‘I’ll try not to call him that, but if I have to speak to him, I can’t guarantee I’ll be civil.’
‘Yeah, right.’ He clasped her shoulder and gave her another hug.
They both knew that was rubbish. Olivia didn’t have it in her to be rude to anyone.
The knowledge jarred in his head as a trickle of memories slipped into his mind and he remembered all the things that Emily had told him that Olivia had said and done. Suddenly they didn’t ring true. Not with the Olivia he’d known all theseyears. Like a cloud lifting, his thoughts clarified. Emily had been prone to exaggeration; it just hadn’t occurred to him how far that might stretch. Now it seemed obvious.
He realised Olivia was speaking and he’d zoned out for a second.
‘Just don’t let on to Dad who he is. I don’t want any homicidal bowling.’
Kate was the only one of the family who’d ever met Mike but they all knew what he’d done.
‘If he gives you any trouble I’ll put itching powder in his box!’
She laughed. ‘Thanks, I’ll be fine,’ she said amused, and then her eyes shifted as if she was trying to avoid looking at him. Weird. Were they back to those odd games again?
An awkward silence hung between them and he stepped back.
‘Duty calls. I need to find out who’s here. See you later.’ Loping off, he headed into the away team’s changing room.
* * *
I was grateful for Daniel’s warning. It meant that when I did see Mike and his girlfriend I was prepared. I knew exactly who she was from her distinct shade of red hair. I’d seen it once before, fanned out on a pillow beneath Mike.
‘Olivia! Great to see you. How’re you doing? What are you up to now?’ he said all in one nervous breath.
‘Mike.’ I nodded. Be cool. Distant. ‘Fine.’ I said, deliberately ignoring all his questions and not bothering to show any interest in him. My chilly response didn’t faze him as he carried on enthusiastically.
‘So, what are you up to now?’
‘I work in London,’ I said coolly. Although part of me wanted to tell him I was wildly successful, had a wonderful life and drovea bright red Ferrari, another part wanted to show him that I had absolutely no interest in his opinion.
Tracey had looked suspicious at first, shooting glances at us, checking out our body language but my offhand manner must have reassured her. I could see her relax and in a throwaway glance totally dismiss me.
She’d obviously decided I was no threat at all, which normally I wouldn’t have reacted to. After all she hadn’t personally done me any harm, but coming after Friday’s moment of epiphany about Emily, her dismissal wound me up. How dare she? I’d wipe that smug look off her face. How come everyone else got away with bad behaviour?
I couldn’t help myself, I was feeling bitchy and for once I was going to give into those feelings.
Suddenly I wanted to make Mike squirm. He and Emily were two of a kind, they always went for the easy option in life and in both cases, I’d let them get away with it. Not anymore and that went for Emily too.
I gave Mike a long slow assessing look and smiled straight into his eyes completely ignoring Tracey. ‘It’s been a long time. You look well. What are you doing these days?’
He blanched uneasily.
As well he might. Tracey immediately straightened up, moving closer to his side to give him an unsubtle nudge in the ribs.
A look of panic crossed his face. ‘Tracey, this is Olivia. She was at Norwich with... at the same time as me.’
I smiled. The wide, soulless smile of a shark going in for the kill. ‘I saw you... once.’
Mike’s Adam’s apple dipped and I felt a tiny flicker of satisfaction at his discomfort.
‘Really,’ she said frowning as if trying to remember meeting me, which of course she couldn’t. Not unless she had eyes in theback of her head. ‘I’m sorry, I don’t... Are you sure it was me? I only went to Norwich once.’
‘I’m sure. Very sure. Mike remembers. Don’t you?’
He flushed bright red. She intercepted the look and frowned.
