by Kaylie Kay
‘She had someone follow me last time I came to San Francisco.’ He was slowing down now, as if uncertain how to go on.
‘Right,’ Susan said slowly, ‘and how much does she know?’
‘Everything.’
What the hell did that mean? What was everything?
‘Like your name,’ he said. Susan felt her stomach lurch. ‘And the airline you work for.’ Now she felt sick.
‘Mark, I really hope this is just a bad joke.’
‘I’m so sorry, I didn’t realise she would go this mad. We haven’t been right for years, but she wants to take everything in the divorce and now she’s got proof I was cheating on her. They’ve even got this phone number from my phone records, and know that you bought it in Target on whatever date it was.’
Susan looked at the innocent phone. She remembered signing her name the day that she bought it, but never could have foreseen that it would come back and haunt her like this. She was speechless.
‘They got photos of us together on the ferry, too.’
He’d obviously got everything out that he needed to and the line was silent for a moment. She tried to process what he was telling her, whether it was likely to threaten Susan Kennedy. She hoped that the different surnames would be enough for the trail to end with her job, that the woman would be happy enough with the evidence against Mark, and not need revenge on her too.
‘Mark,’ she said slowly, ‘is she likely to cause any trouble for me?’ Maybe she was being selfish, but quite frankly Mark’s divorce was not her problem. Or it shouldn’t have been.
‘I don’t know, it’s just...’ he stalled.
‘Just what?’
‘She works for Customs.’
Susan was completely distracted as she walked through the lobby, her mind whirring, going around in circles. What the hell was she capable of? Of course it must have been her that had fixed her records and got her pulled in. She hoped that the email that she had just sent would be enough to get her record cleared.
She would have to shake it off though, hope that it would end there, what else could she do? Seeing the other crew forced her back into the moment, and as they left through the revolving door she turned back to see Tony watching her; she smiled at him, and then at the man he was standing with, in his doorman’s uniform, the man from last night who clearly recognised her as he grinned knowingly.
Chapter 25
‘How is your mum, Lucy?’
‘Oh, she’s doing great, thanks, she’s a tough old bird.’
Susan had been so relieved to get Lucy back after ten long days away, returning from New York to an immaculate house. It wasn’t that she hadn’t coped without her, but there had been no time for the gym or pampering herself when she had to take care of the domestic things too. It had made her realise though, how much she had taken for granted in her enchanted life, and appreciate it all the more so.
‘Lucy, I’ve been meaning to ask you something.’ She stopped to make sure she had her attention.
‘I’m listening,’ Lucy confirmed, not looking up from the floor that she was meticulously cleaning.
‘It’s just that we are off on holiday at the end of the month, and I was wondering if you would be able to come and stay here, look after the house and the dogs?’ She had left it late to ask her, had meant to do it before she went away, but she already knew the answer.
‘Of course, let me know the dates.’ She was looking up now, straight-faced but her eyes were smiling. Susan had known she would jump at the chance to be the lady of the house, and now she could go on their holiday without any concerns.
‘Lucy, you’re a superstar, thank you so much. I will make sure Jeff makes it worth your while financially.’
‘That’s very kind of you, thank you.’
‘Right I’m off to the gym, see you later,’ Susan called as she left, ‘and thanks again.’
‘You’re welcome,’ Lucy called after her, sounding happy at the prospect of her upcoming job and its extra payment.
The class was a killer, and as they all took the two minutes the instructor was giving them to catch their breath, Susan sat on her step, wiping the sweat off her with her towel.
‘Susan, I haven’t had a chance to thank you for your recommendation.’ Laura, the new girl, was sitting on her mat next to her, in as much of a sweaty mess as she was. Susan had no idea what she was talking about, feeling like her brain was a wobbling jelly right now.
‘The gardener,’ Laura grinned. ‘Luke.’
Of course, Luke, but why was she looking at her like that when she said his name, all wide-eyed?
‘Oh yeah, how’s he working out?’ she asked casually.
‘Oh really, really well thanks,’ Laura said slowly, still looking at Susan with that look that she thought she should be able to read, but couldn’t.
‘Right, ladies, back to work,’ called the instructor. Susan lifted her tired body up, glancing sideways at Laura, who was biting her bottom lip, failing to hide the devilish look on her face.
Susan was gobsmacked, finding herself looking at Laura multiple times during the rest of the class. Laura just kept grinning back, obviously amused by her shocked look.
‘You never mentioned how hot he was,’ she finally said when they had a chance to talk as the session finished and the music stopped, ‘and soooo good in the garden too.’
‘Laura, are you trying to tell me something?’ Susan said quietly, not sure whether her imagination was running away with itself. She had only met this girl a couple of times, and didn’t really know anything about her after all. Was she referring to his skills with a hedge trimmer or something else? Did she have a summerhouse too?! Perhaps she wasn’t the only one who had fallen for his charms?!
‘No,’ she said, too easily, too brightly, her eyes saying different, ‘anyway thanks again, he’s amazing. Got to dash, hair appointment.’ She picked up her bag and walked off quickly. Susan was speechless, her mouth agape as she watched her walk away.
As Susan drove home she thought over what had happened. She couldn’t understand why she was feeling off kilter, why the thought of Luke with Laura bothered her, made her jealous even. She really had thought that Luke was only attracted to her because she was something special, not that he was available to anyone who was on offer. Laura was attractive, fair enough, but she wasn’t all that!
It made her feel, well, she wasn’t sure how it made her feel. A little less special? A bit used maybe? She looked in the rear-view mirror at her reflection; was she losing her looks? Was she not as irresistible as she thought that she was? Well that couldn’t be the case, she had never been turned down by a man yet, but was that just because they were all just after one thing?
She had always thought that if she had wanted any of them for more than an arrangement that they would have received her gratefully. Now though, she wondered if she was deluded and that perhaps they were using her as much as she was using them. What with Tony’s friend hinting that he was a bit of a Lothario, and now Luke, she could feel her confidence faltering, digging deep to set it back up high.
By the time she got home she had had a strong word with herself. Luke was just taking what was offered, and the others were still the exciting gorgeous men that they had been, nothing had changed. Then there was Jeff, and she knew that he adored her, so why was she letting something that really didn’t matter bother her when she had everything? Susan Harrison didn’t need any more from any of them than the ‘in the moment’ excitement that they gave her, and whether they got that elsewhere as well was neither here nor there, as long as she didn’t know about it.
As she drove up her driveway Luke was walking past, giving her a friendly wave. She waved back, smiling, making sure that he was watching her, reading her. Her moment of insecurity had passed, she was better than that, and better than Laura.
Chapter 26
The kids were at school, Jeff was at work, and no one else should have been around, only Susan had forgotten ab
out Lucy, as she was almost invisible in her constant presence.
‘Luke!’
The shout was so unexpected that neither of them stopped in their moments of gratification, the summer house windows steamed up as they had been regularly these past two weeks. Susan couldn’t have explained it, not even to herself, but since the conversation with Laura at the gym she had had this insatiable need to be irresistible to Luke, and here they were.
‘Luke!’
There it was again. The chances now that it was just a fox screaming, or the sound of another wild animal in the fields were almost zero, and as they both fell silent it was clear that the strangled voice they both knew belonged to Lucy, and she needed her nephew, right now.
‘I’m so sorry.’ Luke kissed her hungrily, pulling himself up and reaching for his trousers. Susan shook her head to say ‘don’t worry’; she knew that Lucy would not be calling like that unless there was an emergency, and she hoped that it wasn’t what she thought that it was.
She let five minutes pass before she emerged, ducking quickly behind the wooden building so that she could make it look as if she hadn’t come from the same direction that he had, just in case anyone was watching. She walked slowly, and casually, back up to the house, picking a few flowers from the borders to justify her entrance from the garden.
When she reached the pool, Lucy was in Luke’s strong arms, head buried in his beautiful chest, sobbing.
‘Lucy?’
Luke shook his head, and Susan knew in that moment that her mum hadn’t made the great recovery that everyone had hoped for. She felt the sinking feeling in her stomach, the overwhelming sympathy for the lovely woman who asked nothing from anyone making her own heart ache.
‘I’m so sorry.’ It was all that she could say, and she stood silently on the edge of their grief until someone was able to speak.
‘We need to go, is that okay?’ Luke asked, no explanation needed.
Susan nodded, tears pricking her eyes.
‘Please, be where you need to be, I’m so sorry.’
Luke looked at her gratefully, turning and leading his broken aunt, who was crying uncontrollably now, to her car. He put her gently into the passenger seat and climbed in the driver’s side to take her away. Susan stood at the front of the house; there was nothing to say, she had never seen raw grief before and she had no idea how she should react to it. In that moment she realised how lucky she had been never to lose anyone so close to her, although she wondered if perhaps she had never been that close to anyone to grieve for them like this, even her own mother.
She waved them off soberly, knowing that it was the only right thing to do, to let them both go without a second thought. Of course, she would also make sure that Jeff paid them, because that was the nice and kind boss that she was, and she would keep on top of things here. As she stood on the step almost enjoying her moment of martyrdom she remembered the chaos of just two weeks ago, and let out a small involuntary groan. Oh well, it couldn’t be helped, and at least she knew where the cleaning products were now!
Susan turned to walk back into the house; she needed a vase to put these flowers in. She felt sad, but grateful at the same time, that it wasn’t her that was sobbing, grateful that life was still good for her at this moment. She just hoped that Lucy would be back in time for their trip to Dubai in twelve days!
Chapter 27
‘Thank you so much, Lucy, but honestly, if you need more time then please just say, I can arrange kennels for the dogs. Hopefully we will see you then.’
Susan hung up the phone, relieved that Lucy would be back in just a few more days. Of course, she had had to offer her more time, how could she not, but deep down she had kept everything crossed that she wouldn’t need it. She looked around the kitchen, still messy from breakfast, and rolled her eyes. Lucy couldn’t get back soon enough for her.
Jeff had made her cancel her flight this week, he couldn’t manage the children’s school and work on his own, he said, more like he didn’t want to, she suspected. Perhaps if she had had a little break she wouldn’t be resenting cleaning up after the three of them so much right now. She mustn’t complain though, in five days they would be off to Dubai, and she would be waited on hand and foot.
‘Back to work, Cinders,’ she muttered under her breath as she began to sweep the expanse of floor, beginning to lose her love of the large house, wishing sometimes lately that it was just a fraction smaller!
An hour later she had finally made her way upstairs, making the children’s beds whilst wondering at what age they should really be doing this for themselves. She sat down on Sophia’s bed for a moment and took in the things around her, the little trinkets and makeup on her dressing table, the school books scattered across her floor, ballet pumps hanging from the rail at the bottom of her bed. She hoped that her daughter realised how much she loved her, hoped that she was doing a better job of showing it than her own mum had. It wasn’t that her mum had been bad, just a little detached with her own problems, not really present in her mind when Susan had needed her advice and guidance. She knew she wasn’t a perfect wife sometimes, but she tried her hardest to be a perfect mother, and she thought she did a pretty good job.
Moving on to her own room she made the oversized bed, placing the numerous cushions back exactly where she liked them, hearing in her mind Jeff’s repeated protests that they were pointless. A quick look at her watch told her that it was nearly one o’clock and she thought for a moment of how to make the best use of her remaining time before the school run. I know, she thought, I’ll make a start on packing. Usually something that she left until the last minute, she realised that she would need to be a little more prepared for this trip, with four of them to think about. Sure, Jeff would probably be happy to do his own, but that would mean his usual carefree attitude to his appearance, and that wasn’t what she had in mind for this holiday.
Walking into the wardrobe she surveyed the two rails from which his few garments hung; well, few in comparison to her eight rails that bowed with the weight they bore, and she took out the shirts that she would allow him to bring. A shopping trip would definitely be needed before they went, maybe Sophia would come with her after Jeff got home this evening, to save them dragging Lewis around.
She sighed at the sight of the grey blazer jacket that he insisted on wearing everywhere. It wasn’t that she disliked it, in fact it rather suited him, it was just that every memory she had of them going anywhere he seemed to be wearing it. She brushed some specks from the collar and held it up, eyeing it critically, knowing that he would definitely want to wear it to the airport at least. For a moment she considered taking it to the charity shop, but she doubted they would be overwhelmed by the well-worn offering either, and she couldn’t bear to hurt Jeff’s feelings for the sake of being mean. Perhaps a trip to the dry cleaners could freshen it up a little, she thought, emptying the pockets.
As Susan placed the small handful of receipts and pocket fluff on top of the shoe cabinet that ran around the room, something caught her eye. She unfolded the piece of paper, confirming that the little tree she had seen was indeed the symbol for her favourite designer handbag shop. The two-thousand-euro amount that it was for showed that he had bought something very nice there too. In fact, as she scrutinised it further, it was the specific bag she had been coveting for weeks, the latest must-have, and the date showed that he had bought it when he was in Paris recently.
She looked around the wardrobe, hoping to see the bag, to find her gift that he had obviously bought her. It was still weeks until Christmas, and she wasn’t sure that she could wait that long! It couldn’t be that hard to find, she told herself, she had had bags from there before and the oversized, overstated packaging was a gift in itself. She looked in every drawer and cupboard, under the bed and behind it, but nothing was to be found, and the house was too big to search every room. Exasperated, and noticing the time, she gave up. She would just have to wait until he was ready to give it to her, she re
signed herself, and Susan hated waiting!
Chapter 28
It was so lovely to fly with another airline, in a business class seat, being looked after like a proper passenger. For a fraction of the price she could have flown with Osprey on standby, but firstly they may not have got on, and secondly, they may not have been be upgraded. Flying in economy would not have been a good start for their holiday, especially when your husband was loaded and there was no need to turn right, unless she was working of course.
The flight attendant handed her a glass of champagne, and Susan resisted the urge to tell her to leave the bottle, she would definitely be getting her money’s worth today. Jeff handed her his grey jacket, which did look marginally better for being cleaned she thought, not that he had even noticed.
She looked behind her and grinned at her children, who were excited by the way their seats turned into beds. She had made sure to tell them that they were very lucky to travel like this, and not to think that it was normal for most people. Their excitement pleased her, showing that they didn’t take it for granted, although it was probably because they didn’t get to have holidays as often as they probably should. She would definitely have to start being more proactive with booking them.
As she turned back around Jeff took hold of her hand and squeezed it; he was smiling at her and looking the most relaxed and contented that she had seen him in a very long time. It wasn’t that he ever seemed stressed really, more tired from the ever longer days that work was demanding of him, sometimes not getting home until past eight o’clock and having to leave again before seven in the morning. She studied his face and felt a warmth that made her own face mirror his, and she squeezed his hand back; the Kennedys were going to have a wonderful holiday.
The hotel was everything that she had thought it would be, and the delighted squeals of the children running around their suite confirmed that they were just as impressed. The huge orange-hued building hadn’t looked real as they had driven up to it, magnificent and ornate, with its huge wings stretching out either side of its central arch. They had been escorted by the concierge through the expansive lobby with its jaw dropping flower displays, checking in downstairs in the club level reception. Here they were now in their two-bedroom suite that looked out over the Palm, the man-made landmark, and its white sand beaches famous around the world.