‘Hello?’ I panted.
‘How are you now?’ That fabulous accent skated into my ear and over every vertebrae of my spine.
‘Good thanks,’ I replied out of breath. ‘In the gym. Needed to burn off some steam.’
‘You’re some woman,’ he said. ‘I’m in the pub with the lads, we stopped off in the local on the way home but the network’s not great. I only saw your missed call now.’
Missed call? I didn’t leave a message, and it went straight to answer phone so I thought I’d gotten away with my borderline stalkerish behaviour.
‘What missed call?’ I denied feebly.
‘Vodafone sent me a text to say you tried to ring me,’ he annunciated slowly, like I was simple.
‘Oh, right. I must have hit it in my pocket by mistake.’
‘Oh. Well, I just wanted to say thanks for a lovely weekend. It was great to meet you. If things change, or if you need anything, even to talk, you know where I am.’
‘Thank you. I’ll be in touch. For sure.’
I didn’t know how or when, but I knew this wouldn’t be the end of us. ‘Enjoy your day.’
‘You too, Lucy.’
Then he was gone.
Chapter Four
MONDAY 2ND JULY 2012
Monday morning came too soon. I was starting a locum position in a small NHS dental practice on the outskirts of Bournemouth. It was for a three-month period on a Monday only, and it was an hour’s drive from my house in Winchester. I didn’t mind the commute, driving gave me the solitude I desired to think.
Resentment had built at home in the mere twenty-four hours since realisation struck. Tiny things I used to tolerate quietly were becoming massive issues I was ready to explode over. I’d had to pick up more Stella cans from the living room floor this morning and the room had smelt like a brewery.
I didn’t want to watch our marriage shatter, crumbling both of us into pieces of our former selves. I’d far rather, if it was going to happen, that we had a fast, clean break so there was no time for things to get really ugly. There was no doubt in my mind I had to leave, but what would I say?
What would I tell my family?
Where would I go?
What would Rob do?
It wasn’t my job to look after him, he was a grown man after all. But I couldn’t help feeling some sense of responsibility. His family were in the States.
Could he go back?
Would he even want to?
I felt like I barely knew him at all.
I pulled into the driveway of the dental surgery to begin my day. It was a relief to do something practical after all the pondering I’d been doing all night.
At lunch time I sat in the staff room with my new short-term colleagues and dabbled in polite conversation while slyly checking my phone. No messages, but I had a friend request on Facebook. It was a certain John Kelly. My stomach did a little lurch. I clicked on his profile picture but couldn’t see much as he was up a mountain togged out in skiing gear.
It was nice he’d bothered to search for me. I’d accept it tonight. I didn’t want him to think I sat desperately waiting by the phone, even if it was ridiculously close to the truth.
The day passed quickly. It wasn’t long before I was in my car again, mentally and physically exhausted. I dreaded going home to that house, to Rob.
But I couldn’t just up and leave. My brother was getting married in four weeks and it would cause a complete uproar before the wedding.
