B00CAXBD9C EBOK (7 page)

He wanted to slap her. She sat there, glaring at him, and for one lucid moment he saw not his beautiful Claudia, but a hard calculating face over a well-developed, highly exhibited body.

‘Your tits are hanging out!’ he said.

‘So?’ she replied. ‘Why not? Are you the only one that’s supposed to see them?’

The plump brunette the other side of David suddenly tugged his arm. ‘Are you a film producer too?’ she asked. Her eyes were large and round and somewhat bloodshot.

‘No,’ he said curtly.

Conrad and Lori returned to the table. David stood up. Lori was very tall. She stood there remote and cool. David could see that Claudia was watching her jealously. He took hold of Lori’s arm quickly. ‘What about another dance?’ he said. ‘I want to see this wild dancing of yours.’

Claudia shot him a dirty look and then focused her charm on Conrad again.

‘That would be fun, honey,’ drawled Lori, and they headed for the dance floor.

She danced beautifully. ‘I used to be a showgirl in Vegas,’ she confided.

The evening dragged on. Claudia got drunker and drunker, and she and Conrad closer and closer. The plump brunette was obviously forgotten. Linda and Jay chatted on. Lori sat silently, only speaking when someone spoke to her. David lounged morosely, watching Claudia and Conrad and occasionally attempting to flirt with Lori in case Claudia might be watching
him.

At two in the morning Linda said with a yawn, ‘I think we had better be going. I’m absolutely exhausted.’

No one else in the party seemed interested in leaving, so they said their good-byes. Claudia said good-bye with a drunken smile and then turned to concentrate on Conrad, who by this time was as drunk as she was.

Jay insisted on coming with them to the car where they exchanged phone numbers and promised to all get together again soon.

At last they were alone. Linda leaned back in the car and closed her eyes.

David said, not really meaning it, but wanting to take his bad temper out on someone, ‘You and that phony director were getting very friendly.’

She opened her eyes. ‘No more friendly than you and that trampy soap model.’

He shot her a dark look. ‘I didn’t even talk to her. I don’t know what you mean.’

‘Oh, David, really,’ she sighed. ‘You didn’t even talk to
anyone,
you were so annoyed she was with Conrad Lee. Any fool could see that.’ She paused, then added curiously, ‘Have you ever taken her out?’

He stared furiously at the road ahead. ‘What a ridiculous question.’

‘I just wondered. You seemed so interested in her. Even at the first party you kept on getting in little huddles with her.’

‘She works for us, Linda. I was trying to see that the display thing went off smoothly, that’s all.’

They lapsed into silence. He switched the car radio on.

‘Darling,’ Linda said quickly, tentatively, ‘what’s wrong?’

‘What do you mean, what’s wrong?’

‘I mean, what’s wrong with us? What’s happening to us? Why are we so far apart all of a sudden?’

He turned off the radio. ‘I didn’t know we were so far apart.’

She looked out of the car window – they were driving through the park, and the trees looked dark and ominous as they sped past them. ‘It’s funny, David, this must have been starting to happen to us for years, and yet neither of us realized it, neither of us tried to stop it. We’re almost like strangers now, and the only thing we have in common is the children.’

‘I think you’re overtired, you’re talking a lot of nonsense.’

‘A lot of nonsense,’ she repeated. ‘Is that what you really think?’ Tears started to roll silently down her cheeks. ‘When did you last make love to me? When did you last
want
to?’

‘Oh, so that’s what this is about.’

She fought to keep her tears under control. ‘No, that’s not what this is about, but it’s part of it.’

He pulled the car onto the side of the road and stopped.

Then he turned to face her. What could he say? That he didn’t find her exciting anymore? That Claudia was a better lay? She was right, really, they were far apart.

‘Do you remember our honeymoon?’ she questioned.

Yes, he remembered their honeymoon. Spain, hot and sticky, and long pleasurable nights with Linda, an innocent young Linda, who awoke all sorts of desires and ambitions in him. ‘Yes, I remember our honeymoon,’ he said quietly.

‘Why can’t things be like they were then?’ She looked at him plaintively.

‘Linda, we’re both ten years older. Things don’t stand still, you know.’

‘Yes, I know.’ She thought – Paul makes me feel ten years younger. He makes me feel attractive and desirable. He makes me feel wanted.

David said, ‘We’d better be getting home. I need to get to the office early in the morning.’

‘Yes, all right.’ She thought, why don’t you take me in your arms? Why don’t you throw me down on the back seat and make love to me here? Why don’t you worry about what
I
need?

They drove home in an uneasy silence, both realizing that there was more unsaid than said.

The house seemed cold and dark. Linda went in to look at the children. Jane slept curled up in a ball, her thumb stuck firmly in her mouth. Stephen had kicked all his covers off and nearly fallen out of bed. She covered him and kissed him lightly on the forehead. They were so innocent, her two precious children. So young and pure.

David was taking a shower. Linda undressed and settled into bed. She wondered if because of what she had said he would want to make love tonight.

He didn’t. He returned from the bathroom, got into bed, switched the light off, muttered, ‘Good night,’ and appeared to go straight off to sleep.

She lay there angry and frustrated. I tried, she thought. I really tried to talk to him. But he doesn’t seem to care what’s happening to us, he doesn’t seem to
mind.

* * *

The morning dawned bleak and raining.

David was up at seven. He shaved, showered, and dressed without disturbing Linda. He was out of the house by eight.

She awoke shortly after. Jane was standing beside the bed. ‘Mummy, can I come in for a cuddle, please?’ the little girl requested.

‘Yes, of course, darling.’

‘I hate Stevie,’ Jane confided. ‘He’s a nasty, rough boy. I wish boys were girls!’

‘Yes, that’s a very good idea,’ replied Linda, smiling.

The morning passed in a flurry of domesticity. The children started school the following day and there was a lot to be done. School uniforms to be assembled, books to be found, everything washed and clean.

Linda had no time to think, and in the afternoon she had promised to take them to a movie.

There was no message from Paul. She was both hurt and yet relieved.

When they returned from the cinema she phoned David. He wasn’t in the office so she left a message for him to call her as soon as he returned. Jay Grossman had phoned and left a number. She rang him back.

‘We were wondering if you and David would care to join us for dinner tomorrow night?’ he said. ‘Lori just can’t wait to go to the Savoy Grill – she’s heard Princess Margaret goes there and figures we’re bound to be at the next table!’

Linda laughed. ‘I’ll have to check with David. Can you call back later?’

David didn’t phone until past seven. ‘I’ll be late,’ he said shortly.

‘How late?’

‘I don’t know, probably around twelve.’

‘Where do you have to go?’

His voice was angry. ‘What is this, a cross-examination?’

She replied coldly, ‘No, it’s not a cross-examination, but I think I’m entitled to know why you’re going to be late.’

There was a silence, then, ‘I’m sorry, of course you are. I’m tired, I suppose. Actually, I’ve got a late meeting with Phillip.’

‘Why don’t you bring him back here and I’ll give you both dinner?’

‘No, it’s all right. We’ll grab a sandwich next door and get on with things.’

‘I’ll see you later, then.’

‘Yes, don’t wait up.’ He hesitated, then asked, ‘How are the children?’

‘They’re fine. In a state of excitement about school tomorrow.’

‘Give them a kiss for me. Bye.’

‘Bye.’ She hung up and yawned. It’s an early night for me, she thought, then she remembered that Jay would be phoning back about dinner the following evening. Quickly she picked up the phone and dialled David’s private number at the office. It rang and rang, but there was no reply.

She hung up and went and looked in the phone book for Phillip’s number. David was probably in
his
office. She couldn’t find Phillip’s number, but his home number was there, so she dialled that. His wife, Mary, answered.

‘I’m sorry to bother you,’ said Linda, ‘but can you give me Phillip’s private number at the office?’

‘Yes, of course,’ said Mary, sounding slightly surprised. ‘I’m expecting him home any minute, so I don’t think there will be any reply.’

Now it was Linda’s turn to sound surprised. ‘But isn’t he working late with David?’

‘No, he’s definitely on his way home. We’ve got his mother for dinner. He’ll be here any minute.’

‘Oh,’ said Linda quietly, ‘I must have made a mistake.’

‘Hang on a sec,’ said Mary. ‘I think I hear him at the door now.’

Linda was left hanging numbly onto the receiver. She felt stunned. So David was lying. Why was he lying? How long had he been lying? And why was it only now, when she herself had been unfaithful, that she had to find out? It was obviously another woman. She felt sick.

Phillip’s harsh voice boomed down the phone. ‘Hello, Linda. What’s your problem?’

She forced her voice to be light. ‘No problem, Phillip, I’m just trying to track David down. I thought he said he was working with you, but I must have got it wrong.’

Phillip sounded embarrassed. ‘I can’t help you. David left the office early today.’ He added as an afterthought, ‘He’s probably out with Mr. Smythson or someone from up north. We seem to have a whole group of people visiting this week.’

‘Thank you, Phillip,’ said Linda. She wanted to say, ‘You don’t have to try and make excuses for him.’ Instead she said, ‘I’m sure you’re right. Good-bye.’

So this was the answer to her questions. It all tied in. Late nights home, weekends away on business, no real physical interest in her. This must have been subconsciously why she found herself in bed with Paul. They say there is a certain point in every marriage where a woman is at the crossroads as to whether to go to bed with someone else or not, and depending on the state of her marriage at the time, she makes her decision.

It’s true, thought Linda, if things had been all right with David and me, then I would never have looked twice at Paul.

It all seemed so wrong, and to add insult to injury, Paul hadn’t even rung her. She felt used. By both of them. And she didn’t even know what move to make next. Tears seemed threateningly and uselessly close.

David awoke on Tuesday morning early, with one thought uppermost in his mind, and that was to get out of the house, reach a telephone, and phone Claudia.

It was seven o’clock, and Linda lay sleeping quietly, so quietly in fact that for a moment he contemplated using the phone in the house, but realizing the probable folly of this, decided against it.

He shaved, showered, dressed hurriedly, and left. He drove as far as Baker Street before stopping at a pay phone. He dialled the number and listened to it ring, but no one answered, so he redialled, but still no reply. He let it ring for a long time, but to no avail. At last he reached the obvious conclusion that she was either out or too deeply asleep to be disturbed.

He jumped back into his car, and with a sudden flash of decision drove to where she lived.

This time it was the doorbell he rang to no avail.

‘Bitch!’ he muttered to himself. ‘Dirty little bitch!’

He hung around outside for a while, but eventually realizing the futility of this, he drove sourly to his office.

Every half-hour he rang her number, getting more and more angry each time it wasn’t answered. At eleven it was finally picked up by her cleaning woman.

‘Miss Parker,’ he snapped.

The daily’s voice was full of cockney richness. ‘I fink she’s asleep. ’Old on a tick. I’ll go ’ave a look.’ She returned after a short pause. ‘She ain’t in,’ she stated. ‘Any message?’

He said, ‘You don’t happen to know what time she went out?’

‘Can’t say that I do. Don’t fink she’s bin ’ere since yesterday, ’cos ’er bed ain’t bin slept in.’

‘Thank you,’ he said. ‘There’s no message.’

He imagined her with Conrad. Her smooth, beautiful body crushed to his, going through the motions of love-making which she practised so expertly. He could almost hear her small exquisite cries of excitement, her little moans, and the way she muttered crude words in a low, throaty voice. He swore.

After that he rang her apartment every hour, putting the phone down when the cleaning woman answered. He was furious with himself for being so hung up about her. He had always prided himself on never getting too deeply involved emotionally, always being able to shut other people out of his life when he had had enough of them. But this time it was different. Whatever she did, he couldn’t seem to get Claudia out of his mind.

At four o’clock she finally picked up her phone. The record player was very loud in the background, and she sounded in good spirits. He listened to her voice saying ‘Hello,’ then a pause, then – ‘Hello, is anyone there?’ Then another longer pause, and then – ‘Oh, screw you, whoever it is!’ And the phone was slammed down.

He left the office at once and drove straight over to where she lived. He didn’t want to fight with her on the phone, he wanted to see her, hear the excuses, watch her lie.

She answered her front door and looked surprised and a little guilty to see him. She was wearing very tight white slacks and a mansized black sweater. Her face was devoid of any makeup, and although she looked tired, her brilliant green eyes shone with an alert, triumphant expression.

‘Surprise, surprise!’ she said. ‘Come on in.’

He followed her into the flat. A very loud Rolling Stones ‘Satisfaction’ was turned up full volume. A half-bottle of Scotch and a giant pink fluffy toy poodle stood on the table.