry me, Karen?” Shane asked suddenly.
She looked at him, stunned. “What did you say?”
He moved closer and, taking both of her hands in his, he looked deep into her eyes “You heard me, and I mean it. I love you, and I want to marry you. You’re the most important person in the world to me, and I realised just how important you were when I lost you.” When she said nothing, Shane continued. “I went to Germany and started the new job, got a new place to live, met some new friends, you know – the whole shebang.”