by Laura Ziepe
‘Right, I’ll see you then,’ he answered snappily.
Rachel opened her mouth to speak but he’d already hung up on her. She shook her head in disbelief, feeling affronted. She was dreading ever seeing that awful man again, and now he was coming to her work.
She waved at Amber as she made her way over to the counter. Grace had the day off, which was why Rachel was travelling into work alone.
‘Hey,’ Amber smiled. ‘Good weekend?’
‘It was okay,’ Rachel replied. ‘Grace and I went out Saturday night. Not a big one though and then we just chilled and watched films on Sunday. How was the market?’ she asked, her eyes opening widely, wondering how Amber had got on being around Jack and Natalya.
Amber threw her eyes upwards. ‘They’d had an argument,’ she started, before explaining the whole day’s events.
‘So she’s jealous?’ Rachel questioned when Amber had finished. ‘Well that’s not going to be easy for Jack to handle,’ she told her doubtfully. ‘He’ll soon get fed up if she’s insecure.’
‘Do you think?’ Amber smiled. ‘Sorry, I know I shouldn’t feel happy about it, but I guess I can’t help being slightly glad that Natalya isn’t as perfect as I first thought. Imagine looking like her and still being worried that your fiancé was looking at other women. It’s crazy. Especially seeing as Jack is such a loyal person. I just hope he doesn’t change the way he is because of her.’
‘People do change,’ Rachel replied sadly, images of Mark kissing Bianca in public flashing through her mind. ‘Just look at Mark last week.’
Amber’s mouth was a straight line as she remembered what Rachel had told her when she’d come back into work the following day after she’d seen them shopping together.
‘Talking about that dreadful day last week, Nick called me,’ Rachel said, raising her eyebrows morosely.
‘Nick?’
‘The guy whose car I smashed into, remember? He’s just as rude and ill-tempered as I recall, and guess what? He’s coming to the store this afternoon to get the money I owe him. £200! I really could be doing without this. I’m going to have to go out on my lunch break and get money out. He’s like an ogre. A miserable, cold-hearted ogre.’
Amber pulled a face, ‘Shit, £200 is a lot. That bloody Mark has a lot to answer for.’
‘I’m not thinking or talking about him so would rather you didn’t use his name,’ Rachel said stoically.
Amber nodded and gazed at her sympathetically. ‘Noted.’ She sat deep in thought. ‘Hey what does this Nick look like?’
‘Quite attractive if he wasn’t so arrogant and dismissive, but don’t go getting any ideas, this isn’t a Mills and Boon novel as much as it sounds like one.’
Amber laughed heartily. ‘I’m allowed to wonder, aren’t I? Is he really that bad?’
‘Yes,’ Rachel replied, her lips curving upwards. ‘He pretty much just hung up on me,’ she giggled, suddenly seeing the funny side.
It was around 4 p.m. that Nick arrived at Tidemans, just when Rachel was thinking he most likely wasn’t going to show up. He marched over to her wearing a suit, looking self-important and attracting stares from the other women in the make-up department.
‘Hi,’ he said as he approached her. He didn’t smile. He actually looked stressed out, as if the whole situation was one big irritation.
‘Hi. I’ll just get your money,’ Rachel replied, being equally as standoffish and walking over to her bag. Two can play that game, Mister.
He stood there with his arms folded imperiously and Rachel couldn’t wait for him to leave. Who did he think he was?
‘Where’s the menswear department?’ he asked, looking around when Rachel came back.
‘First floor,’ she replied in her most professional voice. ‘I’ll count it for you, shall I?’ Rachel suggested, holding up the money without waiting for a reply. She counted out ten twenty-pound notes. ‘There you go. That’s two hundred exactly.’
He stuffed the notes into the inside pocket of his suit. ‘It’s been quite a bit of hassle getting it fixed, I must say,’ he added, about to walk away.
Rachel could see Amber watching on from the corner of her eye and she frowned in anger. ‘I did say sorry. It’s not like I drove into your car on purpose. I’ve paid for it, haven’t I? There’s really no need to be so impolite.’ She put her hands on her hips. ‘A thank you for the money wouldn’t go amiss.’
Nick slightly raised his eyebrows, surprised by her outburst. He gazed at her for a while, as if trying to work her out and then his features seemed to soften as a faint smile appeared on his lips. It was as though the Mr-Bad-Man persona was all an act and he’d been caught out.
‘You’re right.’ He looked towards the shop exit. ‘You’re completely right and I’m sorry if I’ve offended you,’ he told her sincerely. ‘It’s no excuse but I’m going through some … thank you for the money,’ he said, patting his jacket pocket. ‘I’m not normally like this.’ He looked a little embarrassed now.
Now it was Rachel’s turn to apologize and she felt slightly guilty for her rant, despite still thinking there had been no need to be so ill-mannered.
‘No, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. You have every right to be mad at me after I bashed so carelessly into your car and caused you unnecessary bother.’
He half-smiled and his eyes seemed to light up making him so much more attractive. ‘Like you said, it was an accident.’
Rachel smiled, unsure what else to say.
‘I have to rush off now, but what about if I take you out sometime to apologize for my poor behaviour?’ he asked confidently and appearing more like a gentleman with every second.
As Rachel looked at his handsome face she felt the doubts start to creep in. He was just being nice now, feeling he owed it to her to take her out for being such a dick. He was out of her league looks wise, and she felt all her insecurities rise to the service.
‘You don’t have to do that,’ she told him, feeling flustered.
‘I want to,’ he replied seriously, in a crisp, precise voice.
‘Sorry, but I can’t,’ Rachel said, shaking her head, her eyes downcast. ‘Thanks for the offer but my answer is no.’
He looked disappointed, but smiled like he understood and walked away.
As Rachel swivelled round to face Amber, Amber looked shocked and quickly put her mobile away into her bag under the counter.
‘There’s no need to look like that,’ Rachel said. ‘He was mean to me at first and he’s older and I don’t know. I just couldn’t have gone on a date with him the way I feel at the moment. I know you think I should get out there and date, and I will, in my own time. In fact, there’s someone I’ve seen online who I like the look of. Maybe I’ll go out with him.’
‘It’s not that,’ Amber told her wanly, exhaling slowly. ‘Rachel, I’ve just seen something on Facebook that you’re not going to like. I think I should be the one to tell you before anyone else does.’ She squinted her eyes as though she was regretting having seen it.
Rachel’s heart plummeted. She could tell by the pitying look Amber was giving her that it was something big. She faced her with equanimity, ready for the news. ‘What is it?’
Amber gave her a beady look as she said the words. ‘Mark has just announced on Facebook that Bianca is having a baby. I hadn’t got round to deleting him as a friend and it just came up on my timeline.’
Rachel felt the blood drain from her face. Her head was swimming. No matter how much she’d prepared herself, it was like someone had just slapped her in the face. Hard. A baby? Was this some sort of sick joke?
‘Let me see,’ she demanded, her voice scratchy, holding out her hand to see his post.
Amber handed over her mobile, her eyes burning with concern. ‘Are you okay?’
Rachel couldn’t reply as she gazed at the scan photo below Mark’s name on Amber’s timeline.
Christmas has come a little early for us! Myself and Bianca Kirk are expecti
ng a baby. Due May 24th 2019 J We’re over the moon!
Rachel stared at the phone, stupefied. Not only had they betrayed her in the worst possible way, but they’d also made a baby whilst doing it. She felt nauseous that she must have actually been with Mark, lying next to him in bed when he’d got her best friend pregnant. Was this why he’d left her? Was this the reason he’d finally had the guts to tell her it was over? Or would she stupidly still be with him while he had his cake and ate it if Bianca hadn’t got pregnant? He was so callous and selfish. Rachel couldn’t believe he was announcing their news proudly on social media. For all the world to see. Look here everyone! I’ve cheated and lied and I’m having a baby! Rachel who? He should be ashamed of what he’d done, not happily telling all their mutual friends and humiliating her even further. He was a horrible man and as for Bianca, she would never get over the shock of how disloyal she was when Rachel had always been such a good friend.
‘Rachel, are you alright?’ Amber asked again, looking worried.
Rachel handed her the phone back and took a deep breath. ‘I will be,’ she said, walking off and heading towards the escalators upstairs.
‘Where are you going?’ she heard Amber call after her, but she didn’t stop or turn around. Rachel didn’t want to change her mind. She just had to do it. She had to take a leap of faith and be brave. She’d been through so much the past few weeks and now there was nothing left to hurt her, was there? They were having a baby. There was nothing else they could do now. A baby would link them for life, no matter what happened. Their baby would always be there as a reminder of what they’d put her through.
Rachel strode across the shop floor as she reached the top of the escalator. She spotted him almost immediately, standing there looking through a rail of shirts. He looked up before she made her way over, as though he’d been expecting her.
‘About that dinner,’ she said boldly, gazing at him intently.
‘Yes?’ he said, his eyes sparkling in amusement.
‘I’ve changed my mind.’
Chapter 14
Was it weird that Grace felt nervous? She felt silly for feeling this way, but she couldn’t deny it was nerve wracking. Really terrifying stuff; even more so than her last date. She couldn’t sit still so she checked her appearance for the hundredth time and re-applied her nude lipstick. Having a day off had been lovely, but she’d had too much time to think about that evening. Too much time to wonder whether she was doing the right thing. She usually just went with the flow and tried not to dwell on things. Grace had always thought she was different to other women; she wouldn’t sit there for hours on end analysing a text message like Rachel would. She wouldn’t be asking questions like, ‘Did one kiss mean he wasn’t as into her as two?’ or, ‘Did the fact he took so long to reply mean that he was seeing other women?’ Grace had prided herself that she wasn’t like that. She wasn’t an over thinker. But today, she was starting to question whether she was, in fact, just like most other women. She’d done nothing but think back to when she and Simon had first met. She couldn’t stop asking the question of whether somebody could really change. She knew she needed to give him a try though; she’d never forgive herself if she didn’t. Simon deserved another chance. Just one more.
When she heard a key in the door Grace jumped, knowing that Rachel was home from work. She had told Simon she would meet him at the theatre, despite his insistence that he pick her up. The truth was she didn’t want to tell Rachel she was going out with him. She was supposed to be dating other men, not going back to Simon and she worried her friends wouldn’t approve and would try to change her mind. She needed to follow her heart, and even though she hadn’t been happy in their marriage, her heart still seemed to belong to Simon whether she liked it or not.
‘Hi,’ Rachel poked her head round the door into the lounge where Grace was sitting. ‘How was your day off?’ Her eyes flicked from Grace’s heels to her make-up. ‘You look nice. Where you off to?’
‘Just to the theatre with my sister,’ Grace lied, unable to keep eye contact. ‘Nowhere special really. I didn’t do much today. Just relaxed and then went to the supermarket for some food shopping. Still, it’s nice to have a day off work.’
‘Yeah, course it is,’ Rachel said, sitting on the sofa opposite and kicking her shoes off. ‘Did you see the news on Facebook?’ she asked, looking desperate to talk about it.
Grace furrowed her brow. ‘No, what news is that?’
‘Bianca is pregnant. Mark posted it on Facebook today. Can you believe it? He went and got her pregnant when he was still with me.’
Grace’s mouth formed a perfect ‘o’. ‘Oh my goodness, Rachel. Doesn’t he have any shame? How are you taking it?’
Rachel shrugged, looking defeated. ‘You know what, I kind of feel relieved that they can’t do anything more to hurt me. That has to be the worst thing, right? Having a baby? I just need to stop thinking about it now, for good, and move on with my own life. I’m sure Mark won’t be happy about getting her pregnant so soon; he was always adamant he wanted to be married first and I know his parents certainly won’t approve.’
Grace nodded, feeling sad for her friend. It must be killing her right now knowing they were together and about to play happy families. She really hoped Rachel met someone else that made her happy when the time was right. For now, perhaps it was best for her to spend some time alone? Apart from the little setbacks from Mark, Rachel appeared to be really happy most days. She’d been through such a tough time, and Grace thought she was coping really well. She couldn’t imagine the heartache she must have been through. Rachel didn’t realize how strong she was.
‘I wonder if they’ll have a girl or a boy,’ Rachel said, staring into space in another world. ‘Mark has always wanted a boy. He was old-fashioned like that. He wanted someone to carry the family name. A little version of himself he could take to football and go fishing with.’
‘The world certainly doesn’t need another version of Mark,’ Grace said tartly.
‘No, I suppose you’re right,’ she replied, her face darkening. ‘I hope it’s a girl.’
‘Who cares what it is?’ Grace said, feeling exasperated on behalf of her friend. ‘Let them get on with it. Having a baby isn’t easy. It puts stresses and strains on the best of relationships. They haven’t been together for two minutes. They’ll soon realize having a baby is hard work; it’s not all hearts and flowers.’
‘I agreed to a date today,’ Rachel told her, her mouth curving upwards slightly.
‘With who?’ Grace smiled widely, glad to be off the subject of Mark and Bianca.
‘You know I told you about the guy whose car I bashed into?’
‘The miserable man?’ Grace questioned incredulous. ‘You’re going on a date with him?’
‘Well, yes, I know I said he was rude and ignorant, but he’s also … well…’ Rachel searched for the words. ‘He’s quite hot, and he asked me on a date so I said yes,’ she told Grace mulishly.
‘Well, good for you,’ Grace told her, genuinely meaning it. ‘I say go for it. What have you got to lose?’
‘Exactly. Thanks Grace.’ Rachel smiled, stretching tiredly. ‘I’m going to make myself a cup of tea. Do you have time for one?’
Grace looked at her watch, instantly feeling the nerves kick in again as she realized she needed to leave or she would be late. ‘Thanks Rach, but I need to go to meet my sister now.’
Grace walked into the entrance of the theatre, her eyes roaming over the sea of faces in front of her for Simon. She felt someone tap her on the shoulder and swivelled round, unable to stop smiling when she saw Simon standing there with a dozen red roses and a huge grin. He’d done the same for their first ever date and straightaway, memories came flitting through her mind.
Grace had only had one serious relationship before Simon. She’d met Guy when she’d been a fresher at university. Guy had been the epitome of the student stereotype: lazy, unkempt and untidy, always looking like he needed
a good wash. Grace had known she wasn’t going to marry him. He had just been someone to pass a few years with. He had been fun, and she’d enjoyed having a boyfriend to talk to her friends about, but Guy had been the type of person to buy her a cheap box of chocolates and a faded, ancient card from the newsagent’s down the road on her birthday. He’d been immature and inconsiderate, certainly not someone she would have wanted to spend the rest of her life with. So when Grace had met Simon and he’d bought her roses on their first date, she’d been taken aback.
‘Oh wow,’ she’d gushed gratefully, her face suffusing with colour. ‘You really didn’t have to.’
‘Haven’t you ever been bought flowers before?’ Simon had asked her, looking bemused.
Grace hadn’t. Guy wouldn’t have dreamt of buying her flowers. Even on a special occasion. He had been a skint student of course, but even if he had money she just couldn’t imagine it. It felt really strange being treated so nicely by someone she didn’t know yet. Strange but amazing.
‘You do know you’re going to have to buy me flowers every time we go out now,’ Grace had joked at the end of the date.
‘Ah, so we’re going out again, are we?’ he’d asked, his face splitting into a smile. He seemed to be enjoying her discomfort that she’d assumed they would be seeing each other again.
‘I’d like that,’ Grace had replied. ‘I’d really like that a lot.’
Now here was Simon in front of her, all these years later, making the same effort again. The flowers had stopped after they’d got married. Perhaps even after they’d got engaged? Grace couldn’t remember exactly when it was. It seemed Simon had thought he didn’t have to bother making the effort anymore. But these small things all mattered, Grace realized, as she thanked him and kissed him on the cheek. The small things were just as important as the big.
‘I thought we could get a drink before it starts,’ Simon suggested, leading the way to the bar where the cheerful barmen were all wearing Christmas hats. There were twinkly lights and tinsel everywhere, reminding her that Christmas was just around the corner. ‘What would you like?’
