It’s Now or Never

by Carole Matthews

  ‘Didn’t you get a firm of Polish builders in to do your extension?’

  Ray busied himself in his box. ‘Yeah, well. They came in at a good price. All the builders round here are thieving bastards.’

  ‘And don’t you get your car washed at that Polish place up by the golf club?’

  ‘They do a good job there,’ Ray admitted reluctantly, ‘and it’s only five quid.’

  ‘You could have had it done by a Bunny Girl yesterday,’ Greg said.

  ‘I wouldn’t mind that,’ his friend said with a raucous laugh.

  ‘My wife would have obliged.’

  Ray’s eyes bulged like a carp. ‘You’re kidding me?’

  Greg sighed. ‘I wish.’

  What was it the sign had said? Let the bunny twins rub your bumpers? Greg shuddered. Have a hand job for only a fiver.

  He thought that his wife had lost her mind. This was the woman who swaddled herself in a sarong on the beach on holiday so that no one would see her in her bikini, the one who wore thick, fleecy pyjamas in bed and didn’t possess one shred of sexy lingerie. Now she was skinny-dipping in the North Sea and prancing up and down their own drive in a Bunny Girl outfit. What would the neighbours think? What did he think?

  Greg had packed in fishing early yesterday not just because he was feeling terrible with his cold, but because he was feeling terrible in general. He hated them falling out. They’d never been the sort of couple who thrived on regular fisticuffs, like some did. He’d wanted to go home early so that he could see Annie, eat some humble pie or whatever it took to try to get them back on track.

  He had no idea that their relationship would be so summarily derailed when he got there. Would she even have mentioned her escapades at all if he hadn’t happened upon them in flagrante delicto? He’d even called in at the garage on the way home to buy her some flowers on Ray’s advice, but they’d run out. Thank God for small mercies. He’d have probably felt like ramming them down the throat of one of the guys who were queuing up to ogle Annie and her twin bunny.

  ‘Are you sure that she’s not got another man?’ Ray said into his dark musings. ‘Even taking into account the unbalanced hormones of a woman of a certain age, she’s behaving very strangely.’

  ‘Another man?’ It was something that had crossed Greg’s mind, but he hadn’t seriously considered it as a possibility. Annie wouldn’t do that. Not his Annie. No way.

  ‘I’d keep an eye on her if I was you,’ his friend advised sagely. ‘Take it from one who knows.’

  Ray should know. He was much married, much divorced and, through bitter experience, was much wiser in the ways of the world than Greg ever hoped to be.

  The tip of Greg’s rod dipped and he watched as his float bobbed and a circle of telltale bubbles puttered around it. His heart raced. A tench – he was sure. He made a strike and hooked the fish. Definitely a tench. They might look like placid fish, but when push came to shove they could be powerful fighters. Greg wondered whether, if push came to shove, he’d be the same.

  Chapter 61

  Lauren sat in front of Country File on the television, her legs curled under her, a bowl of stale muesli on her lap. The programme was very informative regarding the festive preparations that were taking place in the Cotswolds ready for Christmas. Lauren assumed that it was a repeat from last year as it was still the height of summer, but you could never be quite sure.

  She should call Annie, make sure that she was all right. As she left her sister’s home yesterday, it looked like World War Three was about to erupt. She hesitated to pick up the phone in case Greg answered. No doubt she’d be in the firing line too and she just wasn’t feeling strong enough to deal with that. Annie’s husband would be more than happy to blame her for leading his wife astray.

  Lauren could fully understand why her sister wanted to go off on this jaunt. Greg was such a stick-in-the-mud, getting old before his time. Annie had never been given the chance to try her wings. Now was her time.

  Instead, she settled on texting Annie. R u ok?

  Her sister replied. Fine. Greg out.

  All well?

  So so.

  Want me 2 cum up?

  No. C u in week?

  Luv u Lauren texted back.

  Luv u 2 from Annie.

  Lauren clicked off her phone. So that was it. Another Sunday stretching ahead of her. Jude hadn’t phoned yesterday and there’d been nothing from him this morning even though it was nearly ten o’clock. Some days he feigned going for an early-morning run so that he could pay her a fleeting visit, but that clearly wasn’t on the cards for today.

  Country File was failing to hold her interest. Who, these days, had time to collect their own branches to fashion a Christmas wreath? Lauren sank back on the sofa. She hadn’t liked to ask Annie whether she planned to do the cheesy car wash on her own or whether she’d abandoned the idea.

  Her fingers toyed with the buttons of her phone. Should she text Zak, see what he was up to today? It was wrong of her to keep using him as her fallback plan, she knew that. She should spend the day at home, catch up with some chores, clean the place, go shopping for some food. But that sounded duller than dull. Before she could think better of it, she speed-dialled Zak’s number.

  ‘Hey,’ he said a moment later. ‘I was just thinking of you.’

  ‘Yeah?’

  ‘I thought you were up at your sister’s place this weekend.’

  ‘Slight change of plan,’ she admitted.

  ‘So you’re phoning to see what Uncle Zak’s doing?’

  ‘Do you mind?’

  ‘No. In fact, that’s why I was thinking of you. I have a very exciting day ahead of me which is just up your street. Or several streets, to be more accurate.’

  Lauren smiled. Talking to Zak always soothed her, made her feel less neurotic. ‘Tell me more.’

  ‘You know that I normally don’t encourage you to drink to excess. Well, today I’ll make an exception. If you can get your gladrags on in the next half an hour, I’ll reveal all to you. Make sure you’ve had some breakfast too.’

  Lauren looked down at the half-finished bowl of stale muesli. ‘I’ve already eaten.’

  ‘Good. And wear shoes that you can walk in, not those ridiculous heels you like so much.’

  She hadn’t realised that Zak was paying so much attention to her choice of footwear.

  ‘Go and get ready,’ her friend said.

  ‘Tell me,’ Lauren said, a frisson of excitement running through her. She was already off the sofa and scraping the remains of the soggy breakfast cereal into the bin. ‘Tell me where we’re going.’

  Zak sighed. ‘You’re so impatient.’

  ‘A girl needs to be able to dress appropriately.’

  Another sigh. This time perplexed. ‘A bunch of us are doing the Monopoly Board Pub Crawl.’

  Lauren laughed. ‘The what?’ She was already in her bedroom, shrugging off her dressing-gown. It was a good job that this wasn’t a videophone.

  ‘Twenty-six pubs, one in each of the locations listed on the Monopoly Board. One drink in each.’

  ‘Wow. That’s a lot of drinks. Even for me.’

  ‘Then we won’t make them doubles,’ her friend said. ‘We’re starting at the George on the Old Kent Road.’

  ‘At this time in the morning?’

  ‘They’re opening up early for us. I’ll be with you soon.’

  ‘Thanks, Zak.’ She hung up. Now she wasn’t a sad and lonely single mistress, she had a fun day to look forward to in good company.

  Lauren pulled on her jeans and a T-shirt. There was no time for a shower if she was going to be ready in time. She fluffed up her hair and tied it in a scrunchy, then slicked some make-up round her face.

  Not five minutes later, the doorbell rang. ‘Bloody hell,’ she muttered. ‘That was quick.’

  Lauren flung the door open and was surprised to see not Zak standing there, but Jude.

  Chapter 62

  I don’t do the c
ar wash. You’ll probably think that I’m pathetic. I know that Lauren will. Instead, I sadly strip off my Bunny Girl outfit and pull on my old tracksuit bottoms and a skanky T-shirt.

  I know that there are a thousand things that I could do round the house this afternoon, but I don’t fancy any of them. If, for the sake of marital relations, I can’t carry on with the car wash for fundraising, then I need to think of something else – and quick. Or – also for the sake of marital relations – do I need to drop this silly idea altogether?

  I decide to go and pound the pavement around Furzton Lake; not only will it help with my training, but it might also get rid of some of my anger and frustration. It could clear my head and help me to think of a new and dastardly money-making scheme.

  I jump into my car – which looks washed and polished to within an inch of its life – and head off to the lake. Minutes later, I’m in the car park. The air is fresh today and the cool breeze does much to lift my spirits out of the doldrums.

  The lake is a little busier on a Sunday morning with a few joggers already out in the sunshine.

  As I do some cursory warm-up stretches, I see a runner coming round the corner and, frankly, I’d recognise that physique anywhere. While my brain still tries to process the information, Blake Chadwick is on me.

  ‘Annie,’ he says, pulling up in surprise. ‘Didn’t expect to see you here today.’

  His face is flushed. Clearly he runs at a more determined pace when he’s alone, unencumbered by me.

  ‘Hi. Didn’t expect to be here myself,’ I admit. ‘I’m home alone today. At a loose end. Thought I’d do a bit of training.’

  ‘Me too,’ BC says. ‘I normally have my daughter on a Sunday, but she’s not well with a cold today. I’m kicking around the house too.’

  I hadn’t imagined Blake with time on his hands to fill. I thought he was an all-Action Man with every second lived in the fast lane.

  ‘You going to run with me?’

  ‘No, no,’ I say. ‘You look like you’re in your groove. I don’t want to hold you up.’

  ‘Don’t be silly,’ he laughs. ‘It’s good to have the company.’

  Am I imagining it, or does BC look a bit bashful after saying that?

  ‘Okay.’ Be nonchalant, I counsel myself. Otherwise he’ll hear your heart thumping. ‘If you’re sure you don’t mind.’

  I fall into step next to him and we set off together, Blake at his modified pace.

  ‘No car wash today?’

  My face reddens. ‘My husband put a stop to it. Wasn’t very keen for the neighbours to see me in my bunny outfit.’

  ‘Very fetching, I thought,’ BC says with a laugh. ‘Your husband should be stoked that he’s got a hot wife.’

  He’s not. But I don’t share that information. I do, however, gulp at the thought of BC finding me hot.

  ‘And enterprising,’ he continues. ‘It looks like you were doing good business.’

  ‘We were.’

  ‘I thought he would have been proud of your money-making skills.’

  But he wasn’t, was he? ‘I could have done with a few more weekends like that.’ I sigh. ‘I still have nearly a grand to raise for my place. Now I’ll have to think of something else.’

  ‘You will,’ he assures me. ‘You have to find that money, Annie.’ He glances across at me. ‘It won’t be the same in Peru without you.’

  And I wonder whether anything in my life will be the same if I do go to Peru.

  Chapter 63

  ‘I have two hours,’ Jude said. He was breathless from running up the stairs. In his hand there was a fancy carrier bag. ‘I have a picnic breakfast. Croissants straight from the baker’s oven, freshly squeezed orange juice. Some fresh fruit. One or two other treats.’

  Her lover had obviously forgotten that she wasn’t available, that she was supposed to be away all weekend at Annie’s house.

  Jude caught Lauren round the waist and pulled her close. ‘We can go to Regent’s Park and sit in one of the deckchairs in the sunshine and eat it there. Or . . . ?’ He let the suggestion hang in the air.

  ‘. . . we could eat it in bed,’ Lauren finished for him.

  ‘What a marvellous idea!’ Jude agreed. ‘I like a woman who’s on the same wavelength.’

  Now she was torn. She was so looking forward to her day out with Zak and his mates, but now that Jude was here she wanted to spend time with him too. If she blew Zak out of the water in favour of Jude then she’d have the rest of the day to kill by herself once her lover had gone back to the bosom of his family. But then how could she tell Jude that she’d just had another offer? Another offer which also sounded very appealing.

  Jude took her hand and tugged her towards the bedroom. In jeans and a white T-shirt, hair still damp from the shower, he looked sensational today. What she really wanted to do was go to the park, be out in the sunshine together, hold hands, take a walk through the Rose Garden, be seen with this fabulous-looking man. Do the things that every other couple took for granted. But then if they went out, she couldn’t lie in Jude’s arms and let him kiss the doubts away.

  ‘Wait,’ she said. ‘I just need to text Annie.’

  ‘Now?’

  ‘I’ll be two seconds.’

  ‘I’ll be waiting.’

  As her lover disappeared into her room, Lauren quickly texted Zak. Something came up, she wrote. Can’t make it. Catch up with u l8tr?

  Shame, Zak texted back. C u at work tomorrow. Say hi 2 Jude.

  As she snapped off her phone, a wave of sadness washed over her. Of course Zak would realise why she was turning him down. Now she felt terrible. It wasn’t fair of her to treat her friend like that – especially since she’d been the one to call him. Lauren sighed to herself. How many great parties/picnics/pub crawls had she missed over the years because she’d chosen to wait around for Jude instead? Lauren pushed the thought to the back of her mind, her heart heavy. Frustration and disappointment had become an integral part of this relationship Still, the decision had been made. She’d just have to stick to it.

  ‘Come on, darling,’ Jude shouted from the bedroom. There was a note of irritation in his voice. ‘I haven’t got long.’

  Lauren sighed. She might have known that the clock was ticking on her already.

  Chapter 64

  ‘Have lunch with me,’ Blake says as we finish our run.

  I laugh breathlessly at the suggestion. ‘I can’t do that.’

  ‘Why not?’

  Why not? Er. . . Let me think about that. ‘I look a mess.’ I’m standing in the car park feeling all sweaty.

  ‘You look fabulous,’ he says, and there’s a sincerity in his tone which takes my breath away more surely than all that jogging.

  ‘I look like a woman who’s just huffed and puffed five miles.’

  ‘Let’s go somewhere low-key,’ BC suggests. ‘We can sit out in the garden in a shady corner well away from the designer label crowd, if that’ll make you feel better.’

  ‘Okay,’ I say, with an attempt at a casual shrug. I should be used to Blake’s company by now – we’ve done enough running together. So why does he still make me feel like some gauche teenager?

  ‘Leave your car here,’ he instructs, as he opens the passenger door of his Lotus Exige for me.

  With some difficulty and no elegance whatsoever, I deposit myself inside, trying to look as if I’m not a novice sports-car passenger. Blake slips in beside me and, with a smile, he roars away, pinning me back into my seat.

  I try to look cool and unflustered as we zoom through the streets, lower to the road than I’ve ever been before. My sister would kill me if she could see me now after her stern warning. Well, perhaps Lauren – or anyone else for that matter – doesn’t need to know about this.

  True to his word, Blake pulls up outside a bargain-basement family pub.

  ‘I didn’t think you knew about places like this,’ I tease, as I clamber out of the low-slung car in an equally ungainly manner.

>   ‘My daughter, Leona, likes the ball pond.’

  ‘Oh. How old is she?’

  ‘Just three. She’s an angel and a demon all rolled into one.’

  ‘They all are at that age.’

  He flicks out the latest iPhone as we go into the bar. There’s nothing bargain basement about that. ‘This is her.’ BC holds it out so that I can admire the photograph of his child. A little girl with dreads and milk-chocolate-coloured skin looks back at me.

  ‘She’s beautiful.’

  ‘Yeah.’ He grins as he looks lovingly at the photo himself. Gone is the brash, boastful bloke that I know from work. ‘Gets that from her mother,’ he adds. ‘Just hope she hasn’t got her temper too.’

  ‘You’re not together now?’

  ‘We’d split by the time Leona was born,’ he says sadly. ‘I don’t get to see enough of my little girl. I can’t have her in the week because half the time I’m away. Sunday is my only day.’

  ‘That’s a shame.’

  He shrugs. ‘It’s life now. We just have to make the most of it. My relationship with my ex is okay.’ He gives me a wicked grin. ‘Usually.’ BC slips his phone back into his pocket. ‘I just want Leona to have the best life that she can. Do wonderful things, go to wonderful places.’

  ‘That’s great,’ I say, but there’s an unbidden lump in my throat. Are my own two children completely lacking in ambition because I didn’t have big dreams for them or for myself? Should I have urged them from an early age to want more for themselves than either Greg or I did? Perhaps it’s not too late. For them or for me.

  Then BC slips his arm casually round my shoulders but that doesn’t stop my heart from beating triple time. He steers me towards the bar. ‘Let’s see what delights this place has to offer. I’m famished after our run.’ Blake turns to me and winks. ‘We make a good team, you and me.’

  I like this softer side of Blake Chadwick. In fact, I think I might like it a bit too much.