B00CAXBD9C EBOK

by Collins, Jackie

  He didn’t. He returned from the bathroom, got into bed, switched the light off, muttered, ‘Good night,’ and appeared to go straight off to sleep.

  She lay there angry and frustrated. I tried, she thought. I really tried to talk to him. But he doesn’t seem to care what’s happening to us, he doesn’t seem to mind.

  * * *

  The morning dawned bleak and raining.

  David was up at seven. He shaved, showered, and dressed without disturbing Linda. He was out of the house by eight.

  She awoke shortly after. Jane was standing beside the bed. ‘Mummy, can I come in for a cuddle, please?’ the little girl requested.

  ‘Yes, of course, darling.’

  ‘I hate Stevie,’ Jane confided. ‘He’s a nasty, rough boy. I wish boys were girls!’

  ‘Yes, that’s a very good idea,’ replied Linda, smiling.

  The morning passed in a flurry of domesticity. The children started school the following day and there was a lot to be done. School uniforms to be assembled, books to be found, everything washed and clean.

  Linda had no time to think, and in the afternoon she had promised to take them to a movie.

  There was no message from Paul. She was both hurt and yet relieved.

  When they returned from the cinema she phoned David. He wasn’t in the office so she left a message for him to call her as soon as he returned. Jay Grossman had phoned and left a number. She rang him back.

  ‘We were wondering if you and David would care to join us for dinner tomorrow night?’ he said. ‘Lori just can’t wait to go to the Savoy Grill – she’s heard Princess Margaret goes there and figures we’re bound to be at the next table!’

  Linda laughed. ‘I’ll have to check with David. Can you call back later?’

  David didn’t phone until past seven. ‘I’ll be late,’ he said shortly.

  ‘How late?’

  ‘I don’t know, probably around twelve.’

  ‘Where do you have to go?’

  His voice was angry. ‘What is this, a cross-examination?’

  She replied coldly, ‘No, it’s not a cross-examination, but I think I’m entitled to know why you’re going to be late.’

  There was a silence, then, ‘I’m sorry, of course you are. I’m tired, I suppose. Actually, I’ve got a late meeting with Phillip.’

  ‘Why don’t you bring him back here and I’ll give you both dinner?’

  ‘No, it’s all right. We’ll grab a sandwich next door and get on with things.’

  ‘I’ll see you later, then.’

  ‘Yes, don’t wait up.’ He hesitated, then asked, ‘How are the children?’

  ‘They’re fine. In a state of excitement about school tomorrow.’

  ‘Give them a kiss for me. Bye.’

  ‘Bye.’ She hung up and yawned. It’s an early night for me, she thought, then she remembered that Jay would be phoning back about dinner the following evening. Quickly she picked up the phone and dialled David’s private number at the office. It rang and rang, but there was no reply.

  She hung up and went and looked in the phone book for Phillip’s number. David was probably in his office. She couldn’t find Phillip’s number, but his home number was there, so she dialled that. His wife, Mary, answered.

  ‘I’m sorry to bother you,’ said Linda, ‘but can you give me Phillip’s private number at the office?’

  ‘Yes, of course,’ said Mary, sounding slightly surprised. ‘I’m expecting him home any minute, so I don’t think there will be any reply.’

  Now it was Linda’s turn to sound surprised. ‘But isn’t he working late with David?’

  ‘No, he’s definitely on his way home. We’ve got his mother for dinner. He’ll be here any minute.’

  ‘Oh,’ said Linda quietly, ‘I must have made a mistake.’

  ‘Hang on a sec,’ said Mary. ‘I think I hear him at the door now.’

  Linda was left hanging numbly onto the receiver. She felt stunned. So David was lying. Why was he lying? How long had he been lying? And why was it only now, when she herself had been unfaithful, that she had to find out? It was obviously another woman. She felt sick.

  Phillip’s harsh voice boomed down the phone. ‘Hello, Linda. What’s your problem?’

  She forced her voice to be light. ‘No problem, Phillip, I’m just trying to track David down. I thought he said he was working with you, but I must have got it wrong.’

  Phillip sounded embarrassed. ‘I can’t help you. David left the office early today.’ He added as an afterthought, ‘He’s probably out with Mr. Smythson or someone from up north. We seem to have a whole group of people visiting this week.’

  ‘Thank you, Phillip,’ said Linda. She wanted to say, ‘You don’t have to try and make excuses for him.’ Instead she said, ‘I’m sure you’re right. Good-bye.’

  So this was the answer to her questions. It all tied in. Late nights home, weekends away on business, no real physical interest in her. This must have been subconsciously why she found herself in bed with Paul. They say there is a certain point in every marriage where a woman is at the crossroads as to whether to go to bed with someone else or not, and depending on the state of her marriage at the time, she makes her decision.

  It’s true, thought Linda, if things had been all right with David and me, then I would never have looked twice at Paul.

  It all seemed so wrong, and to add insult to injury, Paul hadn’t even rung her. She felt used. By both of them. And she didn’t even know what move to make next. Tears seemed threateningly and uselessly close.

  Chapter Seven

  David awoke on Tuesday morning early, with one thought uppermost in his mind, and that was to get out of the house, reach a telephone, and phone Claudia.

  It was seven o’clock, and Linda lay sleeping quietly, so quietly in fact that for a moment he contemplated using the phone in the house, but realizing the probable folly of this, decided against it.

  He shaved, showered, dressed hurriedly, and left. He drove as far as Baker Street before stopping at a pay phone. He dialled the number and listened to it ring, but no one answered, so he redialled, but still no reply. He let it ring for a long time, but to no avail. At last he reached the obvious conclusion that she was either out or too deeply asleep to be disturbed.

  He jumped back into his car, and with a sudden flash of decision drove to where she lived.

  This time it was the doorbell he rang to no avail.

  ‘Bitch!’ he muttered to himself. ‘Dirty little bitch!’

  He hung around outside for a while, but eventually realizing the futility of this, he drove sourly to his office.

  Every half-hour he rang her number, getting more and more angry each time it wasn’t answered. At eleven it was finally picked up by her cleaning woman.

  ‘Miss Parker,’ he snapped.

  The daily’s voice was full of cockney richness. ‘I fink she’s asleep. ’Old on a tick. I’ll go ’ave a look.’ She returned after a short pause. ‘She ain’t in,’ she stated. ‘Any message?’

  He said, ‘You don’t happen to know what time she went out?’

  ‘Can’t say that I do. Don’t fink she’s bin ’ere since yesterday, ’cos ’er bed ain’t bin slept in.’

  ‘Thank you,’ he said. ‘There’s no message.’

  He imagined her with Conrad. Her smooth, beautiful body crushed to his, going through the motions of love-making which she practised so expertly. He could almost hear her small exquisite cries of excitement, her little moans, and the way she muttered crude words in a low, throaty voice. He swore.

  After that he rang her apartment every hour, putting the phone down when the cleaning woman answered. He was furious with himself for being so hung up about her. He had always prided himself on never getting too deeply involved emotionally, always being able to shut other people out of his life when he had had enough of them. But this time it was different. Whatever she did, he couldn’t seem to get Claudia out of his mind.

&
nbsp; At four o’clock she finally picked up her phone. The record player was very loud in the background, and she sounded in good spirits. He listened to her voice saying ‘Hello,’ then a pause, then – ‘Hello, is anyone there?’ Then another longer pause, and then – ‘Oh, screw you, whoever it is!’ And the phone was slammed down.

  He left the office at once and drove straight over to where she lived. He didn’t want to fight with her on the phone, he wanted to see her, hear the excuses, watch her lie.

  She answered her front door and looked surprised and a little guilty to see him. She was wearing very tight white slacks and a mansized black sweater. Her face was devoid of any makeup, and although she looked tired, her brilliant green eyes shone with an alert, triumphant expression.

  ‘Surprise, surprise!’ she said. ‘Come on in.’

  He followed her into the flat. A very loud Rolling Stones ‘Satisfaction’ was turned up full volume. A half-bottle of Scotch and a giant pink fluffy toy poodle stood on the table.

  ‘Want a drink?’ she asked.

  ‘It’s four o’clock in the afternoon,’ he said coldly.

  ‘Oh, dear!’ she muttered, like a naughty child caught doing something wrong. She poured herself a stiff Scotch, lit a cigarette, and flopped down on the floor. ‘Well, David, what is there to say?’

  ‘There’s plenty to say.’ He paced the room angrily and added menacingly, ‘Plenty.’

  She giggled. ‘Do stop it with the wronged-husband bit. I told you I wasn’t tied to anyone. I warned you that no man tells me what to do.’

  He shook his head at her. ‘I don’t understand you. Sometimes you act like a cheap whore.’

  She rolled over on her stomach, taking a long drag of her cigarette, and blowing the smoke toward him. Then she said calmly, ‘I’m in a very good mood today, nothing can spoil it, not even you.’

  She rolled onto her back and stretched, the taut outline of her breasts appearing through her sweater. He felt the familiar hot desire creep up on him.

  ‘Conrad Lee is a very important man, and he’s going to do a lot for me.’

  ‘Sure, he’ll do a lot for you,’ said David bitterly. ‘He’ll do a lot for you in bed.’

  ‘I’m testing this week for his new film. How about that?’

  ‘Balls!’

  ‘You’re just jealous, that’s all. You’ll see, he’s going to make a star out of me.’

  ‘You’re making a fool of yourself. The director of the film said that this is Conrad’s hobby, stringing along little girls like you.’

  ‘Come on, David dear. The last thing I am is a little girl. I’m nobody’s fool. I know the score. You should know that.’

  ‘How was he in the sack?’

  Her eyes met his. They were big and green and bright. ‘He wasn’t anything like you.’ She stood up and wrapped her arms around him. ‘No one’s like you,’ she whispered. ‘No one’s ever been like you.’ The fight was over.

  It was slow, and warm, and tender. Afterward they lay on the floor where he had taken her, locked in each other’s arms.

  She kissed him softly. ‘You must understand,’ she whispered, ‘it doesn’t mean I don’t love you. When I sleep with him, it’s nothing. He’s a pig, an old pig. But, baby, I want to be in his movie. I want to be in it so much. And I’m going to, I promise you that.’

  He flicked his hands over her soft breasts. ‘You’re so beautiful, when I’m with you I don’t care what you’ve been doing. So get in his lousy movie if you must. But don’t sleep with him or anyone else again, or I’ll beat the shit out of you!’

  She pressed closer to him. ‘I love it when you play tough.’

  It’s impossible, he thought, impossible that it can happen again so soon, and be that much better. She’s like a tigress. They should cage her naked in the zoo for all to see, for only seeing is believing. And they should pin a notice to her cage – ‘Do not feed. Only eats men.’

  Out of the blue Claudia said, ‘Your wife’s very attractive, isn’t she?’

  ‘She used to be. I suppose she still is, really.’

  ‘How old is she?’ asked Claudia, a typical woman’s question.

  He wasn’t interested in discussing Linda. ‘Thirty something. I don’t know.’

  ‘I wonder what I’ll look like when I’m thirty.’

  He was saved from answering by the phone.

  Claudia reluctantly lifted the receiver.

  ‘Oh, hello,’ she said softly. She glanced quickly over at David. He immediately wondered who it was. ‘I’d like that,’ she was saying. ‘About what time?’ She balanced the receiver under her chin and fumbled for a cigarette from the table. ‘All right, see you tomorrow. Look forward to it.’ She hung up. ‘I’m starving!’ she exclaimed. ‘I feel like going out for a fabulous exciting dinner.’

  ‘Who was that?’ he asked, trying to keep his voice casual.

  ‘Who was what?’ she asked, knowing perfectly well what he meant.

  ‘On the phone.’

  She hesitated for just a second too long before saying, ‘It was my agent. He wants me to have dinner with him and his wife tomorrow night.’

  ‘Friendly of him, just like that he starts asking you to dinner.’

  ‘Yes, just like that,’ she said patiently. ‘As a matter of fact, I called him earlier and told him I wanted to see him about this Conrad thing. I’m going to take a long bath. Can we go out later? Or have you got to rush home?’

  He thought she was lying, but what was the point in arguing? ‘Do you want me to be free?’

  ‘Of course I do, otherwise I wouldn’t have asked you.’

  ‘I’ll phone home. Where do you want to go? I’ll book a table.’

  ‘Let’s go somewhere great for a change. We always have to hide out in some old dive. What does it matter if we’re seen? After all, I am Miss Beauty Maid, so I’m business, really. Let’s go to Carlo’s.’

  Carlo’s was a very expensive, very fashionable Italian restaurant. It was the place to go, the place to be seen. David knew he was taking a ridiculous risk going there with Claudia. He was sure to see people he knew. However, on the other hand, he wanted to be seen with Claudia. He wanted people to know that she was his.

  ‘OK, you go and make yourself pretty, and I’ll book a table for eight o’clock.’

  She kissed him lightly. ‘Divine, darling.’

  He gave her a playful tap on the bottom. ‘Put some clothes on, or we’ll never get out!’

  Giggling, she retired to the bathroom.

  He read the evening papers, booked a table at the restaurant. He felt guilty about phoning Linda, but eventually he did, and then snapped at her when she asked what he had to do. He produced some suitable lies, felt badly about the whole thing, inquired after the children in a fit of conscience, and then hung up.

  Claudia reappeared after a time, transformed. Her glossy ash-blond hair was piled on top of her head in studied confusion, her makeup was smooth and perfect. She wore a slinky black dress and rows and rows of jet beads. She looked stunning.

  David told her so, and she smiled and preened and showed off her dress to him, flitting around the room like some beautiful exotic bird. ‘Isn’t it exciting going out somewhere decent together!’ she exclaimed. ‘I do wish we could do it more often.’

  In the car on the way to the restaurant he had second thoughts. It was a stupid thing to do. Linda was bound to find out, and then what? Especially as she seemed to be so sensitive about their marriage lately. He glanced quickly over at Claudia. She was fiddling with the radio, trying to find music.

  ‘Why don’t we drive out somewhere nice in the country instead?’

  She stared at him, her big eyes frosty. ‘I knew you’d get cold feet. You go to the country. Let me out. I’m sick of hiding all over the place.’

  ‘All right, we’ll go to Carlo’s.’ To hell with it. Linda probably wouldn’t find out. They said wives were always the last to know.

  The restaurant was very crowded. Th
e headwaiter said their table would be a few minutes, so they sat at the bar. Claudia greeted several people. David was relieved to see no one he knew.

  A girl came up to them, dragging a weedy-looking young man behind her. She was thin and suntanned, and quite pretty. ‘Gorgeous!’ she said to Claudia. ‘You look fabulous! Where have you been, haven’t seen you for ages!’ She dragged the young man alongside her. ‘You remember Jeremy.’

  Jeremy blushed and stuttered, ‘Hello.’

  ‘We’re engaged! Can you imagine!’ She giggled and gave Jeremy a playful poke in the ribs. He looked acutely embarrassed.

  ‘Shirley!’ exclaimed Claudia. ‘How marvellous!’ She turned to David. ‘Shirl, darling, this is David Cooper, a very old friend of mine.’

  Shirley extended a small suntanned hand, and David shook it briefly.

  Claudia continued, ‘And, David, I’d like you to meet Shirley’s fiancé, the Honourable Jeremy Francis.’

  Jeremy edged forward. ‘Jolly glad to meet you, old boy.’ He had sandy-coloured skin, liberally dotted with angry red acne.

  ‘Sit down and have a drink,’ said Claudia. ‘We must celebrate!’

  They found extra chairs and sat down. The girls immediately went into a huddle about the dresses they were wearing. The Honourable Jeremy sat uncomfortably on the edge of his chair. He was extremely tall, and his knees bumped David’s under the table.

  ‘We’re going to have an enormous wedding,’ Shirley was now saying. ‘It will be simply marvellous. Jeremy’s parents know absolutely everyone!’ She flashed a large emerald-and-diamond ring at Claudia. ‘Look!’ she said dramatically. ‘Asprey’s!’

  Claudia said, ‘It’s divine. I love it. I’m so happy for you both.’

  ‘And now, what about you?’ questioned Shirley, shooting a meaningful look at David.

  Claudia laughed. ‘You know how I feel about marriage. It’s not for me, Shirl baby. I like being single. Anyway, you met Jeremy first!’

  Jeremy blushed and looked suitably flattered.

  David stood up. ‘I think our table’s ready.’

  ‘Did you book?’ said Shirley wistfully. ‘We forgot, and now we’ve got to wait simply ages for a table, and I’m starving. She hesitated for a second or two and then continued, ‘I say, why don’t we all have dinner together? I haven’t seen you in such ages, Claudia, and it would be great fun!’