‘So what happened when his wife turned up?’ asked Sarah.
‘She burst into the room, pushed past Charlie and when she saw me, turned to him and said, ‘‘I knew it. I knew you’d been up to your old tricks – shagging about again.’’
‘What did you do?’ asked Christopher.
‘Well, to start with I couldn’t do anything. I just froze. It was like time had stopped. I physically couldn’t move. I couldn’t believe what was happening. And then I turned to Charlie and said, “You’re not divorced?” He couldn’t even look me in the eye and then his wife shouted at him again, “Oh is that what you told her?” Then she turned back to me and said, “Cover yourself up, for God’s sake.” So I did, whilst she yelled at him that she had suspected him cheating again for some time, so today when he left, she followed him. She wanted to catch him in the act. Then I left them to it. She was screaming blue murder. I went down to reception and the receptionist was really nice, and asked me if I needed a taxi.’ Gill paused and then said, ‘Charlie didn’t even say anything to me before I left.’
‘What a complete bastard!’ said Sarah.
‘If I get my hands on him,’ Christopher was shaking with anger.
‘Are you all right, though?’ Sarah asked, ‘You know…’
‘We didn’t, if that’s what you’re asking, but we very nearly did.’
The tea and talking about it helped, and Gill soon calmed down. She had sobered up very quickly. Not long after, she went to bed in the spare room and slept a fitful sleep, dreaming of men who were forever letting her down.
Sunday 6th October
Next morning, things seemed a bit brighter. After a hot shower and a loan of some clothes from Sarah, Gill tried to put things in perspective. But she’d made one key decision. First thing, she e-mailed Caroline Morgan and told her she didn’t want her to send her any more dates and could she cancel her subscription please? She gave her no further details, although she hesitated over whether to tell her that Charlie was married. Eventually she decided his wife had probably put him off the idea of cheating, at least for the moment.
With the dawn of a new day, Gill felt better. Her little nephews squealed with delight when their parents told them Aunt Gill had come for a sleepover. They bounded into her room, jumped on her bed, and relayed to her the exploits of their favourite wrestlers – their main topic of conversation. It warmed her heart to see how excited they were to see her. At least their devotion was real. Pity she couldn’t invoke that in a man. She ruminated on the fact that the only men she could depend on in her life were her father, her brother and two under-sevens.
Gill spent a lovely day with her nephews and it did her good. When lunch was served around three, they all piled into the kitchen laughing and exhausted. After a quick wash, they sat down and tucked into the Sunday roast which Sarah had prepared. She had even made dessert from scratch, to cheer Gill up.
‘You’re welcome to stay here tonight again if you want,’ Christopher said.
‘Thanks, but I need to get back. I have things to organise for work tomorrow.’ She also didn’t want to invade their home any more than she needed to. Plus her nephews had been just the tonic she needed. She felt miles better already.
Gill had texted Debbie and asked her if she would mind convening an emergency girls’ meeting on Monday night. She needed to talk with her friends, figure out what she was doing wrong where men were concerned. The agency had been her last hope – more like loss of hope.
Back home, Gill checked her phone, just in case Chancer Charlie had deigned to get in touch, but nothing. What was it with men treating her badly and then never getting in contact? Maybe she would have been better off with someone like Gary, someone who didn’t set her pulse racing, but who was dependable, even if a little misguided sometimes.
Chapter Forty-Two
Monday 10th October
Mercifully Gill’s day had flown by – a busy one, but busy in a good way, two more new clients won, and Amanda was really beginning to settle in.
By six thirty, Gill was already in Chez Molinières waiting for the girls. Brett, the Aussie barman smiled at her, as he served her the mojito she’d asked for.
See? Not all men are bastards, thought Gill.
Angela arrived first, hugged Gill, and gave her a sympathetic smile. Some of what had occurred between Gill and Charlie had obviously already made it through the grapevine.
Shortly afterwards, the other two arrived. They ordered dinner and then the girls sat back to listen to Gill’s tale of woe.
When Gill finished, the girls, as one, stared at her dumbstruck. For the first time in Gill’s memory, she witnessed Lisa speechless.
‘What a complete bastard!’ said Angela, saying what everyone else was thinking.
Lisa finally broke her silence by saying, ‘It sounds like something that would happen in a film.’
Gill shrugged, ‘No, that’s just my life.’
‘Poor you. Have you heard from him since?’ Debbie asked.
‘Nope, but then I didn’t really expect to. What was he going to say? “I’m sorry my wife caught me about to shag you.”
The girls murmured their agreement. Then Lisa, typical glass half-full girl, lifted everyone’s spirits, ‘Fuck him. He doesn’t deserve you. So, how are you getting on with Barcelona Man? What was his name again?’
‘Liam. Fine. I’m seeing him on Wednesday.’
‘So where are you off to this time?’ Angela asked.
‘He’s going to cook for me.’
‘Impressive,’ Debbie said, and Lisa nodded her approval.
‘Well, I haven’t tasted it yet, mind,’ Gill laughed, ‘but it’s a nice gesture.’
‘Do you know what he’s making?’ Lisa asked.
‘No, it’s a surprise.’
‘Oh, you like surprises,’ Debbie said.
‘Actually, I’m kind of going off them, given how my last few have turned out.’
The other three fell silent at this then Debbie chirped up, ‘I’m sure that’s not going to happen this time. I have a good feeling about this guy.’
‘I had a good feeling about the others, too,’ groaned Gill.
By the time the girls went their separate ways a few hours later, and a little before the staff turfed them out, Gill felt considerably better.
As she sat in the taxi, Gill hummed an Abba song which she had heard as they left the restaurant. Surely that was a good omen.
Tuesday 8th October
Since dinner was at Liam’s house, Gill didn’t want to be too overdressed. In the end, she wore a long rose coloured skirt, a white open necked blouse, and minimal jewellery; just a watch and a necklet with a glass rose. She’d picked up a bottle of wine and a cheese selection, on the way home. She was more nervous than she had expected. Perhaps because everything had gone so wrong on her dates recently, but her stomach was in knots.
So they could both relax and have a drink together, Gill opted to take a taxi.
At seven thirty exactly, Gill arrived at Liam’s flat in Maryhill. She pressed the buzzer and tried to shield herself from the driving rain as she waited. Liam answered the intercom with a cheery, ‘Come on up.’ Gill ascended the two flights of stairs, noting with surprise that the inside of the close was carpeted with a rich, red weave. Plants adorned either side of the staircase and the walls were tiled in a cobalt blue and white, Spanish mosaic style. Liam and his neighbours clearly liked to take care of their hallway.
When she reached the top of the second flight of stairs, Liam was leaning against the doorframe, waiting for her.
‘Hey,’ he leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek.
‘Hi. Something smells good,’ Gill said, as they walked together into the flat.
‘It’s nearly ready. Hope you’re hungry.’
Gill had to stop herself from telling him that she was always hungry.
‘These are for you,’ she handed him the two bottles of wine. ‘I wasn’t sure which you’d prefer, so I got one
of each.’
‘You shouldn’t have bothered, but thanks. Montepulciano d’Abruzzo and Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. Hmm, difficult to decide. Depends what mood I’m in. But either will go well with tonight’s meal.’
‘So what are we having?’ Gill asked, as she climbed onto the bar stool Liam offered her, so they could talk whilst he finished preparing dinner.
‘We’re having king prawn cocktail – I made the sauce myself – it’s very light, just in case you find cocktail sauce sickening. Then we’re having chicken cacciatore, or hunter’s chicken, which is the smell you picked up on when you came in.’
‘It smells lovely. I wish I could cook like that,’ said Gill. She could have kicked herself straight after she said it. She didn’t need Liam to know she was useless in the kitchen.
‘Don’t you cook, then?’
Coming clean, Gill said, ‘Well, let’s just say no one’s beating down my door to have me host my own cookery programme.’
Liam smiled, ‘I’m sure you’re not as bad as you think.’
‘Oh no, I am.’
‘Well, what can you make?’
Gill thought for a bit and then said, ‘Chicken breast wrapped in Parma ham, filled with Roulé cheese.’
‘There, that sounds good. What’s wrong with that?’
‘Glad you like it, because if you’re ever at mine, that’s what you’ll be eating, whether it’s for breakfast, lunch or dinner! I mean, obviously it wouldn’t be for breakfast. Not that you would be at mine for breakfast,’ Gill was digging herself into a deeper hole.
Liam decided to rescue her again, ‘Don’t worry, I know what you meant. Anyway, what would you like to drink? I have Chablis, White Zinfandel or Shiraz, or you can have some of the Montepulciano d’Abruzzo you brought, if you’d prefer that.’
‘Erm, I think the Chablis, since we’re having prawns to start.’
‘And may I just say, Madam, I think that’s an excellent choice,’ Liam poured them each a glass.
‘Cheers,’ he said.
They spent a wonderful evening together. The prawns were perfectly cooked and the sauce, as promised, was very light, not the usual mass-produced muck often served in restaurants. The chicken cacciatore tasted delicious, and the roast potatoes and parsnips which Liam had teamed it up with, were cooked to perfection. The honey glaze made the parsnips very moreish.
‘I’m stuffed,’ said Gill, groaning slightly. ‘Your chicken cacciatore was so good I couldn’t leave any of it.’
‘Now that’s a good sign. Do you think you can roll yourself through to the living room and we can have a little break before our cheese course?’
‘Yes, I think I can just about manage that.’
They sat facing each other on Liam’s sofa, reclined at opposite ends, with their bare feet tucked up under them, as they got to know each other a bit better. With Liam, Gill didn’t feel under any pressure. She liked him and he liked her, but she didn’t feel as if he was waiting for an opportunity to pounce on her. They were just taking things nice and slow, exactly what she needed.
After an hour or so of enjoyable conversation and playing around with Liam’s iPod, choosing different tracks they both enjoyed, and discussing genres of music and when were the best eras, Liam said, ‘Coffee? Biscuits and cheese?’
‘I’m still full, but I could manage a coffee.’
‘Well, if I brought the biscuits and cheese through for me, and you chose to nibble one or two, would that be OK?’
Gill laughed, ‘Yes, I suppose. C’mon. I’ll help you,’ and they both returned to the kitchen where Liam prepared the coffee and looked out a cheeseboard and cheese knives.
‘That’s a really nice selection: lovely ripe, smelly brie, Wensleydale – I always have to say that in a Wallace voice, I can’t help it – creamy Stilton and Jarlsberg. I love them all,’ Liam said.
‘Me too. Here, let me,’ and Gill took the tray containing the cheese board, knives, butter and grapes – he was going all out – and carried it through to the living room, leaving Liam to bring the coffee.
‘I can’t believe you have a real coffee pot. I don’t know anyone who has one, not even my parents, but I love it.’
‘Yes, it’s sterling silver. It was my parents’. It’s very decadent, I know, but I love it. On a Sunday, I get the papers, make myself some real coffee, and have it through here. That’s my chill out thing. Or sometimes I’ll sit at the dining table in the kitchen and spread the papers out there.’
‘Sounds relaxing.’
‘It is. So what do you get up to at the weekends?’
Gill paused for a second, ‘Well, apart from a regular lunch date with my brother and his family on Sunday afternoons, whatever, really. Out with friends, chilling out at home or unfortunately doing housework, as the weekend’s the only time I get to do it.’
‘I know what you mean, but I’m lucky. I have a woman who comes in for three hours a week and does the majority for me. She even irons my shirts, which is great.’
‘Yes, I keep meaning to try to arrange something, but then I tell myself, it’s only me. Surely I should be able to keep it tidy? Sorry,’ Gill broke off, realising that she might have just made out Liam was lazy and incompetent, ‘I just meant…’
‘It’s OK. No offence taken.’
Gill did eventually succumb to eating one or two crackers and cheese, for which she blamed Liam entirely. They were sitting on the floor, sifting through his DVD collection. Liam poured more coffee into Gill’s cup. As he did so, his hand grazed hers. With a jolt, Gill looked at him. That was the moment. She knew he was going to kiss her and she wanted him to. They’d had a lovely evening. When he cradled her face in his hands, and his lips met hers, Gill responded and opened herself up to the kiss, which lasted an incredibly long time.
‘I can’t believe I’ve managed to hold back all night without doing that,’ laughed Liam.
‘I know. It’s ridiculous. I was beginning to wonder if something was wrong with me,’ Gill joked and put her hands on her hips in a mock-indignant stance – rather difficult since she was sitting down.
‘No, there’s absolutely,’ Liam kissed her neck, ‘nothing,’ then her collar bone, ‘wrong with you,’ his lips returned to hers, and they kissed and they kissed some more.
He really is a very good kisser, thought Gill. It hadn’t set her on fire, as it had with Charlie and Anton. It was different, but very good. Interestingly, she didn’t want to sleep with him – not yet. She knew she shouldn’t sleep with him. Something intrinsic made her want to spend as much time as possible simply kissing this man, without going any further. Kissing is very under-rated.
An hour later, Gill left in a taxi, with a permanent smile fixed on her face.
As Liam watched her get safely into the taxi, he congratulated himself on an excellent evening. The meal had gone down well and the wine had flowed, although he noticed Gill stopped him topping up her glass a few times. The pièce de resistance had to be kissing Gill. Her lips were the softest he’d ever kissed, full and with only a hint of lipstick. There was an air of vulnerability about her. An occasional comment or change of subject had made him notice she was holding back about certain things. It seemed obvious to Liam that someone had hurt her, perhaps fairly recently. He didn’t want to be her rebound guy, but what he did know was that he wanted Gill McFadden in his life. He was a patient man and good people were hard to find, he’d discovered. Gill was a good person. He had an instinct about these things and he wasn’t going to let her go.
Chapter Forty-Three
October
Leaves fell hard and fast from the trees, as autumn took hold. The weather, wild and relentless, buffeted Gill around as she waited for a bus into town. She was meeting Liam at the cinema. They were off to see a thriller – a mutual choice. It had been two weeks since the meal at his flat, and they had been out a further four times.
She still hadn’t slept with him and although they had fooled around with each other, they were
in no hurry. It was freeing to not be constantly thinking about how to juggle her various dates, but know that she had someone who liked her, a lot, who she could spend time with as part of a couple. They had no set routine, rather they just arranged at the end of each date when they would see each other again; it was rarely more than a few days. Gill had stifled a laugh when Liam had suggested ten pin bowling. Not about to enlighten him with regard to Sean, she agreed. This time, however, she made sure she wore jeans and stayed well back from the line.
One night, Gill had joined Liam for coffee in town, where he had been meeting some friends earlier in the day. A few had hung around, apparently because they had lost track of time. But, as Liam told her, they were vetting her suitability. She liked that his friends looked out for him.
Liam had been to her house for dinner. She had bought posh ready meals and champagne, and made a real effort with the table, the lighting – candles of course – and the mood music. Since she couldn’t cook, she’d wanted to add a sense of occasion with the drinks, hence the bubbly. They’d also gone for Thai food to a restaurant in Argyle St, which was new to Gill. It didn’t quite match up to Fountain of Siam, but it was decent. Plus, it lacked the melodrama of her last visit to a Thai restaurant.
Gill rounded the corner to the cinema and saw Liam lounging against the pillar waiting for her.
‘Hi,’ he kissed her full on the mouth. ‘Missed you.’
‘I missed you, too,’ Gill gave him a full-beam smile. ‘Got the tickets?’
‘Yep,’ Liam patted his pocket. ‘Let’s go and get some nachos.’
The film was pretty good, although a couple of times, Gill hid her face at a scary part, whilst Liam laughed at her and cuddled into her. ‘You’ve nothing to be afraid of. I’m here.’
‘I know it’s just a film,’ she said, ‘but it seems so real. You could imagine that happening.’
Liam clasped her hand in his and they watched the rest of the film, Gill occasionally resting her head on his shoulder.
‘So what do you want to do? It’s still relatively early. We could go for a drink or a snack, if you like?’
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