Could he really change? She wasn’t convinced. It would take more than one nice meal to make up for so many years of crap. Reluctantly, she gave in. “I’ll share one if you like, the meringue looks nice.”
“The meringue it is then,” he replied and, as he signalled to the waitress, Rachael hoped that she wasn’t going to regret either the meringue or the fact that she might just give him one more chance. The meringue was the easiest decision; she could work off the after effects at the gym. Whether she could erase the after effects of another few years with Rex, however, was a completely different story.
* * *
Turning off the TV, Maggie looked at her phone. It was ten o’clock and there had been no word from Callum. She had no idea where he was or whether he was coming home. She was used to him being late during the week but he was usually here at the weekend. Maybe his new woman’s husband was away and they were making the most of it. Sighing, Maggie stood up and turned off the table lamp. It had been a long evening by herself and she still wasn’t used to being alone. Even though Callum spent most of the time in his study, he was still in the house. It was a big house to rattle around in without company. It was actually quite lonely.
As she stood up, the dogs followed suit; she would need to take them out too. The bedtime dog walk was usually Callum’s job. She didn’t really like heading out in the dark by herself; she was a tough cookie but the farm was pretty isolated. Annoyingly she realised that she felt vulnerable and she didn’t like it. With the dogs in tow she headed for the kitchen and, as she picked up her jacket from the kitchen chair, she realised sadly that this was probably a taste of things to come. She prayed that Myles wouldn’t let her down; she didn’t want to be by herself.
CHAPTER 55
Back in his flat, Thor switched on the kettle. He and Kyle had grabbed a Chinese takeaway before heading home and he was now ready to flop in front of the TV for half an hour before heading to bed. It had been a laugh this evening and, to Kyle’s amusement, he had actually been chatted up in the vicinity of the veg section in the Tesco Express. Incredibly, after finding out that he was a personal trainer, the fake-tanned brunette had wasted no time in handing over her business card. Awkwardly, she’d had two small kids in tow and was sporting a wedding ring. He’d promised to call her as, thankfully, he’d left his business cards at home. Having technically pulled, according to Kyle, Thor had handed over a tenner. He didn’t mind; he’d enjoyed Kyle’s company and, looking back, he wished he hadn’t been quite so critical of Kelsey. She’d reminded him of Jess though, and he knew how difficult it was trying to please someone like her. And, besides, she’d not exactly been complimentary about him; she might as well have been talking about a pet. Kyle really did deserve better. Thor hoped that things would change for him soon.
As the kettle switched itself off, Thor poured the water onto the teabag. He wouldn’t look at his phone this evening and he wouldn’t contact Jess. After meeting Kelsey, he knew it was time to let go. Barbara had been right, he needed to look somewhere else. He needed to meet a real person. He needed to change his approach. Tesco Express was suddenly looking very appealing.
* * *
In the taxi home, Rex held Rachael’s hand. He had tried to massage her thigh, but Rachael wasn’t ready to give in that easily. If he was committed to making it work, he would have to make some serious changes; a few nights in and one dinner out did not a new relationship make. She wanted to make sure he could stick with the changes before she let him into her bed again.
“So, tell me, who’s going to Davie’s birthday?” she asked, trying to keep the conversation light. “Are all the London lot coming up?”
“Yeah, I think so. I think they’re all coming; most of them are flying up Friday I believe.”
Rachael recalled some of the stories that she’d heard about the last boys’ trip on the girls’ weekend. Apparently, their golf trip had caused a lot of issues, especially for some of the London couples. Rachael had become immune to it over the years or at least she’d tried to. She hadn’t been surprised at all that strippers had been involved. She’d been more surprised that some of the wives had been so naïve.
“Well hopefully you can all control yourselves a bit better than the last time you got together,” she sighed. “I’m surprised that some of them have been allowed out again.”
“I don’t know what you mean?” replied Rex. “It was all quite tame from what I remember.”
“Exactly, you probably don’t remember much, you were probably so pissed you were oblivious to it all and tame is a very subjective term. Your idea of tame is probably a lot different to Lucy Sinclair’s,” said Rachael.
Rex recalled the lap dancers; he definitely remembered a few of them. Unfortunately, he also remembered the bloody photos. What a nightmare that had been.
“Anyway, it all came out on our girl’s trip; none of you got off lightly.”
“Who the hell told you?” asked Rex. He couldn’t believe that any of the boys had released tour secrets.
“Who do you think? Blabbermouth Sarah. Tommo must have told her. You should have seen Lucy’s face when she told everyone about the strippers. It was priceless. There was a right ding-dong in the Jacuzzi.”
“So is that why you wanted a divorce?” asked Rex, letting go of Rachael’s hand and putting his arm around her shoulders.
“I already wanted a divorce,” replied Rachael, taking his hand as he tried to stroke her breast. “I told you that before I even went on the trip. God, you have got a very selective memory. Your last trip was just the icing on the cake. Made me realise that I was right.”
Rex grimaced at the thought. Obviously a few of the guys had got an earful, which was probably why there hadn’t been mention of a golf trip next year. Time was a good healer though. The girls would all come around eventually.
“And what about your trip?” asked Rex. “What did you get up to? If you went out in that dress I bet you got chatted up?”
Rachael recalled Leon. She still couldn’t believe she’d gone through with it. It hadn’t been that exciting, well, apart from the private jet. He’d been great company and neither of them had had any expectation that it was anything more than a fling. She wondered how much of it was revenge and how much was a bid for freedom. At least she’d proved to herself that a life after Rex was possible. It had definitely boosted her confidence.
“Yeah, a few times actually,” she replied smugly, “but what goes on tour and all that.”
Rex didn’t reply. He didn’t have a leg to stand on. If she’d been unfaithful he couldn’t really blame her. He hadn’t exactly behaved like a monk over the last few years.
“So are you going out on Saturday night with Thor’s lot?” asked Rex, changing the subject. He didn’t want to get into any debates about possible infidelity.
“Yes, Maggie and I are both going. It should be a laugh,” said Rachael. “I just hope we don’t bump into you lot.”
So do I, thought Rex to himself. If he was going to have a final blow-out before knuckling down, he certainly didn’t want to bump into Rachael.
“Oh I’m sure we’ll manage to avoid each other,” he replied. Rachael had to smile. She was sure they would. They’d managed to avoid each other for quite a large chunk of their marriage. One more night wouldn’t make any difference.
* * *
Kyle turned on the TV. He’d have a bit of a lie-in in the morning and head to the gym later. He didn’t have any other plans; it would actually be quite nice to have a lazy day and watch the football. Maybe, with all this training, he would manage to strengthen his knee. He’d love to play football again. He missed being part of a team, they’d been like a family to him. It was his fault that they hadn’t kept in touch. He’d been devastated at not being able to play. Jealousy had kept him away. He’d love to see some of the guys again. He’d maybe look some of them up tomorrow.
Flicking through the channels, Kyle thought about Kelsey. Thor had been pretty har
sh about her, but he could kind of see his point now. He’d seen a different side to her this evening and he wasn’t so sure now that there was any hope. Maybe Thor was right; he shouldn’t put all his eggs in one basket. Kelsey was still in his heart but he needed to keep his options open. Maybe it was time to give Gemma a chance.
* * *
Back at the house, Rex and Rachael headed upstairs. As they got to the bedroom door, Rex put his arms around her and tried to kiss her. Responding, Rachael allowed him to kiss her but, as he tried to pull her closer, Rachael pulled away.
“I’m not ready for this yet,” she whispered.
“Please, Rach,” replied Rex, kissing her seductively on the neck. “I really want to make this work, please let me back into our room. Come on, it’s been a lovely night, let’s not spoil it.”
Rachael sighed. She knew he was trying but her guard was still up. If she let it down now, she had a very strong feeling that she might regret it.
“No, Rex, I can’t, not yet.”
“Why not?” whispered Rex; he was desperate to make love to his wife again.
“Because I don’t trust you not to let me down again. You’ve hurt me so many times, Rex, I don’t want to go through it all again. If you can stop drinking and prove to me that you want to make this work, then we might have a chance, but I’m sorry, I’m just not sure I trust you.”
Extricating herself from Rex’s arms, Rachael kissed him on the cheek. He looked completely crestfallen. Before she changed her mind, she opened the bedroom door.
“Thanks for a lovely night,” she said. “I enjoyed it.”
And as she quietly closed the bedroom door on him, she breathed a sigh of relief. She wasn’t giving in that easily. If he wanted her back, she intended to make him work for it.
CHAPTER 56
Monday
Stepping off the scales, Rachael held her breath. Despite Amy’s lecture on not giving in to social media stereotyping of the perfect female form, Rachael had starved herself apart from three bowls of Amy’s carrot and lentil soup, a handful of nuts and a gallon of water. She’d pointed out to Amy that there were some people in the world that lived on far less. Amy had replied that if she was starving herself out of empathy for the plight of her fellow man then it was admirable, but if she was starving herself to look like a forty-something Barbie doll, then she had a problem. Rachael ignored her. She had no idea what she was talking about.
“Well?” she asked, looking at Thor. “Good news or bad?”
“Yep, good news, another kilo lost,” replied Thor, writing it down.
“Only a kilo?” replied Rachael, disappointed. “I thought I’d done well this week.”
“You have,” replied Thor. “It’s almost a kilo and half, that’s nearly three pounds. That’s great, you’re still going in the right direction.”
“I was hoping for more,” said Rachael, sitting down. “I’ve been starving myself, well apart from a meal out with Rex on Saturday night, and I’ve even been to classes and the gym once.”
Thor looked at her. She looked tired.
“Look,” he said gently, “you’ve got a lot going on right now and what’s going on in our minds always affects our bodies. Considering the fact that your headspace is probably a bit fried at the moment, you’ve done well to lose weight again. It’s easy to put it back on when we get stressed, especially if you’re not sleeping well. You’re doing well, Rachael, honestly, you’ve only been training a couple of weeks, and it’s always better to lose the weight steadily and consistently and then keep it off. It’s a much better way than following some celebrity fad diet and putting it all back on as soon as you start to lose the plot because you’re emaciated.”
Rachael looked at him. He was lovely. She so wished she was twenty years younger.
“OK,” she sighed.
“So, we’re heading outside today,” said Thor, standing up and reaching for a rucksack. “Let’s get some fresh air and have a bit of fun. The gym you can use in your own time and when it’s chucking it down. It’s always better out than in.”
Thor looked at her sad face as he zipped up the rucksack.
“Love life still causing you grief, is it?” he asked as he took her bottle of water and added it to his rucksack.
“Sort of,” replied Rachael, putting on her jacket. “Rex told me about coming to see you, so you don’t have to worry about that anymore.”
“Good,” replied Thor. “It makes it a lot easier for me.”
“He took me out for dinner on Saturday,” said Rachael. “He says he doesn’t want a divorce and he is trying, but he’s been such an idiotic, selfish prick over the last however many years. I just don’t want to be let down again.”
“Well you have to give him a bit of credit for trying,” said Thor, trying to be positive. “It’s a big step for him, training with me.”
“Yeah, I appreciate that,” replied Rachael, “but I’m definitely not having sex with him yet, he’s not wheedling his way in that easily. He’s got a hell of a lot of making up to do and I want to see what happens next Saturday when he’s out on the piss with his mates. I’m trying to find out where they’re going to so I can spy on him. If he’s serious about saving our marriage, he’ll need to start behaving himself. If I see him chatting anyone up, that’s it.”
Thor was listening but didn’t comment. He wasn’t into marriage guidance.
“Can’t you find out where they’re going on Saturday night?” asked Rachael, “then we can turn up and annoy them. I can spy on him then. He’ll tell you.”
Thor looked at her.
“You know I can’t do that,” he replied. “If I did that, you’d never trust me again.”
“Oh I’m sure I would, but I get it and I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked,” said Rachael, shocked at herself for revealing so much. She hadn’t anticipated therapy as well as training. She was starting to sound a little mad.
“OK, deranged wife rant over, let’s get on with it. What’s in that rucksack by the way? It looks quite heavy.”
Thor winked at her.
“It’s my bag of tricks,” he said, teasingly. “You’ll be amazed at what I’ve got in here.”
Rachael couldn’t care less what he had in the rucksack. As long as he continued to whip her into shape, she would take everything he threw at her. She wasn’t convinced that Rex could change; she would stick to her guns for now. The divorce card was still well and truly on the table.
Still lying in his bed, Rex looked at the clock. He really should make a move. Over the weekend he’d made a pact with himself to get into work earlier this week; start earlier and then go to the gym afterwards. If he could stick to the gym plan, it would keep him out of the bar after work and, hopefully, Rachael would see that he meant business. He was serious about not wanting a divorce, but he could tell that she just didn’t believe or trust him. They’d had a nice day yesterday; he’d got up early and gone to the gym and then they’d shared a late breakfast in Amy’s favourite vegan cafe. The breakfast had been surprisingly edible and they’d followed it with a walk along the river. She’d let him hold her hand and she hadn’t taken the piss out of him as she usually did. He’d even cooked dinner under Amy’s supervision and suggested watching a film. He’d chosen something a bit racy, in the vain hope that it would get Rachael in the mood and they’d snuggled up on the sofa together. Unfortunately, he’d spoilt it by falling asleep, snoring and dropping his glass of wine, but he’d tried. He couldn’t help falling asleep; the training was taking its toll. She still hadn’t let him back into their bedroom though. She was definitely making him work for it.
Rex stretched and kicked off the covers. He’d enjoyed his training session with Thor and was looking forward to the next one. He wasn’t looking forward to sharing another session with Callum though. He was such a whinger. He’d told him what Thor had said about not shagging Maggie or Rachael, but Callum wouldn’t listen. He’d made up his mind that Maggie was having an affair an
d that was that. Rex smiled to himself; he could see a last-minute meeting at work coming on, he might just have to pull out. Callum could go by himself. If he had issues with Thor, then he could talk about it, face to face like a real man. Thor would then have the pleasure of torturing him for at least forty-five minutes. Callum had got himself into it. He could bloody well get himself out.
* * *
“Well that was interesting,” said Rachael, trying to get her breath back. “That bloody rope’s a killer, how do people come up with these things?”
“Got to be creative, Rachael,” replied Thor. “Keeps it interesting. Ropes and harnesses always bring a bit of variety to the sessions. Do you want to unstrap yourself? You did well.”
Standing up, Rachael grappled with the clip. She could hardly breathe.
“Can you do it?” she asked, giving up.
Thor undid the clip and helped Rachael out of the harness. She tried not to shiver as his hands brushed over her chest. As usual he smelt gorgeous; she was definitely having a mid-life crisis. She needed to stop lusting after him. It was ridiculous.
“Thanks,” she said as he handed her the bottle of water. “I actually enjoyed that, does that make me a bit weird?”
“In what way?”
“Getting turned on by ropes and harnesses?” she replied.
“Maybe you should suggest that to Rex,” said Thor, deflecting the question. He didn’t want to go in that direction. “Might spice things up a bit.”
“If I tried that with Rex I’d probably end up hanging him,” she said, laughing. “But you wait till I tell him you trussed me up this morning. That’ll keep him on his toes.”
“Oh give the guy a chance,” said Thor. “You never know, he might surprise you.”
“Well he might,” said Rachael, taking a large gulp of water, “and I might just surprise him on Saturday night. If I find him, it’ll either be make or break. I’ll find out where he’s going somehow. There’s always a way.”
Trust Me, I’m a Personal Trainer Page 29
