She enjoyed getting up early and going to the flower market or the shop; it was really satisfying. She also knew, although it was hard to admit, that none of this would have been possible without James Willoughby and his unexpected loan.
But she tried to push the thought to the back of her mind.
§
Summer had come to London. The streets were full of girls in cotton dresses, people in unsuitable shorts and business men without their ties. Customers at the coffee shops and cafes sat outside, under parasols, and the whole city started to believe that the sunny days would last.
Emma found some old deck chairs in a shed in the tiny garden and dragged them out onto the grass. Leah brought a couple of pots back from the shop, crammed with red geraniums, and they added these to the small garden.
"I feel as if I'm in Italy," Emma said, as she sat with her study notes, lazing in the sun.
"Have your ever been there?" Leah queried.
It was Sunday morning and they were both relaxing.
"No," Emma admitted, "but I imagine it would be like this."
Emma's mobile rang and she answered it straight away, while Leah drifted, sunbathing. After a while, it appeared that Emma might be talking to Lucy. And a moment later, Emma asked Lucy to hold on and turned to Leah.
"Lucy and Sam want us to go round for a barbecue later,” she explained. “Sam's borrowed some stuff from his neighbour. Sounds good. What do you think?"
Leah hesitated. "Would it just be us?"
"I'll ask," Emma replied.
Emma eventually came off the phone.
"Yes, just the four of us,” she confirmed. “I know exactly what you're worried about, but apparently James and Elizabeth have got some sort of special weekend plans, so they definitely won't be there."
Leah was relieved. No James. She really didn't know how she’d cope with seeing him again. It would be good to see Lucy and maybe get to know Sam a little better. He was still something of an unknown. He had always seemed perfectly pleasant, but she still couldn't quite forget that he had called Lucy a spoilt bitch. It was a bit of a hard thing to say, especially when they'd only been married for a few weeks and seemed to be so much in love.
And on top of all that, Leah couldn't help herself from wondering just what James and Elizabeth were doing for their ‘special weekend’ ...
§
"It's funny how men can always barbecue, even when they normally don't go near the kitchen," Leah observed that evening, knowing that Sam would hear.
Sure enough, he turned and glanced at her.
"I have to cook these burgers,” he said. “Lucy would ruin them! She can't even work the microwave." But his tone was light and joking; there was no real criticism in his voice.
Leah and Emma had brought wine, French bread and salad. Lucy was putting out plates for the hot dogs and burgers – it was looking like a very simple, tasty meal and Sam's food had certainly turned out well; he seemed to know what he was doing.
Sipping her wine, unobserved, Leah carefully watched Sam. She could see why Lucy had fallen for him so quickly. He was dark, lithe, his black hair a little long for a junior doctor and his designer stubble only adding to his looks. He was dressed in black jeans and an ancient, threadbare black t-shirt. He had bare feet, too, and had obviously made no attempt to change for the afternoon. He was confident in himself and his looks.
Lucy, by contrast, had taken great care and was stunning as usual. Her long blond hair was pulled back into a plait, and she wore a short, white sundress and sparkly sandals. Her arms and legs were a delicate shade of gold, and her perfect nails a deep pink. She could have stepped off the cover of an upmarket fashion magazine, instead of handing round hotdogs in the tiny garden at the flat.
They were all relaxed now. The sun, the wine and the simple food were just right.
"This reminds me of cooking over a fire with Robbie," Sam said, sitting down close to Lucy, and he put his arm round her bare shoulder and stroked her as he was talking. His hand looked dark and strong against Lucy's delicate golden skin.
"Was this when you were at boarding school?" Leah asked, wanting to know more.
"No," Sam replied, "at Thorley Manor, the Willoughby place in Norfolk."
"It sounds a bit grand," Emma stated.
"Oh it is! A huge, old manor house standing in hundreds of acres. We liked to camp out in the woods and raid the kitchens for food." Sam stopped and drained his lager straight from the bottle.
"Sounds like heaven," Leah observed.
"It was to me. I didn't have anywhere to go in the school holidays, so Robbie took me home. Mrs Willoughby was great, treated me just as though I was one of the family, and we kept out of old Mr Willoughby's way. He could be a bit grumpy, but a lot of the time he was in London, running the firm."
"Are they still there, in Norfolk?" Leah asked, wanting to know the rest.
"Not all the time. Mr Willoughby had a stroke, then died a year after Robbie. Mrs Willoughby stays there part of the year, but she also likes to spend time at their farmhouse in Umbria."
"A lot of property then," Emma observed.
"There's more, too – a ski chalet in Austria, a villa in the South of France, the London house, and now, of course, they all belong to James."
"As well as Centrax," Leah added.
"Oh that!” Sam laughed. “James dragged it into the twenty first century when he took over, alright. There were all sorts of take-overs and reorganisations, but it's worth mega bucks now," he added.
Lucy reached for the wine and filled all their glasses, then went into the kitchen and returned with more lager for Sam.
"That reminds me," she said. "I bumped into James in the street the other day and he took me for a coffee."
Leah took a deep breath, what on earth was Lucy going to say next? Surely James wouldn't have spoken about seeing her or their day in Oxford.
"He was so nice! I've never really had a proper talk with him before. He's offered us a break at his villa in the South of France, if Sam and I have any holiday due to us before we go to Canada. He says we can use the it any time in August or September, as a sort of delayed honeymoon. Isn't that great?" She paused, her eyes shining with excitement.
"Just the two of you?" Emma asked.
"Well, apparently it sleeps ten. Sam's been before, and James said he might take Elizabeth sometime in the summer, just for a few nights. It wouldn't matter if we overlapped, though, the place is huge."
Leah sipped her wine. A luxury villa in the South of France? The sun, the sapphire sea, a secluded beach, and Lucy and Sam alone. She tried to imagine being there herself with James, but the reality was that later Lucy and Sam would possibly be joined by James and Elizabeth.
She tried to push the image from her mind.
"It would only be empty during the summer anyway, so it's not costing him anything," Sam added.
There it was again, that little hint of friction, something between Sam and James – envy perhaps? – even though James had been so generous to them, first with the wedding and now this offer of a holiday.
Lucy obviously saw James in a very different light and appreciated the offer. She really liked him.
Leah remembered, uncomfortably, her last encounter with James and how he’d sent for the taxi to take her home from his house in Belsize Park.
Maybe, just maybe, he was being sensible when he’d second thoughts about a night together. It was possible that he hadn't wanted to upset her, or make her think that there was some future for them. It was a new and strangely unsettling thought.
§
It was still warm as Emma and Leah walked home in the dark. They’d stayed with Lucy and Sam longer than expected, relaxing in the tiny garden as the night grew darker and the stars appeared.
"James does seem to be taking an interest in Lucy and Sam," Emma observed as they headed home.
"I have a feeling that he's actually keeping an eye on them," Leah replied.
"Why woul
d he do that?"
"Just something he said about Sam being a bit of a handful. I think he feels a bit protective towards Lucy. Maybe he senses trouble ..."
"Oh don't," Emma sighed. "You saw them today. Sam cooking and Lucy looking dazzling. They're fine!"
"It's just that it was all so quick for Lucy, meeting him, getting married, and off to Canada so soon. She won't know anyone out there, will she? Only Sam, and he'll be absorbed in his new job. I’m just worried, that’s all ...”
CHAPTER TWENTY
James
I had to go to the dentist for a check up. They were running a little late and I picked up a magazine in the waiting room, something I never usually do as I tend to spend any free time on my laptop, organising work. There was an article about women in their thirties getting broody – something or other about hormones, wanting marriage, commitment, babies, that sort of thing.
Well, I started to wonder whether that's what's been bugging Elizabeth. We have a casual relationship; both of us are busy, not needy, and we just get together at my place or hers whenever we happen to be free and in London at the same time.
It’s worked fine up until now, and we haven't discussed any future plans. Why rock the boat? But I’ve decided to spend the whole weekend with her, to find out whether she's started getting any ideas about being serious.
I need to know.
It was a warm day, and on the way back from the dentist I decided to take a bit of a stroll instead of going straight back to the office. I bumped into Lucy, and asked her to go for coffee. After a little hesitation, she agreed. What is it with some of these women who go all hesitant around me? I'm not that scary!
We talked over coffee and at last she relaxed. She's quite a charming girl, but she does look a bit tired. I suppose it's because of her job, hairdressing or whatever it is she does, standing up all the time ...
Then, out of the blue, I offered her and Sam the use of the villa in the South of France.
Well, she was really excited, so I told her to get Sam to call me to arrange it. I thought afterwards that it might be an idea to take Elizabeth there as well. She knows Sam and Lucy does seem to be easy company. We could perhaps overlap with them just for a few days, give them the rest of the time on their own ...
I gave my new PA, Clare, a rough idea of what Elizabeth likes and asked her to arrange a few places to go, book meals and so on for the weekend. She's very calm and organised. There’s certainly not the buzz I used to get when Amanda walked into the office, but she's fine.
Well, that weekend, we started off with drinks and lunch in Covent Garden, then to the Globe Theatre in the afternoon to see A Midsummer Night's Dream. I'm not really into Shakespeare but Elizabeth was thrilled, and standing there, as they did in Shakespeare's time, at the replica of the old Elizabethan Theatre, among all the tourists, and I found I sort of enjoyed it, too. We had a late meal in the restaurant at the top of the Shard, London's newest, tallest building, then back to Elizabeth's apartment. I stayed the night and it was good.
In the morning, I was sitting up in bed when Elizabeth came out of the shower, naked, searching in one of her cabinets for underwear. I watched her as she opened the deep drawer and lifted out one item after another, all colours, flimsy silk, satin, lace, hundreds of pounds worth of designer gear.
She's very tall and slim, with small, toned curves in just the right places, but, disturbingly, I found myself starting to think about Leah.
I don't recall what she was even wearing underneath when we fell onto the bed in Oxford. I only wanted to get her out of whatever she had on. She probably only has a small collection of cheap clothes. I had a bit of a fantasy about how great it would be to find out her size from her friends, although she has issues about it, and send her boxes of expensive lingerie in all colours and delicate materials. In fact, I was getting a bit carried away, day-dreaming about sex with Leah again.
It has to stop.
She wouldn't accept gifts from me anyway; she'd get all angry.
I don't think I've treated her badly.
And despite my plan, I still didn't find out what was on Elizabeth's mind ...
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Incredibly the sun continued to shine through August. Sam and Lucy had decided to take two weeks holiday at the wonderful villa in the South of France, and Lucy had been beside herself with excitement.
"Two whole weeks together," she gushed. "No work, just relaxing, swimming, sunbathing. It’ll be great!"
"Don't forget the sun cream," Emma warned.
"We don't even have to shop or cook, there's a housekeeper there for that, and her husband looks after the pool and the gardens ..."
Leah and Emma were really pleased for Lucy. After all, she needed a holiday, and afterwards they would have to try and see as much as possible of her before she left for Canada.
Leah busied herself at the shop, serving, setting out the flowers and vases, decorating the window, and delivering the orders in the new van. She was happy when Simon came back for the rest of August and there were three of them again in the tiny house in Clapham.
The warm days passed peacefully and too quickly. Emma and Simon decided to go to Brighton for a few days while the weather was still good and asked Leah to go with them, but she was far too busy at the Flower Garden. Later, after work, she would sit outside contentedly, in the warmth of the evenings, in one of the old, striped deck chairs, with a glass of wine.
She had worked until late on Saturday and let herself have a lie-in on Sunday morning. The day was warm again, and Leah decided to sunbathe in the garden. There was a large tree against the neighbour's area and a wall on the other side. She moved the two deck chairs at angle, so that she was sheltered from view, and put out a towel on the grass between them. Then she took off her blouse and bra and stretched out topless in the sun.
Just half-an-hour each side, she decided.
It felt good to relax; the garden was quiet and she lay there face down. Half an hour later, looking at her watch, she sat up, rubbed sun cream all over her and lay down on her back.
It was heaven, but she must keep track of the time and not overdo things. She was nearly drifting off to sleep, when she heard an insistent knocking at the front door.
Quickly, she grabbed the flimsy blouse and put it back on, buttoning it up as she answered the door.
It was annoying to be disturbed and she guessed it would probably be some salesperson, even on a Sunday.
But instead, it was James, standing there in dark jeans and a white t-shirt.
Leah’s heart began to race and she held the front of her blouse together tightly.
"Yes?" she said, standing her ground, holding the door, unwilling to step any nearer.
"Sorry to disturb you," James said. He sounded rather cold. "I know this may be awkward, but I have a message from Lucy."
"But Lucy's in France," Leah stated.
"I know, I've just got back from there myself. She asked me to give you or Emma a message."
"Why couldn't she ring? And why have you come yourself?" Leah was totally confused.
"Right, can you just listen for a moment,” he cut in. “Lucy has misplaced her mobile and didn't want to use Sam's. I offered her mine to ring you but she said no. Anyway, she thinks that she's left something in her fridge back at home that will go off, meat I think. The fridge is apparently very old and what with the hot weather, she's worried that when they get back the place will smell terrible and Sam will go ballistic. So, can you or Emma please go round to their flat and sort it out before they come home next week?"
James stood in front of her, fished a key out of his back pocket and held it out to her.
"She asked me to give you this, her spare key."
"Oh," Leah said, as she took the key from him, unsure what to say, how to reply.
"Do you think you could let me have a glass of water?" James asked. “It's so hot today ... And I see that you've obviously been taking advantage of the weather."
Leah realised James was looking at her front. She glanced down and saw that the shape of her nipples was clearly visible through the thin material.
"Look, just come in for a moment and I'll get you a drink," she said, shuffling slowly backwards into the tiny hall. Then she turned and James followed her into the kitchen.
"Is Emma around?" he asked. "I can give her the message, too."
"No, Simon came back and they've gone to Brighton for a few days."
There was a pause.
"So," James said in a low voice. "You're here on your own."
Leah could have bitten off her tongue. She nodded and turned to get a glass from the counter, running the tap until the water felt cool, then filling the glass and passing it to James.
They faced each other, standing either side of the kitchen table; the only sound in the room was the steady drip of the cold water tap.
"Sunday afternoon ..." James said.
"Stop there!" Leah said.
She felt herself flush. He was so unpredictable, she just never knew how to behave around him.
"If I promise not to try and seduce you, or drag you off to bed by force, could we perhaps talk at least?" James asked.
"What is there left that we could possibly talk about?" Leah said, as she tried to stop her voice shaking.
"I seem to upset you, which I don't want to do," James replied, looking at her steadily, "and I feel I've made a few mistakes."
"A few mistakes!" Leah felt herself becoming annoyed. "Knowing you is like being on a roller coaster. My life is all ups and downs."
"In what way?" James raised his eyebrows; it was so sexy.
"First, the downs. I felt really dreadful about getting drunk at the wedding, and somehow you made me feel worse. Then the highs. Your loan, the day in Oxford, I honestly couldn't have expected either of those things to happen. Then down again, when you unexpectedly check up on me at the shop, and ask me to spend a night with you, then turn me away! How do you think I feel. You seem to move my world around, James, and it confuses me."
Obsessed (BBW Billionaire Light Romance) Page 9
