Girl on the Run (11 page)

From: Stevie, To: Marshall

Guess what Marsh, Buzz and I are coming down to London tonight to go to a
gig. We'll be crashing at the flat after. Hope that's Ok with you. We're probably not going out until about ten, so fancy grabbing some takeout with us? Lov
e
　Stevie.

##

From: Marshall, To: Stevie

I'm supposed to be inviting Jane over
… I'll postpone if you guys are going to be there. I don't want to miss the opportunity to meet the famous Buzz. Will you two be staying the whole weekend? Marsh.

##

From: Stevie, To: Marshall

Shit. I forgot about Jane. Look, we'll find somewhere else to stay. Don't worry about it.

##

From: Marshall
, To: Stevie

No, that's fine. It will be nice to see you and to meet Buzz
.
　I can always have Jane round on Saturday. So long as you're not planning to stay the whole weekend …?

##

From: Stevie, To: Marshall

We'll clear off on Saturday afternoon, I promise.
Can I meet Jane
?
　It's only fair if you get to meet my boyfriend.

##

From: Marshall, To: Stevie

No. You can't meet her. Sorry
.
　I've only seen her twice outside of work. I'd like to get to know her better before I introduce her to my sister.

##

From: Stevie, To: Marshall

From what I've heard you know her pretty well after yesterday. But fear not, brother dear. We'll be out of your hair by Saturday afternoon.
Gotta go. Train in twenty minutes. See you later
.
　Love Stevie.

##

From: Marshall, To: James

Drat. I was planning to cook a nice meal for Jane and Stevie emails to say that she and her no good
boyfriend arecoming down for the weekend. Much as I love Stevie, she somehow manages to throw a spanner in my romantic aspirations
.
　On the other hand, I get to meet Buzz, finally. I'll be interested to see if he is as in love with her as she is with him
.
　Marsh.

##

From: James, To: Marshall

You shouldn't prejudge the poor guy, you know.
Sounds like Stevie really likeshim, so it is possible he's totally besotted with her too. He may genuinely mean to pay back everything he's borrowed from her
.
　Just because you were ultra sensible with money when you were a student, it doesn't mean everyone has to be
.
　Jim.

##

From: James, To: Marshall

PS: Are you going to let Stevie have this Buzz guy sleeping in her room and risk them having sex while you're in the building? Or are you going to make him sleep on the sofa
?
　Jim.

##

From: Marshall, To: James

Ugh. Why did you just do that? I hadn't even thought about it and now you've put it in my head
.
　I'm guessing I don't have any choice in the matter anyway, she's too old for me to dictate that sort of thing now. Just you wait until Molly's old enough to have a boyfriend. I'm going to remind you of this
.
　Marsh.

* * *

Work was becoming increasingly difficult. Despite the demanding deadlines on each new case, Jane was having trouble keeping her mind on the job. Her thoughts kept straying towards Marsh, who was only a flimsy office wall away from her. Occasionally, she would catch herself staring at the plasterboard, daydreaming to the muffled sound of his voice.

So far, she had managed to avoid bumping into him too often, but all her senses had been on high alert all day. As a result she felt physically and emotionally exhausted. It was almost a relief to be away from the office and back at the flat. She dug her keys out of her new bag and, remembering the last time, knocked. Loudly.

Polly pulled the door open. ‘You don’t have to keep hammering on the door like that. It won’t happen again.’

‘
Better safe than sorry,’ said Jane, laughing.

‘Do you want a glass of wine? I was thinking wine and DVDs tonight.’
She gestured to the bottle on the coffee table.

‘
I’m sorry, Pol. I’ve got plans.’ Giving Polly an apologetic smile, Jane hung up her handbag and coat and headed towards her room.

‘
Where’s he taking you tonight?’ Polly shouted after her.

‘
He's going to call me to sort out a time and place.’ She returned to the living room and fished her new phone out of her bag. Looking meaningfully at Polly, she took it into the bathroom with her.

Refreshed after her shower, Jane spent a few minutes in her room, blow-drying her hair so that it fell smoothly around her face. She was sitting on the bed, using a mirror that was propped on a bookcase to apply her make-up when Polly knocked.

‘
It's open,’ she said.

Polly put her head round the door.
‘I've poured you a glass of wine.’ Her eyes drifted to the phone, which was lying on the bed, next to Jane. ‘Did he ring?’

‘
Not yet,’ Jane looked at her watch. Seven o'clock. Perhaps Marsh was still at work.

‘
He's probably on his way home. There's no reception on the underground.’

Jane set her eyeliner pencil aside and stood.
‘I think I'll come have that glass of wine in the living room.’

She followed Polly out and flopped onto the sofa.
‘Where's Andy tonight?’ She picked up the glass of wine Polly had poured.

‘
Never mind him,’ said Polly. ‘Let’s talk about your fella. I need a fix of vicarious excitement. It’s just so … romantic. I haven't had excitement like that in … oh, years.’

‘
But you've got Andy. And you love each other. All I've had so far is one night.’ Her gaze slid to the phone. Until now, she had been confident there was more to it than that, but the fact that Marsh hadn't rung yet was starting to worry her.

‘
He'll call.’ As if on cue, the phone rang. Polly gave a little squeak.

Jane picked up the phone and walked towards the kitchen.

‘Hi Jane, it's Marsh.’

There was an awkward silence. Jane felt a creeping sense of unease.
‘Marsh?’

‘
Jane, I'm really sorry, but I'm going to have to postpone meeting up. My sister and her boyfriend are descending on the flat tonight …’

‘
Ok,’ said Jane, her mood starting to sink. ‘Do you want to go out instead?’

‘
Well, I'd love to, but I really want to meet this guy … the boyfriend, I mean. I think he's … well, he's my sister's boyfriend. I should meet him.’ He sighed. ‘Jane, I'm really sorry to mess you about like this. Would you mind if we met up tomorrow instead? Stevie assures me they'll clear off by lunchtime, so we'd have the flat to ourselves for the rest of the weekend.’

‘
Um …’ Jane stared at the shelves in the kitchen. He didn't want to see her that night. Perhaps he was having second thoughts. What should she say now? She didn't want to sound like she didn't care, but at the same time she didn't want to seem needy. She thought of the night they’d spent together and tears started to threaten. She blinked them back.

‘
Jane?’ Marsh sounded anxious. ‘Are you still there?’

Jane cleared her throat.
‘Uh-huh.’

‘
Jane, I promise you, I'm not playing mind games with you. I really truly do want to see you, but Stevie just dropped this on me with no notice.’

‘
Right.’

‘
So, tomorrow …?’

Jane turned around. Polly was sitting on the sofa, watching. If she said no to Marsh, she would have to put up with Polly's questions all weekend.
‘Sure,’ she said, almost a sigh. ‘Why not.’

‘
Brilliant! Shall I meet you in Covent Garden? At about eleven?’

‘
Ok,’ said Jane. She listened while he described the place to meet.

‘
Sounds good,’ she said, trying not to let disappointment into her voice. ‘I'll see you tomorrow.’

‘
Yes. I'm looking forward to it.’

‘
Me too.’ Her voice came out too soft. ‘I'd better go. Bye.’

‘
Bye.’

She hung up and stood still, staring at the phone, not sure how she felt.

‘Jane?’ Polly came up behind her. ‘What was that all about?’

‘
He postponed until tomorrow lunchtime. His sister's introducing him to her boyfriend or something.’

‘
And?’

Jane sighed.
‘And nothing, I guess. I'd just mentally prepared myself for seeing him tonight, that's all.’

Polly took her arm and propelled her towards the sofa. She thrust the glass of wine into Jane's hand.
‘That's not it, is it?’ She sat beside Jane and picked up her own glass.

Jane took a sip of wine. She closed her eyes and savoured the warmth of the alcohol going down her throat. Why was she so upset? It was just a cancelled date, with a perfectly plausible explanation. But then Ashby had always had plausible explanations for his sudden absences.
A jam session with the guys, a meeting with their manager, going out for a drink after a recording. All very good reasons for his not coming home when he should. But only half of them had been true.

‘
This is about Ashby, isn't it?’

Jane opened her eyes.
‘What?’

‘
Just because Ashby lied to you doesn't mean that everyone else is going to lie to you too.’

‘
I know that.’

‘
So, why is the fact that Marsh postponed your date bothering you so much? It's not like he cancelled on you.’

‘
I don't know. I just can't shake this feeling that something's not right.’

Polly leaned forward and took Jane's hand.
‘Jane, we've been friends since we were ten. I know you. Before this stuff with Ashby, you wouldn't have had a problem with someone moving a date. You were such a trusting person.’

‘
Yes, and look where that got me. Not only did he cheat on me, he publicly humiliated me. I don't know which is worse.’

‘
Honey, I know he hurt you, but you really do have to let it go.’

‘
How can I? I loved Ashby. I thought he loved me too. Then I find out that for months I'd been living a lie. How can I just forget that and move on like it never happened? I let it happen once, how do I know it's not going to happen again? Maybe I've got “use me, I'm a sap” written on my forehead. Maybe I'm just a terrible judge of character.’ Tears welled and she squashed them away with her palm.

Polly squeezed her arm.
‘You're a nice person, Jane. It doesn't mean you're a sap. When you first met Ashby, he was basically a nice person too. You guys were well suited. It's just that when he suddenly became famous, it went to his head a bit. He changed. It's not your fault.’

‘
But how did I not see it coming?’

‘
Who would? You were happy for him and as supportive as it was humanly possible to be. There's no way you could have known that he was going to be seduced by a tart from
Hollyoaks
.’

Jane stared into her drink. A tear rolled down her cheek.
‘She wasn't the only one,’ she said, her voice barely above a whisper. ‘There were others. One night stands, mostly. Pete from the band told me. He felt bad for covering for Ash. Everyone knew, Pol. Everyone but me.’

‘
Oh Jane.’ Polly scooted close and hugged her. ‘Oh Jane, I'm so sorry.’

Jane buried her face in Polly's shoulder.
‘I feel so … used.’ She had kept this extra news to herself for months, not wanting to add to the evidence of just how gullible she had been. Now that she had told Polly, she felt an odd sense of release. Tears flowed, but she did nothing to stop them. Polly held her, as always, a source of comfort.

‘
You can't let him poison everything else for you too,’ said Polly, after some time. ‘You've met someone new now. You like this Marsh guy, right?’

Jane nodded.

‘Well, you have to give him a chance then. You can't let Ashby ruin this for you.’

Jane leaned back and stared at Polly's earnest face.

‘From what I can tell,’ said Polly, ‘all Marsh's done is postpone a date. That's hardly a crime. Did he say he really wanted to see you?’

Jane nodded.

‘And you still want to see him?’