‘Can I meet him?’ I asked, diving right in. ‘You must be planning something special?’
‘Er, yes, a dinner on the yacht, but aren’t you leaving tomorrow morning?’
Double bugger – I hadn’t told Julian I was sticking around.
‘Oh, I can stay an extra day,’ I offered, as if it had only just occurred to me. ‘It’s a special occasion, right?’
He was silent – probably deciding whether to invite me into the inner circle, where things got…murky.
‘Actually, you could be of use to me,’ he said after a long pause.
‘Oh?’ I asked, my gut gripping with nervous excitement.
‘Well, Dale and Trudy will be there, and you can keep Trudy company if the menfolk end up talking shop all night.’
‘Ahh, right. Well, I adore Trudy, so it would be my pleasure.’
‘Perfect,’ he said with a smile in his voice. ‘We’ll be flying over to the yacht at 7.30.’
‘About that…’ I ventured, figuring it was as good a time as any.
‘Mmm?’
‘Any chance you can change the name, Jules? You did promise ages ago.’
He chuckled. ‘God, I’d forgotten about that.’
‘You forgot that you named your boat after me? Gee, thanks.’
‘No, not like that – it’s just… that’s her name. I’m used to it. And she’s ayacht, not a boat,’ he retorted, his mild snobbery showing itself.
‘Yachtthen.’
‘I’ll change the name, Ally.’ I took that with a grain of salt, but at least I’d asked.
As I had nothing more to say – I’d got the invite I wanted and asked aboutAlly’s Odyssey– I wished him goodnight and ended the call.
For some time, I sat with my phone in my hands, staring at the painting on the wall opposite. It was cobalt-blue geometric lines on a white canvas – a nod to Greek architecture, I supposed. I traced the lines with my eyes, mulling over my situation.
It had only been a handful of days since I’d taken Julian’s call and agreed to come to Aetheria. But that had been enough to turn my world upside down. Mostly because of Tommy.
It wassurrealthat he was there. That was the only word to describe it – both real and unbelievable at once.
The sex had been incredible, but we’d always had mind-blowing chemistry. Even after weeks or sometimes months apart, we would come together as if no time had passed, fluent in each other’s erotic landscapes, carrying us to another echelon. Like tonight.
Of course, a relationship is far more than sex. And Tommy’s job had caused an emotional chasm that widened with each separation. By the time I’d concluded it was over, we were barely speaking.
I cast my mind back to the last night Tommy and I stayed in our flat together, the night before I moved out. We talked that night –reallytalked, as if we were famished for conversation, for each other. At some point around 2a.m. we were laughing so hard, my stomach muscles were screaming. And I considered – just for a moment – that I could stay and we’d be okay. That we really were in love and we got each other – wesaweach other, who we truly were.
But then he’d set an alarm, saying he should probably get some sleep as he was flying out the next morning. And that’s when I knew I’d made the right decision.
A heartbreaking, gut-wrenching decision that ate me up from the inside. But the right one.
So, our goodbye – the one that ended our marriage – was a silent hug at the door of our flat, me in my pyjamas and Tommy dressed for the next adventure, duffel bag by his feet. We’d held each other tightly and though I fought them off as best I could, my tears had drenched the front of Tommy’s shirt. He’d released me, then cupped my face in his hands, pressing a soft kiss to my lips.
Easing back, he’d said, ‘I love you, Ally. I’m sorry you don’t think we can make this work.’ Or something to that effect – an insinuation that it had been my doing alone.
Before I could respond, he’d left, not even casting a look over his shoulder. Claude had come to stay for a few days, making sure I ate and showered and helping me pack up my belongings and move into a flat share across London, closer to her and Gregory.
