She felt as if her body, aware that her mind had important decisions to stay behind and make, was none the less skipping ahead into the sun with all the reckless abandon of a child.
She smiled back at him, aware that her whole body was blushing.
Jake decided it was high time the meeting was adjourned. He had important work to do.
‘Right,’ he said, snapping shut his laptop. ‘I think that’s everything.’
Everyone packed up their stuff and for the first time, Annie was unaware of when Jake had left the office. She was overwhelmed by a surge of reckless optimism that hadn’t hit her since her teens. She wanted to join Greenpeace.
The optimism lasted well into the afternoon. The gallery was quiet today – it was always quiet – but never before had Annie seen the paintings with such focus and insight. She even phoned the artist and left a message telling her how wonderful her work was. She looked out of the large glass frontage and smiled happily at the grey day. She’d forgotten how intoxicating hope was.
When she got home, not even Victoria’s news brought her down.
‘We’re all off out tomorrow night – the sitter’s booked so you can’t say no,’ rushed Victoria excitedly.
‘Where?’ asked Annie happily. She was free tomorrow.
‘We’re going out for a meal. Jake and David will come straight from work so we’re going to a restaurant near there. It was Sophie’s idea – she’s booked it already.’
Annie smiled. Ah, poor Sophie. Throwing herself at a sap like Jake. Would it be presumptuous to invite Edward along, she wondered?
‘Do you mind putting the boys to bed tonight?’ asked Victoria. ‘Only I’ve booked myself in for a Shiatsu. Charles is at his wretched club, so why shouldn’t I treat myself too?’
‘Good for you,’ said Annie warmly. ‘We can watch 101 Dalmations.’
‘Only once,’ said Victoria. ‘Don’t spoil them. Harry’s been naughty today. He pulled the music teacher’s wig off. Gave him an angina attack.’
Annie gasped.
‘It’s all right. It’s only Mr Matthews. He was half dead anyway.’
* * * * *
Brutus and Cass picked up the phone together from other ends of the house.
‘It’s good news,’ said the voice at the other end. ‘You have six embryos. Would you like to come in tomorrow morning for the embryo transfer?’
By the time Brutus ran downstairs to Cass, she was already crying.
‘Darling,’ she whispered, through the tears. ‘We’re going to have an embryo transfer.’
* * * * *
By the time they all arrived, the restaurant was crowded and cosy and Annie got herself a seat in the far corner. Her steely determination to cope with the Jake/Sophie situation made her feel stronger than ever in Jake’s company. At least now she had something tangible to confront and deal with. It was almost better than being ignored.
From the corner she could watch and enjoy, without being too caught up in the action. And no one here was taking any notice of her anyway: Victoria was on a high, simply because she was out mixing with adults and Charles was on a high because Victoria was in such high spirits. Admittedly, Victoria hadn’t taken the news too well about Fi and Tony, but she had clearly got over it. She even smiled maternally over at the happy couple as they whispered and canoodled by the fire. She and Charles were now at least united in agreeing that Jake and Sophie were a good thing. Otherwise they might lose Jake for good. Jake was everything they’d ever looked for in a suitable match for their sister. Handsome, rich, powerful and owner of a BMW. Annie sat by David, watching the evening progress before her, feeling like a fly on the wall; distanced, invisible, with 360-degree vision. And feeding off the discarded remnants that the beautiful people left behind.
David was finding it hard to keep his eyes off Sophie and, as the evening progressed, Annie found herself sympathising with him so much that she started entertaining him with anecdotes, compliments and harmless flirtation. It was actually beginning to work as they found themselves giggling together in shared, mild hysteria.
While doing so, she caught an involuntary glimpse of herself in the restaurant mirror on the other side of the room. She barely recognised herself. The glowing winter fire lit up her pale complexion and enhanced her rich colouring. She felt more attractive than she had in years. She grinned to herself. Good old Edward. Amazing what he’d done for her already.
Deep in conversation with David, she experienced a sympathy dip in her stomach for him when Jake laughed at one of Sophie’s jokes. She hadn’t heard that laugh for a long time.
‘Wow,’ she said to David. ‘I didn’t know your boss could do moose impressions.’
David snorted into his wine.
Annie suddenly realised why baddies always seemed to be having so much more fun than goodies. Each dig at Jake gave her a delicious, piquant twist that put the traditional feel-good factor in the shade. Grinning wickedly to herself, she pictured Edward in her mind’s eye and enjoyed the rest of the evening wondering whether his eyes were brown with hazel flecks or hazel with brown flecks. When she accidentally glanced over to Jake and found herself being coldly scrutinised, she found it easy to give him a quick, almost complicit grin and look away before he had time to react.
Jake hadn’t intended to rest his eyes on Annie, but they had defied him as usual. She really was looking gorgeous tonight. If you liked that shrewish look. He looked back at bright, bubbly, blonde Sophie and gave a reassuring smile, unsure of exactly whom he was reassuring. Thank goodness Annie had turned into a cold, selfish, shrivelled up old hag. Otherwise he might be in trouble. Sophie reached up and kissed him.
‘How’s the work going at Markhams’?’ Annie heard Victoria finally ask Jake, over their coffee.
‘Fine thanks.’
‘Are you boys going to save us?’
The table went quiet.
‘I certainly hope so,’ replied Jake without a glimmer of a smile.
‘I’m sure you’ve got all the help you need,’ added Charles. ‘Edward Goddard’s one of the best. He’s related to an earl, you know.’
They all glanced over at Annie who looked down to hide her grin and flushed cheeks.
‘Shame his high connections couldn’t teach him how to be a chief exec,’ said Jake bitterly into his coffee.
Concerned by Jake’s unprecedented unprofessionalism, David interrupted the embarrassed silence that followed.
‘We usually find that the top men are the ones least in the know. Just part of their job,’ he said feebly. ‘We’d have been surprised if it hadn’t been the case, to be honest. Shows he’s doing it … um … well …’
Annie stared at Jake.
‘I expect Edward’s a bit too sensitive for the job,’ she said pointedly.
Jake looked up at her.
‘Something like that,’ he replied quietly.
The atmosphere was dulled for the rest of the evening and once the bill had been dealt with, they made their way back to the car park.
Tony and Fi were only too happy to wander through the streets until they found a cab and left the others as soon as they could without being rude. Jake had a two-seater and so could only give Sophie a lift home, but David had kindly offered to give Annie, Charles and Victoria a lift.
On their way, the six of them passed a narrow, long, dark cobbled alleyway, which had the rare quality of looking as inviting as it did terrifying. They could just make out uneven walls and an old pub on the corner, which wouldn’t have looked out of place in a Sherlock Holmes adaptation.
‘Ooh look,’ squealed Sophie. ‘Isn’t that amazing?’ She pulled on Jake’s arm like a child. ‘Let’s go down there.’
‘No way,’ replied Victoria, horrified. ‘It looks terrifying.’
‘Where’s your sense of adventure?’ asked Sophie. ‘You’ve got boring in your old age.’
‘I’m not old and I’ve always been boring,’ shot Victoria. ‘And it looks horrid.’
It almost worked. But Annie looked down the alleyway and either it was her vivid imagination or she sensed some movement at the far end. No way.
‘Sorry Sophie. I’m going to have to fight nature on this one and actually side with my big sis.’
‘Gee thanks,’ said Victoria.
‘You’re all so boring! Oh, come on. Doesn’t anyone want some fun?’ asked Sophie in a little-girl voice, looking at David and Jake imploringly.
David shifted uncomfortably but said nothing. Annie felt for him. Politics made it impossible for him to race down a darkened alley with Sophie until his boss made a decision. David looked up at Jake.
‘Jake? What you wanna do, big guy?’
They all looked up at Jake.
‘Come on, big guy,’ repeated Sophie, in a whisper. ‘You’ll protect me, won’t you? What’s the point of living if you don’t take risks?’ She laid her chin on his chest and looked up at him with her baby blues.
Victoria snorted.
Jake looked across at where the snort came from. Victoria was his client, after all.
‘Hey, don’t let us stop you getting killed,’ she said sweetly.
Charles grinned at him sheepishly.
‘We’ll wait for you out here.’
Sophie and David both looked at Jake eagerly. It was clear that the decision lay with him.
Annie, feeling very much the outsider, eyed Jake wondering which way his iddy biddy brain would go. What would he do? Would he side with the more responsible people in the party, who were also his clients, or would he fall for the silly charms of a twenty-year-old and try to impress his colleague? Hmm, a real teaser, that one.
Jake caught her eye. He also caught the wry smile on her face. Bitch.
He looked down at Sophie.
‘Of course I’ll protect you,’ he murmured, holding her tight. ‘And you’re right.’ He looked back up at Annie. ‘What’s the point of living if you don’t take risks?’
Annie tried to find him ridiculous, but instead felt her eyes well up.
David and Sophie whooped like children.
Without further ado, the three of them edged their way into the alley, and within moments Charles, Victoria and Annie couldn’t see them any more. Good, thought Annie. She started squinting into the dark. She was absolutely positive she could sense movement at the far end of the alley.
They all heard a sudden noise.
‘What was that?’ whispered David.
None of them stayed long enough to find out.
Sophie squealed with the excitement of a child being chased and ran back towards the others, followed swiftly by David and Jake.
‘That was so exciting!’ she squeaked to the anxious Charles, Victoria and Annie. ‘I’m all shaky!’
‘You can’t see in front of your hand in there,’ said David, pretending that he wasn’t ‘all shaky’.
Jake couldn’t bring himself to look at Annie.
‘Right. Let’s get home,’ he said, moving them all away from the alleyway. He felt almost as stupid for humouring Sophie as he did for shaking. And he didn’t like what he’d seen in the alleyway.
But they weren’t going home yet. There was comforting of Sophie to do on the part of Charles and David, and dissecting and recounting on the part of Sophie. Sophie was in her element and she wasn’t going to have her spotlight dimmed by a spoilsport. An adventure had happened! She’d been frightened of the dark! There had been a nasty noise!
While everyone fussed loudly round Sophie the Adventuress, Jake and Annie momentarily glanced at each other. Annie looked away quickly. She knew that the ‘risks’ comment had been directed at her. She would have liked to congratulate him – walking four feet down a dark alleyway had really shown her how misguided she’d been in her life. But she knew her voice wouldn’t keep steady.
Meanwhile, Jake was utterly thrown by his feelings. Was this what he’d come to? Putting himself and others into danger just to annoy Annie? And why did he keep letting her affect him so much? In the pitch black of the alley, he’d suddenly seen things clearly.
The fuss round Sophie continued. Charles was genuinely worried for his sister – she was sensitive, she shouldn’t put herself into risky situations like that. Look how much she was shaking. David was able to use the opportunity to put a friendly arm around her shoulder as they laughed together over how silly they’d been. Victoria delighted in scolding them all.
Annie and Jake looked back to the now silent alleyway.
As Annie spotted something glinting on the floor, Sophie screamed.
‘My bag! I’ve lost my bag. My Chanel bag!’
Another adventure! Sophie in the Spotlight Again.
‘It’s all right,’ said Annie firmly. ‘I can see it.’
Partly to get away from the nonsense going on around her, partly to get away from Jake, Annie rushed towards the gilt trim shining in the dark. It didn’t look too far away.
‘Don’t go back in there!’ yelled Jake, petrified.
Annie sped faster. She didn’t need him telling her what to do. He’d more than proved the criteria for his decision-making powers, thank you very much. She raced even faster when she realised he was coming after her.
Almost instantly she couldn’t see a thing. It really was pitch black in there. Only the sound of Jake’s breathing told her she wasn’t alone. At least, she hoped it was Jake’s.
‘Can you see it?’ asked Jake, his voice by her ear. She had to stop herself from grabbing hold of him for fear. Victoria was right. The alleyway was terrifying. She focused on the trim of the handbag glinting at her feet and bent down slowly towards it. She grabbed the bag.
Her skin turned to ice.
Instead of grabbing an incredibly expensive, tiny, chic purse, Annie had grabbed what was on top of it. Which could only be described as a hand. A very hairy hand. A giant, very hairy hand. The hand of a hairy giant. A monster, maybe.
Annie’s body prepared for fight or flight mode. Which meant she stopped breathing and thought she was going to faint.
‘What’s wrong?’ whispered Jake in her ear. She could feel his warm breath on her neck.
‘Is that you?’ she whispered back.
‘Of course it’s me.’
‘I mean … is that you holding the bag with me?’
Silence.
‘No.’
Silence.
‘I’m the one next to you who now has to change his trousers.’
Silence.
A small whimpering noise came from the direction of Jake.
‘That was me.’
‘Thank you.’
Before Annie could decide what to do next, Jake grabbed hold of her round the waist and tried valiantly to whisk her behind him.
Furious, Annie fought him off, her legs mid-air, her hand firmly on the hand. The hand wasn’t letting go of the bag.
‘Get off!’ she yelled.
‘You heard!’ shouted Jake. ‘Get off!’ He kept his grip on Annie as she kept her grip on the hand and the hand kept its grip on the purse.
‘No! You!’
‘What do you mean me?’ yelled Jake. ‘I’m helping!’
‘GET OFF!’
Jake and the hand leapt back in shock and Annie was thrown into the middle of them.
‘Oh God, Annie! Sorry! You frightened me! Move!’
Annie and Jake could just make out the enormous shadow of a man in front of them. He was big. Very big.
It was clear Annie couldn’t move.
‘Right … now … Annie,’ said Jake. ‘Just … stay calm …’
Annie stepped forward and kicked the shadow in the groin.
‘And then kick him in the groin. Perfect.’
They heard a moan in the dark. The shadow tried to punch her, but she blocked his arm with her right hand, attacked him with a roundhouse kick – made all the more effective by her DM boots – followed by an elbow in the neck. He was
down.
‘Jesus Christ,’ mumbled Jake. ‘Remind me never to attack you in a dark alleyway.’
Annie started jogging on the spot, exhilarated beyond belief.
‘Come on!’ she yelled into the darkness at the shadow writhing on the floor. ‘Call that a fight? Come and get me!’
Someone punched her in the face.
Damn. There were two of them.
The force of the hit walloped her backwards into Jake, and they both stumbled to the floor, Annie landing on Jake.
‘Some men don’t like being teased,’ Jake’s squashed voice came from underneath her.
Right. That was it. Livid at being so humiliated, Annie jumped up, yelled the karate attack, which terrified the attacker almost as much as it terrified Jake and, with her aggression suitably channelled, chopped the attacker in the face.
He staggered and fell but she knew it was only a momentary reprieve.
‘Quick! Run!’ yelled Jake, as he stood up, grabbed her hand and pulled her out.
‘The bag!’
‘Forget the bag!’
He practically scooped her off her feet again, and they raced towards the light. But the attacker was fast. They could hear him getting up and starting to run after them. Just before the end of the alley there was a sharp turn to the right. Once they made it past there, they should be safe. After that there was only about three yards before the light – and the attacker was a good four yards behind them. Once they hit the light and people and traffic, they were home and dry. They just had to reach it before he reached them.
The pounding of his size thirteens got nearer and nearer.
It felt like he was right behind them now. Annie could almost imagine him reaching out and pulling her hair. She must get it cut.
They turned the corner.
The attacker was about one yard behind, still to turn the corner behind them.
They weren’t going to make it.
Then, to her astonishment, Jake pulled her sharply into an invisible alcove at the side of the alley and held her against the wall so tightly she was completely hidden and protected by him. She also couldn’t breathe. Her face was hidden in his neck and she tried to pull away but his hold was too tight. They stood, clamped together, their breathing jagged, their hearts pounding into each other’s ribcages.
Persuading Annie Page 17
