Two Days in Biarritz (34 page)

“See you later,” Lily said gravely. “I don’t like you being on your own in that big house so I’ll probably stay tonight.”

It was best not to make a scene in front of the girls so Annabel said nothing.

“Bye, Granny,” the girls called as their Grandmother drove off.

Annabel made the drop off’s quickly and then set off for the gym. One minute she was high and the next minute she was rock bottom. She guessed that it was all part and parcel of a marriage break-up.

Her phone rang and it was the same number that had appeared on her phone the night before.

“Hi, Annabel?”

“Gary, sorry I couldn’t talk properly last night.”

“I’m not going to beat around the bush. I’ve got tons of those plastic cartons, to be honest. I was wondering, what are you doing this evening?”

What would her mother say to her going on for a second night in a row with a different man? She didn’t have to tell her who she was seeing of course and if she insisted on staying the night she may as well capitalise on the opportunity.

“Tonight’s okay,” she replied boldly.

“Fancy going to Findlaters?” his tone was anxious and Annabel was flattered to think that she could make a man feel this way.

“Fine, what time?”

“I could pick you up?”

“No, better to meet down there. Shall we say nine?”

“Nine it is, see you then.”

Annabel got a lift from hearing
Gary’s voice. Life was a rollercoaster of emotions at the moment.

* * *

Kate opened her eyes and was blinded by a beam of bright fluorescent light. She turned her head to the right and Fabian’s familiar face came into focus. He was drowsing in a chair beside her bed. Slowly flashes of the night before came back to her and she realised that she was in hospital. She looked down at her arm that pinched with a strange sensation and realised that it was attached to a drip. The rest of her body was covered in a green tunic. Her legs felt numb and she was so weak she could barely lift her arm. Fabian woke immediately on hearing her move. His penetrating eagle-like eyes homed in on Kate as he leaned forward and took her hand in his.

“Fabian, have I been asleep?”

“
Cherie
, you had a haemorrhage. You lost a lot of blood and you must take it very easy,” he said softly.

Kate panicked. “Fabian, what about the baby?”

He hesitated, his face painting the grimmest picture.

Kate jumped to the obvious conclusion in the haze of uncertainty that swept over her.

“I’ve lost it, haven’t I?”

“No, the baby is still alive but it is best to talk to the doctors. We are all more worried about you, Kate. We nearly lost you. You almost slipped into a coma.”

Her baby was still alive. Last night she wasn’t sure she would cope with a new baby to look after, this morning she wanted it more than anything in the world.

She looked into Fabian’s eyes without saying a thing and felt his grip tighten on her hand.

“Thank God, you came when you did.”

“I’m always here,
chérie
,” he said with a smile.

“It’s a pity you’re gay.”

“For me too,
chérie
,” he said scrunching his face up. “For me too.”

A short nurse who generously filled her white uniform came over to the couple and gave a soft cough.

“Madame, le médecin est ici mantenant.”
She turned to Fabien.
“Vous étes le père?”

“Oui,”
replied Fabian. He didn’t want Kate to feel like she was alone.

Doctor Barthez walked casually over to the side of Kate’s bed. He wasn’t wearing a formal uniform to distinguish him from a visitor and Kate felt relaxed by his easy manner.

“Madame Cassaux, you are very lucky – so is your little one. You came to us just on time. I need to be frank with you about the seriousness of your condition. You may haemorrhage again if you do not take care.”

“Is the baby going to be okay?”

Doctor Barthez took his hand and rested it under his chin while he considered the best way to tell Kate the truth about her baby’s chances for survival.

“As far as we can see from our scans the baby is comfortable. It will compensate for the loss of blood in a few weeks if you do not overstretch yourself. There is however a chance of cerebral palsy and we will not know if this is the case until after the baby is born.”

Kate swallowed hard. Fabian squeezed her hands tightly and watched her expression avidly. He wished desperately there was something he could do but knew there was nothing. Kate’s face said it all.

* * *

For the second night in a row Annabel sat in front of the mirror at her dressing-table. She was wearing a cerise wrap and chunky silver necklace that made her feel at least ten years younger. Tonight her hair rested in big curls casually on her shoulders.

Her mother had said nothing when she told her that she was going out again. The girls were in bed and Sam was playing quietly in his room so there was nothing for her mother to do but she still felt guilty. Everybody blamed her for terminating her marriage but she couldn’t live with herself if she stayed another day with Colin. The phone had stopped ringing within days. Women who she thought were friends of hers stayed well clear. Meave had warned her that they were afraid she would be after their husbands. Maybe Meave was right and these people really were that insecure in themselves. Meave was the only regular caller and she had a wonderful relationship with her husband so that explained why she was happy enough to remain friends with Annabel and even help her out.

Annabel finished her make-up off with a layer of pink lip gloss and stood up. She hoped she wasn’t imagining it but she felt as if she had started to look younger. There was certainly a more calm expression on her face now that she didn’t have Colin chastising her all the time. She was able to go out to the best bar in Howth and meet a scrummy new man who seemed to really like her. The night before with Damien had been the most enjoyable she had spent in another’s company since the good times she shared with Kate but as the day progressed she resigned herself to the fact that Damien and she could never be any more to each other than business partners or acquaintances and Gary’s call came at a perfect time before she fell for Damien in a more serious and damaging way than before. If anything ever happened between them there would be no chance of reconciliation with Kate. Besides, she had to accept that no doubt Damien saw her as no more than a friend of his daughter’s and a woman with some sense of entrepreneurship. Despite this, she felt better about herself than at any other time in her life.

Lily was sitting in the living room reading the evening paper and the news was on the television in the background. She didn’t look up as Annabel entered the room. She felt her daughter’s recent behaviour was unacceptable. She was already highly embarrassed about the whole situation, especially going to the bridge club. She had stayed away the week after the marriage split-up but decided to face the music after Annabel accused her of being more upset about losing her son-in-law than seeing her daughter humiliated by the
au pair
affair.

“I’m off now Mum. You don’t mind do you?”

Lily lifted her head slowly. “I can’t tell you how to live your life Annabel, your forty years of age, but maybe you should start acting it.”

“I’m only
forty
, Mum. Am I not entitled to a bit of time to myself when I am bringing the children up on my own now?”

“You wouldn’t have to be on your own if you let Colin come back,” Lily said with pursed lips.

“I’m not going through this again Mum, if you don’t like the way I am living my life you may as well go back to your own house. I can’t take that kind of judgmental tone from you anymore.”

Lily stood up. “Very well. I’m tired of being used and abused. Find yourself another babysitter!” She took her bag and brushed by Annabel briskly
. Then she grabbed her keys from the hall table and stormed out the front door.

Annabel was speechless as she heard her mother’s car start up and drive away.

It was a big statement from Lily walking out like that. She knew that Annabel was meeting someone. For all Annabel knew she could have planned on leaving her in the lurch all along.

Now, she had no babysitter and she didn’t even feel like going out anymore. Then the thought of
Gary and his blue eyes made her reconsider. It was five past nine now and Gary was probably already waiting for her. She rang her next door neighbours who thankfully had a sixteen year old daughter who had a wonderful social life but Annabel hoped that she just might get her to babysit as it was midweek.

“I’ll be there, in five minutes, Annabel.” The young girl was having a night in to Annabel’s relief.

“Thanks, Lucy,” Annabel sighed. “You’re a godsend.”

She had to send
Gary a quick text so that he wouldn’t think that she stood him up.

It was
nine twenty-five when she arrived at Findlaters. The bouncers smiled at her as she swept by them and entered the spacious surroundings. Large leather seats and couches were sporadically placed around the room. She spotted Gary over in the corner reading the cocktail menu. He looked like he’d stepped out of the pages of a men’s magazine in his scruffy jumper and bright orange T-shirt peeking out from underneath. His cords were well worn and added to his trendy appearance. She walked over slowly and was almost upon him before he looked up.

“Hi,” she said shyly.

He stood up and leaned forward until his lips brushed off her cheek. “Annabel, you look gorgeous.”

“Thank you,” she said to her own surprise. She wasn’t used to accepting compliments but it felt right hearing them from
Gary.

“What’s your poison?”

“A glass of white wine, please.”

“Won’t you try a cocktail?”

“I wouldn’t know what to order,” she said and then berated herself for sounding so dumb.

“You are definitely a classy girl, a daiquiri for you, I think!”

Annabel liked the compliment but didn’t want him deciding what she was going to drink.

“I’ll just have the white wine,” she said, more firmly this time.

“Whatever the lady wants, the lady must have,” Gary said, bowing forward and shaking his shaggy hair.

Annabel laughed. He was a sweet guy and she mustn’t think that all men were like Colin and trying to control her. A girl in her early twenties
, with the skinniest hips Annabel had ever seen, sauntered over to their table. She was wearing a pair of black trousers and a crisp white shirt and she held an empty tray in her hand. Her long black hair was silky and shinny and she was extremely attentive to Gary.

“I’ll have a bottle of Miller and the lady will have a glass of white wine,” he looked over at Annabel. “Any particular type?”

“The South African Chenin Blanc, please,” Annabel said to the waitress, who was still staring at Gary.  Annabel was chuffed that she was sitting with such a dishy date. There was something so charismatic about him.

“So, tell me all about yourself, Annabel.”

“I, gosh. I’m pretty boring really. I am recently separated from my husband of eleven years. I have a son and two daughters. I make humus for a living which I have only been at a couple of months and that’s pretty much it.”

“I’d say that’s not even scratching the surface!” He smiled mischievously.

“What about you Gary?”

“I share a flat in Clontarf with a mate. I’ve never been married but was engaged for five years!”

“That was a long engagement, what happened?”

“Couldn’t get up to the altar.”

“Cold feet?”

“No, I literally couldn’t get up the altar. I had a spinal injury that left me unable to walk for three years. By the time I recovered she had met someone else, with a bigger wallet and much better back. She would probably have broken mine so it was a lucky escape.”

He made her laugh. His boyish manners held her in such raptures that she wasn’t able to think of anyone or anything else for the next three hours. It was only when the waitress reappeared to tell them that it was last orders that she looked at her watch for the first time all night.

“I’ve had a great time, Annabel.”

“Me, too,” she said with a wide smile.

“Do you fancy doing this again?”

Annabel definitely wanted to see Gary again and sooner rather than later. She would have liked the night to continue but felt it better to take it slowly.

“Do you want to go out this weekend?”

“I tend to go out midweek because of the markets. I don’t do Friday and Saturday nights.”

Annabel thought it a bit odd for a single guy like him to stay in at weekends. “Sunday?”

“Sunday is good. My favourite night!”

“Okay, where?”