Tea for Two

by Shelley Munro

  “Rise and shine, sleepy head.” Jase rapped on the door and entered the bedroom to thrust a mug of coffee under his nose. “You told me to wake you at seven.”

  “Yeah, thanks.” Sam sat up and accepted the coffee. “I need to head into the office to take care of some things.”

  “You might want to check the paper first,” Rhiannon said.

  Sam froze, coffee mug halfway to his mouth. “Why?”

  Jase frowned. “Is there a problem, babe?”

  Rhiannon forced a smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “You could say that. I’m making breakfast. It will be ready in a few minutes.”

  “Doesn’t your wife ever give a straight answer?” Sam asked.

  Jase shook his head and gave a wry smile. “It’s part of the territory. What have you been up to recently that would hit the papers?”

  “Nothing. I’ve kept a pretty low profile, spending time with Helen—Hayley—and working. That’s it. We’ve gone to the movies, but mainly we’ve met at conferences.”

  “Then you have nothing to worry about,” Jase said.

  Sam set his coffee mug down and stood. “Why doesn’t that reassure me?”

  After Jase left, he pulled on his clothes and dragged his hands through his hair in an attempt to restore order. Mouth set, he grabbed his empty coffee mug and went out to face the newspapers.

  “Cripes,” Suzie said in vast understatement.

  Hayley opened her mouth and shut it again, her teeth meeting in an audible clack. Her face peered up at her from the newspaper—the front page, no less.

  “That’s not a recent photo,” Suzie said.

  “I know.” Hayley started to read the article, horror growing with each word she scanned. “I didn’t do this. Sam’s going to think I talked to the reporter.”

  Suzie placed a comforting arm around her shoulders, hugging her in silent commiseration. “I’m so sorry.”

  “It’s not your fault.” Someone had talked to a reporter, but Hayley didn’t think for a moment it was Suzie.

  “No, I mean I’m sorry it’s happened.”

  “Sam isn’t going to be happy. Are there other photos?”

  “There are photos of the two of you together, but the accompanying story is speculation.” Suzie read some of the article and frowned. “This one is worse.” She hesitated. “Do you think your sister would do something like this?”

  Hayley thought about the desperation on Abbey’s face, the determination, and slowly nodded. “She wasn’t very happy with me at our last meeting. She knows I read tea leaves. Abbey attended the fair at Greensbarrow and she and her friends wanted their tea leaves read.”

  “Oh.”

  “Oh, indeed. She demanded money again, and when I refused, she stomped off, saying I’d be sorry. I don’t understand why she hates me so much.”

  “She’s jealous,” Suzie said.

  “But why? Our parents were always so strict with me. I was the one who disappointed them and sneaked about with my boyfriend all the time. I was the one who managed to get pregnant.”

  “Abbey needs to be the center of attention.”

  Hayley snorted, her anger starting to grow. “So she does that by putting me in the papers? Yeah, that will really work well for her.”

  “Sam’s gonna be angry.”

  Hayley sucked in a deep breath, acknowledging the truth of Suzie’s words. Oh, yeah. And given his personal history with the tabloids, he’d put the blame squarely on her shoulders. “I’d better ring him.” Her hand trembled when she reached for the phone.

  The intercom rang before she had a chance to dial.

  “I’ll get it,” Suzie said.

  Hayley dialed while listening to a reporter’s voice crackle through the intercom. Suzie told the man to piss off just as someone picked up the phone.

  “Yes!” The impatient tone made her hesitate. “Is anyone there?”

  “Sam, it’s me. Hayley.”

  “You have a nerve,” he said in a low growl. “Did they pay you well?”

  It hit Hayley then. Abbey had done it for both the money and to punish her for not handing over her precious savings. “I didn’t sell the story to the press and have nothing to do with the story.”

  “Yeah, well, you would say that. Facts look pretty clear to me. Don’t bother coming for the next conference.”

  “But I—”

  “Trust means everything to me, Hayley. You lied to me about your name. You sold me out to the press. How the hell do you expect me to trust you again?”

  “But—”

  The soft click of the phone told Hayley he’d hung up without allowing her to explain. Not that she would have told him about Abbey’s gambling problems. She hung up, her shoulders slumping in despair. “He doesn’t believe me.” Her thick voice was loaded with tears.

  “I’ll tell him the truth,” Suzie said, her chin jerking up in combative mode.

  “No. I have to fix this myself. And if he won’t listen to me, he’s not worth fighting for.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  “I’m going to ring in sick and go see Mum and Dad. It’s time we talked and cleared the air.”

  A small smile echoed across Suzie’s face. “Can I come to watch when you have a showdown with Abbey? I know she’s your sister, but I think she’s selfish and spoiled. And petty. I’m sorry, but I don’t like her.”

  “Don’t hold back now,” Hayley said, biting her lip hard so she didn’t laugh. Suzie’s thoughts about Abbey were no secret. During their teenage years, her friend and sister had clashed several times because of their strong personalities. She had always been the peacemaker, the one who walked away rather than fight. If Abbey was counting on that now, she would soon learn of her mistake.

  Suzie stared at her for an instant before chuckling. “I’m not about to change after all these years. Would you like me to ring in sick for you?”

  “No, I’ll do it,” Hayley said.

  “Don’t worry. Sam’s not an unreasonable man. He cares for you.”

  Hayley nodded, her throat closing up and eyes misting at the thought of losing Sam because of her lies. Maybe if she hadn’t lied to him about her name, he might have believed her about the newspaper article and photos or at least given her the opportunity to defend herself.

  An hour later she caught the train out of London, heading for her parents’ house. The clatter of the train as it rolled over the tracks echoed over and over inside her head. She hadn’t rung her parents beforehand because she hadn’t wanted to talk about Abbey over the phone. Face-to-face was best. Hopefully they were home today. A sigh escaped. She had to make this right.

  A woman slipped into the empty seat beside her. “Are you Hayley Williams?”

  “Why?” Hayley’s eyes narrowed while she studied the woman. No one else had recognized her so far in her baseball cap and casual jeans.

  “I wondered if you’d give me an interview about you and Sam Norville. You’re big news because it’s not often Sam Norville goes out with the same girl more than once.” She pulled a business card out of the inside pocket of her gray suit jacket.

  “I’m not interested,” Hayley said, striving for pleasant rather than the snarl and sarcastic reply trembling on the tip of her tongue. “I don’t want any more of my personal life splashed across the pages of newspapers or magazines.”

  “Take my card,” the woman urged. “I don’t work for a tabloid. I’m not interested in sensationalizing the facts. Take my card in case you change your mind.”

  Hayley stuffed the card into her handbag and, when the train slowed, checked to see which stop they were pulling into. Not hers. She wondered if she should shift or if she’d have to sit by the reporter for the rest of her journey, but the woman left. The train pulled up with a loud groan and screech of brakes. Several passengers stood and pulled bags out of the overhead rack.

  The walk from the train station passed in a blur. Hayley couldn’t stop thinking about Sam, hearing the pain and
disillusionment again and again. She hurried past the corner shop, her own face peering out at her from the newspaper display. The hope her parents hadn’t heard yet died a swift death. Knowing the local gossip chain, they’d probably heard about the story long before she had. They’d probably rung, but after the call to Sam and her employer, she’d taken the phone off the hook. The reporters had dispersed quickly once Suzie had left driving her flashy black coupe, leaving Hayley to leave quietly on foot, cap pulled down low to hide her face.

  Hayley walked up the front footpath of the house she’d grown up in. She heard the raised voices before she even opened the front door. As usual, it was unlocked, and she slipped inside, shutting it after her. Rapid footsteps took her to the kitchen. The entire family, apart from the children, sat around the table in heated discussion. She paused at the doorway, unseen, her heart twisting in an ache. It had always been like this—a sense of not belonging. The feeling that she was on the outside looking in.

  “Hayley is always doing something to make the rest of us look bad,” Abbey said. “She’s impulsive and never thinks before she acts. It’s a wonder there aren’t any reporters outside the house now. They were certainly hanging around outside ours.”

  “Don’t you think we should hear what Hayley has to say before we try to execute her?” Her father’s quiet voice stilled Abbey’s tongue momentarily.

  “She’s an ungrateful wretch,” Abbey snapped. “I don’t know why you all stick up for her.”

  “Because she’s our daughter and we love her,” her father said in a firm voice. “No one is perfect. Like all of us, Hayley has made mistakes in the past, but that doesn’t stop us from loving her.”

  Tears stung Hayley’s eyes, and in that moment she belonged. Her father, who wasn’t her biological father, loved her just as she was. That meant so much to her.

  “I came on the first train,” Hayley said in a firm voice. She stepped into the kitchen. “Is there enough tea for me or shall I make a fresh pot?”

  Chapter Twelve

  Everyone in the room froze in a tableau.

  “I’ll put on the jug,” Hayley said when they all stared at her. “We need to talk.”

  Her father stood and gave her a quick hug, cementing his words of love. Hayley’s sight blurred as she went through the motions of making the tea.

  “You might have warned us,” Abbey said. “All my friends are laughing behind my back. I don’t know when I’m going to be able to show my face again.”

  “They can’t be very good friends, then,” Hayley said. “My friends believe in me.”

  “Aren’t you Miss Perfect?” Abbey’s sneer stripped away her beauty.

  “Tell us about the story, Hayley,” her father said.

  “No matter what, Hayley, we won’t judge,” Dan said. “Dad is right. You’re family and we believe in you.”

  Hayley kissed her father on the cheek and smiled at Dan. “Thanks for the show of support.” She placed the fresh pot of tea on the table and topped up everyone’s cup. Finally, she set the teapot down and took a deep breath. “It’s true, I’ve been seeing Sam Norville. We met at a party a few weeks ago and enjoyed spending time together.”

  “You’re sleeping with him,” Abbey said.

  “That’s none of your business.” Hayley picked up her cup and took a sip. It was so hot she burnt her tongue. “We’re good friends, but Sam doesn’t have much to do with my story. I’ve been saving up to buy my own flat.”

  “Your own flat,” her mother said, the first words she’d uttered since Hayley had entered the kitchen. Hayley eyed her mother with concern. Today she looked small and old. “That’s wonderful.”

  “I’ve taken a second job.”

  “But your employment contract forbids a second job,” Dan said. “I remember that from when you asked me to read over it for you.”

  “I know. I didn’t set out to get a second job. I sort of fell into it. I read tea leaves at fairs and fetes and more recently at conferences. The money was good, and since I used a disguise, I hoped no one would realize it was me.”

  “Love, your employer will know now,” her father said.

  “I know. It’s possible I’ll lose my job over it. Anyway, I mentioned to Abbey about saving for a flat one day and not long ago, she asked me for a loan.”

  “That’s a lie!” Abbey shot to her feet, a rush of red filling her cheeks before the color seeped away, leaving two round spots of blusher the size of plums on an otherwise pale face.

  “Dan, she told me you had a gambling problem and you desperately needed the money to pay back loans, that you were going to lose your house.”

  Dan’s face paled in shock and he glanced at Abbey. “I don’t have a gambling problem.”

  “No, but Abbey does,” Hayley said. “When I refused to give her money she was furious. As luck would have it she saw me at a fair and put all the clues together. When I refused to give her money again, she went to the papers and sold this story.”

  “Abbey?” Dan stood, his attention solely on his wife. “Hell, it’s true, isn’t it? You gambled away the money in our savings account. You haven’t invested it somewhere else at all.”

  “Abbey,” her mother said. “Everything you told us about Hayley was a lie, wasn’t it? You wanted to alienate Hayley so we wouldn’t believe her if she came to us. Oh, Abbey.” The disappointment in their mother’s voice made Abbey crumple. She stumbled to the nearest chair and fell into it, sobbing loudly.

  “Why, Abbey?” Dan shook his head, anguish making him appear years older. “Why did you do this to your sister? Why didn’t you come to me and talk about your problem? I suppose you’ve sold the jewelry you said was stolen?”

  Abbey wailed even louder, but Hayley didn’t feel any satisfaction. She felt sorry for her sister. Her sister. She realized that despite it all, she still thought of Abbey as her sister.

  “Hayley has everything. She always gets all the attention,” Abbey said between sobs.

  “That’s not true,” their father said. “We’ve always tried to treat you equally. Abbey, there is no competition between the two of you. We love you both.”

  “Hayley, what are you going to do?” their mother asked.

  “Not much I can do. I guess I’ll hold my head high and wait for all the interest to die down.”

  Her father reached over the table to pat her hand. “What about your young man?”

  Hayley gave a wry smile. “That might prove a bit more difficult. At the moment, he’s refused to talk to me, but I’ll try again, and at least apologize for the trouble Abbey has caused him.”

  “What about your job?” Dan asked.

  “I might have to resign.” She sighed at the thought of looking for another job. “I’ll have to see what happens.”

  All the way back to London, Hayley tried to plan what she’d say to Sam, if he’d let her see him. She alighted from the bus outside Sam’s office and saw a large number of cars and reporters filling the street outside. Great. Just great. Hayley kept walking and found herself outside the pub where it had all started. She ordered an orange juice and found a quiet table in one of the small alcoves. Sam might not even be in the office, so it would be a waste of time trying to get past the reporters. She’d ring Suzie and take things from there.

  Hayley fished her cell phone out of her handbag and dialed, biting her lip anxiously while she waited for her friend to answer.

  “It’s Hayley,” she said when Suzie answered. “Could you tell me where Sam is? Is he in the office?”

  “No, we’re at the Earl’s Court Exhibition center helping a client set up for a trade show.”

  “Do you think I could come down there?” Hayley couldn’t keep the pleading from her voice. An ache had wrapped around her heart and wouldn’t let go. She had to make this right. Even if he didn’t feel the same way as her, at least she’d have the bittersweet knowledge that he believed her, that she wasn’t someone out for money and cheap publicity.

  “We’re
going to a pub down the road for drinks and something to eat at four. The Tournament on Old Brompton Road. Hayley, I tried to talk to him about you and he walked away. I’m not sure this is a good idea.”

  “I’ll find the pub. I have to talk to him, even if he never wants to see me again, I need him to know I wasn’t responsible.”

  Suzie’s sigh sounded down the phone. “Abbey is such a bitch.”

  The tight sensation intensified, spikes of nervous energy darting into her stomach. “I’m leaving now. I’ll wait in the pub.”

  Sam saw Hayley standing at the bar as soon as he entered the pub, despite the way she’d dressed to blend and had a navy blue cap pulled low over her face. He turned to walk back out, but Suzie blocked his exit.

  “Talk to her, or rather, listen. Give her a chance. Do you think I would have set you up if I thought Hayley was guilty?”

  “I should fire you,” Sam snapped.

  She laughed, the burst of humor lightening the seriousness of her face. “But you won’t because I’m good.”

  “We’ll see,” he muttered darkly. “I might fire you yet.” He shot a glance at Hayley, saw her catch her bottom lip between her teeth, abusing it while she stared at a drink she never touched. He crossed the carpeted floor to stand beside her. “You wanted to talk?” Up close, her delicate floral scent flowed over him, punching him with memories he didn’t want to examine.

  “I…yes. Please.” A tic started in her jaw, the small throb letting him see her anxiety. It relaxed the tension in his gut and shoulders.

  “Grab a table while I get a drink.”

  Hayley nodded and headed over to the far corner of the room to one of the few empty tables. It wasn’t an ideal setting for a private conversation, but she couldn’t attempt seduction with this many people around either. They’d need to watch out for loitering reporters.

  Sam purchased his drink plus a couple of sausage sandwiches before heading over to Hayley.

  “I have half an hour before I need to head back to the convention center.”

  Hayley nodded and waited until he pulled out one of the fabric-covered stools and sat. “I’m so sorry. It was my older sister, Abbey, who spoke to the reporter. They used the facts she gave them plus what they’d discovered to write the story.” She paused, looking down at her hands before raising her head to meet his gaze. “We’ve just found out Abbey has a gambling problem. She wanted me to give her a loan and when I refused, she contacted the reporter. I have never spoken to a reporter and won’t. I’m a private person and I don’t want my personal life splashed across every newspaper and magazine.” She made a moue of distaste. “I don’t know how you cope with the constant publicity. It would drive me insane. People look and whisper all the time. I hate it,” she added fiercely.