‘No shit.’
‘Come here! Come here!’ Ashleigh beckoned her over, as if about to reveal big news. Remy bent down.
‘I have had sex,’ her sister whispered, and Remy caught the full whiff of sour wine notes on her breath. It was far from pleasant.
‘Two things: you’re a mother and therefore I guessed this might be the case.’
Again Ashleigh roared her laughter. ‘Wha’s the second thing?’
‘You need to use mouthwash, that’s the second thing. You smell like an old brewery mop.’
‘I want to tell you more about my secret, Remy.’ Her sister pulled her arm, until she was sitting next to Ashleigh on the floor, suddenly a little tired, her body flagging.
‘Go on then. Just tell me.’ She was running out of patience.
‘I had it just now!Tonight!When I went out, I ended up in the pub and had sex! The best kind of sex, unexpextedsex!’
‘You met someone in the pub and had sex?’ Remy didn’t know how to process this. Her sister was a grown woman, and yet she felt horrified. Had someone taken advantage of her? Her gut churned with all the terrible possibilities.
Ashleigh howled her laughter. ‘No! Well, yes, but I knew him already.’
‘You don’t know anyone here.’ She was confused, Ashleigh was a London girl. Who did she know who might be drinking in a pub in Amesbury?
‘I had sex with Jamie!’
The words were easy enough to understand, yet made little sense.
‘Jamie?’ She felt her mouth go a little dry, and was confused, because the only Jamie she knew was Jamie Aller and ... surely not! ‘My Jamie?’
‘He’s not your Jamie anymore, butthatJamie, yes. Sophie’s dad, Jamie the bozo!’
Remy stood and held the edge of the countertop. ‘That’s ... are you actually kidding me?’ It was a thought as yucky as it was surprising. Not only was Jamie a dipstick, but Ashleigh knew exactly how he had treated her when they were married.
She shuddered; the connection was revolting for her.She had been married to Jamie, had a baby with Jamie, it was ...
‘Are you angry?’ Now her sister looked close to tears.
‘Go to bed, Ash. Go to bed and sleep it off and we can talk about it in the morning.’
‘Youareangry with me.’ Her sister stifled a sob.
‘No, no. I’m not angry.’ Remy turned away, unable to look at her, and pausing by the door, she spoke plainly and loudly. ‘I’m grossed out, just completely grossed out!’
Halfway up the stairs, she could hear Ashleigh bashing pots and clattering pans in the kitchen. God only knew what messshe was making physically to match the one her behaviour would undoubtedly create.
The bedroom was in darkness. It was hard to tell if Midge was sleeping. She could just about identify his shape under the duvet. Her body was stiff as she lay on the bed next to him, arms by her side, breathing heavily, staring wide-eyed at the ceiling as her thoughts spun and her upset brewed, and all thoughts of a restful sleep this evening were relegated in the face of this ... this ... turmoil!
Midge turned on to his side and she heard him sigh.
‘Well, that was quite the night.’ He spoke clearly, far from sleep.
‘Yep.’ She wasn’t sure how to be, what to say, feelings alien when it came to her marriage.
‘She’s right though, Remy, he’s notyourJamie. He can’t be, because you’ve got me, you’ve got a Midge, and Jamie is old news, the past.’
So he had heard; at least it spared her having to say the words out loud.
‘You know what I meant. He’s still Sophie’s dad. Are you telling me it’s not weird?’
