by S M Mala
‘Sly, you’ve not been yourself since… well, since he went,’ Toby said gently, stepping closer. ‘I can see it and so can the others. Well, not exactly all the others but Samina and Auntie Rosalind. We’re worried about you.’
‘You shouldn’t be discussing me.’ Sylvie smiled reassuringly. ‘But I know it’s because you care and I appreciate that.’
‘Did you say you were in love with Finlay?’ He screwed up his face as if waiting for her to say something awful. ‘You can tell me, I won’t mind.’
‘Oh Toby, it doesn’t matter what I feel as, in the end, it didn’t matter to Finlay. He didn’t feel the same way.’ She shrugged. ‘My big worry now is Stephen’s going to land us in shit, particularly, you.’
The police came a few hours later and questioned them, that’s when Sylvie knew Stephen meant business but she wasn’t surprised. Her Thursday was turning into a disaster and then she realised Della was nowhere to be seen before spotting a letter on her desk, advising of her resignation with immediate effect.
‘Fuck!’ Sylvie said, rubbing her face before shaking her head from side to side, whilst Rosalind sat in the office. ‘I kicked the fucker when he was on the floor. He didn’t report me but made an accusation about Toby.’
‘And a good job you both did, slapping that shitty man down.’
‘It’s Toby’s birthday on Monday and this is the last thing he needs,’ Sylvie said gently before seeing the man in question answering his phone and turning white.
He got up, walked out of the room and into her office.
‘Sorry,’ he said quietly. ‘Dad wants to speak to you.’
‘Fuck!’ Sylvie said before glancing at Rosalind for a moment.
‘I’ll deal with this,’ Rosalind said, standing up, taking the phone.
Sylvie sat there and glanced at Toby, whose expression said it all.
Stephen must have called Piers and told him what happened.
‘Fuck,’ Sylvie said, putting her head in her hands. ‘Fuck!’
Fifty
‘Are you sure it’s okay for me to go?’ he asked as Juliette lay naked on the bed, her body now reduced to its normal slim state.
Finlay looked at her and wondered if she had ever been pregnant. On Sylvie’s body you could see marks of her child but with Juliette, it’s as if nothing had happened.
Again, he gulped about thinking of Sylvie when he least expected to.
They’d just made love and he was packing his case to fly to Toby’s party that night. Finlay was having trouble tracking any of his family down and put it down to the fact they were celebrating his brother’s thirtieth.
Finlay looked over his shoulder and glanced at his wife, noticing her subdued expression before forcing a smile. He frowned knowing she’d done a lot of that recently. Their child was now four weeks old and he realised he didn’t feel the way he thought he should about Juliette.
He could easily be physical with her but his mind would race back to Sylvie, even though making love to the pair of women was so different. Again, he glanced over his shoulder and saw Juliette staring out to space then she saw him and smiled.
It hit him.
It was the same smile Sylvie would use to mask her pain.
Sitting down, he stared at Juliette for a moment as she looked quizzically back at him.
‘What’s wrong?’ she asked, getting up and putting on her dressing gown. ‘Why are you looking at me like that?’
‘Can we talk for a minute?’ he asked, knowing the nanny, one of two, was with his son taking him for a stroll in the park.
‘What about?’
‘Things.’
Finlay walked out of the bedroom and looked out onto the view. He wasn’t feeling the same as he had done. Something was wrong but he knew what it was, just he didn’t know what to do about it. His wife, on the other hand, was being wonderful and kind which bugged him.
‘What do you want to talk about?’ she said, walking past him and sitting in a chair on the balcony as he waivered by the door.
‘Are you happy?’ he asked, seeing her smile with a confused expression. ‘Is this what you want?’
‘Finlay, as I said, we will move when I feel I can-.’
‘I’ve been back six weeks, we have a month old baby and one of the agreements was that we would move to London. I intend to find us a house. I told you. I want my son to be brought up in England.’
‘Why the rush? He’s only a baby!’ Juliette seemed cross as she flicked him a glance. ‘And the business? What about the business here?’
‘You know, as well as I do, my mother has a team of accountants looking into how the money could have gone missing. We need to trace where it’s gone.’ Finlay noticed his wife’s steely glare as she looked at the sea. ‘And it seems the accountant for ‘Le Font’ has no idea.’
‘You think it’s me!’ she shouted, standing up. ‘You think I tricked you?’
‘It wouldn’t be for the first time, would it?’
He’d said it out loud, what he thought, and now could see she had waited for him to say something.
‘I’m not apologising. You started the divorce proceedings!’
‘You were fucking a man on that couch, over there,’ he said, pointing to it. ‘Telling him he was your best lover and how much you loved him. You think any man in their right mind would have wanted to stay married?’
‘And you? You didn’t do anything?’ she asked as he swallowed hard. ‘I don’t think for one moment you didn’t make the most of it and screwed someone else!’
‘I was never unfaithful to you, never! You’re the one that had an affair with a married father, you’re the one who kept it going for months and you’re the one who’s fucking up the company!’ he snapped.
‘But did you sleep with someone else when you left me?’ she asked quietly and he noticed a flicker in her eyes, as if she knew.
‘Yes I did,’ he said, sitting on the chair opposite to where she was standing.
‘Well we’re evens!’ Juliette laughed out loudly and sat back down.
‘Are you in love with him and he didn’t want to know? He preferred to stay with his wife and kids?’
Knowing to turn it on her would deflect from how he’d felt about someone else.
Juliette’s face was a picture as it drained of colour. He noticed her pain as she then smiled. He recognised the same expression that Sylvie would have.
‘I don’t want to fight but I’d rather be in a relationship that’s real, that has a future,’ he said, realising the true depth of the problem. ‘The thing is Juliette, we have a beautiful baby son and I wanted this to work, I really did.’
‘What are you saying?’ she asked quietly and now he noticed fear. ‘You’re getting this all wrong.’
‘You don’t love me, you need me, maybe for security or to hold face,’ Finlay said quietly. ‘And you’re in love with another man who’s broken your heart. Shit, why didn’t I see it all those weeks ago?’
‘You’re not thinking straight! It’s lack of sleep and-.’
‘It’s not the same, something’s wrong between us.’
‘I want to make this work, I really want us to get on track you know I do.’
‘But,’ he hesitated for a moment then realised he’d have to say the first thing that came into his head. ‘I’m not sure if I really want to.’
The relief of walking back into his flat in West Hampstead was immense. He’d felt stifled in France and was eager to get away.
Then he saw it.
The invitation to his school fundraising ball and thought of Sylvie, her pain the last time he saw her. He closed his eyes for a moment and knew he was going to cry. She’d kept her promise and there’d been no contact from her, though he got all the figures about the business from Piers. Toby never mentioned her name and he was too scared to ask him openly how she was.
There was a small hope she’d be at Toby’s birthday party.
That was his real reason for flying
in, knowing it was a long shot.
His yearning to see Sylvie again.
He got changed then fixed a scotch before sitting on his sofa. All he could think about was her, if she still loved him. Part of Finlay would understand if her feelings had changed, mainly because he went back to his wife and now, child. The other part wouldn’t accept it but he was at a loss on what he could do, what he really wanted to do.
‘Sylvie,’ he groaned. ‘Help me!’
To his absolute delight, nearly everyone from ‘Good Vibration’ was at the party, being held in a local bar the family knew. The only people who were missing were Della, Stephen… and Sylvie.
‘Bro!’ Toby shouted when he spotted him and smiled at the beautiful face coming closer. ‘You made it!’
‘Not every day my little brother turns thirty! I’ve got a present for you back at the flat. I’ll hand it over tomorrow,’ he said loudly, nearly being drowned out by the music. ‘Where are the old ones?’
‘There’s a section for the mentally infirmed around the corner!’ Toby laughed before dancing, which meant he was well on the way to getting pissed. ‘You better go and say ‘hello’ and… like don’t listen to the gossips, okay?’
‘Okay?’ he replied, not sure what he was talking about.
After getting a drink, he walked through the people, many of which he knew, then towards the quieter section at the back. Immediately he spotted his mother talking to Rosalind and Piers.
‘Finlay!’ he heard Samina shout. He turned to see her dressed in a garish pink suit with a purple trim. ‘You come back to England!’
‘Yes,’ he said and his mind immediately went to Sylvie. ‘You look amazing!’
‘And you father! Son! Very good,’ she said, giving him a big hug and slapping his shoulder. ‘Here! Here! Hope he not boy girl like mine.’
‘And how are you?’
‘Son daughter getting married on long day on June 21st. I not know if he want to wear sari or suit. Too much of this modern thing. We doing well in business. Everyone well! Except…’ Samina grinned for a moment. ‘We too busy.’
‘That’s good and everyone’s here?’ Finlay tried to hide what he was really asking as she shook her head from side to side. ‘Who’s missing?’
‘Stephen and Della, well there problem and they not work for company and-.’
‘Pardon me?’ he asked, seeing her innocent expression. ‘What happened?’
‘It Toby party. Have to party to find husband number five!’ she said and walked off as he watched her head towards Marianne and Pria, who waved before they all huddled together.
‘What the fuck’s going on?’ he mumbled before seeing Piers beckon him over.
‘How long are you staying for?’ his stepfather asked as Rosalind grabbed him and kissed both his cheeks. Then he noticed his mother’s peeved expression. ‘We might have tell you about something that-.’
‘We’re perfectly fine and Finlay doesn’t need to get involved,’ interrupted Rosalind. ‘How’s the darling baby. James! What a fine name! Shall we call him Jamie?’
‘I wanted to name your brother Bert,’ mumbled Piers. ‘Maybe Burke would have been more appropriate.’
‘Don’t you dare say that about my son!’ Alice snapped as Finlay noticed Rosalind smirk. ‘It’s your fault! You should have pulled him out. And we don’t know what happened as no one is saying anything.’
‘Please can someone tell me what you’re talking about?’ asked Finlay looking at all them.
‘I was there, I told you everything,’ sniffed Rosalind.
‘But not everyone’s talking,’ added Piers and flashed Finlay a sly glance. ‘Or they’re far too busy to speak.’
‘Seriously, what’s going on?’ Finlay asked once again and noticed all three strained faces.
‘Your brother might be arrested for GBH,’ Alice said furiously. ‘It’s a mess!’
‘It’s not a mess,’ replied Rosalind. ‘I’m a part qualified accountant and the others can cover plus it’s all for the best. Look, its Toby’s party so let’s enjoy. Talk business after the weekend!’
She then darted off at top speed to speak to her work colleagues as Alice frowned and Piers looked pensive.
‘Who did Toby hit?’ Finlay asked Piers, moving closer and seeing his mother do her little chant, to calm herself down.
‘Stephen Seas.’
Finlay burst out laughing.
‘He walked out saying he’ll only come back if he gets an apology. The people concerned, including your brother, are refusing. Now Stephen has raised a grievance against the disciplinary so goodness knows what’s going to happen,’ sighed Piers, then let out a little laugh. ‘He aimed at your brother first then missed so Toby decided to punch him. From all accounts he did a fine job.’
‘What were they quarrelling about?’
‘This is the problem. Stephen’s saying all sorts and the four of them are saying nothing. Let’s forget about it,’ sighed Piers as Alice moved closer.
‘Four?’ Finlay asked, realised his stepfather was holding something back.
‘I’ll sort it,’ he replied, before heading towards Gillian, who was standing with her husband and Elizbieta.
‘They’re hiding something and, I swear, if my son gets arrested I will close that company down without a moment’s hesitation!’ his mother said angrily.
‘I think you need some air.’
He managed to lead her out onto the back garden patio, where others were heading to get away from the noise and heat. The night was mild as he breathed in the smell of London before smiling, realising how much he’d missed it.
‘How’s Juliette?’ she asked, sitting down at a corner table as he pulled up a chair. ‘And baby James?’
‘Everything’s fine,’ he lied. ‘We have nannies galore and I’m not quite sure she knows what’s happening. This whole baby thing is a shock to the system but he’s a lovely little chap.’
‘Looks like your father,’ she smiled, before stroking his face. ‘You know someone in that company of hers has filtered the money away to the point they’re in major debt.’
‘I know.’
For a moment he felt guilty, knowing his mother had been kind enough not to point the finger at him.
‘We can’t trace anything but all we know is that it’s not an affordable place to run and-.’
‘Not now. Can we leave it until next week?’ Finlay sighed.
‘We can turn it around, we can put it on track but we need someone to seriously go out there and find out what’s happening. I’m none the wiser, well that’s not true.’ His mother hesitated. ‘I refuse to cover the loss.’
‘I see.’
‘I’m not using profits from somewhere else to cover for the short fall of the smaller companies. They have to cover their own,’ she said sharply before touching his leg. ‘I’m thinking of forcing Piers’s hand to sell that sex internet shopping site so we can recoup some cash and I want to also look at selling ‘Le Font’ to a larger brand.’
‘What!’
Looking at his mother, he realised she was deadly serious as she took a sip of her drink and stared at him. Slowly he looked around and realised all the problems that would cause.
‘From now on I need you in the London office as, personally, I’ve had enough,’ she said quietly. ‘We need to do something.’
‘You mean I need to do something.’
Fifty one
It had been killing her, to know a majority of people had seen Finlay at Toby’s party. All she’d found out was that Finlay looked really well and happy. She was burying herself in work to avoid thinking about him and still, a fortnight later, her colleagues chatted about the event.
Then on Monday morning she received an email from Alice Caplin.
‘Good morning Sylvie, I realise this is short notice but could you come into the head office tomorrow at 11.00am as I would like to speak to you privately. Kind regards Alice.’
She stared at the screen for a
moment knowing the woman was up to something.
‘Alice, yes I will be there. Sylvie’
For a moment she wondered what to do then it struck her.
She wouldn’t go alone.
‘Why you want me to go?’ Samina asked as they stood outside the tube station the following morning. ‘I dress nice!’
Sylvie looked at the garish mustard yellow and blue suit with a dark red scarf set off against a very bright red lipstick. She smiled, imagining the look on Alice’s face. Quickly she straightened up her black dress and pushed her sunglasses down onto her nose.
‘She might not want you in the meeting but I’d rather have someone else with me. Alice Caplin is a tough cookie and who knows what she’s got up her sleeve.’
‘Arms,’ came the woman’s astute reply.
As they walked, Sylvie looked down and noticed Samina had a large white bag with her. For a moment she wondered what was inside then realised it would be a mistake to ask as they’d only be late. Ten minutes before their appointed time, they arrived at the swish building. Even the sight of it took Sylvie by surprise.
‘Flash,’ Samina said, turning up her nose. ‘All glass and metal and white and black. No colour! No life! Bugger to clean!’
‘You’re certainly going to stand out, aren’t you then?’ she laughed, pushing open the door, aware of not creating a smear on the glass. ‘And if she doesn’t let you into the meeting then just stand outside and listen.’
‘I listen!’ she smiled as they walked to the reception desk and announced they were there. ‘I good at eaves snooping.’
Within seconds they were ushered up into the lift and went to the fourth floor to wait in a large meeting room. Both Samina and Sylvie stood, not knowing where to sit.
‘Flash,’ Samina said again, shaking her head from side to side in disgust.
From the room, she could see Alice walking down the corridor and she wasn’t alone. Sylvie recognised the lawyer she had to deal with when her mother in law was making her life a misery and suddenly her stomach was in knots.
