Pushing aside the memories, she followed Fiona’s advice and got ready for an evening at salsa. This week she wore a pair of trousers that hugged her hips and narrowed to finish slightly above the ankle. The weight Kate had lost was evident as she fastened the zip and even Kate had to admit that she looked good. She pulled on a silver top that sparkled and shimmered and swung around Kate’s hips as she moved and then took out her make up brush to attack her pale cheeks and the violet shadows underneath her eyes.
Wrapping up warmly she took Millie to Fiona’s and this time didn’t waste her breath arguing when Stuart said he was driving her to the wine bar. And when he pulled the car to a halt outside the front door, Kate only sat for thirty seconds biting her lip before jumping out and dashing through the rain to the front door.
She smiled at several people she recognized from the week before, looking around for Sophie and hoping that she would be able to partner Kate again.
‘Kate, this is my friend Alan.’
That was Kate’s plan ruined. She smiled at the shy young man at Sophie’s side.
‘I’ve been trying to persuade him to join me and he’s kept promising to think about it. I told him that I had a great new partner last week and if he didn’t want to come that was okay -but he decided to join us this week.’
Kate hid her smile at the twinkle in Sophie’s eye and shook Alan’s hand. ‘Pleased to meet you,’ she offered although she was anything but; no Sophie meant that Kate was probably going to have to join Victor at the front of the class.
She saw Olivia and Helen walk through the door and they smiled and waved as they walked towards her.
‘Hello!’ shouted Helen excitedly. ‘I’m so glad you came again. We were telling everyone last week how lovely you looked and how well you did the salsa.’
Kate’s heart did a little flip. She wondered if any of the news had reached Alex’s ear.
Helen’s eyes were shining. ‘I was talking to Susanne from customer services and telling her how amazing you’d been and who should be stood behind me?’
She paused theatrically and Kate’s heart literally stood still. Was it Alex, she wondered desperately? Please say it was Alex.
‘Sandra Maddison!’ crowed Helen. ‘She heard everything I said and she did not look pleased at all!’
Was that a good thing wondered Kate? Was Sandra likely to go home and tell Alex that she’d heard his ex-wife, the one he’d recently abandoned, was enjoying herself at salsa and looking amazing? No, decided Kate, she would probably keep that information to herself. But it gave Kate a little boost that at least Sandra wouldn’t be viewing Kate as a sad left over, sitting at home and weeping while Sandra gazed into Alex’s eyes and held on tightly to his arm.
‘Hi there.’
Kate turned, frowning at the figure standing in front of her.
He held his hand out. ‘Josh,’ he said, smiling at Kate.
Kate looked blank taking the proffered hand. ‘Er, Kate.’
Sophie was watching them grinning.
‘We met last week,’ Josh explained. ‘You and your friend were so good I said I might join in.’
‘Oh,’ started Kate, for some reason blushing furiously, ‘I remember, you were standing at the back watching.’
Out of the corner of her eye she could see Olivia and Helen nudging each other and Sophie’s grin stretching even wider.
‘You were so impressive,’ said Josh gravely. ‘I decided I had to give it a go myself.’
Kate was aware of the flush still on her cheeks.
‘Well I hope you enjoy it,’ she offered lamely.
‘Of course I haven’t got a partner.’
The flush deepened as Sophie jumped in. ‘Oh that’s actually really good because Kate doesn’t have one this week either.’
She ignored Kate’s wide eyes and disapproving mouth.
‘My friend has come this week you see,’ she said pushing Kate a little nearer to Josh.
‘And we’ve come together,’ chorused Olivia and Helen, taking a step back so there was a clear space around Kate.
‘So you can be Kate’s partner!’ finished Sophie happily.
‘Well that would be wonderful!’ Josh was looking directly at Kate. ‘As long as you don’t mind Kate?’
Ambushed Kate shook her head. ‘Of course not,’ she said politely, trying to ignore the delighted glances that were winging between Sophie, Olivia and Helen.
Just then Chantelle began clapping her hands to call everyone’s attention and salsa music burst into the room.
Josh took Kate’s hand and pulled her gently sideways into a space. ‘Thank you for being my partner,’ he said gravely.
Kate nibbled her lip. ‘It’s okay.’
‘I’ve been looking forward to this all week,’ Josh said in a low voice, stepping closer to Kate as Chantelle began her count -one two three and one two three.
‘Salsa?’
‘Well, that as well,’ answered Josh with a twinkle in his eye that brought the colour flooding back into Kate’s face and then there was no more time for talk as the rhythm took over and Kate and Josh counted and stepped and shimmied with the rest of the room.
An hour later when they finally stopped, breathless and laughing, Kate had become used to the feel of Josh’s hand holding hers. She no longer flinched when their hips bumped together or when they took a wrong step and crashed into each other. His face with its strong jaw, slightly dimpled chin and very blue eyes had become quite familiar as was his chuckle when they lost the beat or turned the wrong way. But the minute the lights were turned up, the music stopped and the dance was over, Kate’s cheeks began to flush again and her eyes remained staring at the ground as Josh leaned over to speak to her.
‘Well?’ he asked. ‘Do you think there’s any hope for me?’
Kate shrugged. ‘Did you enjoy it?’
Josh laughed. ‘I must admit I did. I’m not much of a dancer, I usually sit at the side watching others.’
‘So why did you decide to try salsa?’ asked Kate, only to drop her eyes at his grin.
‘Oh, it has its attractions!’
Olivia and Helen appeared at their side both looking smug.
‘You two looked really good,’ said Helen, not bothering with any subtlety. ‘Are you coming again next week Josh?’
Kate found herself standing very still.
‘Oh I think so, it’s quite addictive isn’t it?’ smiled Josh
Sophie was peering round Josh’s broad shoulders grinning.
‘Good, I’m sure Kate will be happy to be your partner again. Right shall we all have a drink before we go, Kate, white wine isn’t it?’ and not leaving Kate chance to turn down the offer she marched to the bar.
‘Sorry,’ mumbled Kate. ‘They’re a bit obvious.’
Josh threw back his head and laughed. ‘Saves time though,’ he suggested. ‘Otherwise it could have taken me hours to summon the courage to ask if you’d join me again next week.’
Kate met his eyes. They were kind, smiling, interested.
‘I have a daughter,’ she announced watching him blink with surprise.
‘Okay.’
‘And a husband,’ added Kate, seeing a quick look of disappointment flash across his face.
‘Oh I see…’
‘Well, I suppose at the moment he’s a sort of ex-husband. He left me a couple of weeks ago. My friend said I had to come to salsa so he knows I’m getting on with life.’
Josh looked curious. ‘And are you?’
Kate thought for a moment. She had a feeling that the answer was no, but in the interests of trying to get on with her life she lied.
‘Yes. I am.’
‘That’s good,’ nodded Josh. ‘And are you getting on with life enough to come to salsa next week and be my partner again?’
Kate felt that again the answer should be no. After all it wasn’t quite two weeks since Alex had walked out on her. She was still devastated and certainly wasn’t ready for assignations wi
th men at salsa class.
‘Yes, I think so.’
Josh smiled and nodded his head. Reaching out he squeezed Kate’s hand slightly. ‘Good. I’m glad for you, that you’re moving on with your life, and I’m very glad for me,’ and then he took the beer that Alan was holding out to him and stepped slightly away from Kate so that Olivia, Helen and Sophie could join them as they drank wine, grinned at each other and watched Josh smile at Kate and Kate smile shyly back.
Chapter 14
Kate told Fiona she’d had a lovely time at salsa and then let Stuart drive her and Millie home. On Saturday, when she spoke to Fiona on the phone, she admitted that her partner had not been Sophie but a pleasant man called Josh but refused to answer of any of Fiona’s highly excited questions about just how pleasant and did she actually mean pleasant or good looking.
On Sunday when Fiona phoned and invited Kate to come over for lunch, Kate told Fiona that Josh had asked if she would go to salsa the following week and be his partner again. After a piercing shriek from Fiona, Kate had declined lunch and also any further conversation regarding Josh’s suitability as a replacement husband, reminding Fiona that the salsa was purely a strategy as advised by Google, a means to redirect her husband’s attention in Kate’s direction.
On Monday Fiona phoned Kate and asked if she had any more to add to the story and laughing Kate had said no, Fiona was up to date with it all.
‘But Fee, the plan isn’t working is it? I don’t think Alex cares that I’m out enjoying myself, making new friends and getting on with life. It’s probably just a relief to him that I’m moving on.’
Fiona had clucked with sympathy.
’Keep at it Kate honey. At the very worst if Alex doesn’t come back you’ll have something to do on a Friday night!’
Kate had not been impressed by any suggestion that Alex wouldn’t be returning but sighing she said goodbye to Fiona and put the phone down.
It was a depressing thought that maybe Alex would not come home. She had spent the weekend on Google crying at the many sad stories she read about women whose husband’s simply never came back despite everything they said and tried. Closing her laptop Kate had refused to believe that could happen to her. She loved Alex too much to let him disappear from her life.
Kate looked at the kitchen. She had cleaned it as she did every morning, but the shiny new sparkle that she always put on the surfaces wasn’t there and a couple of mugs still sat in the sink from the coffee Kate had drunk that morning. Somehow, the need to have a house that looked so very clean and bright on a daily basis didn’t seem quite so important now there was only Kate and Millie to appreciate it. Kate couldn’t help but wonder if the hours she had spent on domestic chores in the past hadn’t all been a waste of time, it certainly hadn’t kept Alex at home. She looked at the mugs then shrugged and turned her back, walking into the living room instead.
She sat in her favourite chair by the fire and thought back to Friday night. Once the embarrassment of having Josh thrown at her had worn off she’d thoroughly enjoyed the salsa. She smiled to herself, Josh had been far from perfect and there were several times when his face had been tense and full of concentration as he counted out loud and tried to keep the rhythm going.
He’d apologised to Kate as they sipped their drinks, for the number of times he’d stood on her toes, going forwards instead of backwards or lurching to the side as Kate stood still.
Kate had smiled and said it really hadn’t mattered. She remembered when Alex had gone with her. He had been the same, finding the rhythm hard to keep. But he hadn’t laughed like Josh, Alex had become quite frustrated and after only a couple of classes said it really wasn’t for him.
‘You should still go,’ he had said to Kate when she’d looked disappointed, ‘no reason why you shouldn’t go if you enjoy it so much but I’ll give it a miss.’
And so the following week Kate had put on her dancing shoes and stood in the doorway to say goodbye.
‘Where are you going?’ Alex had asked in surprise.
Kate stared at him ‘Salsa of course! Have you forgotten it’s Wednesday?’
There had been the tiniest of little pauses but it was long enough for her to realise that Alex may have said that Kate should go dancing without him but he hadn’t actually excepted that she would.
‘Don’t you want me to go?’ Kate had asked.
Alex had shrugged, appearing nonchalant. ‘Of course you should go,’ he’d said. ‘If you enjoy it you should carry on.’
But it didn’t seem to Kate that the words were meant and although she went to salsa that week and the next, the disappointment in Alex’s eyes had led to her declaring on the third week that she would stay at home with Alex instead. He had grabbed her by the waist and swung her round and buried his face in her hair telling her how much he loved her. He said that he knew Kate loved dancing and why didn’t they go to line dancing instead, he much preferred it to salsa. And Kate had been so delighted with his response that she soon forgot about salsa and although she realised several weeks later that the line dancing had never materialized, by now they had a whole new routine on a Wednesday evening which revolved around a bottle of wine and a DVD and the two of them snuggled on the settee.
Her Thursday evenings had also fallen by the wayside. They had been wonderful evenings when she would meet up with a couple of girlfriends at a local restaurant and they would drink wine and eat pizza and compare their weeks and their jobs and their outfits and their partners.
‘I feel as though I’m being judged,’ Alex had said trying to pass it off as a light hearted comment.
‘Don’t be silly!’ Kate had exclaimed laughing. ‘I only say the nicest things about you. They all get bored with how all my comments start with ‘Alex says…’
She had found Alex’s concern amusing but as the weeks went by and his demeanor each Thursday became increasingly stiff, she had reduced the weekly event to a monthly event. It was surprising how many times Alex declared that he hadn’t realised that this was the Thursday Kate was meeting her friends and he had organised a meal out for the two of them or bought tickets to the theatre.
And although Kate could never put her finger on when it had happened, suddenly she realised she had gone months without taking part in the get together and that most of her Thursdays were now spent with Alex.
The phone rang and with a sigh Kate grabbed the handset. Her mother had phoned several times to make sure Kate was okay and although every call left Kate feeling tense, waiting for the criticism she felt Marcia was about to dole her way, her mother had actually been nothing but supportive and pleasant.
‘Kate?’
Kate almost dropped the phone. It was the voice she’d been waiting to hear for two weeks. Two weeks to the day in fact since Alex had stood in the doorway and told Kate that her perfect marriage had failed and he was leaving her.
‘Alex?’ she whispered.
‘Kate are you there?’
Kate gathered her wild thoughts and tried again. ‘Alex – hello.’
There was a pause, a long pause as neither seemed to know what should happen next.
Kate waited.
‘Kate, I’m sorry I haven’t phoned earlier.’ Alex gave her a chance to say it was okay but Kate remained silent. ‘I had a lot of thinking to do as you can imagine.’
Kate could imagine. She had been doing a lot of thinking herself over the last two weeks.
Her hands started shaking and all she could hear for a moment was her heartbeat drumming against her rib cage. Oh God he had phoned, Alex had finally phoned.
There was another pause.
‘Have you been okay?’
Was he mad, wondered Kate? He had walked out on her with no warning and no explanation and then ignored her for two weeks.
‘I’m okay,’ she answered.
Alex gave her a chance to ask if he was okay but Kate was silent again.
‘Right, well that’s good.’
When did talk
ing to each other become so difficult wondered Kate? Had it been like this before Alex left and she just hadn’t noticed? Had their easy banter and interest in each other disappeared to be left with a stilted conversation about how well they both were?
‘Kate I think we need to sit down and discuss – well you know, things.’
Kate held her breath. Was this the moment she had been waiting for, the moment when Alex told her he had made a mistake and wanted to come back? Was this the Google moment she’d been working towards?
‘I realise that my leaving must have come as a shock to you.’
Kate let out a breath of disappointment. Maybe not.
‘Yes,’ she said bravely, holding back the tears. ‘It was.’
She heard a soft sigh echo down the phone. ‘I had tried to tell you Kate, I had tried to talk to you about how unhappy I was.’
‘Yes, strange I don’t remember that conversation Alex,’ she snapped.
‘Oh er … well it’s difficult isn’t it?’
Which part wondered Kate? Having an affair and making sure your wife was none the wiser, walking out on her and your baby daughter, explaining why you felt the need to leap into bed with Sandra Maddison?
Kate resorted to silence. Her eyes fell on her laptop sitting on the sofa and she desperately tried to remember all the advice she and Fiona had read. It’s essential you are calm when speaking to your husband, accusations and anger will not help your new relationship progress.
Kate bit her lip. ‘I imagine it is Alex,’ she said calmly.
‘Right, okay well, perhaps we should meet then. Have a chat and talk about – you know.’
Kate allowed herself a tiny flutter of excitement. It was all going as planned. She and Alex would start communicating and he would remember the girl he’d fallen in love with, he would regret Sandra Maddison and her come to bed eyes and his heart would return to Kate. At least according to Google that’s what would happen.
Google Your Husband Back: An wonderful tale of love, loss and how to get your husband back! Page 11
