‘You mean…like…on a date?’
‘Yes. Exactly like that.’
‘You don’t waste much time, do you? I’ve only been dumped for two hours. And you’ve only known about it for two minutes! What if I said I was too broken up over Luke to date anyone for a while?’
‘Then I’d respect that. But I’d ask you out again next week. And the week after that.’
‘I should have guessed you’d be the determined type,’ she muttered.
‘Being determined is not a vice, Isabel.’
‘That depends. So why is it you don’t already have a girlfriend? Or do you? Don’t lie to me, now. I hate men who lie to me,’ she added, slurring her words.
‘I’m between girlfriends at the moment.’
‘Oh? What happened to the last one?’
‘She went overseas to work. I wasn’t inclined to follow her.’
‘Why?’
‘My career is here, in Australia.’
‘Ahh. Priority number one.’
‘What does that mean?’
‘It means no, thank you very much, Rafe. I’ve been down that road far too many times to travel it again.’
‘Now I’m confused. What road are you referring to?’
‘Dating men who want only one thing from me. You do only want one thing from me, don’t you, Rafe?’
Rafe considered that a loaded question.
‘I wouldn’t say that, exactly.’ He liked talking to her, too. ‘But I have to confess that marriage and kiddies are not on my list of must-do things in my life.’
‘Well, they’re on mine, Rafe. And sooner, rather than later. But I appreciate your telling me the truth. That’s a big improvement on some of the other men I’ve become involved with in the past.’
His eyebrows shot up. It sounded as if there had been scads. Any idea that she might almost be a virgin went out of the window. It just showed you first impressions weren’t always right.
‘Did your fiancé lie to you?’
‘Luke? Oh, no…no, Luke was no liar.’
‘But he was obviously two-timing you,’ he pointed out.
‘No. He wasn’t. Look, it’s rather difficult to explain.’
‘Try.’
So she did, explaining the circumstances which had led up to Luke’s meeting Celia.
‘So he hasn’t been two-timing me,’ she finished up. ‘He only met Celia yesterday.’
‘Perhaps, but he didn’t tell you the truth about why he was going up to his dad’s fishing cabin on Lake Macquarie in the first place, did he?’
‘No, but I can understand why. He’d been thrown for a loop when the solicitor told him his Dad wanted to leave his weekender to some strange woman.’
‘You make a lot of excuses for him, don’t you? He was still unfaithful to you. And he hurt you, Isabel.’
‘He didn’t mean to. Look, I’m sorry I told you about it now. It’s really none of your business. Thank you for ringing and for making me feel a little better, but I think we should leave it right there, don’t you? As I said, we want different things in life. I wonder…could you possibly post my phone back to me?’
‘I’d rather drop it off to you.’
‘And I’d rather you didn’t.’
‘You’re afraid of me,’ he said, startled by this realisation.
‘Don’t be ridiculous!’
Oh-oh. She was definitely sobering up. And returning to her former stroppy self.
‘Just tell me one thing.’
‘What?’
‘Did you love him?’
‘I was marrying him,’ she snapped. ‘What do you think?’
‘I think that’s a very evasive answer. For a person who demands the truth from others, you’re not too good at delivering it yourself.’
She sighed. ‘Very well. I liked and respected Luke, but, no, I did not love him. Satisfied?’
‘Not even remotely,’ Rafe said ruefully. ‘Did you think he loved you?’
‘No.’
‘What on earth kind of marriage was that going to be?’
‘One that lasted.’
‘Oh, yeah, right. It didn’t even get through the engagement. For pity’s sake, Isabel, what did you expect? Men want passion from their wives. And sex. At least in the beginning.’
‘You think I didn’t give Luke sex?’
‘Not the kind which his new dolly-bird obviously does.’
‘You don’t know what you’re talking about. Look, I’m sorry I started this conversation. You simply don’t have the capacity to understand what Luke and I had together. How could you? You’re one of those men who lives for himself and himself alone. A woman is just a passing pleasure to you, a bit of R&R from your work. You don’t want a real relationship with one. As for children, you probably see them as inconveniences, little ankle-biters who’d get in the way of your lifestyle. Luke wasn’t like that. He wanted a family. Like me. He wanted for ever. Like me. We might not have been madly in love but we were good friends and extremely compatible, in bed as well as out. We could have had a happy marriage. I don’t believe he’s in love with this new dolly-bird, as you call her. He only met her yesterday. I think it’s just sex, the kind that obsesses you so much sometimes that you can’t think straight.’
Rafe’s eyes widened. It sounded as if she’d been there, done that. She was becoming more interesting by the minute.
‘That kind of physical affair never lasts,’ she finished bitterly.
Yep. She’d been there, done that, all right. Rafe didn’t know if he felt tantalised by this knowledge, or jealous. Either way, the thought of Isabel in the throes of an all-consuming sexual passion was an intriguing one.
‘Is that what you’re hoping?’ he suggested. ‘That maybe this thing your Luke is having with this girl won’t last? That maybe he’ll wake up on Monday morning, realise he’s made a big mistake and beg you to take him back?’
‘Well, actually, no. I hadn’t been hoping that. But now that you’ve mentioned the possibility…’
Luke could have kicked himself.
‘Don’t start grasping at straws, Isabel.’
‘I’m not. But I’m also not going to repeat the mistakes of my past. So, thank you for thinking of me, Rafe. But find someone else to photograph, and to take to dinner, because it isn’t going to be me.’
‘Isabel, please…’
‘No, Rafe,’ she said sternly. ‘I realise you have difficulty in accepting that word, but it’s definitely no. Now I must go. Goodbye.’
And she hung up on him.
Swearing, Rafe slammed down his end of the phone. He’d handled that all wrong. Totally abysmally wrong!
Still, perhaps it was for the best. Isabel wanted marriage. Whereas he most definitely didn’t.
But