Sympathy for the Devil (22 page)

       “…repentant,” she finished, rolling her eyes. “Look, it doesn’t matter if you understand or not. But I love him. He loves me. We can boot camp this situation into shape.”

       “I want to make this up,” Pierce said softly. “Just give me the chance, and if you can’t forgive me in time, I’ll leave you be.”

       My head began to swim. I couldn’t deal with any of it anymore. “I have to go back to work now.”

       “For—” Cari began but her boyfriend touched a finger to her lips. She relented.

       “Okay, then. Will you call me later?”

       I didn’t relish the idea, but if it worked towards Toni and I getting back together, I’d do it. “Sure.”

       As I left the pub, I turned to see Cari arguing furiously under her breath with Pierce. He watched her complacently for a moment before silencing her with his mouth. The air outside felt strangely cold.

       The thing was, now that Pierce was with Cari, and he’d made it clear to me that he didn’t harbour those sorts of feelings for me, and that he was really, really sorry… Pierce was, it even freaks me out to say it, great. I mean, Kate Farrell always liked him, but, you know, Kate likes everyone. Adele Cox liked him, but that’s because she’s a ho. Cari loved him. And I trust her.

       He discovered my battered laptop had given up the ghost, so he went and replaced it with a brand new MacBook. A freaking MacBook! And when I had a fit of tearful rage in the middle of a crowded bar, he got me a stiff whisky and a bunch of tissues and said quietly that West would have looked a lot worse after all that hiccupping. He had Cari, Phoebe, Amy, and I around his flat, ordered us Chinese, some girlie DVDs, and left us to it.

       I watched him with Cari when he took the three of us for a drive down to Brighton to see Cari’s grandparents. I watched the way he held her hand the whole journey, the playful arguments they had, how he’d gaze at her in adoration, give her involuntary hugs and kisses, always asked her if she was staying with him or going home. He never assumed anything about her, and despite being so clearly in love with her, he gave her the space I knew Cari appreciated. Besides, I figured I deserved the MacBook after what he did, but he went out of his way to make me feel, I don’t know, not loved but cared for.

       I did feel like excess baggage if he took me out with Cari, but he never let me pay for a round of drinks, always made up the spare bed for me if I was too far to get home, warned off overzealous men acting like limpets around me, made me breakfast in the morning, and would drop me off home. It was like having an older brother that I actually liked.

       We went out for dinner, five or six weeks after he and Cari got together —as far as I knew, anyway —and Cari popped off to answer her phone.

       Pierce looked over the menu. “Are you in a dessert mood, or is that a stupid question?”

       “Why are you doing this?” I asked suddenly.

       Pierce put down the menu. “Dinner?”

       “Being nice to me,” I corrected.

       He breathed out deeply. “I’m making the effort I should have when West first introduced us. I’m not saying I’ve changed drastically, I just want the chance to get to know you. You’re my girlfriend’s best friend, and she adores you. I know I won’t ever be able to take back what I did. I’m making amends.”He shrugged as he beckoned to a waiter. “And I like you.”

       I stared at him in shock as he ordered the chocolate gateaux for me with mascarpone and the tiramisu for Cari. God, how transparent must I be if he knew what to get after a couple of weeks? He caught the look on my face and explained, “West told me that.”

       “He’s talking to you, then?” I couldn’t help the bitterness in my voice.

       Pierce sighed. “Preceded mainly by, ‘What do you want, you bastard,’ and ending with, ‘I miss her.’” Those cool blue eyes met mine steadily. “Are you ready to talk to him?”

      
Can I trust you?
I thought desperately. He couldn’t deceive me again. He had more to lose this time. I knew Cari would walk away from him the moment she discovered any manipulation on his side.

       He must have recognised the wariness in my gaze, because he said quietly, “I swear on my life, Toni, I’m not fucking with you.”

       “And I should trust you because…”

       He held up his hands in defence. “You’ve got no reason to trust me. I’m going to do whatever I can, anyway. It’ll help if you work with me.”

       Cari came back into the restaurant. “That was West. I think he’s been drinking.” She leaned down to kiss me and crouched by my chair. “He told me not to tell you, but he sounds like he’s dying to see you. What do you think?”

       “Oh, look,” I said, a note of fear in my voice. “Dessert’s arrived.”

       Cari slid back into her seat. “Okay, I get it. Back off.”

       I felt a rush of guilt. “Thank you both for trying so hard, but… I don’t know what to do.”

       We were all silent for a bit. For lack of something to say I took a big gulp of wine. Pierce spoke eventually. “I’ve got to go to Milan to see my mum for a few days. Cari’s got to go back down to Brighton for her nan’s birthday…” Amy was off on holiday for two weeks and Phoebe? No one knew what that girl did, but she was never around. Great, three days alone in that big house. “…don’t have any wild parties, but it’ll be cosier than staying at the house. What do you think?” Pierce finished.

       “About what?” I asked.

       He smiled patiently. “Staying at the flat? Getting some perspective, looking after it for me, making sure Mrs. Doberman gives me my regular chocolate cake?”

       God, I loved his flat. It was so where I wanted to live when I grew up eventually and got a grownup job. “When are you going?”

       “I’m flying out tomorrow evening, and I won’t be back until Sunday.”

       I turned to Cari. “When are you going?”

       “Tomorrow morning, but I’ll be back by Friday night.”

       Pierce took out a pen and scrawled on the back of a receipt. “That’s the alarm code, and I’ll get you a set of keys cut.”

       I glanced nervously between the two of them. “Did you organise this?”

       “No,” they both said, far too quickly and in unison. It didn’t matter. I would be grateful for the space.

       The next evening about five, I turned up with a week’s worth of clothing. Pierce, however, was prepared for a girlie invasion.

       “I’ve stocked up the fridge,” he said as he kissed me in greeting. Without the sarcasm and the hidden agenda, it still felt weird —not the kiss, just how sweet he could be. “Chocolate mousse, pizzas, chicken, pasta, rice etc. Cari gave me a list of all the stuff you use at home, so that’s all in the bathroom.”He tugged me into the room and opened the huge cabinet. There was my favourite perfume, my John Frieda haircare range, my moisturiser, my body wash and deodorant, all alongside his and Cari’s belongings. Pierce had a range from Clinique for Men, aftershave balms, razors, electric toothbrush; then Cari’s side, differentiated by the lilac tissue paper that lined it, had her Phytologie products, Annick Goutal, Jo Malone, and wow, she uses SKII? I can’t afford that so how does she? No wonder she’s always broke!

       “And I got you a bathrobe.” He flicked a hand to a white towelling robe hanging on the door. “It’s a bit Savoy-ish, but at least I won’t charge you for phone calls.” He turned to me. “Is that all clear? I’ve written down the alarm code again on the pad beside the bed, my number in Italy if anything’s wrong, Cari’s nan’s number just in case, and both mobiles in case anything goes wrong with your phone. Your keys are in the bowl by the door. There are only two other people who have a set —Mrs. Doberman and Cari, obviously.”He glanced at his watch. “Shit, I’m going to miss my flight. Toni, enjoy.”

       “Pierce, hang on.”

       He stopped just as he wheeled a case in front of the door. “What’s up?” I didn’t know how to explain to him what I felt. I wasn’t even sure myself. He sighed. “Look, I know I have no right to tell you this, as the whole situation is my twisted fault, but please talk to West?”

       “He doesn’t trust me.” My voice was so low, I was surprised he heard me.

       “No, he doesn’t trust me, and with good reason. You are his angel. Just think about it while you’re here.” He gave me a swift peck on the cheek then was gone.

       If someone had told me two months ago that I would have broken up with West, that Cari would be the girl who tamed Don Freezer, and I would be staying in the Casanova’s humping pad, I would have laughed long and hard ’til I died. Yet here I was. Broken up with West, watching Cari soothe the savage impassivity of Pierce, and I was staying in his glorious flat. The phone rang. It was probably Pierce. More than likely he’d forgotten something.

       “Callun Towers,” I said in an imposing voice.

       “Toni?”

       Oh, my Christ. “Hi, West.”

       “What are you doing at Pierce’s flat?”

       “I’m staying here for a few days.”

       His voice flattened. “I see. Is Pierce there?”

       “No, he’s…”

       “Don’t worry yourself.”And with that he disconnected. No no no! I picked the phone up again and dialled Pierce’s mobile.

       “Toni, are you okay?” he asked the instant he answered. “What’s the matter?”

       “West called the flat looking for you.”

       “Did you speak to him?” he prompted.

       “I think he thinks something is definitely going on. He doesn’t even know you’re off to Italy.”

       “Oh, shit. I’ll ring him now, and call you back. Don’t worry.”

       He disconnected. I paced, sat down, got up, then decided to run a bath. Just as I’d picked what to use, the phone rang again. I ran for it. “Toni, it’s Pierce.”

       “What did he say?”

       “He was being stupid,” Pierce said grimly. “I set him straight, told him you were looking after the flat while I was away, and that Cari would be there in two days’ time. He asked why you would do me a favour, and I told him you were having some quiet time alone, if that’s all right with him. Sorry, I just got a bit shirty. He was practically suggesting that I was cheating on Cari, and he was being rude about you. I wasn’t having it.”

       The indignation in his voice brought a smile to my face. There it was. The confirmation I needed that he was on my side. “Thank you.”

       “He’s going to call you in the next ten minutes and apologise. I know it. I’ve got to go, my mum’s doing her nut on call waiting. She thinks I’m not coming.”

       “Why?”

       “I’ve never visited her voluntarily, and she thinks I’m winding her up. Dozy mare. Are you sure you’ll be okay? I can always come back and stay until Cari arrives.”

       God, West would love that. “No, I’m fine. This is the best thing you’ve done for me.”

       “If that’s it, you’ve got pretty low expectations of me. I’ll have to do something about that. Take care.”

       “Bye.”

       He disconnected and I drifted toward the bathroom, watching the tub fill up. Bloody hell, it had Jacuzzi mode. This was weird, but too sumptuous to look into too deeply. The phone rang again and I left it, to strip off and sink into the hot water. I distantly heard the answer machine click on;

      
You’ve reached Pierce at home. I’m away until the nineteenth, leave a message or speak to Toni, but note she’s going to be busy with the Jacuzzi and champagne.
I giggled, just as the beep sounded.

       “Toni… it’s er… West. Look, I’m sorry for snapping at you earlier. I spoke to Pierce and he er… explained. Listen, do you want to meet up? I think we should talk. Call me. Bye.”

       I sank deeper into the bath until the waters closed up over my head. Call him? Not now, not today. I wasn’t nearly ready enough.