Andi smiled sadly. “Just about everything, Angel. I hardly know where to start. Let’s just say he’s not the person I thought he was.”
Her sister shrugged. “I suppose Laurence could say the same about me?”
“That’s different.”
“I don’t see how. Lies are lies, surely? Laurence wasn’t exactly truthful with me either. I like to think we cancelled one another out, a bit like a minus and a minus is a plus!”
Angel’s moral compass was certainly interesting, Andi reflected. But she didn’t see how a few fibs about where her sister got her shoes from or the state of Laurence’s bank balance equated to lying about your entire life and enlisting the help of your family to spin the untruths even further.
“He was beside himself when he thought you were leaving,” Angel told her. “Whatever he’s done, or said, that’s upset you I can promise that his feelings for you aren’t a lie.” She took a sip of her drink. “Look, Andi Pandy, I’m not the greatest fan of Jonty; I think you could do a lot better than an odd-job man with no focus and who’s scabbing off his sister for the summer, but I do know that he’s crazy in love with you.”
Andi rolled her red eyes. “You sound like a Beyoncé song.”
“Don’t take the piss; I’m being serious. He was frantic when he thought you’d run away. He went straight after you. I hardly saw him for dust. Whatever he’s done to upset you, the guy is mad about you and I know you’re pretty keen on him yourself.”
A tear rolled down Andi’s cheek and splashed onto the table. “You don’t understand.”
Angel reached across the table and grasped Andi’s hands. “Then make me understand.”
So Andi did. Word by painful word, she choked out the story. While Angel listened, saucer-eyed, she repeated the whole tale, from her friendship with PMB, to Jax, to Simon and Mel being party to Jonty’s secret. When she got to the part where Jonty was actually the CEO of Safe T Net and one of the richest men in Britain, Angel’s jaw dropped. The only parts that Andi left out where those magical, dreamlike hours they’d spent together at the inn on the riverbank. Whenever she closed her eyes she was right back there with his lips trailing kisses across her skin while the night breeze lifted the curtains. The jolt of loss she felt was unbearable.
“So you see,” Andi finished sadly, “there’s no way I can ever trust Jonty again. He’s completely lied to me in every way a person can. He’s no better than Tom.”
Angel drained first her drink then Andi’s. “Bloody hell.”
Andi gave her a sad smile. “Exactly.”
The sisters sat in thoughtful silence for a moment.
“OK,” Angel said finally. “So that is a pretty big secret to keep but I kind of understand why he did it. I mean, you would have seen him in a totally different light wouldn’t you?” A sheepish expression flitted across her pretty face. “Even I might have started to find him attractive if I’d know what he was worth. And from what you’ve told me, that bitch Jax gave him a good kicking.”
Andi stared at her in disbelief. “Are you seriously sticking up for him?”
Angel shrugged. “I guess I am. Look, of course he should have trusted you and told you the truth, especially after you slept together—”
“I never said that!” Andi’s cheeks flamed. Did she have the word slapper tattooed across her head or something?
“You didn’t have to. I can always tell and I’m never wrong,” said Angel smugly. “But look at how you’ve reacted. You’ve basically proved the poor guy right. Now you know the truth you don’t feel the same way about Jonty. He was right to be worried.”
“Yes I do!” Andi shrieked. Several diners looked up from today’s special of organic sausages and sweet-potato mash, and she lowered her voice. “Of course I do, but I don’t know him, do I? He’s not the person I thought he was.”
“Of course he is,” Angel said patiently and as though Andi was thick. “Like duh! Weren’t you always going on about how much you liked that Project Manager B guy? How much you clicked with him and liked chatting to him? He was your online soul mate. It’s Fate, babes: it was meant to be. My God! It’s like a movie.”
“Some movie. He lied about everything.” Andi just couldn’t get past this fact.
“Crap! He just didn’t tell you about the money!” Angel insisted. “Get over it! He’s still got the most ripped body in Rock and a sexy bum – not that I’ve been looking – and I bet he still likes to pootle around in that knackered old boat and eat pasties. He’s still the same person. He just happens to have shedloads more cash than we ever imagined. Lucky you! Laurence was the total opposite.”
“But he lied, like Tom!”
“This is nothing like cheating, wanker-features Tom,” Angel said firmly. “Tom lied to rip you off and cheat you. Jonty lied so that you could get to know the real him. And if you love him, really love him, then all that matters is that he’s the person you’ve spent the whole summer with. The guy who’s put the first real smile on your face for ages, welcomed you into the heart of his family and made you eat more chips than I’d have thought humanly possible.” She reached forward and took her sister’s hands. “He’s the one who came after you when you thought there was nobody else. He’s exactly who you thought he is. He’s the man who loves you with all his heart. The rest of it is just nonsense.”
Andi stared at Angel. Was this really her shallow, materialistic, fashion-obsessed sister talking?
“Since when did you get so wise?”
Angel put her hand over her heart. “Since I realised that what really matters is in here. Laurence could have a million pounds or minus a million pounds; it wouldn’t matter. I’d still love him. And he’d still love me. I loved what I thought he was but when that vanished I realised that it really didn’t matter at all. It’s the same with Jonty. Mel’s right: he’s just a regular guy who got lucky.”
Andi’s thoughts were whirling like a washing machine on spin. With the blinkers of Tom’s betrayal removed and her own hurt at being deceived starting to fade, she began to understand things from Jonty’s point of view. If she was totally honest with herself she knew it would have changed everything between them if she’d known the truth. Would she have seen Jonty, or the groomed guy leaning against the flash car who’d featured in Cally’s Cosmo?
The answer was so clear that she felt ashamed. She would have written him off as a rich tosser, in the league of Travis and Laurence and all the other wealthy people who holidayed in Rock. She’d have judged him straight away.
She was just about to reply when her phone rang from the depths of her bag.
“So it is working!” exclaimed Angel. “Have you any idea how many times I’ve called that today?”
Actually, Andi did – but she’d been busy ignoring it just in case it was Jonty. Looking at it now she saw that there were eleven missed calls from a variety of mobile numbers. That was odd. She didn’t recognise any of them.
“Answer it!” Her sister urged. “It’s bound to be him.”
Andi delved into her bag and retrieved her phone. When she saw an unknown number flashing she sank back into her seat. The despondency she felt because this wasn’t Jonty was awful.
Oh God. What had she done? Had she allowed all her issues and hang-ups to get in the way of something really good? With a leaden heart, she pressed the green button.
“Hello?” A male voice reverberated down the line. Strong and authoritative, but sadly not Jonty. “This is Detective Inspector Jones. Am I speaking to Ms Miranda Evans?”
“Yes.” Andi glanced at her sister. The police, she mouthed at Angel, whose eyes widened.
“Ms Evans, I’m calling to let you know that we’ve apprehended an individual in conjunction with fraudulent activity involving several bank accounts and credit cards. I believe that some of this activity was regarding your finances?”
Andi was staggered. “Apprehended? That means arrested?”
“Yes, indeed. The individual concerned is u
nder further investigation and is forbidden from contacting you. We also believe he intended to extort money through blackmail, and certain images and computer equipment have been confiscated. Our team will be in touch shortly to let you know what happens next. In the meantime, I’m told that at least some of the funds that were taken from your accounts are going to be credited back to you as a goodwill gesture – so I’d suggest that you check your balance within the next twenty-four hours.”
DI Jones gave Andi some further details, which she managed to jot down on a napkin. Once the call had ended, she was just about to explain to Angel what was going on when her phone shrilled again. Angel pulled a face and gestured to the bar. When she arrived back with two more ciders, Andi was looking shocked.
“What?” Angel demanded. “Don’t tell me. It was Jonty and he’s bought you a Caribbean island to say sorry?”
Andi didn’t even respond to her sister’s teasing. She was too dumbfounded.
“The first call was the police,” she said in disbelief. “They’ve arrested Tom.”
“Yes!” Angel punched the air. “Brilliant. Porridge here he comes! And who was the second call? Jonty? With a Ferrari filled with roses?”
“Not quite.” Andi shook her head. “It was the MD of Hart Frozer offering me my job back, with a promotion to head of department level and a much higher salary. Apparently things have come to light that prove beyond all reasonable doubt that Alan Eades stole the work I’d done and that I was sacked without any justifiable cause.”
“Well we all know that,” Angel agreed, loyally.
“Yes, we do – but how do they? And how did the police suddenly manage to trace the frauds and blackmail back through the Internet?” Andi and Angel’s gazes met across the table.
“It’s almost like a computer genius who created the world’s most powerful Internet security system was involved,” breathed Angel. “Do we know anyone like that?”
Andi was trembling like a leaf in a storm. “May I borrow your iPhone?”
Angel scooted it across the table. “Be my guest.”
With shaking fingers Andi somehow managed to log into her bank account. When she checked the balance she reached for her drink and gulped back a huge mouthful. Then she looked again just in case she had been mistaken. Nope. That was no error.
“What is it?” Angel was practically crawling across the table to try to peer at the screen. “What’s happened? You’ve gone ever such a funny colour.”
Andi felt a funny colour. Silently, she passed the iPhone to her sister.
“All the money Tom stole is back. And the credit cards have been refunded too.”
“Bloody hell!” Angel looked stunned as she studied the screen. “It really is! Oh my God! You’ve got your money back! Git Face has been arrested and you can even have your job back! Isn’t it brilliant? Andi?” She gave her sister a stern look. “You should be up on the table dancing. What’s wrong?”
“It was Jonty. He did this.” Andi felt as though the floor was moving underneath her, which couldn’t just be from half a cider on an empty stomach.
“Duh!” said Angel. “Of course he did. That’s obvious. Didn’t he tell you he was going to help?”
No. He hadn’t said a word. When she’d thrown her accusations at him, accused him of deceiving her and of being a liar, Jonty had just stood there, bleak faced, and let her have her say. When she’d told him that she couldn’t be with him, that she didn’t know him at all and that he was just as much of a liar as Tom, he could have so easily flung back at her all these wonderful things that he’d done for her. But he hadn’t. He’d let her hurl accusations and never once tried to change her opinion of him. He’d left Andi to make up her own mind, and in doing so had granted Andi her independence. He hadn’t made her feel that she owed him or was beholden to him in any way.
How had she let her prejudices and fears get in the way? She’d got him totally and utterly wrong. He wasn’t manipulative or a liar. He was just a kind and genuine man who wanted to make sure she was taken care of and safe. Jonty was still the man who’d let her have his (she now realised) FT and who had been her friend all summer. He hadn’t changed. He still had the kindest and most generous heart in the world, and arms in which she wanted to be held forever.
He was still the same guy in frayed board shorts and deck shoes.
He was still the same man she’d slowly and gently fallen in love with.
The pub dipped and spun around her and for an awful moment Andi thought she was about to throw up. She’d sent him away thinking she despised him when nothing could be further from the truth.
Angel waved her hand in front of Andi’s face. “I hate to interrupt your chain of thought but what exactly did you say to Jonty?”
Andi took a deep breath, exhaled slowly and told her. With every word she spoke her sister looked even more dismayed.
“And do you still feel like that?” she asked gently.
“No!” Andi’s eyes brimmed. Goodness, how was it possible to cry so many tears? “Of course I don’t!”
“Then you’ve got to tell him,” Angel said firmly.
“After what I said before?” Andi hung her head. “He’ll never talk to me again. I’ve blown it.”
Her sister curled her lip. “So you’re just going to give up? Throw in the towel? Jesus, Andi. I thought you had more balls than that. What about all the lectures you’ve given me over the years about facing up to responsibilities and doing the right thing?”
“Like you ever listened!”
“You’d be surprised. I listened more than I let on.” Angel stood up and swung her bag onto her shoulder. “Come on, let’s go.”
“Go where?” Andi had never felt more defeated in her life.
“To find Jonty,” said Angel patiently. “At least you can try to put things right with him, which has to be better than not trying at all, I’d have thought. If you love him half as much as I think you do you’ll try to give it a go.”
She was right and Andi nodded. Even if Jonty never felt the same way about her again she had to tell him she was sorry. Maybe he could forgive her? She didn’t dare hope for anything more.
With a heart that was slowly filling with hope she followed her sister out of the pub and into the sunshine. There would be no more hiding in the shadows. From now on Andi was going to tell Jonty exactly how she felt.
Chapter 50
“Just go easy on the gas – she’s very sensitive – and remember to watch for the front grill! The car’s much longer than you think.” The last of a long list of instructions issued, Travis handed the key fob to Gemma. He looked very worried, as well he should. Gemma hadn’t driven anything except her ancient Beetle for years and the chassis’ many dents and scratches were testament to her less than perfect spatial awareness. If cars could tremble, the Aston Martin would have been shaking in its boots.
“Chill,” said Angel cheerfully, hopping into the back seat and coiling her long legs under her. “Gemma’s a fab driver. Besides, it’s just a car.”
“It’s a car that’s worth nearly as much as a house,” Gemma pointed out nervously.
“It still has wheels and some brakes, doesn’t it?” Angel declared with enormous confidence. “And anyway, it goes like shit off a shovel, doesn’t it Loz? You got it up to almost a hundred and ten on the Wadebridge bypass!”
Laurence couldn’t quite look Travis in the eye. “Err, I think that’s an exaggeration. Maybe just a hundred?”
Andi, strapped into the front seat, felt increasingly alarmed. Gemma was a crazy driver at the best of times; even in the stodgy London traffic and limited by a car that was older than she was, Gemma still drove as though in a bumper car and one with absolutely no sense of preservation. If they made it to Ocean View in one piece it would be a miracle. Andi could only hope somebody would tell Jonty she’d been on her way to find him.
Gemma jingled the key fob. “I’ll enjoy every minute of this.”
“I’m sure you
will,” said Travis grimly. “Just bring her back in one piece, that’s all I ask.”
“Like you did me when I was in your boat?” said Gemma sweetly.
Now it was Trav’s turn to look awkward. “That was totally different.”
“Chillax,” said Angel. “It’s a car.”
Travis mounted his high horse. “This isn’t some little hatchback, you know. This is a machine engineered for racing. See the ‘S’ button? That switches it into sports-car mode.”
“Don’t touch it, baby,” Laurence said quickly to Angel. “That’s way more power than you can handle.”
“Oh sexist ye of little faith,” said Angel airily. “Do you think just because we don’t have willies we can’t handle a supercar? I watched Top Gear once, I’ll have you know, and Gemma can drive a tractor. And a forklift.”
Travis didn’t appear comforted by this. When Gemma failed to find the start button and was totally thrown by the lack of gears he looked almost ready to weep. Finally, after some confusion, the car burst into life.
Gemma grinned. “Believe me, this is nothing compared to Dad’s combine harvester. And the engine’s in the front, right? Just kidding!”
“If I hadn’t had so much champagne I’d have driven you myself,” Travis said sadly.
“And if you weren’t such a show-off and had to drive it down the hill just to pose in, then we wouldn’t have had it here to borrow in the first place,” Angel teased. “But such is life! Andi owes you a big favour.”
“Another one?” Travis gave Andi a rueful smile. “I wish I could call them in but I’m not an idiot, in spite of giving everyone lots of evidence to the contrary. It was obvious in Newquay that you were in love with Jonty. I hope you find him.”
It was? Andi wished that somebody had pointed it out to her. It could have saved a lot of trouble.
Broom! Gemma touched the gas and the engine roared like Simba on speed. She revved it again, her eyes widening at the power. Angel reached forward and pressed a button, and the roof hissed down.
“Now we’re in business,” she said, blowing Laurence a kiss. “See you later, boys! Don’t look so worried!”
[Escape 01.0] Escape for the Summer Page 44
