Monday
23rd December
31.
This way to the North Pole
‘I certainly won’t miss the London traffic when we go back to Cornwall.’
It’s Bill, and he’s tapping his fingers on my steering wheel – again. Just saying. It’s a novelty I could get used to.
I take a sip of my third coffee and laugh across at him. ‘Ten minutes to get a hundred yards? It makes the three car queue at the roundabout by St Aidan station feel like nothing.’
It’s one of those mornings after the night before, when there’s so much to do you can’t sit round talking about what happened, or even carry on doing it – you just have to leap out of bed and get on with the next thing. But as we inch our way along in a sea of cars on Hackney Road and watch the people on the pavements pulling up their collars to keep out the cold as they hurry to work, it almost feels like the last twelve hours didn’t happen at all. I might just have dreamed them. Then Bill’s hand comes across and squeezes mine, and as I look down at those beautiful knuckles and grin across at him I know I didn’t.
When Bill woke me with coffee and toast at seven it felt as if we’d only just gone to sleep. Let’s just say, I finally found out what ‘chemistry’ is last night. For the record, we only made it to third base. Two healthy adults, a flat to themselves, and no protection – somehow rather than being a logistical disaster, it was nice to find out that no one was making assumptions.
The bathroom cabinet was stuffed with the things at one time, but they must have left with George. Not all things are transferrable though. You could hardly wear someone else’s size nine wellies if your feet were a size ten. Not that I would compare, because what I had last night wasn’t like anything I’ve ever had before. Amazing doesn’t begin to cover it. As I sit here in my post-orgasmic daze I’m marvelling that I got so far into my thirties without knowing sex could be this good. Nothing I’ve experienced came even half way to getting close to this.
Bill’s focused on the list of jobs because it ends with him getting to see Abby. ‘So, we’ve ticked off the boiler part, the next stop is Rob’s office on Islington Green. According to my phone we’re closing in.’
‘Brilliant, there’s parking around the back.’ If I’d been less busy cavorting under the mistletoe etc. I’d have been really worrying about this next bit. I’ve texted Rob and he’s expecting me. But even though I didn’t say why I was coming it’s pretty obvious I’m not dropping round for a chat about beams, bending moments and structural loading or whatever engineers spend their time obsessing about. When we finally get there I take Bill in too with the excuse that he’ll be cold in the car, but it’s more because I’m cacking it. Also, when you’re on delicate business trying to uncover your bestie’s other half playing away you never know when an extra pair of eyes will come in handy. As we walk in and the girl on reception looks up Bill’s right behind me murmuring.
‘Nice green plastic pixie ears.’
He’s not wrong there. There’s a champagne glass and a bottle of Baileys on the desk in front of her, and as she smiles and takes a slug I’m wondering if it’s her bed Bill’s been sleeping in. As work is where he spends all his time, everyone female in the building is under suspicion here.
‘We’re here to see Rob.’ As I take in how pretty she is and the sequins on her pointy fake shell-pink nails I can’t help shuddering at the image of them raking down Rob’s back. I make a mental note to look for scratches on his neck as well as love bites and Baileys stains on his shirt.
‘Two floors up, you can’t miss it, there’s only him and Jane up there today.’
Bugger.‘Great.’ Who said engineering was a man’s game, there’s a woman round every corner in here. I scrub everything in my head already, and take the stairs two at a time.
When Rob staggers across the office towards us as we walk in, with his bed hair, crumpled shirt and the dark circles under his eyes, he definitely looks knackered enough to have come straight into work after an all night shagging session. Although maybe I’m not in the best position to be sounding judgemental about that.
‘Ivy, and I assume this must be Bill from the castle, so hi, Bill. How can I help?’ Rob rumples his hair even more, just like he did on Facetime then he looks at me more closely and frowns. ‘Jeez, you look rough, is everything okay?’
I raise an eyebrow. ‘And I love you too, Rob.’
‘Sorry, I just …’ As he does a whole lot more hair rubbing it strikes me how much he looks Oscar, just without the colander.
I sniff. ‘Well,we’vehad a long journey.’ That’s my excuse out of the way. ‘And what’syourreason for looking like shite?’
He lets out a sigh. ‘Working all the hours, unfortunately I can’t share why right now.’
Nice try. ‘I’m sorry, Rob, but I’m not going to stand back while you cheat on Fliss. Working weekends – as if engineers do that! Hanging round in London when you should be in Cornwall.’ The calm voice I’d sworn I’d hold onto has already risen to a growl. ‘Well, unluckily for you I saw those pillowcases on Facetime that weren’t yours, Rob. You’ve been found out, the game’s up!’ It’s a complete yell now, because I’msoannoyed for Fliss, so gutted that he’ll wreck all their lives for a bit of sordid sex. ‘What have you got to say for yourself?’
‘Oh jeez.’ Rob’s face crumples and he puts his hands over his head. ‘You think I’m cheating on Fliss?’
The fact that he’s not coming clean is making my angry yell flare to a roar. ‘Don’t play the innocent with me, Rob! Why else would you have your head on someone else’s sodding pillow on a bleeding Sunday morning?’
He lets out a sigh. ‘Because I was staying with a colleague round the corner to save making the trek home. So we could be back in at the crack to get this extra contract we’ve taken on – for Fliss’s benefit – finished and out.’
My mouth’s gone dry. I hadn’t expected him to put up this much resistance. ‘Acolleague?’
‘Yes – she’s called Jane, and she’s sitting over there.’ Rob rolls his eyes and points at the woman across the room. ‘She also happens to be gay.’
The woman looks up, gives a teensy four finger wave, points at her Pride mug full of pens and pencils, and goes back to working on her laptop again and pretending to be deaf.
