Part 27 (1/2)

'Well, I wouldn't complain. You've effected a degree of parental harmony you never thought possible.'

'That does seem to be the case. Anyway, how's everything else going?' I asked. 'Are you ready for Nigel's party?'

'I suppose so. I'm just going through the RSVP's. Are you bringing David?'

My heart did a bungee jump. 'Yes. I am.'

'Good. I'll put him down on the list. There'll be about fifty of us. Alan and Jon want everyone to be there by seven thirty, latest, so Nigel doesn't spot us all going in.'

'Which bit of the zoo do we make for?'

'They haven't told me that. They just said to tell everyone to follow the signs. Then Nigel and I will turn up in a taxi just after eight, by which time the signs will have gone. We'll be shown where to go by the security guy, who's pretending to be a keeper.'

'So it's an elaborate subterfuge.'

'It is.'

'And what does Nigel think he's doing on Sat.u.r.day.'

'He thinks we're going to a firework concert at Kenwood, followed by dinner in Hampstead. He's in for a bit of a shock.'

On Sat.u.r.day evening, David came to the Mews at a quarter to seven, to pick me up. He kissed me, and the interest between us crackled like static.

'Hi. Can I kiss you again?' he asked. I nodded. I felt his arms go round my waist and his lips press against mine. 'What a nice way to start the evening,' he murmured as he rocked me from side to side. I could smell the cologne on his neck. 'So we're going to the zoo, are we?'

'We are. But I've just got to wrap Nigel's present, could you...put your finger...there.' I bit off a piece of Sellotape. 'And here...that's it.' Then I got out the card. 'Do you want to sign it too?'

'I've never met the guy, but why not?' He scribbled his signature, next to mine. Miranda and David. Seeing our names linked like that, made me feel suddenly, unaccountably happy, as though I had just been given good news.

'This is nice,' David said as we strolled down the road, hand in hand. As we crossed over the ca.n.a.l and entered Regent's Park, I saw a poster for the Open Air Theatre. I thought of Alexander, and realized for the first time that, despite my anger, I felt strangely grateful for what he'd done. For if he hadn't abandoned me that night, I wouldn't be here, now, with David-and I'd wanted to find David for half of my life.

'What are you thinking?'

'Oh, just how glad I am that I've met you.'

He squeezed my hand. 'I'm very glad too. It was Fate, I guess.' No, it wasn't, it wasn't. 'I feel we were meant to meet.' We were. 'Anyway, tell me who'll be there tonight?' I gave him the background about Nigel and Daisy.

'Five and a half years? That's quite a while.'

'It is. Daisy's dying to get married. She's fed up with waiting.'

'But does she love him?'

'I think she does.'

'You only think so?'

'Well, she's been with him a long time, and she's very used to him.'

'Is that real love?'

'Well, many people get married for less. And I can understand her not wanting to start all over again with someone new, after so long. She'd like to settle down. And Nigel's a bit stodgy, but he's basically fine...'

'And do you like him?'

'I do, but-'

'But what?'

'He's very selfish. He exploits the fact that she's never forced him to make a commitment because she's afraid of bringing things to the crunch.'

We crossed over to the Inner Circle, and saw smartly dressed people drifting in knots towards the zoo's side entrance, Albert Gate.

'Just follow the signs round to your right,' a member of staff instructed us as he ticked off our names. And sure enough there were large notices, with balloons tied to them, saying Nigel's 40th-This Way. We pa.s.sed a cage with several huge, blue, hyacinth macaws, then the gibbon enclosure, and the Diana monkeys. Near the main entrance, now locked for the evening, we saw the last sign. A large arrow, with a yellow balloon tied to it, was pointing towards the Reptile House.

I let out a snort of surprise. 'It's in the Reptile House?!'

'Poor guy,' said David with a laugh. 'Is this Daisy's way of punis.h.i.+ng him?'

'No-she had nothing to do with it; it was all arranged by Nigel's friends, Alan and Jon.'

'I see-so it's a blokey joke, then.'

'I guess so.'

The other guests were all grinning at the choice of venue as they went in. I recognized Nigel's mother, and his brother, and some of the people who'd been at the barbecue, including his sharp-faced colleague, Mary, whom I ignored.

Alan, the criminal barrister, greeted us. 'Please make your way right to the back of the room there, and stand behind the central display.'

We pa.s.sed the illuminated tanks, peering briefly at the Chinese alligators and the turtles and the puff-adders and rattlesnakes; then we huddled together by the giant monitor lizard, whispering like conspirators.

'-He's going to be so surprised.'

'-Do you think they feed the snakes live animals?'

'-Don't you think he'll be cross?'

'-I'm sure I'm going to get the giggles.'

'-I know I would be.'

'-I saw a black mamba once.'

'Nigel will be here in five minutes,' Alan said. 'But instead of jumping out at him, and shouting ”Surprise!”, I'd like us all to drift out, casually, in twos and threes, as if it's all perfectly normal. It'll confuse the h.e.l.l out of him.' Suddenly his mobile phone rang. 'Are they? Okay. I'll tell them. They're coming, everyone, so could you all please keep very quiet.'

We smiled at each other in the semi-darkness as the tension built. I looked at the giant monitor, swaggering slowly across its pen, its elbows out, its forked tongue flicking lazily. Then we heard steps, then the creak of the door.

'Daisy, I just don't get it,' I heard Nigel say. His voice echoed across the stone floor. 'Why couldn't we come here tomorrow? We'll be late for the concert.'

'It's only a little detour,' I heard her reply. 'I just wanted to see the, um...blunt-nosed viper. And look, there's a poisonous tree frog, Nige. Ooh, and look at this green mamba, it says here it should be ”treated with caution”.'