I nudged her in the ribs. ‘Are you trying to get rid of me?’
‘You know I love you,’ she said giving my head a little rub, ‘but you’re wasting your skills, sitting in here doing her dirty work for her. You’ve got a degree so use it.’
Doreen was probably right. I only stayed here because it was comfortable, not when Mia was having a go, but when I was having cosy conversations with Doreen and eating cakes and chocolate. It was only a short walk from my house too so I didn’t have to catch buses or spend money on petrol or parking. It meant I could have an extra half hour in bed too. These were all things that were important to me, but maybe I was wasting my life. I’d only stayed here because I had my Mark and now I no longer had him maybe there was nothing keeping me here. An image suddenly flashed into my head – it was freckly Mark. He was staring intensely into my eyes and his lips were curled into that sexy half smile of his. I felt my cheeks redden at the thought.
‘You’re daydreaming again,’ Doreen said. ‘Are you thinking about your new man?’ She gave a cheeky giggle before taking a bite out of her chocolate bar.
‘I was actually,’ I said, giggling too.
‘He sounds nice. Maybe you should forget about your old one and concentrate more on him, now. He seems good for you.’
‘Yeah, maybe you’re right.’
As I checked Danielle’s work from the past two weeks I kept seeing images of freckly Mark in my head. When I tried to force them out and replace them with images of my Mark I realized it was getting harder to picture his face. I tried so hard to think about his blue eyes but they kept changing into cute brown eyes…
***
Claire had phoned me this afternoon and asked me to meet her at her apartment. I didn’t really want to go. She’d not been that nice the last time I’d gone round and I’d been spending so much time with freckly Mark that I’d not had time to miss her. I felt it best to have a break from him, though. We were starting to see too much of each other – maybe that was why he wouldn’t get out of my head. I was starting to fall for him. This wasn’t part of the plan and I didn’t know how to deal with it.
I pressed the buzzer and felt a dread in the pit of my stomach as I heard Claire answer the door. As usual, she looked perfect. Her hair was pulled into a side ponytail and she wore a long kaftan with golden leaves printed on it. ‘Hi, babes,’ she said, ‘long time no see, eh?’
‘Yeah, I’ve been busy with work while Mia was away.’
‘Yeah? Well I’ve got some news that may surprise you.’
I followed Claire into her messy living room and sat down on the settee, which was surprisingly clutter-free for once. ‘So, what’s this news then?’
‘I think you’ll need wine for this.’ She went into the kitchen and came back with a bottle of wine and two clean wine glasses. ‘Well, you know when you said you wanted to get back with Mark and I told you that you shouldn’t.’
‘Yeah, I remember.’
‘Well, maybe you should.’
‘What are you on about? I thought you said I should get over it? What’s changed your mind?’
She smiled and fiddled with her ponytail. ‘I’ve heard rumours, now I’m not saying they’re true or anything but you know what a small world it is.’
‘What rumours?’
‘There’s a girl at work, Fiona, and I’ve just found out she’s friends with your boss.’
‘Who, Mia?’
‘Your boss is Mia Cowell isn’t it?’
‘Yeah. What’s going on?’
‘Well… the thing is she dumped her husband because he went off with his secretary and it turned out that he realized what a big mistake he’d made but was too scared to come back and they ended up meeting by accident one night and one thing led to another and now they’re back together.’
‘So what’s that got to do with me and Mark getting back together?’
‘Don’t you see? Her husband regretted what he did? He wanted to get back with her all along and she was missing him too but she was too scared to contact him, which was why she was probably a total cow at work, but they’re happy now.’
‘So you think that Mark maybe wants to get back with me but is too scared to admit it.’
‘Possibly, yeah. Don’t you see? All that stuff about you wanting to accidently bump into him was probably the right thing to do after all!’
‘He’s a liar though, so I wouldn’t believe a word he said anyway.’
‘Why’s he a liar?
‘Because he said that his girlfriend was his new PA but her brother told me that she was a student. So why would he say that?’
‘Well maybe the girl in the Facebook photo isn’t his girlfriend. Maybe it’s someone else. Anyway, since when do you know her brother?’
I felt a weird feeling in my stomach. I hadn’t thought of that. What if it wasn’t Monica who was his girlfriend, after all? But it had to be. Freckly Mark said his sister liked her new boyfriend but they both didn’t want to get tied down. Maybe my Mark was with her because he knew she wasn’t the serious type. Maybe he told me she was his PA to make it easier on me. It sounded better than telling me she was someone he picked up in a bar one night. And I now knew why Mia was behaving so weirdly. She must have thought I was acting like a silly schoolgirl, moaning about my fiancé leaving me, when all along her husband was cheating on her with his secretary. It made me feel so miserable to think that even women as beautiful as Mia could also get cheated on. Beauty was no insurance policy.
I gave my glass to Claire and she topped it up with more wine. ‘So what if you’re right? What if Monica isn’t Mark’s girlfriend? How do I find out who she is then?’
‘Well, I would contact his office and find out his PA’s name. Find out if he has a new PA first and then you’ll know if he was telling the truth. Then you can find out more about her and stalk her if you want to.’
‘I don’t want to stalk her or anyone else! I’m not a stalker, but maybe you’re right about me accidently bumping into Mark.’
‘Yeah. I think you should go for it. Go onto Facebook and find out whether he’s going out anywhere this weekend and make sure you go there too. I’m free this weekend and I can go with you if you like.’
I sipped some more wine. I felt butterflies in my stomach at the thought of seeing my Mark again. ‘Ok, thanks,’ I said.
We spent the rest of the evening catching up on other gossip and drinking more and more wine. By the time I got home I was ready to get straight into bed but when I unlocked the door my mum was waiting for me, her face glum.
‘What’s the matter with you?’ I asked.
‘I’ve been waiting for you all night. Why did you have your mobile switched off?’
‘I didn’t!’ I took it out of my bag but she was right; it had managed to turn itself off in my bag.
‘Mark’s phoned!’
‘I told him I couldn’t see him tonight because I was seeing Claire. What did he want?’
She shook her head. ‘Not that Mark.’
I felt those butterflies again. ‘What?’
‘That cheating pig Mark that’s who.’
I leant against the wall for support and dropped my bag and coat onto the floor.
‘What did he want?’
‘He wouldn’t say would he? He just asked for you and I told him you were out and then he phoned back again to say he’d tried your mobile and it was switched off.’
‘And then what?’
‘Nothing. I asked him if he wanted to leave a message and he said no.’
Talk about being woken up. I’d been looking forward to a nice relaxing sleep but now I was all on edge. ‘Do you think I should call him?’
‘It’s up to you. You know what I think about him. You’ve got a nice young man now. You’re an idiot if you have anything to do with pig face.’ She walked upstairs and I heard her turn the tap on, ready to brush her teeth.
I switched on my mobile and my heart lurched when I saw the message env
elope flashing. I had a text. It was from my Mark. My hand was shaking as I opened the message. It said, Hi Terri. I just wanted to see if you wanted to meet up. Let me know. Love Mark x. My heart fluttered. It said “Love”. Claire was right. He did miss me. He wanted me back. I tried to analyze my feelings; I should have been jumping for joy. This was all I’d wanted since I’d left his apartment on that Thursday night, yet now I felt numb. I pressed the reply button and tried to think of my response. I was obviously going to meet him but I didn’t want him to think that I was eager, or anything. I typed, Dear Mark but then changed it to Mark but as I typed it the same image of freckly Mark popped into my mind. He was smiling. I felt guilty as I continued to type the rest of the message. I would love to meet up. Let me know when and where. Terri x
Chapter Ten
Meet the parents
I was in two minds, whether or not to meet freckly Mark tonight. Initially I was eager to because he was taking me to his parents’ house for tea. His sister would be there and it was my chance to get to know her better and find out more about her and my Mark. I had butterflies though, because there was a chance that Monica would invite my Mark and imagine how embarrassing it would be for freckly Mark and Monica if they found out their partners had been engaged to each other. I hadn’t mentioned it to freckly Mark because I didn’t feel the need to discuss past lovers; we were only having fun. I didn’t know whether my Mark had told Monica about his past either – I doubted it considering they were both in an open relationship. I was even less sure about going now that I’d arranged to meet my Mark again. I felt as though I were cheating on freckly Mark and it made me feel like a total cow. I liked him. It wasn’t love; it definitely was lust but it was mostly friendship. If it didn’t work out between us I hoped we would stay friends- there was no chance of that if he found out I was meeting my ex, though. Maybe it was best to cancel the whole thing and break up with him. I couldn’t bring myself to do it, though.
Catherine came to my house late afternoon, as previously arranged and she spent some time doing my hair and make-up. I had to make an effort, seeing as I was meeting Mark’s parents. ‘Make me look like Nicole Kidman again,’ I said as Catherine went to work on my frizzy curls.
‘I’ll do my best,’ she said.
‘Did Mum tell you that Mark wants to meet me?’
Catherine paused. ‘She did, yeah. I told her I thought you were an idiot.’
‘Thanks!’
‘You know what I think about him, Tez. Why don’t you just stick with your new fella? He’s gorgeous.’
‘I don’t love him, Cat. I still love Mark and if I don’t meet up with him and try to get him back I’ll always regret it. I need to know there is definitely no chance of us ever getting back together before I can start getting serious about anyone else.’
She shrugged her shoulders. ‘Why are you making so much effort for tonight then?’
‘Because I’m meeting Mark’s parents. I have to make an effort for that.’
‘Are you sure it’s his parents you’re making an effort for?’
‘What do you mean by that?’ I suppose I was trying to look good for Monica’s sake too – I didn’t want her to think that her boyfriend’s ex was a frump.
‘I mean, are you sure you aren’t doing it for Mark. I know what you’re saying and everything but I think deep down you do really like him but you won’t let yourself admit it.’
‘I do like him, yeah. I said that. It’s just not serious that’s all – and I don’t want it to be. Can we change the subject now?’
‘Ok.’
***
Catherine had done a magnificent job with the makeover, again. I kissed and hugged her and went down to the hallway to wait for Mark. I glanced at myself in the hall mirror. My hair was sleek and glossy again and my eyes sparkled. I looked quite tanned in the aqua tunic top and white palazzo trousers. I heard his car horn beep and I grabbed my duffle coat from the coat-stand.
‘You look gorgeous,’ he said leaning forward to kiss me.
‘You do too,’ I replied, taking in his purple shirt and khaki trousers. He’d gelled his hair and it made him look dangerous and even sexier.
‘Moni’s looking forward to meeting you,’ he said as he put his foot down hard on the accelerator again, making screeching noises. I held onto the sides of my seat and took some deep breaths as he almost ran over a cat.
‘I’m looking forward to meeting her too,’ I said. I really was too. I wanted to know exactly what it was my Mark found so fascinating. He wasn’t shallow enough to leave me for someone with looks and no substance. Mark was too clever for that. Monica had to have something that kept him interested.
The car journey must have only taken about five minutes, which made me wonder why he hadn’t suggested we walk to his house. It was in the quieter part of town, where the accountants and doctors lived. Mark’s dad answered the door; I could see where he got his good looks from, his dad was the spitting image of George Clooney.
‘Nice to meet you, Terri. We’ve heard a lot about you,’ he said, before taking my coat and hanging it over the banister.
‘Nice to meet you too,’ I said, finding it hard not to stare at him for too long.
His mum came out of the kitchen. She was beautiful too; she looked like Nigella Lawson. ‘I’m sorry I look such a mess,’ she said dusting bits of sponge off her apron, ‘I want everything to be delicious!’
‘I’m sure it will be,’ I said, shaking her hand.
‘David, pour Terri a drink,’ she said before going back into the kitchen. Mark’s dad went to get some wine. It was then that I heard a door slam upstairs and some footsteps on the stairs. It had to be Monica. I was right – it was Monica, although she wasn’t alone. She was with a good-looking man.
‘Hi, you must be Terri,’ she said, smiling. ‘This is James.’
James held his hand out and I shook it. Why did she bring one of her flings and not Mark? I thought to myself. I took freckly Mark’s hand as he led me into the dining room. I thought Monica and James were following us but when I turned around I could see them kissing; her hands were squeezing into his bum cheeks and he had his tongue in her ear. I was shocked that they would behave like that in her parents’ home. I was starting to dislike her even more. Maybe my Mark only went off with her because of her slutty behaviour. Towards the end, we hardly slept together and when we did it was routine – going through the motions with no real passion. I’m sure most men would find it difficult to resist such an obvious nympho.
Mark pulled a chair out for me and I sat down. He sat down next to me, opposite his dad and his mum sat facing me. Monica and James decided to join us eventually, both of them looking completely dishevelled. James even had Monica’s lipstick around his chin. Mark’s parents exchanged knowing looks and grinned.
‘So, Terri? Mark tells me you work in marketing, is that right?’ Mark’s mum asked.
‘Yes. I’ve just got promoted and I’m looking forward to some more hands-on work with campaigns.’
‘That sounds great.’ She passed me a tray of vegetables and I placed some on my plate, next to the roast potatoes and roast beef.
She looked at James. ‘And James, Monica tells me you’re in the police force. That must be really exciting.’
He smiled. ‘Not as exciting as you’d think. Most of the time I’m doing paperwork or sitting in my car bored.’
She laughed. ‘Well I’m sure it’s a lot more exciting than being a dinner lady.’
Mark had told me his mum was a dinner lady at the local school. She only worked for a couple of hours each day, just to give her some independence. She didn’t need to work, you see, because Mark’s dad was a top heart surgeon who made good money. I stared at him again. He had the same sexy mouth as Mark. I imagined him dressed in his scrubs and I almost choked on my potato. I felt my face redden and I turned to face Monica instead.
‘So I hear you’re studying psychology, Monica,’ I said.
‘Yes. I’m in my final year now and so I hope to join the police too when I’m done.’
Again, I almost choked on my food. I didn’t know how she would cope in the police force – all those men in uniform. She’d have them for dinner! How would she get any work done? And such important work too! I dreaded the thought. ‘Really? Isn’t it dangerous?’
She laughed. ‘Of course it’s dangerous – that’s why I want to do it.’ She gave James a look. ‘I love a bit of danger, don’t I, Jimmy?’
He shuffled uneasily in his chair and Mark helped him out. ‘She’s always been a daredevil, haven’t you, Moni. Do you remember that time you jumped off the climbing frame and cut your head open?’
Monica laughed again. Her laugh was so dirty – just like the rest of her. ‘Oh yeah! How can I forget that, eh? And do you remember that time you dared me to run in front of that lorry…’
Mark avoided eye contact and sipped his drink. He whispered, ‘I didn’t dare you,’ before turning to me. ‘Shall we go and sit in the lounge while we wait for our coffee?’
His mum stood up. ‘That’s a good idea. Everyone go into the lounge and I’ll bring in the coffee and cakes; homemade as well, guys.’
We all went into the lounge, which was like something out of a designer home magazine; all wooden floors, sheepskin throws and wall-to-wall books. I sat next to Mark on one of the three brown, leather settees. Mark’s dad sat on a leather recliner and sipped some whisky. I found it hard to take my eyes off him, again. Mark was cute now but if he looked like his dad when he was older – wow! I hoped Mark hadn’t noticed me leering at his dad. I think Monica had because when I turned to look at her she had a weird, smug expression on her face. I wonder if they taught her how to read body-language at Uni; she would have me sussed for sure.
‘Mark tells me you’ve met James before,’ she said.
‘Oh?’ I was confused.
Mark nudged me. ‘You remember, when we were at Zanzibar you said you knew Moni’s boyfriend and he was a friend of yours and Cat’s.’
What was going on? Was James Monica’s boyfriend? Maybe my Mark had been one of her flings and not her boyfriend, after all. It was all starting to make sense. She wasn’t a PA. I’d gotten the wrong girl. How could this have happened?
Getting him Back Page 4
