‘There, that’s where you belong,’ she raged, taking deep breaths to ease the pounding of her heart. Her rage had sobered her up somewhat and, resolutely, she locked the door behind her and with deep resignation went to try and put her mother to bed as she had done countless times in the past.
* * *
Jessica wrapped her legs around Mike and groaned with pleasure as he entered her. ‘Oh Mike, Mike, I wanted you,’ she murmured against his ear, holding him tightly to her.
‘I love you, Jessie,’ Mike muttered, touching her and caressing her until she moaned with pleasure, whispering endearments to him, joyful at their union.
‘Oh, Jessie, that was good,’ Mike said huskily when both of them were spent and sated and she was snuggled up against his shoulder.
‘At least I’m good in the sack, if I’m no good steering into a lock,’ she teased.
‘Shush.’ He smiled down at her, placing a finger against her lips. ‘Let’s not go there. Humble pie’s not the nicest-tasting pie in the world.’
‘Sorry, I didn’t meant to harp on. I’ll never refer to it again,’ she said solemnly.
‘I take it we won’t be going cruising on our honeymoon?’ Mike said drily.
Jessica giggled. ‘Too right, Buster. We’d be divorced by the time we got to Lough Ree.’
‘One good thing, I suppose,’ Mike said sleepily as he put his arm around her and cuddled up to go asleep.
‘What’s that?’ she yawned, snuggling right in to him.
‘We won’t be having a double wedding.’
‘Thank God for that,’ said Jessica and closed her eyes.
They were asleep in minutes.
17
‘Hi, Jessie, where’s Mike?’ Carol greeted her friend, surprisingly cheerful, as she joined her in the bar of the tennis club.
‘He’s out on court. He’d arranged a match with Kevin Delaney. We’ve a court booked for seven-thirty. What are you doing?’
‘I’m playing mixed doubles with Larry Allen, but I’m not sure who we’re playing against. I hope it’s Gary,’ she added maliciously, ‘because we’ll beat the socks off them.’
‘You haven’t heard from him, I take it then,’ Jessica said drily.
‘What do you think?’ Carol retorted, eyes busy scanning the bar for her ex. ‘Have you seen him?’
‘Nope. I’m not long here.’
‘Wait until I tell you, Jessie,’ Carol said excitedly, lowering her voice. ‘I met a gorgeous bloke on Tuesday night. He’s a Guard. I had a drink with him and we’re having a drink later tonight and going to the pictures on Friday.’
‘You’re joking!’ Jessie was gobsmacked.
‘No. I’m serious. I was jogging down to Phibsboro and I literally bumped into him coming out of Mountjoy. He told me he’d arrest me for assault if I didn’t go for a drink with him.’ She giggled.
‘Hey, that’s great. Is he nice?’ Jessica was delighted at her friend’s news.
‘He’s lovely. Taller than Gary, Sean’s his name, he’s six foot two, hazel eyes, brown hair, cut tight, very sexy. He’s from Sligo.’
‘A country boy! I thought you only went out with city slickers,’ teased Jessie.
‘I know. But he’s really nice and good fun. We get on like a house on fire. He’s into keeping fit and sport. We’re going to go swimming in Vincent’s early in the mornings,’ Carol informed her.
‘Quick work, Logan,’ Jessica approved, privately astonished at how quickly Carol had rebounded from Gary.
‘I know,’ Carol said smugly. ‘Gary, eat your heart out.’
‘That’s no reason to go out with someone,’ Jessica warned.
‘Oh, don’t be so smug,’ Carol sniffed. ‘Of course it is. I did the dumping and I’m going out with someone new. That’s exactly the kind of thing Gary would do. I’m just pipping him at the post. It’s easy knowing you’ve always had it easy with men, Jessie,’ she said in exasperation.
‘You might be a bit more understanding if you hadn’t.’
‘Don’t be like that, Carol,’ Jessica said indignantly. ‘You sound as if you begrudge me my happiness.’
‘No, I don’t,’ Carol shot back defensively. ‘That’s not fair!’
‘All I’m saying is don’t hurt your nice Guard in the process of getting your own back on Gary,’ Jessica retorted drily, knowing she’d been right about the other girl’s begrudgery.
‘I won’t.’ Carol couldn’t hide her irritation. ‘God, I’ve only met him. We’re not planning to walk down the aisle, for crying out loud.’ She threw her eyes up to heaven. Trust Jessica to try to put a damper on things. It was obvious she’d never had her heart broken and had to keep up appearances.
‘Come on, let’s go and change,’ Jessica said, and Carol followed, annoyed that the other girl had seen through her strategy so easily. She liked Sean, of course she did. But she liked the idea of making Gary jealous a whole lot more.
* * *
Gary threw the plastic Roches Stores bag containing Carol’s clothes and precious Elvis tapes into the back seat of his car. She had some nerve, he thought angrily, remembering the short, impersonal little note that had arrived through his letterbox the previous morning. When he’d read it, he couldn’t believe it. She couldn’t even be arsed to lift up the phone to him. She’d sent him a crappy little note. What kind of an ignorant cow was she? By God, he was really going to let her have it the next time he met her at the club.
It was time someone put Miss High and Mighty Logan in her place and he was just the man to do it. And as for Jen Coughlan . . . Gary’s scowl deepened. She could get lost. She was out of the frame. Definitely. She hadn’t even had the manners to get in touch with him either. It was the last time he’d be phoning her. There were plenty more fish in the sea.
Thoroughly annoyed, Gary gunned the engine and sped down the road, with a face on him that would stop a clock.
* * *
Jen took extra special care with her make-up, brushing more mascara on to her lashes than she normally would, and adding an extra dusting of blusher. It was very possible that she’d see Gary at the club tonight. The tennis season was in full swing; the odds were that he’d be rostered to play a doubles or singles match. She couldn’t help the flutter of nervous anticipation at the thought of seeing him. She was very proud that she’d played it so cool, but there was no point in overdoing it. If he wanted to get back with her she should go for it. Knowing Gary, he wouldn’t be on his own for long. She checked the strings on her racket and slipped it into its cover. She’d had a couple of sunbeds to bring up her tan and her tennis whites would show it off to perfection. She looked terrific, she thought confidently, as she took one last look at herself in the full-length cheval mirror in the corner of her bedroom.
She’d changed the sheets on the bed and tidied up the apartment just in case he came back with her tonight. She sprayed some Chanel No. 5 on her neck and wrists and pressed the spray lightly around the bed so that the scent would linger. Tonight she might be back in Gary’s arms, making wild passionate love in her double bed. It gave her quivers just to think about it.
It was almost worth the split for the reunion they were going to have.
* * *
He saw her before she saw him. She was standing, in her whites, laughing at something her tennis partner was saying, and Gary had to admit she looked good. Carol was a sexy woman. She didn’t look too perturbed at their broken engagement and that annoyed him. It annoyed him even more that she’d been the one to end it. It wasn’t in the natural order of things, he thought grimly, as he strode into the men’s locker room to change. When he emerged from the changing-rooms ten minutes later there was no sign of her. He was scheduled to play in ten minutes’ time; he could go for a drink or watch the action out on the courts.
He’d been stuck indoors all day and he could do with a bit of fresh air, he decided, and headed outside. Carol was at one of the far courts waiting to play. She saw him, gave a casual wave and t
urned away.
Rage ignited. How dare she treat him so contemptuously? This was the woman he’d asked to marry him, Gary fumed, forgetting entirely that he’d been in no rush to walk down the aisle with her and that it had been his suggestion to postpone the wedding. He marched over to where she stood, engrossed in the final set of the match on court.
‘A word,’ he growled.
‘Oh, hi, Gary,’ Carol said coolly. ‘Sure. What can I do for you?’
‘You can tell me why you ended our engagement for one,’ he said curtly. ‘You owe me that much at least. I really don’t think much of your behaviour, to be honest.’
Carol stared at him. ‘And I don’t think much of yours,’ she drawled. ‘You know why I ended our engagement? One, I got fed up being with someone who thinks he’s the centre of the universe. It’s all Me Me Me with you, Gary. Our relationship was all about you and what you wanted. I rarely got a look in.’
‘It’s because I postponed the wedding, isn’t it?’ he taunted. ‘That’s the real truth.’
Carol was furious. How typical of him to turn it back to her. ‘Actually,’ she heard herself say, ‘I’ve met someone else.’ It popped out unbidden, but her ex-fiancé’s reaction was satisfying in the extreme.
‘You met someone else?’ he echoed, astonishment and disbelief written all over his face. ‘You met someone while you were with me?’ His voice rose an octave.
‘Yep,’ she fibbed, delighted at his reaction. What a perfect excuse for breaking it off with him. Sean had given her the perfect out, even if she did have to stretch the truth a little. This would drive Gary nuts. He had an extremely jealous and possessive streak to him, which she’d always exploited to her advantage.
‘Who is he? What does he do? Where did you meet him?’ Gary was hopping mad.
‘He’s a Guard. His name is Sean, he’s from Sligo, he’s six foot two, and—’
‘A Guard! You’re dating a culchie clodhopper!’ Gary couldn’t believe his ears. How long had this been going on? He was puce with temper.
‘Look, one of the reasons I broke off the engagement, and I emphasize one,’ she drawled, ‘was to pursue a relationship with Sean. Nothing’s happened that I’m ashamed of. I haven’t slept with him. I wouldn’t do that to you. I don’t two-time,’ she added pointedly, as she saw Jen Coughlan emerge into the evening sun from the clubhouse.
‘Sleep with him? What do you mean sleep with him? You wouldn’t bloody sleep with me,’ Gary spluttered.
‘I know,’ Carol sighed. ‘But he’s a very, very sexy guy. When he wears his leathers on the bike, he’s sex on legs,’ she exaggerated, really putting the boot in. ‘I’m meeting him tonight for a drink in The Gravediggers after the match, so I should get my skates on. Don’t be cross, Gary, we just weren’t meant to be. I didn’t mean enough to you or we would be getting married in September. And you didn’t mean enough to me, or I wouldn’t be seeing another guy tonight. Let’s just put the past behind us and stay friends,’ she invited kindly.
She thought Gary was going to burst a blood vessel, he was so angry.
‘Friends! I don’t think you know the meaning of the word, Carol Logan,’ he snapped.
‘Calm down, Gary. Think of the great time you’ll have at the beer festival. No ties. You can spend all around you. You won’t have me nagging at you,’ she said lightly, thrilled at the way their encounter was going. That would teach Gary bloody Davis to take her for granted. ‘Look, I have to go, our court’s free. I’ll see you around. I didn’t meant to hurt your feelings, I’m very fond of you,’ she announced, adding insult to injury. She walked over to the baseline and hit a practice shot to one of the players at the opposite end.
Gary was dumbfounded. No woman had ever treated him the way Carol just had. She’d met someone else. He was a sexy guy. The words tumbled around his head. His brain felt like a wash cycle on spin. She was fond of him! He’d never been so insulted in his life. And all the time he’d felt he was the one in control in the relationship. He’d been so confident of her feelings for him it hadn’t cost him a thought to postpone the wedding. Just as well he had. She could have continued seeing this bloke she was clearly smitten with, through their marriage, he thought self-righteously. All the time she was seeing a culchie Garda behind his back. It was unbelievable. And she expected him to stay friends. She had two chances of that, he thought furiously, as he turned on his heel and strode towards the clubhouse.
‘Well, hi, stranger, got your message, things were mad busy so I couldn’t get back to you, but I kind of guessed I might see you here tonight.’ Jen Coughlan stood in front of him, glowing and tanned.
‘Hi,’ he muttered, unable to hide his annoyance, both at her and Carol.
‘What’s wrong?’ she asked, concerned. ‘Carol giving you a hard time?’
‘Other way around, I think,’ he retorted, unwilling to admit that any woman would ever get the better of him by giving him a hard time.
‘So you said you were single and free – what’s up? Is the engagement off?’ Jen probed, madly curious. She’d watched the couple embroiled in what seemed a heated exchange.
‘You’re damn right it is,’ Gary growled.
‘Did she give you back your ring?’ Jen said sympathetically, putting her hand lightly on his arm in a gesture of solidarity.
‘I broke it off,’ Gary declared. ‘I found out in time that she wasn’t the woman for me.’ He glowered in the direction of Court Five.
‘Oh dear,’ Jen murmured. ‘Well, better to find out now than after the wedding,’ she added diplomatically.
‘So what are you up to?’ Gary focused his heavy-lidded stare on her.
‘Busy as ever,’ she said lightly.
‘Seeing anyone?’
‘Oh, you know yourself. A couple of dates here, a couple of dates there, nothing serious.’
Gary caught sight of Carol slicing an ace down the line. He certainly didn’t want to give her the impression that he was pining for her, he decided. He was going to make sure to have a woman on his arm every time he saw her. Jen would do fine for starters. He knew he’d decided to freeze her out for not answering his call, but the whole scenario had changed after Carol’s unbelievable revelations and he didn’t want to be wrong-footed for a second more than was necessary. Besides, Jen had genuine feelings for him, she’d taken him back even after his engagement to Carol, he thought self-pityingly, truly stung at Carol’s betrayal of him.
‘Come and have a drink with me later?’ he invited, his mind racing. If Two-Face Logan could go drinking with her so-called sexy man in The Gravediggers, he could stride in with Jen on his arm. That would show his ex that he wasn’t wasting any time getting over her.
‘Love to, we’ll catch up on all the news,’ Jen agreed. ‘Better go, I think my court is free.’ She waved at him and he watched her go. He had her where he wanted her, but for some unfathomable reason the knowledge gave him no satisfaction.
18
Carol fought hard to concentrate. She was so exhilarated at the way her encounter with Gary had worked out she was finding it hard to focus on the game.
He’d really been mad, his eyes spitting fury, she thought gleefully as she lobbed a ball over the net. Telling him that she’d met Sean and letting him believe that it had been during their time together had been a brainwave. It had really knocked the wind out of his sails. The last thing he’d expected. She’d got out of the relationship with her head held high and given him something to think about. That’s what he got for taking her for granted.
His reaction to her news had been most gratifying, she reflected, as she smashed a shot into the net and lost a point which could lose them the set if she didn’t cop on and get her game together.
‘Concentrate,’ she muttered, shooting an apologetic look at her partner.
She was glad when the match was over; she wanted to be alone for a while to replay every second of her confrontation with Gary. Barely waiting to shake hands with her partner and op
ponents after finally losing the match after a tightly fought last set, she hurried into the privacy of the showers. Carol breathed a deep sigh of relief as she stood under the steaming hot jets, enjoying the heat on her aching muscles.
He must really care if he was so irate about her seeing someone else. It had to mean something, she assured herself. And her slipping in the bit about her being tempted to sleep with Sean because he was so sexy had been a masterful stroke. He’d been really shook up by that little nugget. That in itself was a triumph, she thought joyfully, as she lathered peach and almond shower gel on to her taut limbs. Maybe it wasn’t all as hopeless as it seemed.
Another thought struck her. She could invite Sean to the Mid-Summer’s Ball in a couple of weeks. Gary would definitely be at it; he was the club treasurer this year and the committee always attended. That would certainly rub his nose in it. And if it really got to him, who knew, he might ask her to get back with him. But this time it would be on her terms and they’d be up the aisle so fast he wouldn’t know what had hit him. Happier than she’d been since the disastrous Shannon cruise, Carol let the water wash away all her aches and pains and felt renewed and invigorated at the prospect of driving her ex-fiancé mad with jealousy at the Mid-Summer’s Ball.
* * *
Yes! Yes! Yes! Jen mentally raised her fists as she walked away from Gary and headed for her court. She’d played it so cool, pretending sympathy for his plight. It was good to know too that it had been he who had ended it. If he’d told her that Carol had given him the ring back she’d be a tad perturbed to say the least. It would mean he hadn’t come back to her by choice. She straightened her short white skirt. She knew she looked good in it. She was glad too that she’d worn her new cream linen trousers and black halter neck to the club. It was an elegantly casual outfit as well as being sexy. Hopefully Gary’d take her somewhere cool and sophisticated for a drink afterwards.
Double Wedding Page 14
