Part 10 (2/2)
”Well, he was just a regular kind of guy really. I remember he did have long hair but that was kind of common back then.”
”Oh I know. I have seen the dreadful pictures at his mother's. And those fingerless gloves. I never would have dreamed that he was such a fas.h.i.+on victim,” said Alison, s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g her nose up.
Katy had a sudden flashback of her and Matthew spending the day trawling an indoor market trying to find the perfect gloves. They were essential for their outfit as they were going to a gig together, she remembered. Their first real grown up gig in the back of some pub somewhere. It was dark and smoky and heaving and they had loved every minute of it.
”Well, that's what you do at that age don't you, follow fas.h.i.+on. It's all part of being a teenager,” said Katy, feeling dizzy from the effort of walking on so many egg sh.e.l.ls.
”But it was the eighties,” said Alison. ”The fas.h.i.+on was so awful. Thank goodness fas.h.i.+on has calmed down these days and we never have to go through that again. Anyway, come on, you must remember something else?” persisted Alison.
”No secret snogging behind the bike sheds you haven't told us about?” sn.i.g.g.e.red Ben, nudging Katy. ”Come on, you can tell us, did he ever try it on with you Katy?”
”G.o.d no, no, never,” Katy laughed hysterically trying not to show the complete panic that had gripped her insides. Matthew joined in, laughing way too heartily.
”What a ridiculous idea,” he said. ”She was so not my type.”
”Hang on a minute,” said Ben. ”Didn't you go to some reunion last year? Remember when I was on Paul's stag-do?”
”b.o.l.l.o.c.ks,” exclaimed Matthew in a very high-pitched voice as he leapt in the air spilling his coffee right down his front.
”Oh Matthew, take it off quick, you'll burn, and it's your best s.h.i.+rt. Come on quick, look, here's some ice darling.”
Alison was pulling frantically at Matthew's s.h.i.+rt trying to get the tails out of his trousers as the coffee stain crept rapidly across the fabric.
His s.h.i.+rt was halfway over his head now. He was trying to undo b.u.t.tons from the top whilst Alison frantically tried to pull it over his head. Eventually she won and dragged it off revealing Matthew's completely hairless chest. This instantly reminded Katy of the s.e.x. She looked away, fearful that Alison would read her mind.
Matthew held a damp napkin wrapped around some ice to his lower belly. He was breathing very hard and looking nervously from one person to another.
”I'm OK,” he puffed. ”It was just hot that's all, made me jump. Shall we open some more wine? Alison, there's some more Merlot in the rack, you go and get it and I'll just go and put another s.h.i.+rt on.”
”Why don't you put the green and taupe one on? It's hanging in your wardrobe,” shouted Alison as he left the room.
She turned back to Katy and Ben. ”How embarra.s.sing. You've seen his guilty secret now. That cupid tattoo is another unfortunate legacy from his school days. Hideous isn't it? He said an old girlfriend talked him into it. I keep telling him to have it removed. I hate staring at a reminder of an ex, wouldn't you?”
Ben was sitting very quietly, his brow furrowed. He didn't reply to Alison's question, just looked at Katy and furrowed his brow even more.
Katy felt sick. Disaster had well and truly struck. She couldn't breathe. They had to get out and get out now.
”Alison, I'm so, so sorry but I'm dead on my feet. It's been wonderful but we are really going to have to go home; I can't keep my eyes open. Is that alright with you Ben?”
He nodded.
”I understand perfectly. We must make the most of all the sleep we can get at the moment mustn't we? I'll go and get your coats,” said Alison, getting up.
They were all standing in the hall by the time Matthew came back down stairs. Ben had shoved his hands in his pockets, pulled his hat over his ears and was staring at the floor. Katy was trying to act normally towards Alison whilst shooting warning looks at Matthew.
”So thank you so much, it's been great. Sorry Matthew. Gotta go, suddenly really tired,” said Katy as she awkwardly shook Alison and Matthew's hand. Ben had already opened the front door letting the wind come howling in. He walked straight out without saying anything. Head down, chin in his chest.
”So bye then,” she said, rus.h.i.+ng out to follow him after seeing one last glance of Matthew's confused face.
”s.h.i.+t, s.h.i.+t, s.h.i.+t, what have I done? Stupid, stupid, stupid,” she cursed before opening the car door, the wind and driving rain more alluring than what might greet her inside.
She dropped into the driving seat.
Ben said nothing.
She had her usual battle with the seat belt as it protested at the expanse of her belly.
Ben said nothing.
She sat for a moment watching an abundantly overflowing hanging basket swing precariously on a wrought iron hook, looking like it might fly right off. Was this the moment she wondered, when everything came tumbling down?
”Why?” asked Ben.
”Why what?”
”Oh come on Katy. There is a bloke who you were at school with who has the exact same tattoo as you. I have to ask why.”
The tears were already flowing. They came the second Ben opened his mouth. She sniffed hard and swallowed.
”I'm so sorry; it's just that, well, we used to go out together, just at school. It was a stupid dare, the tattoos I mean. Really stupid.”
”But why didn't you say so?”
”Because of Alison. Apparently she is so jealous that if she knew I was the ex-girlfriend it would freak her out and Matthew doesn't want to upset her at the moment. And I didn't mean to lie to you as well Ben, but it just seemed easier. It meant you didn't have to lie too. Stupid I know, I am so sorry. He means nothing to me, I promise.”
For the first time since they had got into the car Ben raised his head to look at her.
”I never asked if he meant anything to you.”
It was Katy's turn to stare at the floor.
”Oh right, yeah. I just wanted to make sure you knew, that's all.”
They sat in silence until Ben reached back to put on his seatbelt.
Katy leaned forward and started the car and they drove home to the sound of the moaning wind.
Chapter 14.
Katy stared gloomily at the phone for a good five minutes after she had put the receiver down. It was the longest conversation she'd had with Ben since Sat.u.r.day night, which was something. The fact that he'd said he wouldn't be going to that evening's antenatal cla.s.s because he was playing football, however, was not a sign that he was in a good place with everything yet. She wanted the old Ben back, not this quiet, awkward, monosyllabic stranger. Not that she had seen much of him since the dinner party. On Sunday he had left the flat in the early hours and not returned until after she had gone to bed. The following morning she had got up to find him pa.s.sed out on the sofa, fully clothed. A half eaten pizza lay spilling out of its box on the rug and empty bottles of beer littered the floor making the whole place smell as bad as his over-indulged breath. As gently as possible she had shaken him awake, not daring to kick off about the debris surrounding him. She had made him some breakfast and then they sat at the breakfast bar in silence, chewing toast. Unable to bear Ben on mute mode Katy had finally dared to raise the subject of Matthew, apologising again for lying about their school days relations.h.i.+p. Without looking her in the eye he had grunted a ”Fine. Stop worrying about it,” before getting up abruptly to go to work, leaving her to tidy up his mess. This is what it must be like living with a sulky teenager she thought, getting mildly p.i.s.sed off as she sponged crusty tomato sauce off the rug. She would have hoped he would be mature enough to talk to her about it but obviously not. He didn't come home before she went to bed again that night and as she walked into the lounge the next day she braced herself for the aftermath of yet another night of heavy drinking and late night takeaways. But he had already left, crumpled sticky foil cartons from the Chinese crammed into the bin under the sink and an empty bottle of red wine put ready for recycling. She had seen this as progress. Evidence that he was less angry with her, but now she felt utterly deflated that he could not even bring himself to go to one last cla.s.s.
Finally in desperation she picked up the phone again and dialled Daniel's extension.
”Meet me outside in ten minutes with a blindfold. I have a surprise for you,” she said before Daniel could speak. She put down the receiver and stared at the phone miserably. She started to gather her things and wondered if she was making a big mistake.
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