by Rebecca Pugh
Seconds ticked by and the noise of the lovemaking session began to drown and envelop Laurie as she wavered in the corridor, too stunned to move. She thought about all of his declarations of love; expensive gifts, sexy lingerie, designer dresses and shoes. Or perhaps they hadn’t been declarations of love at all? They were only material items in the grand scheme of things. Now, Laurie realised how grand the gestures might have been but how little emotion had been behind them. Neil had never been one to keep things simple and Laurie had always enjoyed the lavish lifestyle they’d shared. Until now. Now, what she wanted more than anything was to storm through the door, catch her boyfriend and his companion in the act and lose her mind completely, let loose the stream of expletives that were circling in her mind. She could feel the anger surging, fiery and hot within her chest.
What the hell was she doing, standing there, suffering silently rather than making her presence known? To hell with this! Without another moment’s hesitation, Laurie smacked her hands against the door, throwing it wide open, and yelled, ‘What the hell is this?!’ at the top of her lungs. She was pleased with the reaction she received but it was quickly replaced with a lurch of disgust. Neil crawled away from his lover as soon as Laurie’s voice connected with him. Eyes wide and shocked that he’d been caught, he tumbled backwards off the bed, completely naked with everything on show. His friend, who’d scrambled frantically to cover herself with the silky duvet, Laurie’s silky duvet, let out a squeak of fright and looked back and forth between Laurie and Neil, trying to put two and two together.
‘Babe, what are you doing home already?’ Neil asked pathetically, breathlessly.
Laurie glared and took a few deep breaths before feeling calm enough to reply. ‘Do not call me babe,’ she whispered, her voice shaking. Her fingers flexed by her side.
Neil’s mouth opened and closed like a goldfish as he tried to summon up some sort of explanation, although it didn’t matter what he said next. Laurie had seen for herself what was going on. Neil looked nervous. ‘You said … You said you’d be gone till …’ He stood and pulled on his boxers, avoiding eye contact with the red-head staring at him pointedly from the bed.
‘Well, I wasn’t. I’m home. Right now,’ Laurie hissed. ‘And I’ve just caught you having sex in our bed with another woman. Neil!? Have you lost your mind?’ Laurie shook her head manically, ran her hands through her hair but winced when her fingers caught in the rain-damp, tangled strands. ‘Right. Get out. Now. Both of you. Seriously, get out! Right now!’ Her voice had risen to a pitch that was beyond anything she’d ever heard before. She felt like a mad woman but she knew that she had good reason to feel that way because this was complete madness. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing. It was incredible how much a person could fool you and she felt like the biggest fool of them all.
All she’d wanted to do was get home, have a hot bath and then climb into bed and sleep the remainder of the day away, sleep until she felt better. Was that too much to ask? Was it really? Well, yes, in Neil’s world it had been, because obviously his girlfriend coming home early had been a complete inconvenience to him and his extra-curricular activities.
‘Babe, please …’ Neil stretched his arms towards her, his fingertips inches away from her skin.
‘Don’t you dare touch me!’ Laurie screeched, flinching out of his reach. The last thing she wanted was his slimy fingers on her skin. ‘And you!’ she spat, pointing at the red-head who was picking up items of clothing from off the bedroom floor. ‘You’d better hurry up before I drag you out myself.’ The red-head scurried out of the room with her head ducked low. Neil tugged a T-shirt over his head and glanced her way as he headed for the door. He didn’t try to plead his case again and she was glad of that. She didn’t need or want any excuses from him. She knew exactly what she’d seen.
***
Some hours later, as the clock ticked just past two am, Laurie brought her knees up to her chest. Did anybody know how she truly felt? Surely there had to be someone out there who could see past it all? Or was she completely alone, with no one to turn to now? She could hardly share her feelings with Neil after finding him in bed with another woman. Perhaps a therapist was the best option after all. She wasn’t sure what was going to happen now, wasn’t sure of anything any more. She thought about the old saying, the one about the straw that broke the camel’s back … She exhaled a shaky breath and knew that this was that ‘broken back’ moment for her. Neil. Neil who she’d loved and trusted with everything she’d had. His cheating had been the last straw for her.
She sat there in the silence, staring at nothing in particular. She was upset more than anything, now that she’d had time to think about it. Bloody Neil. Bloody red-head. Bloody life! She’d never felt more out of sorts. Nothing felt solid, concrete or constant. The silence of the apartment was becoming dizzyingly overwhelming, and with the wine that was flowing through her system she felt about ready to topple off the chair.
As she delved further and further into her thoughts, she tried to think about whether there had been any signs that could have hinted towards Neil cheating on her. He was an accountant, he worked long hours, had a lot of meetings with clients etc. Was the red-head a client, Laurie wondered? How long had this ‘thing’ been going on for? Weeks? Months? Years? Did she even care? She wasn’t sure. She wasn’t sure of anything at that moment. After what she’d just found happening in her bedroom, the feeling she’d been battling with since Rosa’s death was stronger and more unavoidable than it had ever been before, and slowly but surely she was beginning to recognise it as the need to get away. As she sat there, the peculiar feeling rushing through her veins and curling around her every nerve-ending, she realised that that was exactly what it was. The need, a desperate urge, to get away from her life and have a break. She needed to take off the pressure that had been weighing down on her since before she could remember. She needed to go somewhere, far away from here, where she could collect herself and put herself back together. Without the help of her mother. Without the opinions of other people. For once, she needed to listen to what her heart was telling her, and for once she felt that it was the right thing to do. She had Rosa to thank for the sudden surge of courage, so she sent a silent prayer of thanks to her friend who’d made her realise just how precious life was.
***
‘Wait a minute, you want to leave?’ Brian stared down at the resignation on his desk which Laurie had placed there moments before. He looked genuinely horrified by it and didn’t seem to know what to do. ‘You’re leaving us? But … why?’
Laurie had practised her speech throughout the early hours of the morning. She’d had no chance of sleeping so she’d written her resignation instead, and decided on what she was going to say to Brian. In the end, she’d decided to keep it simple and to the point. She had wondered if perhaps quitting her job was a bit over the top, but she hadn’t known what else to do. ‘Something’s happened, Brian, and I need some time away from here to sort myself out. There are things I need to figure out for myself. I need time away, time to pull myself back together. I’m sorry but I feel like I have no choice.’ Her eyes slid down to Brian’s cluttered desk. She fiddled with the cuff of her suit jacket and waited to hear what he’d say next.
Brian adjusted his tie and wriggled about in his chair for a moment. His brows furrowed as he skimmed his eyes over the resignation yet again, unable to take it in. ‘What’s happened? Is there anything we can do here to help you at all?’ His expression was one of concern.
‘It’s just …’ She wasn’t sure whether to tell him the whole story or not. ‘You see, it’s Neil. There’s been … another woman I guess. Last night. It’s all very upsetting and I’d rather not go into great detail but …’
Brian’s eyes closed momentarily and his head bowed. ‘Laurie, I’m so sorry.’ He placed the resignation back onto the desk and scrubbed a hand against his chin. ‘How awful. I don’t blame you at all for feeling this way, but do you really feel l
ike quitting is the only option? There are other roads we can go down. Hang on.’ He pulled open one of the drawers and began to rifle through files and stapled-together sheets of paper. ‘Have you thought about taking a sabbatical rather than leaving for good?’ he asked with a raised brow. ‘It gives you the chance to go off for a while and do what you think needs to be done to help yourself, but you have the security of knowing you can return after the agreed amount of time …’ He trailed off and held out a leaflet towards her. ‘Unfortunately, we wouldn’t be able to continue to pay you during this time, but …’
Laurie flicked through the leaflet quickly. The idea of taking a sabbatical hadn’t even crossed her mind until now, but it was comforting to know it was there as an option. ‘How long would I be able to take off?’ she asked.
‘How long do you think you’ll need?’
Laurie thought quickly. ‘Six months?’
Brian nodded slowly, thoughtfully. ‘I think that’s certainly do-able.’ He took a sip of coffee from the mug on his desk, then returned it to the coaster. ‘Given the circumstances, I’d like to offer you this option, Laurie. You’re a fantastic member of our team here at Howard & Bowe, I’d rather have you take the time off and return to us, rather than disappear completely.’
Laurie nodded. She smiled gratefully. ‘Thank you, Brian. I think this is a good idea. I think I have enough saved up to get me by while I’m away. You’re sure six months is okay?’
‘I’m positive. Like I said, though, I’ll be unable to pay you during this six months, but if you’re sure that you can get by it shouldn’t be a problem. Six months from now would see you back here mid-January, in the New Year. Do you need time to consider, or are you happy for me to pass you the forms over now and arrange the meeting with HR?’
‘I’d be happy to have them now.’ Brian rifled through his drawers again, then handed over a wad of paper. ‘Thank you.’ Laurie sat back in the seat and studied them. ‘How soon can I go?’
‘Give me a day or two to get everything sorted HR wise? I’m aware you have a cluster of holidays built up and waiting to be used. If it takes any longer then I’m sure we can use a couple of those to hurry you along.’
Laurie nodded. ‘That sounds great to me.’
‘Do you have somewhere to stay in the meantime?’
The answer to that question was no. She didn’t want to remain in the apartment with Neil still there. It would be strange and upsetting. No, there was no way she could stay there. She’d have to pack up her stuff and find somewhere else until things work-wise were ready, then she’d head off. Away from London, away from Neil, away from work. A hotel, perhaps? Just for two nights? That was do-able.
‘I’ll find somewhere,’ she said in reply to Brian’s question. ‘Don’t worry about me. To be honest Brian, as odd as it sounds, I think this thing with Neil was exactly what I needed. I’ve been feeling out of sorts for a while now. A friend of mine passed away recently, a good friend. And do you know what? Ever since, I’ve been feeling like I’ve just allowed my life to pass by. A break is exactly what I need. Thank you so much.’ She rose from the chair and nodded at Brian who smiled up at her.
‘Not a problem, Laurie.’
***
‘Laurie, come on. This is ridiculous! Where are you going to go? You have nowhere to stay other than here!’
Laurie rolled her eyes as she continued packing up her things, Neil trailing around after her like the pathetic fool he was.
‘That’s where you’re wrong. I’ll find somewhere to go, don’t you worry about that. I refuse to stay here with you for a single day longer. I can’t even look at you, never mind sleep beneath the same roof.’
‘Laurie, please!’ Neil attempted to take her hands but she pulled away and turned her back to him instead. ‘Don’t you think you’re taking this completely out of proportion?’ he continued in a softer voice. He stepped up behind her so that his chest was mere inches from her back.
Laurie stilled at the closeness. ‘Excuse me?’ Her voice was quiet, silently seething as she delivered each word with sharp-as-a-blade precision. ‘Out of proportion?’ she asked incredulously. ‘Is that what you think? That, even though I found you in our bed with another woman, I’m making too much of a scene?’ She shook her head, pinned him with a disgusted narrowing of the eyes. ‘You’re vile, Neil. Absolutely vile.’ She shoved the last item of clothing from her wardrobe into the bag and zipped it up with a fierce finality. ‘Me and you? We were never going to work out anyway, were we? I thought I was happy with you, but beneath all of your charm and faux sincerity, you’re just a pathetic man who has no idea how a relationship works. I guess you just managed to pull the wool over my eyes pretty spectacularly. More fool me. Presents and gifts are nice, Neil, but it doesn’t all boil down to that. There’s trust and commitment and honesty. I couldn’t trust you ever again even if I wanted to, which I don’t by the way. And anyway, you can call your new girlfriend over. She can keep you company, right? Seeing as you have such a fabulous time together.’ Laurie grabbed her things, hoisted a bag onto each shoulder and hurried towards the door, hobbling slightly beneath the weight. Not exactly the determined stride she’d been hoping for but oh well. Just as she was about to step through the doorway, she glanced over her shoulder and fixed a panic-stricken Neil with a cold, hard stare. ‘Rather her than me.’ And with that, she left.
With her things in the boot, Laurie reversed out of the parking bay and edged out of the private car park, glancing left and right to ensure she didn’t cause any accidents. Her heart was pounding in her chest. She probably shouldn’t have even been at the wheel feeling the way she did, but with a few deep breaths, a couple of seconds of closed eyes and a moment of grounding herself in the here and now rather than suddenly panicking about the future, she eased out into the lane and set off. A cheap hotel room for two nights was what she needed, and it didn’t take her long at all to turn into a nearby hotel and switch off the engine. She paid for two nights, breakfast included, then stepped into the elevator with her belongings. The doors slid shut as the first tear rolled down her cheek. Not a tear for Neil nor for their broken relationship, but a tear for herself and the life she’d ended up living. Still, there was no time like the present to make a change. If Rosa’s death had taught her anything, it was that time was of the essence.
Chapter Three
With Dolly’s Diner’s sixty-third anniversary coming up, Mia was busy trying to figure out how best to celebrate it. She couldn’t believe that the diner was nearly sixty-three years old for starters; it was crazy to think that it had been standing in place for such a long time. It had undergone a couple of refurbishments but Mia had ensured it hadn’t changed too much from its original layout and design. That was what people loved most about the place. Being in the diner felt like she and the customers had stepped back in time thanks to Grandma Dolly’s vision and keen eye for detail. Everywhere you looked there was something there to remind you that you were in a place like no other. The music that the jukebox played only added to the atmosphere and Mia couldn’t imagine herself working anywhere else.
Her protectiveness of the place had been cemented in her from a young age, and still firmly remained now. It stemmed from Grandma Dolly’s love for it, as well as her own. The diner was also the only thing which Mia had managed to succeed with in her life. She’d never seen the attraction of heading off to university. It would have been lovely, of course, to have all of those achievements under her belt but she’d never been academically ambitious. This was due to the fact that she’d done absolutely rubbish in school. The only thing she’d ever been remotely good at was maths, but never good enough to have wanted to make something out of it. The diner was something she’d watched grow and flourish, something which she’d felt a part of since the very first day she’d stepped inside. If other people had certificates and A-levels, then Mia had Dolly’s Diner. If they could be proud of their achievements academically, then she looked on the diner as
if it were a certificate all of its own, framed and hung proudly on the wall. It was, she supposed, the only thing she’d ever done, ever been a part of, that she could truly be proud of.
Despite the refurbishments, the diner still had the fabulous booths with the slightly cracked, vinyl seating. The candyfloss-pink stools that were lined up against the serving counter had been updated a few years back but were almost identical to the previous set, again with the vinyl seating atop which made for very comfy seating while scoffing one of the many ice-cream sundaes on the diner’s menu. On each table, a laminated menu stood upright in a red, plastic holder, offering American-style delights from stacked pancakes to eggs sunny-side-up with streaks of crispy bacon and deliciously crisp onion rings. If any of the customers ordered one of the many burgers on offer with a side of fries, the fries would arrive in a basket with a red and white napkin beneath, just like they used to do back in the day. Behind the serving counter, framed vintage, black and white images hung, one of them a photograph of Grandma Dolly, back in her younger days. In the image, she’d been standing outside of the diner with a serving tray in one hand and her other propped cheekily on her hip. Mia loved that photo more than any of the others. Grandma Dolly had been beautiful back then, had been in her later years, too, but in her younger years she’d looked stunning, with bouncy blonde hair and a figure to die for. In the photograph, she wore a gorgeous, halter-neck, floral-printed dress, nipped in at the waist, giving her a perfectly proportioned hour-glass figure. No wonder Grandpa Robert had wanted her from the minute he’d set eyes on her. Mia could bet every man who had ever met Grandma Dolly had fallen a little bit in love with her. It would have been impossible not to.