‘You look amazing,’ he whispered close to my ear, sending a tingle down my spine, making me want him all the more. Then he sighed. ‘I’m sorry, I have a meeting with the judge tomorrow to present my case. I’ll be working on it all night.’ He let out a groan and pulled me in close, smelling my hair when he did.
Tears pricked my eyes as I buried my face in his shoulder, and I fought hard to hold them back when I pulled away. Unable to speak, I handed him his wine and tried to smile.
‘I’m sorry,’ he said again softly and planted a kiss on my forehead.
When he’d left the room, I allowed a tear to roll down my cheek. The mixture of humiliation and frustration was worth that at least. I drank the rest of my wine and tried to pull myself together. It wasn’t James’s fault, or mine – it was circumstantial and badly timed. I went upstairs and slipped into something that really was more comfortable – my PJs – and called Kate.
‘I tried your underwear idea,’ I said as soon as she answered.
She didn’t need any time to pause and process. ‘And?’
‘Well, it was badly timed. James doesn’t need me to do things like that. We understand each other. I wish I hadn’t listened to you.’
‘So, he was too busy? Again? What did you wear?’
‘A black Agent Provocateur thing with suspenders – the works. I looked pretty good, even if I do say so myself, but it didn’t work.’ I emphasised the last part.
‘I’ve never heard of Agent Provocateur underwear that doesn’t work. Are you sure you had it on right?’ I heard her sip what I assumed to be wine.
‘Well, I thought it looked okay.’ I’d not actually considered whether or not it had been on right. I was usually more of a Playtex woman – the more modern styles at least, not the frumpy old-dear ones. I just wanted something sturdy and no-nonsense that looked okay and I didn’t have to worry about.
‘That husband of yours needs to realise what he’s missing.’
I sighed before moving the conversation on. ‘My trainer, Megan, finally caught her fiancé with that mistress of his.’
‘Oh, the poor woman. How did that play out?’ Kate said, her interest clearly piqued.
‘She’s understandably devastated so I’ve offered my support.’
‘Does she have her revenge plan in order?’
‘I don’t think revenge is what she’s going for. She’s upset, humiliated, and her life is in tatters.’
‘Well, I wouldn’t let him get away with it.’ I heard Kate take another sip of wine.
‘I know you wouldn’t.’ I laughed.
‘Why don’t you see if she wants to come out with us for a drink next week? Thursday perhaps? That gives her over a week to get to grips with things. There’s a new champagne bar I’m dying to try and it’ll do her good to get out. Plus it would do me good to have a girls’ night and I need to see you dressed up in something glam because that mental image you left me with last week, of all the beige, is truly awful, and as a result, our friendship is currently on the line.’ I smiled. Kate was Kate.
‘I do have a slinky red dress I’ve been dying to wear . . .’
‘Oh thank God!’
‘I’ll drop Megan a text and see if she’s up to it.’
‘Great, I’ll see you Thursday.’ She blew a kiss down the phone and hung up.
***
Megan had reluctantly agreed to come out. There was a chance she felt obliged since I was technically her boss, but I didn’t feel too guilty since it was for her own good. We met earlier in a bar in Wilmslow as I thought pre-Kate drinks were probably wise. On Megan’s arrival, her dowdy appearance shocked me a little, but I hid my reaction, for fear of upsetting her. She had on a lilac dress that fit poorly and washed her out. She’d attempted some make-up, but it was a half-hearted attempt at best. Her usual natural beauty wasn’t shining through, and she looked frumpy. I was sure it was a reflection of how she was feeling and continued to say nothing, but she brought it up.
‘I look a mess, don’t I?’ she said as we sipped a glass of wine.
‘Not at all. A bit tired, perhaps – have you slept?’ I wasn’t going to agree aloud.
She shook her head. ‘No really, not since . . . before.’ I gave her a sympathetic smile. ‘Will your friend mind a miserable face like mine putting a dampener on her night?’
‘Not at all. Kate is quite a character if you remember. She’ll maybe even take your mind off things for a few hours.’ Deep down, I hoped Kate would go easy on Megan. Once we’d finished our wine, we took a cab to the champagne bar in Alderley Edge where Kate was already waiting. In deep contrast to Megan, she looked amazing in a gold skimpy dress, which set off her tumbling ebony waves and tanned skin perfectly.
She was seated in a plush booth with white leather padded seats and a dark glossy table. It was lucky she’d found a table since the place was packed to the rafters, but knowing Kate, there would have been some eyelash-batting involved at the very least. She stood up to greet us as we walked over.
‘Ladies, it’s lovely to see you both.’ She air-kissed us before sitting back down and beckoning a waiter over. I introduced Kate and Megan since they’d only met briefly, and then sat down.
‘Well, don’t you look fabulous tonight?’ Kate said, casting her eye over me. ‘Now don’t let me see you in that jumble of beige and pearls again – or at least not for another forty years.’ She flapped her hands in my general direction before catching sight of Megan, who was looking around the room and adjusting her dress around the chest.
Before Megan had time to see the expression of horror creep across Kate’s face, I pursed my lips and shook my head at her, making sure she saw me. Kate waved a hand at me flippantly just before Megan turned back around to the table. All the arm-waving was starting to make me dizzy.
‘So, Megan, Charlotte told me all about your fiancé. I’m truly sorry. I do understand how hard it is.’ She leant across the table and patted Megan’s hand. To be fair to Kate, she almost did know, as her first husband had left her for another woman – but Kate wasn’t the type to sit around feeling sorry for herself, and I’d always felt the whole situation had been no more than a mild inconvenience to her.
‘Thank you,’ Megan replied quietly before returning to uncomfortable room-gazing.
‘Have you plotted your revenge yet?’ Kate drove her bulldozer right at Megan. I glared at her, and she shrugged as Megan turned back to us and shook her head. ‘No?’ Kate didn’t attempt to conceal her horror. ‘But it’s part of the moving-on process.’ Kate had gone in for the kill with her ex, making sure she squeezed as much money out of him as possible in the divorce settlement. In fairness, she had put her life on hold to be the ultimate ‘trophy wife’ for the seven years they’d spent together. Kate was on track to be some hotshot marketing person when she met Mr Money Bags and it was him who didn’t want a working wife – it wasn’t right for his image.
I tried to soften the conversation as the waiter deposited our drinks on the table. ‘Kate, it’s just been a few days. Megan is still coming to terms with it all.’
‘It’s okay, Charlotte. I have already thought about it. Do I scratch his car, slash his tyres, or publicly humiliate him somehow?’ She