by Susan Lewis
After daydreaming through ‘My Stunning Mystery Companion’ by Jackson Browne and ‘Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood’ by The Animals (definitely Dad and Max type music, but she kind of liked it too, now she’d really listened to it), Tierney rolled on to her front to prop her chin in her hands. ‘So come on, read out a bit more,’ she encouraged Maudie. ‘What are they up to now?’
Maudie’s cheeks flooded with colour. ‘No way am I saying any of this out loud,’ she protested. ‘It’s like totally . . . I can’t believe you’re going to do all this stuff with him. Is that what he’s expecting?’
Tierney shrugged. ‘I don’t know, but he definitely wants to know what I think of it.’
Maudie’s eyes bulged as she continued to read. ‘Oh my God, this is like totally . . . weird.’
‘Let me see,’ Tierney cried, grabbing the book.
Maudie pointed out the paragraph, and as Tierney read it she felt as though she was bursting inside.
She looked at Maudie.
Maudie looked back, and with squeals of hilarity they exploded into a gale of giggles.
‘Hannah Armstrong, in year ten, reckons she’s already done everything in this book with Aiden,’ Maudie told her.
‘No way!’ Tierney exclaimed. ‘She’s not even fifteen yet – or no, she must be by now.’ It was a bit galling to think that someone even younger than her was already so much more experienced. ‘Do you reckon we’re the only two virgins left at school?’ she asked Maudie dismally.
‘What are you looking so worried about?’ Maudie objected. ‘I’ll be on my own soon.’
Remembering that was true, Tierney immediately perked up. ‘Only seven days to go,’ she declared, a ripple of nerves catching on a wave of excitement. ‘Just think, this time next week I’ll be with him.’ Quickly rummaging for her iPhone as it rang, she saw it was Skye and clicked on. ‘Hey friend, how’s things?’ she cried cheerily.
‘Yeah, they’re cool,’ Skye replied. ‘Just getting ready to go for drinks at someone’s house with the rents, then I’m meeting a couple of mates at a party. What’s new with you? Have you heard any more since he sent the songs?’
‘No, but I expect we’ll IM or Skype later, or tomorrow or something.’ How confident she sounded – and felt. ‘When are you back?’
‘That’s why I’m calling. My mum wants to drive me down tomorrow, but I don’t want to go back to school that early so will it be OK to come and stay with you?’
‘Of course. No problem. My mum won’t mind. Just let us know what time to expect you.’
‘Sure. You get that I’ll probably sneak over and stay with my shag buddy though, don’t you?’
‘Duh, yeah.’ Should she tell her Max was out with Christie tonight? ‘Does he know you’re coming?’ she asked.
‘I’ll text him now. Are you still at Maudie’s?’
‘No, we just came back to mine so I could get my laptop.’
‘OK, I have to go now. I’ll text you tomorrow when we’re on our way. Say hi to Maudie for me,’ and Skye was gone.
After ringing off Tierney lay staring at the ceiling, going back over the conversation she’d had with him that morning and reliving how fantastic it felt just to watch him smile.
‘Oh Maudie, I think I’m going to erupt, or scream or do something insanely wild,’ she cried, stretching out her arms. ‘He is so cool and I love him so much.’ Grabbing her laptop, she checked to see if there were any new emails. There weren’t, so she called up his profile so she could gaze at his picture and pretend it was real. ‘He is so completely to die for, isn’t he?’ she murmured dreamily.
Maudie was engrossed in the book.
Putting on the music again, Tierney lay back down and closed her eyes. She wondered what he was doing now. It was the middle of the day in New York, so he might be at a meeting somewhere, but even if he was he might still be thinking about her. She hoped he was imagining all the things she was.
‘How do those books end, do you know?’ she asked Maudie.
‘I think they get married,’ Maudie replied without looking up. ‘That’s what Hannah Armstrong said, anyway, so I suppose she’s hoping the same’s going to happen for her and Aiden now. Like in her dreams.’
‘It might,’ Tierney said faintly. ‘Actually, I reckon it will.’
Chapter Seven
IT WAS MONDAY morning now and Lainey still had no idea who Julia was, or indeed where exactly Tom might be. Though she’d done as he’d asked yesterday and made sure the children were elsewhere for the afternoon, he hadn’t come home. She’d waited and waited, paced the house, texted and rung him, but he simply hadn’t turned up. She could still hardly believe it was happening as she veered from confusion to fury, to fear and all the way back again. He’d never done anything like this before. Why the hell wasn’t he answering his phone? He surely had to know how worried she was. What if he’d had an accident? To her shame she realised an accident felt almost preferable to the thought of him being with another woman. At least that way their marriage might still be intact.
In the end, it was after five when he’d sent a brief message saying Sorry, lousy reception here. Will call tomorrow.
Lousy reception here? What kind of lame excuse was that? Where the hell was he? Why didn’t he get to a place where he could make a connection?
‘He said he’ll call tomorrow,’ she told Stacy, when her friend came round to lend moral support. ‘Not that he’ll be home, so when exactly is he intending to come back?’
As much at a loss with that as Lainey, Stacy said, ‘Have you tried him again since?’
Lainey shook her head. ‘There doesn’t seem any point. The calls just go straight through to messages. Anyway, don’t let’s start going round in circles with it all, tell me how you got on with Martin’s mother last night.’
Stacy shuddered. ‘Frankly, I’d rather forget the whole experience. She’ll definitely be the reason he’s still single at thirty-eight, and as far as I’m concerned he’s going to stay that way.’
Lainey looked concerned. ‘Are you saying you’ve broken up with him?’
‘I have. I promise you, it had to be done.’
Since Stacy didn’t look particularly upset, Lainey didn’t challenge her. What she did though, stupidly, was encourage her to recall how she’d found out about Derek’s affair with Pauline. It did neither of them any good, only served to depress Stacy and scare her.
Now, as Lainey went through the motions of preparing the children’s breakfasts, her mind was barely on what she was doing as she poured orange juice over Zav’s cornflakes and had to start again.
‘Turn it over, turn it over,’ Tierney shouted, rushing into the kitchen with her school blouse barely buttoned, and her damp hair clinging to her face. ‘Trey Songz’s on and he is so cute. I am totally in love with him. Turn it over, Zav.’
‘No way, I’m watching this,’ he protested, grabbing the remote to protect his cartoon.
‘That’s just rubbish. Put on Massive R&B. Now!’
‘Get lost!’
‘Mum! Tell him. I have to watch Trey. Give me that remote,’ she growled, trying to snatch it.
‘No, you’re not having it. Mum, get her off me. Stop! You’re scaring Ronnie.’
Tierney did a double take. ‘What?’ she demanded in her right royal way. ‘Who the hell’s Ronnie?’
‘He’s my rabbit. He’s there in the box and you’re frightening him.’
Tierney stared at the box like it was a mistake Sherman had made. ‘Shouldn’t it be in a hutch, outside?’ she protested.
‘We’ll let him go back in the wild when he’s better,’ Zav told her. ‘Until then Mum said he can stay in here.’
Tierney shrugged. ‘You’re totally sad, do you know that? Now turn the telly over before I whack you.’
‘No. It’s not your telly, it belongs to everyone. If you want to watch Songz then go back to your room.’
‘Mum, I swear, I’m going to do some serious damage if he
doesn’t give me that remote.’
‘Where’s Skye?’ Lainey asked, starting to butter a pile of toast.
Tierney flicked back her hair. ‘She’s . . . still getting ready. Now will you please tell him . . .’
‘Oh, shut up, Tierney,’ Lainey snapped. ‘If your father was here you wouldn’t be watching the TV at breakfast anyway.’
‘Only because he always has to have the news on. I just want to finish watching this one video, OK? Is that really too much to ask?’
‘Zav was there first, now sit down and eat your breakfast or go back upstairs. I don’t care which, just stop shouting and upsetting everyone’s day before it’s even begun.’
‘It’s not me, it’s him,’ Tierney seethed, elbowing Zav as she sat down at the table. ‘If he’d do as he was told . . .’ She broke off as a pan suddenly crashed on to the floor.
‘If you’d damned well do as you were told and shut up,’ Lainey raged, ‘we could have a bit of peace around here.’
‘Oh my God,’ Tierney murmured, ‘she’s losing it.’
Clasping her hands to her head, Lainey cried, ‘Yes, I’m losing it, and do you know why? It’s you. You’re so damned rude all the time, and you wait till I tell your father about the way you behaved with Nadia on Saturday, totally ignoring her and refusing to keep her company. Then you had the gall to tell me, thank God after she’d gone, that she’s boring. How dare you say that about someone who’s known you all your life and has only ever been kind to you? What’s the matter with you, Tierney? You’re turning into someone I don’t know, and frankly I can’t say I like you very much.’
‘Well I don’t fucking like you either,’ Tierney shot back. ‘You’re always getting on my case about stuff and . . .’
‘Hey, it’s the happy Hollingsworths,’ Max shouted over her as he came through the door. ‘Can anyone join in?’
‘I wouldn’t bother if I were you,’ Tierney snorted, ‘she’s in a vile mood.’
‘Tierney, one more word out of you,’ Lainey warned, ‘and you’re grounded for a week.’
Tierney looked about to protest before thinking better of it.
‘Where’s the alpha male?’ Max asked, grabbing a slice of toast. ‘Don’t tell me, in the gym.’
‘Why are you dressed like that?’ Lainey demanded.
Max glanced down at his smart pale grey suit and clean white shirt. ‘I’m going to work,’ he told her.
She blinked.
‘Christie’s dad gave me a job,’ he explained. ‘It’s only while his regular receptionist is off, but it’ll get Dad off my back, and give me some spending money for Italy. When are we going, by the way?’
Since she’d reserved the flights in a fit of fury, or defiance, while she’d been waiting for Tom yesterday, Lainey was about to answer when Tierney said, ‘I hope you haven’t forgotten that I’m not coming.’
Lainey saw red again. ‘I’ll tell you what,’ she raged, ‘why don’t I go on my own?’ and slamming down a tea towel she stormed off into the hall, almost colliding with Skye as she came down the stairs.
‘Wow, what’s wrong with your mum?’ Skye asked quietly as she entered a silent kitchen.
Tierney glanced at Max. ‘Must be her time of the month,’ she suggested. ‘Or she’s had a row with Dad.’
‘Where is he?’ Max asked again. ‘I thought he was coming back yesterday.’
Tierney shrugged. ‘Haven’t seen him.’
‘Hey, look at you in that suit,’ Skye said teasingly as she shimmied up to Max. His eyebrows rose and a grin crooked one side of his mouth as she whispered in his ear.
‘Do you have to do that here?’ Tierney snapped. ‘Some of us are trying to eat our breakfasts.’
‘I’ve finished mine,’ Zav declared, pushing his bowl away. ‘I’m going to find Mum.’
After he’d gone Skye peered playfully at Tierney. ‘So, have you heard anything this morning?’ she asked.
Colour instantly suffused Tierney’s cheeks as her eyes shot to Max. ‘What do you mean?’ she demanded, trying to kick Skye under the table.
‘You know what I mean.’ Skye flicked back her hair.
Apparently catching on, Max broke into a grin as he said, ‘So what’s his name, T?’
‘None of your business,’ Tierney snapped, but in spite of herself she was starting to smile. She loved talking about him, even if she couldn’t say much to Max, and since she’d woken up to a text saying Good Morning Beautiful all she really wanted to think about was him. Definitely not her mother, who was in a seriously foul mood and actually really needed to get over herself.
But still . . . Maybe she should follow Zav and go and make sure she was all right.
She was about to get up when Lainey came back into the kitchen. Though her face was still strained, her tone was much gentler as she said, ‘I’m sorry I lost my temper. It’s no way to send you off to an exam, so can we be friends again?’
Going to her, Tierney gave her a loving hug.
Lainey looked at Max. ‘What time do you have to be at work?’ she asked.
Glancing at his watch, Max said, ‘I guess I ought to be going. Any chance of borrowing some cash for petrol? I’m pretty low and . . .’
‘How much do you need?’
Startled by the quick response, he found himself eating air.
‘Twenty? Fifty?’
His eyes widened. ‘Fifty would be good. I’ll pay you back,’ he assured her.
Taking the notes from her purse, Lainey handed them over and turned to busy herself at the sink. ‘We need to leave here in ten minutes,’ she told Tierney and Skye.
They shot out of the kitchen, needing to finish their make-up before they left. Max tucked the cash into his inside pocket and was gone.
Taking a deep breath, Lainey allowed the quiet to settle around her, trying to use it as a calming force. She had to get a better grip, somehow separate what was happening between her and Tom – whatever that was – from what she needed to be and do for the children.
Thank God Vicky Morrison had texted just now to remind her she was doing the school run. She’d completely forgotten.
Where was Zav? She’d told him to go and clean his teeth.
Her eyes closed as a wave of dread swept out of nowhere. She might have no idea who Julia was, but what she did know was that she loved Tom more than anything and no way was she going to give him up.
Ring, she muttered desperately. Get yourself to a place where there’s a decent reception and call me. What on earth can be so difficult about that?
By the time Lainey drove back into the village, after dropping off the children and detouring to meet Stacy for a coffee, it was almost eleven o’clock and still no word from Tom. It was unsettling her badly now, but somehow she had to put it out of her mind or she was going to drive herself crazy.
Surely to God he wasn’t really going to leave them.
Maybe he already had.
Stop doing this to yourself, just stop.
She couldn’t imagine her life without Tom, didn’t even want to, so she must clear her head and focus on getting her father and Sherman to the vet by one o’clock. Taking the dog for a check-up was always difficult, mainly because she knew the day was drawing close when the vet would say that his time had come. She didn’t even want to think about how her dad was going to manage without his precious friend – or how empty the house would seem. As quiet and obedient as Sherman was, his wonderful presence amongst them was so filled with love and loyalty that it would be as though something vital had gone from their midst when he went.
As tears welled in her eyes, she tried to fight them back. Tom would come home today, and Sherman was going to be fine. She just had to stop being pathetic and get on with her life.
Ironically, she was due to spend the afternoon masquerading as Tom on Facebook and Twitter, responding to the dozens, perhaps hundreds of messages that had piled up over the weekend. What was she supposed to say when they hadn’t had their usual Mo
nday morning briefing over breakfast? This was when he generally gave her one or two tantalising details of plot for his readers to scoop up and discuss amongst themselves in their chat rooms. The feedback often proved highly entertaining for Lainey, and she’d share it with Tom over dinner.
It wouldn’t be happening today – apart from anything else he hadn’t written anything for over a week, or not that she knew of anyway.
Emerging from Bannerleigh’s narrow cobbled high street to start skirting the village green, she frowned curiously to see a group of people straggling on to the road. Slowing the car, she was about to ask one of her neighbours what was happening when she glimpsed her father and Sherman at the heart of proceedings. Turning into the pub car park, she jumped out of the estate and felt her heart swelling with love and sadness as she heard her father reciting lines from what sounded like Shelley’s ‘Arethusa’. Why that poem on this day she doubted even he knew – he simply selected a work at random from the part of his memory that still stored his favourites and put his heart and soul into speaking them aloud.
As she joined the back of the group she sensed that he was only now beginning to register his audience, and the attention was daunting him. He began to stumble over the words, but seemed determined to press on as though afraid of letting them down. Moving forward, Lainey gently added her voice to his to help him to the end. ‘Like spirits that lie In the azure sky When they love but live no more,’ they chorused together.
Taking his arm, she smiled and bowed as the onlookers applauded and he blinked in confusion.
‘It’s all right,’ she whispered, ‘we can go home now.’
He nodded and grasped her hand as she eased him past people he’d known for years, but didn’t recognise now.
‘I was keeping an eye out,’ Anita Box, the pub’s landlady, assured her as they got to the car park.
‘Thanks,’ Lainey smiled, knowing Anita would have put a stop to anyone mocking him. At least he had all his clothes on today; a couple of weeks ago Anita had brought him back in her car because he’d ventured out wearing only pants and an overcoat.