“That’ssotrue. Maybe I should go out with someone who has dreadful hair just to see what happens and then if he’s nice I can make him get his hair done.”
“It could be worth trying it that way around at this point.”
“Anyway, what is Adam up to tonight?”
“He’s out with clients.” As usual, she wanted to add but knew that would fill Anna with glee. Anna gave her a look anyway. “What?”
“It just seems that lately, from what you say, he seems to be out almost every night with clients. Do you think that’s normal?”
Rachel shrugged. “I don’t know, it has been more than usual but I suppose it depends what project he’s working on.”
“You don’t think it could be anything else?”
Rachel sensed that Anna was treading unusually carefully.
“Like what? Oh… I know he’s not your favourite person but he’s not a cheat,” she said confidently. Then looking at Anna, she frowned and said, “Why? Do you know something?”
Anna sighed and looked pointedly at Rachel. “I don’t know for sure but since it’s come up… You know the other night when I went to the opening of that new rooftop bar by the river, near Tower Bridge? Well, I thought I saw Adam.”
“That’s not much of a revelation, Anna. He’s out around there most of the time with clients. There was probably a group of them. Right?”
“It might not have been him. Maybe I didn’t get a proper look.”
But Anna knew what Adam looked like. He was tall enough to stand out in a crowd and by being vague, Rachel knew she was trying to spare her feelings. Still, being out with someone, especially if it was work-related, didn’t constitute evidence of an affair.
“It couldn’t have been then because that night I’m sure he was out with quite a few people. Some clients from America apparently.”
“See? I didn’t think it was him,” Anna said unconvincingly. “Right. What are we having next?”
“I think there would be signs.” Were there any signs? He did go out all the time, sometimes staying at hotels in town to save a late-night journey back to Shoreditch. Was that really what he was doing?
“You’re right,” said Anna. “There would be signs. Let’s get another cocktail from that gorgeous barman.”
The conversation with Anna left Rachel feeling uneasy. She really didn’t think Adam was that type but on the other hand, he did go out a lot and she always took his word for it about who he was with, mainly because it had never occurred to her to think anything else.
6
ON FRIDAY, ADAM sent Rachel a text during the day which was such a rare occurrence that to start with she had thought her phone was on the blink and had re-displayed an old text.
Will pick you up from work at 7 pm. Is that too early for you ;-)
He was making fun of the fact that she had been working late so often.
Until at 7 pm, her phone buzzed.
I’m downstairs.
“Shit!” she said out loud, having completely lost track of the time. She picked up her laptop, shoved it into her bag, shrugged her coat on and shouted goodbye to the office cleaner before she ran downstairs.
Outside, Adam was leaning against the wall with his collar turned up against the cold, hands in his coat pockets and his bag slung across his shoulder. He looked up and smiled as she came towards him and then lazily pushed himself upright, leaning down to kiss her. Then he led the way, not towards the loft but in the other direction.
“I thought it might be nice to go out for dinner as it’s our last Friday night together for a few weeks.” He squeezed her hand and smiled.
“That’s a great idea. I’m starving. Where are we going?”
“It’s a surprise.” He sneaked a look down at her - which reminded her of the way that Hugh Grant looks at Martine McCutcheon at the end of Love Actually - and then took her hand and marched them both to the end of the street where there was a black cab waiting at the corner.
Adam held the door open and she climbed in looking expectantly at him, waiting to hear where he was going to direct the driver but the taxi started going without him having said anything.
