‘Let’s eat then, the chap at the desk recommended Dell Angelo’s just around the corner. We’ll shower and go.’
They shared the shower, quickly changed and Cleo was just about to pick up her handbag when Neil announced that his bank card wasn’t in his luggage after all.
‘Hell, Cleo, you will think I’m an idiot. Don’t nag me; I must have forgotten to transfer it to this wallet. I have a hundred or so euros but you’ll have to help me out with your card and we can settle up when we get home.’ Neil seemed upset, what could she say? She didn’t want to ruin the holiday but she did feel annoyed. He was bloody careless about money.’
From Bergamo, they headed off for Bellagio, ‘the pearl of Lake Como.’ Their room was sumptuous; she adored the chaise longue at the end of their bed and thought about finding one for her apartment when she got home. Neil used it as a deposit for all of his discarded clothes and she was itching to put his things away, but she stopped herself. She wasn’t going to tidy up after any man even if it meant her OCD tendencies were offended by his used shirts and socks reclining on such beauty.
By the outdoor pool, she could feast on a panoramic view of the lake and surrounding countryside. Looking out on picture-postcard perfection was pure joy. They could feast on breakfast too which was plentiful but, for the rest of the stay, Cleo’s card was hard hit.
She hired a car for them to drive right around the lake and their days were full. At night they ate nearby or in one of the hotels restaurants and listened to live music in the terrazzo bar before heading for their own room and a nightcap.
Several persistent niggles chattered around in Cleo’s head. Did Neil drink a lot, or did she drink very little? She had always liked a drink, but working her way well down a bottle of brandy wasn’t her idea of fun after a busy day. It made less time for lovemaking and it was making lovemaking less fun that was for sure.
At bedtime, by the time she had cleansed and toned, she was greeted by snores, tiny muffled snores but they were definitely snores, irritating snores. Had Dan Collingwood morphed into a snorer? she wondered, and then felt annoyed with herself. She was comparing Neil with Dan more and more and it was doing her no good.
Their last day and night was to be spent in Milan. Cleo was looking forward to the shops and to buying herself, her mum and Heather a treat. On the train, Neil suggested that Cleo should go shopping and he would sight-see on his own because he had very little cash left.
‘Great idea!’ she agreed feeling a rush of relief that she could enjoy her shopping without feeling guilty about leaving Neil out.
‘We can meet back at the hotel when you have finished your spree.’ suggested Neil
‘Fine by me, about six?’
‘OK.’
Cleo found a wonderful leather glove store in the main shopping arcade. Leather gloves of every hue, so soft and finely tailored and some really intricate designs. She spent a happy hour choosing a black pair with a pattern of silver studs on the back for herself, a rich beige with cashmere lining for Mum and a cut out design in Heather’s favourite chocolate brown.
The tote bags were expensive, she couldn’t work out whether Prada and other brands were cheaper here than in the UK or not; should she treat herself? I should have a lovely reminder of the trip where I decided to remain single, she thought. She used briefcase size tote bags for work and she spotted one in a dark purple shade that would work with lots of outfits. It took ten minutes of further deliberation before she convinced herself.
Leaving the shop with a large carrier bag meant for swinging and feeling content at being shopped out, she was about to return to the hotel when she spotted a small corner shop selling wooden trinkets. The animal jigsaw in the window was just perfect for Archie.
As she took one of the jigsaws to the counter, her eye caught a wooden sign.
‘What does that mean?’ she asked,
The girl shrugged, ‘Non lo so.’
She was almost sure, so she bought it.
All spent up? Neil was showered and lying on the bed.
‘Yes, I got quite a few things. ‘
‘Show me,’ he smiled.
He admired the bag and gloves and asked why she had bought a sign saying ‘al giardino’, ‘to the garden,’ when she didn’t even have a garden.
‘Mum’ll love it for our garden room.’ Neil wasn’t listening; he was too busy pulling a bag from under the bed.
‘I got something new too.’ He took out a black jacket of the softest leather and threw it on the bed. It must have cost a fair amount.
‘Wow, very nice. I thought you weren’t shopping?’
‘I had some very good luck today which meant I could shop and I can treat you to a special night out.’
‘Did you find your card?’ That would be a treat and a relief.
‘No, I told you it’s not lost, it’s at home.’ His smile slipped and she hoped he wasn’t going to go into one of his moods. ‘I had some spare time and a few spare euros so I had a flutter on some Italian fillies at San Siro and ... I won!’ His smile was back again.
‘That was lucky, how much?’
‘Ah now, that is for me to know not you, but enough to take us out on the town for our last night.’
Cleo wasn’t going to argue with that. She changed into a dress, strappy heels and carried a fine lilac grey wrap in her new tote bag, in case it turned chilly.
Neil was delighted she was carrying a bag big enough to hold his camera and his wallet because they spoiled the line of his jacket. Cleo had to bite her lip to stop herself from commenting that she felt like his pack horse. He was taking her out, she must try to enjoy the evening.
They had the most delicious seafood and linguine pasta and a bottle of Frascati that was so moreish that they ordered another. Neil didn’t seem to be affected but Cleo felt her third large glass go to her head and was ready for her bed.
‘Let’s get to bed now, Neil, shall we?’ She was tired and slightly drunk.
‘Not now Cleo. Tonight we are going to try our luck at the casino. I’m having a lucky day.’
‘Casino?’ Cleo had never been to one in her life.
‘Casino ... The most exciting place in the world when you’re feeling lucky.’ Neil looked animated as he led her out of the restaurant towards the Piazza Diaz.
I must shake off this sleepiness and enjoy our last night decided Cleo.
An hour later and Cleo was bored and confused. Neil had given her chips and she had won twice as many back but she didn’t know how or why.
‘Can we go soon, Neil?’
‘Not now, I’m winning on this, look.’ Neil indicated to his increasing pile of chips.
‘Sorry, but I’m tired and we’re flying tomorrow.’
Neil waved over one of the staff, said something in Italian and handed him several euros.
‘This chap is going to call a taxi to pick you up and take you back to the hotel. You have a good night’s sleep, I’ll just be a while longer.’ Already Neil’s eyes were back on the roulette table.
What a great ending to our ‘getting to know each other’ trip thought Cleo. Well, I think I know enough by now.
Next morning, Cleo was showered, packed and ready to go for an early breakfast but Neil still wasn’t back. He was cutting it fine; their shuttle to the airport was in an hour. What an idiot. She wasn’t sure whether to worry about him or not but something told her that Neil would always take care of Neil.
He’ll be in a real rush when he comes in, she thought. Should she help him with his packing? She decided that she may as well make a start and started folding his clothes that were strewn around the room and laying them in neat piles on the bed.
She started to empty the drawers by his bed and, in his sock drawer, she found a card case. Should she look? She couldn’t help herself. There were three cards inside, Master, Visa, American Express and all in Neil’s name. She put them back and closed the drawer feeling livid. Hadn’t she been the fool! She wasn’t going to make
a scene here, but their relationship was over as soon as they touched UK soil.
Cleo went to the breakfast room on her own for coffee, fruit and toast but a solid lump in her throat stopped her from eating much. He had lied. Bare faced lies! A tear trickled down her cheek, but it wasn’t because of Neil, it was the fact that she was worth more. She was rubbish with men.
When Neil returned, with minutes to spare and excuses tripping from his deceiving tongue about a card game, she was really calm. She could see that it surprised Neil. He had been expecting some sort of a row, but he didn’t know much, she thought. People only row when they care. She didn’t care if she never saw him again. She was worried about her bank account and what he still owed her though.
8
Cleo left her case in the hallway, kicked off her shoes and bundled up the mail nestling behind the door before she made her way into her living area. Sighing with relief, she flopped onto the sofa and looked around. The living space was light, airy, cool, quiet, empty and hers; she loved this apartment.
Kettle on, tea and look through the mail? Lie down for an hour on her own crisp, cream sheets and have the whole bed to herself? Unload her case and get the washing machine going? Ah, the freedom to choose, the freedom of not having to consider Neil’s views and catch that petulant look on his face. She shuddered at the thought of him and went to lie on her bed.
Her thoughts were on overdrive. It was too quiet and she needed someone to talk things over with or someone who would distract her; stop her from ruminating over what to do about Neil and about her next few weeks with Alex. She also needed something to take her mind off Dan and how he had left her feeling unsettled.
It was a bank holiday so the chances were that Heather would be home; she’d send her a text to see if she was about. The reply came straight back and Cleo grabbed her car keys and a handful of sweets from her sugar-rush bowl and headed for Heather’s.
She took real pleasure in driving round there with her two-seater BMW’s roof down, giving her hair and her mind a vigorous blast of refreshing air.
Walking round to the back of the house, friends and tradesman’s entrance, she waved at Heather through the kitchen window.
‘Come in and tell me all about it,’ Heather called over the din of Little Mix on the radio and the washer on spin cycle.
Cleo side-stepped a truck full of wooden bricks and a tricycle to get over the threshold and circumnavigated two large islands of laundry to reach a stool.
‘It’s a domestic blitz, I see. Should’ve brought my holiday laundry.’
‘I have to attack every now and then so we all have something decent to wear,’ said Heather, busily stacking cups in the dishwasher while Archie was adding his own toys into the bottom rack and taking out the dirty cutlery.
Crouching down to replace the spoons, Cleo felt soft warm arms around her neck and a sloppy kiss planted onto her cheek from Archie.
‘Hiya Cloee!’ He struggled with her name. She loved the feeling of his sticky hands still clinging to her; she adored this little fella.
‘I can’t believe how fast you are growing,’ she gave him a squeeze, breathing in the delicious, biscuity smell of him.
‘Me helping Mummy,’ Archie’s solemn grey eyes looked into hers, ’Me a big boy.’
‘You’re such a big boy, Archie. Now why don’t we put the forks into this part here?’
‘Posting.’ Archie nodded.
Heather placed a cup of tea on the breakfast bar and patted the stool. ‘Over here, Miss Moon and tell all.’
Cleo removed the sharp knives and put them on the top rack, leaving Archie engrossed in filling the cutlery compartment and then emptying it onto the floor. Perching opposite Heather, she smiled, ‘What do you want to know?’
‘Everything. Did you have a good time? Do you still like him? Was it romantic?
‘Disastrous,’ stated Cleo.
‘Cleo! I don’t like the sound of that. Have you gone off him?’
‘Totally.’
‘Not joking?’ Heather’s eyes brightened.
‘Definitely, seriously not joking.’
‘Good. I didn’t think he was your type when you brought him here, but never mind that. Tell me, how did you go off him? Is he rubbish in bed? Don’t dare miss anything out!’
Cleo rummaged in her bag, and brought out a tube of love hearts and the remains of a tube of wine gums to help the story telling along. She was going to enjoy off-loading as much as Heather would enjoy advising.
‘The place was fantastic and there was loads to do but he was hard work at times. He could be moody and he was a bit …well, odd with his cash.’
‘In what way odd? In what way hard work? Give me details.’
‘You know I paid for the holiday with my card when we booked online? Neil said he didn’t have the right card with him at my house. I was fine with that but I haven’t had his half yet.’
‘That’s a bit much.’ Heather scooped up Archie, wiped his hands and face and gave him his beaker of juice.
‘Bearing that in mind, when we got to the hotel, he asked if I would mind paying for meals on my card because he’d forgotten to pick his card up and he only had a few hundred euros in cash with him.’
‘Convenient, eh?’ Heather’s eyebrows were raised.
‘Exactly. When I said ‘Again?’ he looked puzzled and I had to remind him that I’d paid for the trip online. He got all huffy, “I didn’t think you were exactly on the breadline and needing that straight away,” and made me feel mean for mentioning it.’
‘Weren’t you furious? I’d be bloody annoyed!’ Heather was in there, eyes flaring.
‘No, not really, just wishing I wasn’t there with him really. After that, I resigned myself to shelling out and felt mean keeping all the receipts together. Now, of course, I’ve got the headache of asking him for the holiday money and the spends and feel bad for having to do that.’
‘He’s the one who bummed a holiday out of you, and he hasn’t known you five minutes.’
Wails from the garden had them both rushing to the door. Cleo picked Archie up from where he’d fallen over some toy bricks and gave him a cuddle.
‘He’s tired and ready for his afternoon nap. Give him to me and I’ll go and lie him down,’ Heather said, reaching into the fridge and bringing out a bottle of wine. ‘Get that opened and pour us a drink.’
Cleo handed Archie over and, as she made her way to the stairs, Heather called over her shoulder, ‘Give me five minutes and when I get down, I want to know about the bedroom antics, I hope that wasn’t all left up to you, too.’ Chuckling to herself, she disappeared upstairs.
Cleo poured them both a glass and took hers into the garden. She could hear giggles from upstairs; Archie was gorgeous. Heather was lucky to have him and to have a great man like Mark and her career.
Maybe this ‘all out’ focus on work had meant she’d missed out on the family scene. Until now, she had always thought it could wait for later. Get over yourself, she tried to stop her thoughts in their tracks. Could this be her biological clock coming to life? No good getting broody while she was single.
Neil wasn’t for her, she realised that. Now Dan, her thoughts drifted as they had all holiday, he made her feel different. Her romance with Dan was long over, so she may as well concentrate on working her way to a headship and being a doting aunt to Archie.
Taking a seat, she breathed in the freshness of the grass and felt the English dampness from the wooden bench. There had been an early morning shower but now the sun had come out and was trying hard to dry the grass, the bench and warm her skin. She was feeling better already just being with Heather and Archie.
When Heather came back downstairs, Cleo finished her holiday tale with the events of the final evening. They both agreed it was time to call it a day with Neil.
‘We visited the most beautiful places but I was with the wrong person. Look at the snaps I took; the scenery is breath taking.’
Heather look
ed through the pictures on Cleo’s digital camera and chuckled, ‘You both look so happy; the camera certainly can lie.’
Cleo was staying to say hi to Mark when he came in from playing rugby. The door opened and Cleo heard Mark call,
‘Set an extra place, Heather. Look who played for our team today.’
In stepped Dan. He hugged Heather and then stooped to pick up Archie. ‘Hello big fella!’ he swung a giggling Archie up into the air.
Cleo’s heart flipped as his eyes met hers and he smiled before saying, ‘Hi Cleo.’
‘Fancy meeting you here,’ she responded and then felt herself blushing. What a daft thing to come out with. Why was she so tongue-tied around Dan of all people?
‘It’s great to see you,’ he said, ‘are you eating here tonight? I hear the chef is greatly improved.’ He smiled over at Heather who threw the dishcloth at him.
‘No, I’m just leaving. I’ve...I’ve lots to do before work tomorrow.’ Cleo busied herself bringing out her presents for Heather and Archie and a bottle of Chianti for Mark. She was just about to leave when Heather insisted that she stay for dinner.
‘You’ll have nothing in. Nothing as good as my chilli, at any rate,’ Heather said.
‘OK, if you’re sure there’s enough.’ She didn’t need any more persuading.
It was almost like old times as they all laughed at some of the things they’d got up to. She enjoyed Heather’s chilli and rice and, after one last cuddle with Archie and a kiss on her cheek from Dan, she took her leave because she really did have to unpack and prepare for school.
She’d had a lovely evening and kept churning over Dan’s words, ‘I’ll see you soon, Cleo. Let’s meet up again’, until she pulled into her parking space outside her apartment.
As she got out of her car, she could see that her living room lights were on. Surely she hadn’t put any lights on earlier that day? Cleo hurried upstairs and, as she unlocked the door, she could hear a sports commentary droning out from the television. She walked in to find Neil lounging on her sofa.
A Jarful of Moondreams: What Secrets Are Ready to Spill Out? Page 6