“Fine, fine. You’re looking very well – all those hours on the golf course are doing you the world of good.”
“Hah, any excuse to get away from Becky, as you know yourself.”
“Hey, thanks a lot,” the aforementioned retorted wide-eyed. “You’re giving Jenny a terrible impression of me already.”
“Only joking.” Graham put an arm around Rebecca’s waist and smiled at Jenny. “Hello, my lovely,” he greeted. “Nice to meet you.”
She shook his hand, warming to him instantly. It was probably the accent, she thought. Jenny couldn’t quite forget though that this was the guy who ran away with Mike’s wife.
Although he certainly seemed to have forgotten it. The two men were already chatting away as if they were the best of friends.
Mike ordered more drinks and the four moved to a quiet table in the cosy hotel lounge. As the others chatted amongst themselves, Jenny noticed that although Rebecca wasn’t conventionally beautiful, she was effortlessly sophisticated and attractive. In other words, she could see why Mike had fallen for her.
She decided she’d better make some effort to join in the conversation.
“So, you two live in Wales?” she asked.
Rebecca chortled. “God, no – we live in London. I couldn’t survive all that way out in the country.”
Graham rolled his eyes. “She makes the place sound like the back of beyond. Poor Becky couldn’t function if she didn’t have Chelsea High Street within walking distance – isn’t that right, my love?”
“Well, for dining at least,” Rebecca replied, winking. “Unfortunately, I’m a terrible cook.”
“I can certainly vouch for that,” Mike piped up and they all laughed.
Still a little taken aback at how easy and comfortable they all seemed together, Jenny relaxed. She truly hadn’t expected them to be so nice. Rebecca and Graham were so full of chatter that it was difficult to get a word in.
Since Graham was also involved in the software industry, it wasn’t long before he and Mike were deep in conversation about business.
Rebecca rolled her eyes and leaned towards Jenny conspiratorially.
“And they’re off. Does all that tech talk bore you senseless too? Anyway, onto more important stuff,” she said and Jenny’s stomach tightened nervously, certain that Mike’s ex was about to give her a grilling. Until Rebecca gleefully rubbed her hands together. “You won’tbelievehow much I picked up on Grafton Street earlier – I’d forgotten how great the shopping is here.”
Later that night,lying in the darkness beside Mike, Jenny went over the evening’s events in her head, pleased that the outing had gone so well.
Mike was right – they were wonderful. Rebecca, obviously sensing Jenny’s nervousness, had gone out of her way to help her feel at ease.
“I know you probably think it’s odd that Mike and I still have such a good relationship,” she had said when he and Graham were out of earshot, “but we’ve known one another for a long time and went through a lot together.” She smiled and put a hand on Jenny’s arm. “It was hard at times, but we sorted everything out in the end.”
She’d just nodded, unsure how to respond.
“I think what I’m trying to say, and please don’t take this the wrong way …” She looked at Jenny. “I can only imagine how awkward it must have been for you tonight. I’d be the same myself, meeting the dreaded ex-wife.” She looked affectionately over at Mike and Graham, both engrossed in the rugby highlights on the TV. “Things went wrong for us early in the marriage. By the end, we were more like brother and sister than husband and wife and I’m pretty certain Mike would agree with that. Then I met Graham and – ”
“It’s OK,” Jenny interjected. “Please don’t feel that you have to tell me any of this, Rebecca. It’s none of my business, after all.”
“I think it is,” she stated firmly. “I know how Mike feels about you and I’m concerned that my friendship with him might make you uncomfortable. I just wantyou to know that I’m not a threat, and never will be. I still love him as a friend and I know he feels the same way. We both have our own lives now – you know that Graham and I have two little girls?” Her face lit up when she mentioned her children and Jenny realised then how important having a family must have been to her – so much that it ultimately destroyed her marriage.
“Yes. Mike mentioned that.”
“We’re hoping to get married next year – if we can find the time, that is. Rosie and Robyn are still only toddlers but sometimes ….” She rolled her eyes.
“Anyway, I was thrilled when Mike told me that you two had finally got it together.” She nudged Jenny softly. “It’s wonderful to see him so happy. I hope you don’t mind, but he told me all about you ages ago?”
Touched by this, Jenny smiled affectionately at him.
“So you’ll have to come over for a visit sometime. I could take you down to Fulham – there’s some incredible shopping there and …”
Now, Jenny smiled to herself in the darkness. Rebecca was quite a woman. She didn’t know how she would react in the same circumstances. She rarely stayed friends with her exes; she’d left Paul behind in Australia and Roan was another ocean way too.
