I nodded gloomily. “How long do you have?”
“As long as it takes.” Helen shrugged. “I’m kind of between freelance contracts at the moment. Who knows, I might get another idea for a show.”
“Maybe Ivana can give you one,” I said, rolling my eyes. “You know, she’s got me looking after a trunk for her because she said she’d teach me to iron. Or, rather, hiding it for her.”
“Hiding a trunk?” Helen asked, her nose wrinkling.
“She brought it to my office. The trunk she used to have in her bedroom. You remember?”
“Yeah. But why?”
I shrugged helplessly. “I don’t know. It’s really heavy. It’s in my car. I meant to take it down to the house—I did take it. I just forgot to drop it off. You know, with Lawrence and everything.”
“Yeah, I can see how you might have had your mind on other things,” Helen said, nodding seriously.
“Then there’s Max,” I said despondently. “He’s all doped up, and this nurse, Emily, is all over him. Yesterday she even tried to stop me from seeing him, because she said he was asleep and needed his rest.”
“Bitch.” Helen shook her head. “And, what, he was wide awake waiting for you?”
“No,” I said, pulling a little face. “Actually he was asleep. And really tired. But still.”
“Still,” Helen agreed. “Okay, so let me recap briefly. We have a possessive nurse, an unfaithful mother, and an injured husband. Oh, and Ivana’s trunk. Anything else?”
I smiled involuntarily. This was why I loved Helen; she made the terrible seem funny, made everything feel slightly less serious. “Well, there’s Eric Sandler,” I said, taking a gulp of coffee. “He’s interviewing me today, and I’m terrified.”
“You, terrified?” Helen asked, looking at me dubiously. “Why?”
“Because he’s horrible,” I said, cringing.
“That’s specific,” Helen said drily.
I relented. “Fine. I’m terrified because this audit is very important and I think Eric’s got it in for me. He’s the auditor from hell. He follows me around on the pretext of talking to Caroline.”
“Ooh, furtive. You’ve got to hate that.”
“Yes, exactly,” I agreed, warming to my theme. “And he’s got horrible beady eyes.”
“I hate those,” Helen said supportively.
“And a nasal voice.”
“Well, that does it.” Helen grinned. “String him up now and have the village elders throw stones at him.”
I laughed, then I sighed heavily. “Maybe I’m the one who’s been a little strung out lately.”
“A little?” Helen arched an eyebrow. “Jess, you’re a bundle of nerves. I’ve never seen you look so tired. When was the last time you had a good night’s sleep?”
I bit my lip. The truth was I couldn’t remember. Not since …
“Not since Hugh came back on the scene?” Helen suggested gently.
I grimaced. “He texted again yesterday. I mean to call him, but I don’t know what to say. ‘Hi, how much do you want? Take it! Take it all.’ My stomach flip-flops every time I think of calling him. I feel like I’m on a treadmill, Helen, and I can’t get off. And I keep hoping it’s going to slow down, but instead it’s getting faster and faster, and everything’s rushing by so fast I don’t even know what’s happening anymore.”
“So hit the button that slows it down,” Helen said, leaning forward.
“I can’t,” I said despondently. “I just can’t.”
“Yes, you can,” Helen said firmly. “Let people deal with their own problems. Your Mum and Chester are grown-ups. So is Max. Hugh isn’t, obviously, but even that isn’t as bad as you think it is. It was just a kiss, for pity’s sake.”
“I know,” I said quietly. “It’s not the kiss, though; it’s the fact that I didn’t tell Max. He’s so honorable. He would never lie about anything or let me believe something that wasn’t true. I was trying so hard to be ideal, but the fact of the matter is I’m not. Never will be. I’m just not like him. And if that changes things, then …” I looked away, not wanting to contemplate what that would mean.
Helen nodded, then looked up at me with a sly smile. “You’re sure you don’t want to let Ivana get rid of the problem for you?” she asked, then giggled.
“Why not,” I said, managing a smile. “I mean, she’d probably turn up at the office with a couple of dead bodies for me to hide at the house, but, hey, it’s just returning a favor, right?”
Helen laughed. “I’m sure she’s not as dodgy as we make her out to be.” I caught her eye, and then we were both laughing. “Okay, maybe she is,” Helen conceded. “But she means well. So, okay, tell Max the truth. Pick your time well, though. And don’t build it up into something it wasn’t. Promise?”
“Promise,” I agreed. “Thanks, Hel.”
“Don’t mention it,” she said dismissively, then grabbed my hand. “Ooh, I think there’s a guy out there checking you out. Not really your type, but still. Nice to know you’ve still got it, huh?”
“No one’s checking me out,” I said, rolling my eyes.
“Maybe he’s checking me out, then,” Helen said thoughtfully. “He’s not my type, either, but change is good, right?”
I looked at her uncertainly. “You want a change? What happened to John?”
Helen pulled a face. “We kind of called it a day,” she said.
“He was married?” I asked, concerned.
“No, he wasn’t,” Helen said with a little shrug. “And once I knew that, it all got a bit … I don’t know. Boring.”
“You’re hopeless,” I said, shaking my head. “I sometimes think you don’t want to be happy, because it’s too dull for you.”
“That’s not true. I do want to be happy, and that means feeling excited,” Helen said, her eyes twinkling. “Just not with John. Whereas this bloke, he’s got a slightly dangerous look about him. Him and his friend. You know, maybe I could go for the short-hair-and-shades look.”
“Short hair and shades?” I asked, frowning. I turned round to see who she was looking at, and immediately my heart started to thud in my chest. It was the two men I’d seen the night before, the ones who’d been in the Hummer. I was sure it was them—they had the same stocky build, the same short hair. Only in daylight they looked even scarier—they had tattoos up their arms, and one even had one on his forehead. And they were standing outside the coffee shop, talking into their mobile phones. I looked back at Helen in alarm. “Okay, this is weird,” I said worriedly.
“What is?” Helen asked, still staring at them with goofy eyes.
“Those men,” I said, covering my face with my hands. “They followed me back from the hospital last night.”
“They what?” Helen looked at me skeptically.
“They followed me. In their Hummer. They stopped right outside my building. And then I saw them at the resource center.”
“The what?”
“The—oh, just this place I went. It was definitely them.”
“Okay,” Helen said hesitantly. “So what are you saying?”
I shrugged helplessly. “I don’t know. But it’s strange, don’t you think? I mean, it’s too much to be a coincidence. What are they doing? Are they looking at me?”
Helen took out a mirror and reapplied her lipstick. “No. No cause for alarm,” she said, putting her lipstick down and smiling. “They’re not looking at you. One of them has been checking me out, though, and he’s seriously hot.”
“Helen, stop it,” I said, desperate. “Do you think they’re following me? What if it’s the audit? Do you think Eric Sandler has put a tail on me?”
Helen laughed heartily, throwing her head backward. “Oh my God, Jess, you really are losing it. You think an auditor is having two guys follow you around in a Hummer?”
I had to admit it seemed unlikely. “So why else would they be following me?” I asked defensively, taking another sneaky peak out the window. I could see only
one of them clearly, but he was definitely one of the guys from the night before.
“Maybe it is a coincidence,” she suggested. “They probably live near here.”
“Both of them? And they just happen to be outside this particular coffee shop now?”
“Oh, I don’t know,” Helen said, exasperated. “I can’t think of any good reason why anyone would be following you at all. You don’t have anything to hide, do you?”
We looked at each other for a second or two, and then we both frowned.
“Ivana?” we said in unison.
“The trunk,” I whispered. “You don’t think …?”
“No,” Helen said, shaking her head vigorously. “No. Definitely not.” She didn’t look too convinced. “Probably not, anyway. What was it she said again?”
“She asked me to hide it for her,” I said anxiously.
“That’s just her poor English,” Helen said, taking out her phone. “I’m going to call her now.” She hit a number and smiled reassuringly at me. “Ivana? Hi, it’s Helen…. Yes, really well. You? … Oh, Giorgio’s laughing? How cute!” She shot me a knowing look. “So, look, I’m with Jess, and we were wondering what was in that trunk you … Oh. Oh, right … No, no, I didn’t mean to … Okay, fine …”
She looked at me uncertainly.
“What?” I said worriedly. “What did she say?”
“She told me not to call her about it again. She said you shouldn’t have told me in the first place. And she said people might be …” She trailed off awkwardly.
“People might be what?” I demanded. “Might be what?”
“Might be listening,” she faltered.
“You think those are the people she meant?” Panicked, I moved my head backward to indicate the men outside.
“Could be,” Helen whispered.
“So what do we do?”
“You get out of here,” she said firmly. “I’ll create a diversion, and you head to the hospital. You’ll be safe there.”
“And then what?”
“Later today we’ll take the trunk down to the country and hide it somewhere. Then we’ll check out this Lawrence dude,” she said, her eyes glinting.
“Okay,” I agreed weakly, my heart thudding in my chest. “Although by ‘check out this Lawrence dude,’ I take it you actually mean eject him from the house and tell Mum to ditch him?”
“That, too,” Helen said, leaning toward me. “Right,” she whispered. “I’m going out.”
“You’re sure about this?” I asked, dubious.
“Just call me later.” Helen sounded serious. “Okay?”
“Okay,” I said gratefully. I watched as she sashayed out of the café, then dropped her bag on the street, sending all her possessions flying. Immediately, the two men dashed over to help; Helen smiled winningly, and I grabbed my bag and legged it.
Chapter 15
“HI. HI! HELLO, darling. Hi, gorgeous!” I was walking along the hospital corridor, practicing my greeting for Max. Something cheerful, not at all stressed out, something relaxed but genuine. Something that hid the fact that everything was imploding around me. Around the business he’d entrusted to me.
“Max. Hi!” I pushed open the door—and my smile froze when I saw that he wasn’t alone. “Oh, hi, Emily. How are you?” She was perched on the side of the bed. Max’s bed. They were doing the crossword together.
“Jess! Hi! You made it here early!” she said easily, her face creasing into a friendly smile.
“Yes, well, I wanted to see Max,” I said briskly.
“Oh, you shouldn’t worry about Max. We’ve been keeping each other occupied,” Emily said, grinning. “Haven’t we, Max?”
He grinned back, and I forced myself to ignore the sinking feeling in my stomach. She’s his nurse, I reminded myself sternly. He loves you. “Oh, Jess, you should’ve seen us,” he said ruefully. “We were playing truth or dare.”
“Truth or dare?” I asked uncertainly. “Really?”
“Really,” Max said, laughing. “I haven’t laughed so hard since … since … actually, I can’t remember when I laughed that hard.”
“Is that right,” I said, my voice tensing slightly. “Well, that’s nice.”
I looked at Emily meaningfully. “So, thanks, Emily. But I can probably keep Max occupied for a while. I know you must be really busy.”
Emily hopped off the bed. “Oh, okay,” she said lightly as I squeezed gingerly past her to give Max a kiss. And not just a peck on the cheek—I went for a full-on smooch on the lips. “How long can you stay?” Max asked. “There’s a lunch menu over there if you—”
“Not that long, I’m afraid,” I said, pulling an apologetic face. “I’ve got my audit interview today, and then I’ve got to go and see my mother—”
“Audit interview?” Max asked, serious. “How’s it going? Anything been raised yet? Any potential problems?”
“Oh no,” I said, rather too quickly. “Everything’s fine. More than fine. Everything’s great!”
“You make it sound easy,” Max said, frowning slightly.
“Easy? Oh, it is,” I gushed. “Don’t you worry about Milton Advertising. It’s easy-peasy running that place. No problem at all. So, how about you? How are you feeling?”
“Me? Oh. You know.” Max shot a little smile in Emily’s direction—Emily, who, I noticed, was still in the room, hovering by the door.
“No, I don’t know,” I said tightly, trying not to show my annoyance. “Why don’t you tell me?”
“Well, while you’ve been running everything, I’ve been mainlining trash television—Countdown, Houses Under the Hammer, Flog It … The list is endless,” Max said drily. “It’s like junk food—you know it’s bad for you, but you’re powerless to resist.”
“Not powerless,” Emily chided him. “Just weak.” She laughed, and I found my shoulders tensing.
“Max isn’t weak,” I said, the fixed smile returning to my face. “He’s in the hospital with a broken leg. And I can’t imagine there’s much for him to do around here.”
“No, of course there isn’t,” Emily said quickly. “I was only joking. Of course he isn’t weak. And if he is, then I’m just as bad. Honestly, those conundrums are addictive!”
“A bit like my husband, apparently,” I said, rather louder than I’d intended.
Max shot me a strange look. “Jess, is everything okay?”
“Okay?” I answered brightly. “Of course it’s okay. I mean, you’re in here with Emily having a whale of a time, which is great. Just fabulous, actually.”
“A whale of a time?” Max’s expression changed. “Is that what you call it?”
I shrugged. “Doing conundrums, watching property programs…. Sounds okay to me.”
“Does it? Well, perhaps you’d like to swap with me, then,” Max said, his tone harsher. “Perhaps you’d like to be unable to walk, unable to run your business, unable to go to the bloody lavatory without help from someone.”
His eyes were boring into me, and I flinched. “And I suppose that someone is usually Emily?” I said before I could stop myself.
“Yes, that is Emily,” Max said levelly. “And it was Emily who went out and picked me up some toothpaste and other things that I needed.”
“But I would have done that,” I protested.
“Like the muffins?” Max shot back.
“I meant to bring muffins,” I said defensively. “I just—”
“You’ve just been busy. I get it,” he said, turning away.
“Yes, I have,” I said, looking at him unhappily. “But I’d rather have been here with you. You know that.”
“Jess, you don’t have to do this,” Max said seriously. “I get it. You don’t like seeing me in the hospital. You’re not a looking-after-someone kind of wife. It’s like your mother said: You’re an independent type. You don’t need anyone. It’s fine. Just go to work, do your interview.”
I felt a large lump in my throat. “That’s not true,” I sai
d hotly. “I’m not independent. I do need you. I want to look after you. I—”
“No, you don’t,” Max said, his voice resigned. “You don’t need me. It’s not your fault—it’s what I fell in love with, that strength of character you’ve always had. I just didn’t realize you don’t want to be needed, either.”
“I do want to be needed,” I gulped, desperate. “I want you to need me. I do.”
“Which is why you’ve been here for barely five minutes since I got here,” Max said tightly.
“Oh, that’s not true,” Emily said quickly. “She’s been here more than that.”
“Yes. I have. I mean …” I looked from Emily to Max uncertainly. This was all wrong. She was defending me and Max wasn’t even looking at me.
“I should go,” Emily said suddenly, as though she could read my mind. “Give you two some alone time.”
“That would be great,” I said immediately. “Thanks.”
“Oh, no problem.” She smiled winningly, then turned and left, closing the door behind her.
“She’s amazing,” Max said, looking after her with a dreamy look in his eye that felt like a knife in my stomach. “So sweet. So considerate.”
“So flirtatious,” I said before I could stop myself. Max narrowed his eyes.
“So what?” he asked. “What did you say?”
I cleared my throat uncomfortably. “So flirtatious,” I said, then looked at him awkwardly. “Come on, Max. She is. Doesn’t mean she isn’t a great nurse, but …”
I trailed off as I saw Max’s expression, saw the anger flashing in his eyes. “I can’t believe you,” he seethed. “This lovely girl is doing everything she can to make my stay here a bit more bearable, and all you can do is criticize her? You know, Jess, I feel as if I don’t even know you right now. Emily said the other day that you only learn who you can really trust, who really cares about you, when the chips are down. And now I see that she’s right.”
I stared at him in disbelief. “But the chips have been down loads with us, and we’ve always been okay,” I said incredulously. I could feel tears pricking at my eyes and wiped them away angrily.
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