by Nigel May
‘We’ve all worn next to nothing in our time,’ said Nova, trying to work out just which designer name was behind the bikini. If they made one a little larger she would be featuring that in the next season of Super Nova. ‘And you have nothing to worry about with Charlie, my dear, he worships you and rightly so.’
‘And I him,’ sighed Georgia. Maybe the wedding that Nova longed for wouldn’t be that far into the future. Charlie had only been gone for about thirty-six hours but already she was missing her fiancé like crazy. Her longing for him grew stronger every time they were apart.
‘Right then, darling girl, shall I order the car to pick us up? This early morning TV stuff has given me a hunger. How about breakfast at The Dorchester?’ mused Nova. ‘We need to discuss that dreadful Tanya woman shacking up with Aaron Rose. He may be hugely attractive but I am regretting using him for my photo shoot now that I find out that he’s taken her from your poor father. Families, eh? Mind you, he did look divine.’
The idea pleased Georgia. Not the thought of Aaron’s perfect body, and certainly not the thought of her father’s wife – she still hadn’t told Nova about the revelations about Tanya’s past, maybe over eggs at The Dorchester would be the ideal opportunity.
They were just leaving the green room when Georgia’s phone pinged, signaling an incoming email. ‘I’ll just check that, it could be work and if it is then I might as well deal with it while I’m in the building,’ said Georgia.
It wasn’t work. It was from her father, Devon. ‘Georgia, the maid just turned up and showed me this. It’s on some celebrity website today. Her daughter saw it and thought I should know. I trust you’ve seen it. What the hell ...? Does nobody have any morals these days? Love Dad.’
‘What are you on about, Dad?’ she mused to herself. As she scrolled down the email she realised what he was talking about. As she saw it, her legs turned to jelly and she fell weakly to the green room floor, as if she had been punched in the stomach. The action caused Nova to scream and the other guests in the green room, a Real Housewife Of Cheshire and a glamour model turned bodybuilder to come running to her aid.
‘Oh my goodness, Georgia, are you okay?’ squealed Nova, not sure what to do. With the help of the other two guests they lifted a silent Georgia to the green room sofa. ‘What is it, what’s the matter?’
Without saying a word, Georgia showed the phone to Nova. The picture on the screen was instantly recognisable as the pool they’d just been watching on the television minutes before, except it was a nighttime shot. At the centre of the shot, clearly visible in the moonlight and in the glow of the bulbs around the pool were Charlie and Victoria. Her hand was behind his head, pulling him close as their lips touched.
Underneath the photo was the caption ‘CHEEKY CHARLIE WILL BE HEADING FOR STORMY WEATHER WITH GIRLFRIEND GEORGIA.’
Nova’s scowl as she surveyed the photo was dark enough to equal the heaviest of rainclouds.
‘We’ve leaving now, Georgia, come on,’ she barked, aware of prying eyes and flapping ears within the room. ‘And I suggest you get that son of mine on the phone right now, don’t you?’
Sixty-Six
Scott made a fourth attempt at trying to tie his bow tie using the smallest of mirrors balanced on his office desk.
‘Shit, why can’t I get this fucking thing to tie properly?’ he asked his reflection. ‘Where is Victoria when I need her?’
She had always been the one who secured his tie neatly into place when they had an important function to go to. She was always the one who had done a lot of things for him over the course of their marriage. Only she could manage to make his flyaway curls sit right on his head, only she could charm the stuffy suits he needed to schmooze so that they were financial putty in his hands, only she would belly laugh at his sometimes rather puerile jokes. Only Victoria.
But she wasn’t there. He’d not seen her since her admittance into The Abbey over a week ago. And if he carried on with the divorce proceedings then he wouldn’t be seeing a lot of her at all, especially if his request for full custody of Lexi and Leo was granted. She’d be all but out of their lives. And even though her behaviour lately had been nigh on life-threatening to the children with her wild rants and blank space moments, he had to admit that the simple fact that he was unable to see her and have her in his life had made him long for the normality they had once shared.
Scott stared down at the professional family portrait on his office desk and cast his mind back to the day it was taken. When was it? Two years ago, maybe three? They had all been so happy. Lexi had insisted on combing her mother’s hair into place a hundred times before the photographer had been allowed to even snap the first frame. His daughter had also insisted on wearing a puffy, bright red, frilled dress for the photo, despite her mum wanting her to wear something ‘a little less Gypsy Wedding’ but Lexi loved it and beamed with delight in the photo. Leo too looked a picture of happiness as he smiled out from the photograph, his ruddy cheeks, butterscotch blonde hair and gap-toothed grin a winning combination. Scott smiled as he remembered how proud Leo had been that one of his front teeth had been knocked out when he’d fallen off his tricycle the day before the shoot. Victoria had been horribly upset, but Leo loved it, showing off his ejected gnasher to all of his friends.
Scott felt his eyes mist over as he looked at how beautiful and proud his wife was in the grouping. She really was the glue that held them together. When had that glue lost its hold? How could he have let such a wonderful unit of strength and love fall apart so easily? When had he started to take it all for granted and let it slip away? And let Victoria slip away from him?
The last week had been a tortuous one for Scott, unable to see his wife. There were so many things he needed to say to her. Evie had read him the riot act over the phone and he had to admit that for the first time in a long while the words had actually hit home as intended. His dalliance with Chloe may have been a satisfactory one between the sheets but even he knew that there was no depth or longevity to it. He didn’t love her. He’d never given her any indication otherwise. He liked fucking her that was for sure, but was his marriage and the break-up of the family worth risking for the minutes of satisfaction he would achieve from emptying his seed into the hired help?
The rage he’d seen in Victoria had shocked him but he was able to understand a bit more about the reasons for it now that he knew his wife was addicted to the painkillers on top of anti-depressants. Painkillers that were supplied to her illegally by the woman he’d been having an affair with. A stupid, silly, idiotic, pathetic affair. That’s all it was.
Scott had confronted Chloe about the pills. She had cried and admitted that she had been blackmailed into supplying them by Victoria. It was them or lose her job. Scott could understand why she had done what she had, but he didn’t like it. A part of him blamed Chloe for aiding his wife’s erratic behaviour. If she had said no, not offered in the first place, then maybe things wouldn’t have become so out of control and snowballed to their current state. Hindsight was always such a wonderful thing.
So why was Scott taking Chloe to Evie Merchant’s black-tie charity bash that evening? Victoria would be there. It would be her first outing since her admittance to The Abbey. Not that he’d been told that, but he knew his wife well enough to know that she would not want to let Evie down if it was at all possible. And seeing as his wife’s photograph had been plastered over several newspapers over the last week in a clinch with her supposed new beau, Charlie Cooper, her appearance would doubtless fill a few column inches which would help keep the ongoing disappearance of Mitzi Bidgood in the public eye. Scott could feel his heckles rise at the thought of Charlie. He didn’t even know him and he disliked him. There was nothing like a serving of masculine competition to make you realise what you’d been missing.
Scott gave up on his fifth attempt to fix his bow tie and let it dangle around his neck. Chloe would have to tie it for him when he arrived at the event. He’d told her he’d meet her
there as he needed to finish some work at the office. It felt wrong taking Chloe, but if he was to believe the papers that Victoria and Charlie were indeed wrapped up in each other, then he was buggered if he was turning up without a woman on his arm. Now that would be stupid, silly, idiotic and pathetic. Even if he was rapidly realising that Chloe was not the woman he’d really like to be there with.
Scott ran his hand through his mass of curls on his head and gave one last check in the mirror before leaving the office. ‘Shit, even my hair doesn’t look right without Victoria,’ he tutted as he closed his office door behind him.
Charlie and Jacob stood alongside each other at the double sink in one of the huge bathrooms at the Kensington mansion Jacob shared with Nova in London. They too were making unnecessary last minute touches to their outfits before heading off to Evie’s event. The two men had been ready for the best part of an hour already but seeing as Nova and Georgia were still busy mid lipstick, powder and paint in one of the mansion bedrooms with Nova’s personal make-up artist, the men were trying to fill their time by slight repositioning of pocket handkerchiefs and yet another spritz of cologne.
‘Christ knows what time Nova will be ready,’ joked Jacob as he wet his fingers and ran them along his eyebrows in the mirror. ‘But she has insisted that the make-up has to be spot-on tonight for this event. It is the reason we’re here after all, and doubtless she’ll be working those paparazzi like a playful kitten with a ball of wool. Your mother is a very skilled woman, Charlie, and one not to be messed with.’
‘Tell me about it, Jacob, I thought she was going to tear my head off when I flew back from Gran Canaria. That was not a kitten with a ball of wool; that was a rampaging lioness with the most weakened of antelopes. I’ve never seen such disappointment in her eyes. Thank Christ it wasn’t true.’
‘You wouldn’t be the first man to stray into the arms of another woman, Charlie. In LA infidelity is a badge dished out at summer camp. It’s what most people expect, sad though I am to admit it,’ laughed Jacob. ‘So Nova gave it to you with both barrels, then?’
‘And rightly so, given what she saw in that photo of Victoria and me. I can’t believe the sodding camera guy I was working with took it on his phone and then sold it to his mate on some website. Stupid prick. People will do anything for a fast buck. The photo did look pretty incriminating, but I flirt for a living. I can’t help it. Both Mum and more importantly, Georgia, have my word that an innocent kiss was all it was. At least from me anyway. I’ve told Georgia the whole story about what’s been going on with Victoria and her husband and how things have been spiralling out of control for her and how she simply misread my friendship for something else. Victoria was mortified. I am sure she’ll be even more so now that photos have been plastered across websites and papers. It’s hardly going to help her divorce, is it?’
‘If it turns nasty in court you could be dragged into it all, Charlie. Hubby shagging the nanny, her kissing famous TV man in some sun-soaked destination. It’s all very Revenge isn’t it?’
‘That won’t happen. I know the truth, as does Victoria and thankfully both Georgia and Mum believe me. I have too much to lose and I adore Georgia with every bone in my body. I wouldn’t jeopardise that for anything.’
‘I knew my ears were burning, especially under the weight of these rocks …’ Georgia appeared in the doorway of the bathroom, her body covered in the most gorgeous satin two-piece. The white of her top, teamed with the red of her three quarter length skirt was a flirty, hypnotic joy. The mere sight of her caused both Charlie and Jacob to open their mouths in unison.
‘Wow! You look incredible,’ said Charlie.
‘Seconded,’ piped Jacob.
‘Thirded,’ grinned Georgia, a smile coated across her face. ‘Even if I say so myself. Well, I was thinking, I do have the pages of every newspaper in the land to appear in, with my delicious boyfriend at my side, just to prove all of those silly rumours wrong, don’t I? So, a satin two-piece from Sachin & Babi, a top Hollywood make-up and enough bling on my ears to tempt every ex-crim on the Costa Del Crime to come out of retirement seemed to be the best combination. Plus I have the ultimate accessory in you in that dinner jacket, Charlie Cooper. You look seriously sexy.’
Georgia walked across the bathroom floor in her heels and planted a kiss firmly on Charlie’s lips. ‘You are mine, all mine. All night long. For a lifetime … despite what the papers may think.’
‘Okay, too much information, feeling a little bit awkward standing here,’ joked Jacob. ‘I think I may need to find my accessory. Is she ready yet?’
Georgia let out a laugh.
‘Well, let’s just say that she may be a little longer. When I left her she was just contemplating a third attempt at her make-up. Apparently tonight is all important for Nova and she was wasn’t quite satisfied with the first two attempts, so she’s asking, or rather forcing the make-up lady to start again. I’m not sure what’s redder right now, Nova’s lipstick or the poor girl’s angry face. I’d give her another thirty minutes … at least.’
‘What Nova wants, Nova gets,’ said Jacob. ‘Thank God I love that woman. As long as she’s happy at the end of it, then we’ll wait as long as it takes. Now, I’ll go and pour some fizz for us all.’
Charlie smiled as Jacob left the bathroom. He pulled Georgia close to him.
‘We’re happy, aren’t we? I couldn’t imagine a life without you.’
‘Me neither,’ said Georgia, her voice soft and layered with joy. ‘Despite that bloody photograph. I can’t believe your flaming camera guy stitching you up like that. And as for that woman … I am trying to understand, but it will be hard to see her face to face if she’s there tonight.’ The joy in her voice was replaced by dislike.
Charlie glossed over the mention of Victoria and returned to the subject of the disloyal colleague. ‘His loss in the end. Now, talking of stitches, how does this little satin number come off? We could have a little fun if my mother is still not going to be ready for another thirty minutes.’ Charlie looped his hand around Georgia’s back and reached for the satin skirt’s zip. His hand was flicked away by a smiling Georgia.
‘Woah, handsome. At ease. This skirt is going nowhere. And you are not messing up this make-up for any kind of deep, depraved pleasure, despite how appetising that might be. I think the make-up lady redoing one person from scratch is enough for her, don’t you, poor woman?’
Charlie could feel his erection pressing urgently against the inside of his trousers. He didn’t subside as Georgia led him from the bathroom by his bow tie.
‘Now, let’s grab that fizz,’ grinned Georgia. ‘And that …’ she said, spotting his erection through his trousers, ‘can come see me at the end of the night when we make sure every paper and mag in the land has a photo of you and me for the morning. In Heat first, on heat later.’
Aaron pushed his middle finger down behind the winged collar of his shirt and the bow tie nestled there and pulled it away from his neck in an attempt to breathe. He felt awkward. Suits were not his thing and bow ties certainly weren’t. He was more of an open-necked polo shirt kind of guy so having to dress up like some kind of posh office Johnny was not sitting easy with him.
‘This bloody thing is too tight. It’s strangling me.’
‘Then loosen it off a hole or two,’ remarked Tanya, watching Aaron’s reflection in the mirror as he became increasingly exasperated by his neckwear.
‘How do these things even work? You’re lucky I didn’t buy a clip-on for tonight. At least I can pop that on and off with ease.’
Aaron yanked at the tie, unhooking it on one side. He sighed through gritted teeth as he did so, happy that his thick neck could relax a little and feel less choked.
Tanya couldn’t help but stare. What a difference between the man stood before her and the man she was married to. Two opposite ends of the style ballroom and as she stared at Aaron, despite his deep, masculine, sexual appearance, she couldn’t help but find her mind w
altzing to the other end of the imaginary dance floor and wondering what Devon was doing right at that moment.
As it happened, Devon was thinking of her too as he stared into their bedroom mirror. He had just finished expertly fixing his bow tie into place. It was one of those things that every man should have. Especially in this day and age where bow ties seemed to be popping up everywhere. He’d turned on the TV the other day and seen some juvenile from a boy band wearing one. It had obviously been Tanya who had last been watching the television. She loved the music channels. Devon actually had to admit he missed the noise, not any particular song or group, just the mere presence of his wife watching some kind of loud, anarchic, beat-laden sound. It gave the house a sense of life, breathed a youthful heartbeat into what had become a pretty empty shell since she had left with Aaron.
That man. No class. Would he be there tonight? He suspected he would be. Christ, he’d be in a bow tie too, no doubt. The irony. Devon was of the school of thought that a bow tie hinted at intellectualism and technical acumen, not the ability to surf and spot a nettle at twenty paces. Bow ties were for lawyers, professors, country doctors, not grubby gardeners. Devon hated that man. He should hate his young wife for being with him, but he didn’t. She’d learn, she’d know what was best for her. He’d make her see.
Checking his reflection one final time, Devon was pleased with his innate sense of style and flair. He looked good. No-one could compete. No one.
Scott let the early evening air caress his face and the slight breeze run through his hair as he headed across the car park to his vehicle at the back of his office block. He’d drive to Evie’s event. He needed to be at work early in the morning and to be honest, he thought it would be best if he kept a clear head if both Chloe and Victoria were in the same room together. Now that the truth was out, there was a lot to discuss and countless flutes of champagne would not help the situation. He needed to be sure about what he was saying, because deep down he knew what it needed to be.
