Licence to Dream (5 page)

‘I don’t, but it’s quite likely if it makes the place more attractive, surely?’

‘Phil, I thought we’d agreed to – ’

‘Don’t start on that again. I’m here to sell our services and manage the staff and finances. You’re here to design gardens and install them. Each to his own.’

At the end of Meriel’s second year in Perth, Gary Stuart came as a client, lingered to chat and asked Meriel to go out for a drink after work.

She’d just finished her studies for the year and was feeling very relaxed, besides which he was an attractive guy who made her laugh. For once she accepted.

‘You cannot possibly be an accountant,’ he said as they strolled by the river that evening after a casual meal in a café.

‘Why can’t I?’

‘Because you’re far too pretty.’

‘That’s sexist.’

‘So sue me.’

‘I’ll sue you tomorrow. I’m too tired today. I have to go home and get some sleep.’

‘Tomorrow we’re going for a picnic, Ms Ingram.’

‘It’s usual to ask first.’

He shook his head. ‘No way. I’m not risking a refusal. My spies tell me you’re a workaholic, so I’m doing you a service here, helping you relax. Give me your address and I’ll pick you up at ten. Come prepared to walk through the bush. Trousers and stout shoes.’

Rosanna, who’d been telling her all year to go out more, didn’t seem very enthusiastic about Gary.

‘Don’t you like him?’ Meriel demanded, puzzled. ‘You’re the one who keeps telling me to find a date.’

‘He’s just too – ’ Rosanna sought for a word and managed only ‘charming. You be careful. He’s probably after one thing.’

Meriel laughed. ‘I can’t win. You’ve been nagging me to find a guy and when I do, you pull faces at him. Besides, I think I’m old enough to know when a man’s sincere or not.’

* * * *

A month later she was beginning to wonder whether she was in love at last. Gary had said he loved her. In fact, he joked that he’d fallen head over heels in love with his new accountant at first sight.

‘Don’t you feel anything for me?’ he asked one evening in that warm sexy voice.

She stared up into the handsome face, with its deep, permanent tan and something turned over inside her. ‘I – suppose I do.’

‘Then show it, woman. You’ve been acting like my maiden aunt for long enough.’ He gave her a slow smile and ran one fingertip down her cheek. ‘You know very well that one day you’re going to wind up in bed with me.’

He held up one hand to stop her speaking. ‘I’m not pushing it. In your own time. But it’s as inevitable as the sun rising tomorrow, given the way we react to one another.’

He was right. A week later they made love, and although it was pleasant, she was disappointed for a second time in her life. Shouldn’t she feel – well – closer to him now? What was wrong with her? She hid her disappointment. It was probably her fault. After all, she wasn’t all that experienced.

‘It’ll be better for you next time, darling. You’re out of practice.’

‘Mmm.’ She was relieved when he left.

She didn’t see him for a couple of days, because her classes were starting again soon and she wanted to think about her options for the coming year. He’d protested about that, but she was firm.

‘Very well.’ He kissed her and held her at arm’s length. ‘But only for a few days. See you at the weekend?’

She nodded and stood waving him goodbye.

* * * *

Two days later Rosanna came into her office. ‘We’re going out for lunch today, remember?’

‘I need to do some work on this project.’

‘Have you forgotten it’s my birthday? We arranged last Monday to go out together.’

‘I thought that was tomorrow.’

Rosanna shook her head and waited, arms folded.

‘Oh, no! I’m so sorry! I do have a present for you, but it’s at home.’

‘Never mind. I’m quite prepared to have another birthday tomorrow. Anyway, I’ve arranged with Mr Repping to let us have a long lunch break and we’re going to a nice Italian restaurant south of the river. Their pesto is to die for.’

As they drove out of town, Rosanna asked, ‘Have you been to enrol for next year yet?’

‘No.’ Meriel was actually wondering about taking a year off from the art course, or doing only one unit instead of two. After all, it wasn’t every year you met a man like Gary. And surely, it was more important to build a good relationship with the man you loved than to study art?

‘Don’t let him stop you doing your art,’ Rosanna said. ‘You’ve waited long enough.’

The restaurant was crowded and it wasn’t until Meriel got up to visit the cloakroom that she noticed two people in the little side room. It was the man’s honey blond hair she saw first. So like Gary’s, she thought fondly. Then she frowned at the way the man ran his fingers through his hair to push it back out of his eyes. Surely there couldn’t be two men who did that in exactly the same way?

She paused to see who he was with and her heart began to thump as she saw him lean over and kiss the hand of the woman next to him. He ran one finger down his companion’s cheek in the way he always did to
her.
It couldn’t be – it just couldn’t . . . he wouldn’t!

A waiter paused beside her. ‘Are you all right, madam?’

‘What? Oh, yes. I think I’ve just seen a friend.’ She tried to smile, but wasn’t sure it was successful. ‘I’ll move on in a minute.’

But she didn’t move. She stayed and watched grimly as Gary played off all the tricks in his repertoire. Touches, gestures, searing looks, soft words. And the woman fell for them all – just as Meriel had. The silly fool was looking at him with a besotted expression on her face, as if he were the sun in the sky. It was quite obvious that the two of them were lovers.

Meriel wondered if she was going to be sick on the spot as humiliation seared through her, then anger took over.

How dared he treat her like that?

A waiter passed with a carafe of red wine. It was the work of a moment to snatch the carafe. Ignoring the guy’s, ‘Hey!’ she marched across the room.

‘Hi, Gary darling!’

As he turned to her, surprise making his mouth drop open, she poured the wine over his head.

All noise stilled around them, except for Gary’s spluttering and exclamations as he snatched up his napkin and began to dab at his face.

Before he could say anything Meriel smiled at the woman with him. ‘Don’t believe a word this scumbag says. And unless you have him fitted with a male chastity belt, don’t let him out of your sight for more than a minute. He’s been romancing me for the past few weeks and I thought we were in love.’

She turned to Gary and stared at him, daring him to protest. Red wine trickled slowly down his face as he watched her warily.

The other woman looked from one to the other. ‘Is she right, Gary?’

‘I used to know her. I had to drop her. She’s the jealous sort.’

‘We were together only two days ago,’ Meriel said. ‘But if you don’t believe me, I shan’t lose any sleep.’

A waiter was hovering nearby. Smiling at him, she set the carafe down on a nearby table. ‘Sorry to make such a mess. Put the wine on my bill.’

She walked back to Rosanna and said in a voice which sounded tight and unlike her. ‘We’re leaving. Now. I’ll explain outside.’

Meriel saw her reflection in one of the wall mirrors and paused to stare at herself. White face except for two spots of colour in her cheeks and an expression that would have terrified the Gorgon.

She got as far as the next street then had to pause for a moment in the bright, mocking sunlight to pull herself together. She was only vaguely aware of her friend, standing patiently beside her. Taking a long shuddering breath, she said, ‘Thanks for not arguing.’

‘When someone gets that look on her face, you don’t argue. Look, there’s another café over there. Let’s go and sit down for a minute at one of the pavement tables. You look like death warmed up.’

‘I feel like it, too.’ She tried to take a step and stumbled. When Rosanna caught her arm, she mumbled a thank you, at least she thought she did.

When things came into focus again, she was sitting at a table with a cup of black coffee in front of her. She saw how worried Rosanna was and managed a short huff of sound that might have been taken for a laugh. ‘I saw Gary in there. Drooling all over another woman.’

‘Ah.’

‘What do you mean by ‘Ah’?’

‘I wondered how long he’d manage to be faithful to one woman.’

‘You knew about him?’

‘I mentioned him to my family and it turns out my cousin Francesca knows him. They were at school together. Gary enjoys the chase much more than going steady. He never stays around for long – afterwards.’

‘Couldn’t you have told me that
before
?’ Before she’d given in to that louse. Before she’d made such a fool of herself.

‘And break up a good friendship?’

‘I wouldn’t have – ‘

‘You might. People who don’t like the message often try to shoot the messenger. And anyway, you’d not have believed me. He seemed pretty convincing about loving you, even to me.’

Rosanna was fiddling with the sugar tubes, rearranging them in the bowl in the centre of the table. ‘I figured all I could do was be there for you – if you needed me.’ She reached across to pat Meriel’s hand. ‘It just happened more quickly than I’d expected.’

‘Yeah.’

‘You need to cry. And smash a few plates.’

‘I poured a carafe of wine over him. That helped.’

‘You didn’t!’

‘I did.’

‘Oh, wow! I wish I could have seen that. I’d have had my mobile phone out quick smart and taken a photo of him, then I’d have put it on line.’

Meriel nearly managed a smile at the thought of that.

‘Look, you’re still white and shaken. I think you should go home. I’ll tell Repping you’re not well.’ She grinned. ‘I’ve only to hint that it’s a woman’s problem and he’ll be too embarrassed to pursue the matter.’

Meriel started to pick up the coffee cup, noticed that her hand was shaking and put it down again. ‘I feel such a fool. No, worse than that. Totally humiliated.’

‘Hey, everyone stuffs up from time to time.’

‘But I got taken in by him. I
slept
with him. I thought I was in love with him.’

‘You haven’t had a lot of experience with men. It was inevitable that someone took advantage – if you don’t mind me saying so.’

Tears spilled from Meriel’s eyes. ‘Yeah. I suppose so. Thanks for being around today. Sorry I spoiled your birthday.’

‘We’ll go out and celebrate properly next week. Now, go on home.’

Meriel dropped Rosanna at the office then drove home, where she destroyed every photo and memento of Gary.

The next day she enrolled for another year’s art and design classes at the technical college, setting herself a heavy schedule.

* * * *

The following week Meriel received another of her mother’s handwritten letters. She’d tried to get her mother to use emails, but Denise had refused. She might have to use a computer at work but she wasn’t having one of those things in her home.

Like the previous letters it was very repetitive. Denise complained of the cold weather and boasted of the pleasures of being a grandmother to dearest Helen’s children.

Then she announced that she and Ralph were engaged. They’d been together a while, but neither of them had wanted to rush into anything. Oh, and she’d got another job, one that paid more money, but she’d had to attend another of those boring computer courses to get it.

Her mother’s happiness seemed to emphasise Meriel’s own unhappiness. What was wrong with her that she couldn’t find a guy to love? She’d always had plenty of friends, of both sexes, but whenever she thought she’d met someone special, it always went wrong – though never as spectacularly as recently.

Well, at least the art classes were going well.

Ben was working late and because her mother had had a fall, Christine’s replacement, Nareen, had gone home early, leaving her desk in an unaccustomed mess. He glanced at the bank statement she’d left lying next to a pile of receipts and frowned. Surely they should have more money than that in the business account? He wasn’t the world’s best with figures, but he’d never have let it run so low.

He got out the previous statements and stared in shock at a series of withdrawals, quite major sums. He hadn’t authorised these!

Phil came through the door, whistling and stopped to look at him questioningly. ‘You look grim. Lost your wallet or something?’

Ben tapped the piece of paper. ‘I think someone’s hacked into our bank account. I’m going to call the police and – ’ He reached out for the phone.

Phil snatched it out of his hand. ‘Don’t!’

The two men stared at one another, then Phil scowled. ‘I borrowed the money. I had some big expenses.’

‘For the business?’

Silence, then, ‘No. Personal.’

‘You took money out of the business for your own expenses?’

Phil shrugged. ‘Borrowed. Don’t worry, I’ll pay it back.’

‘Too right you will. Tomorrow.’

‘I can’t manage it by tomorrow.’

‘When can you manage it?’

‘End of the month. Most of it, anyway.’

More than anything else, Ben wanted to sack him. Or call in the police. He’d been uneasy for a while about Phil’s business practices, even though they were doing well, getting more contracts than ever. But the man was Sandy’s cousin, and because of that, Ben had given him more leeway than he normally would.

‘If you don’t manage to repay it by the end of the month, I’m going to your father.’ He trusted Sandy’s uncle Rod absolutely.

‘No need to do that! I’ll find the money somehow. I don’t want my father saying “Told you so”.’

‘Very well. But tomorrow we’re going to make this a two-signature bank account. Plus, I’m taking your company credit card away.’

‘The hell you are! How do you expect me to entertain clients?’

‘You can pay your own way then claim the money back. I won’t refuse to sign for anything reasonable. And while we’re discussing finances, you’re doing altogether too much entertaining of clients. Cut it back by about fifty per cent. We’re not a big company. We can’t afford to treat people so lavishly.’