It’s Now or Never

  ‘He’ll definitely go fishing tomorrow?’

  ‘Hail, rain or shine.’

  ‘Good,’ Lauren says, and I couldn’t agree more. I have been a fishing widow all of our married life and, finally, some good is coming of it.

  All of our satisfied customers have given us more than our suggested five pounds. I count out our booty. ‘A hundred and ninety-five pounds.’ I’m open mouthed.

  ‘In one afternoon,’ Lauren reminds me. ‘We’ll have a good crack at it tomorrow. We could do another four hundred pounds if business is as brisk.’

  ‘Fingers crossed,’ I say.

  Lauren puts her arm round me. ‘Then you’re halfway there, Annie.’

  Constricted by my bunny corset, my heart pounds with excitement. Halfway there!

  Chapter 51

  My husband comes home from fishing. When he walks through the door, my sister and I are sitting in the kitchen – fully clothed – innocently drinking cups of tea.

  ‘What?’ he says as we turn to look at him.

  ‘Nothing.’ I smile sweetly.

  ‘You both look guilty.’

  ‘No.’ I shrug. ‘Had a good day fishing?’

  ‘Yes. Thanks.’

  ‘How big was the one that got away?’ my sister asks.

  ‘Very funny,’ Greg says.

  ‘Are you going again tomorrow?’ I sound too bright.

  ‘If you don’t mind,’ my husband says, still regarding me suspiciously.

  ‘No. Of course not.’ How can I tell him that I have plans that don’t involve him being here? ‘I always encourage you to do what you want to do.’

  My husband’s face darkens. ‘There’s no need to be sarcastic, Annie.’

  ‘I wasn’t!’

  But with that, he bangs out to the garage.

  ‘Hmm,’ Lauren says. ‘Touchy.’

  I sigh. ‘He’s like that all the time now. I can’t say anything without him biting my head off. I spend my life walking on eggshells.’

  ‘No wonder you want to get away.’ I say nothing to contradict that sentiment. Frankly, the more stubborn Greg becomes, the more it makes me want to disappear to Peru and, preferably, not come back. ‘Did you put the costumes in my room?’

  I nod.

  ‘Thank goodness. We don’t want him finding out about this.’

  I’ll second that.

  So at nine o’clock on Sunday morning we’re rushing Greg out of the door, off for his day of fishing. If my husband is perplexed by my haste to shoo him out, then he says nothing. He probably just thinks that Lauren and I can’t wait to get to the shops or something. In his wildest dreams he wouldn’t imagine what the ‘something’ might be.

  By ten we’re booted and suited in our bunny gear and back in business in our drive. By noon we’ve done six men – or more accurately their vehicles – and have a queue of six more which stretches down Goldstone Road. I’m also almost another hundred pounds nearer to my target.

  Then just as I’m getting into my stride and I’m starting to relax, the sight of the next car freezes my blood. Blake Chadwick’s black Lotus Exige pulls into my driveway and stops right next to me.

  ‘I hope you haven’t waited long, sir,’ I say as coolly as I can manage as he steps out.

  BC takes off his shades and lets out a long low whistle. ‘I’d have waited all day and more for this privilege.’

  My heart bangs and my cheeks burn. Lauren sashays over. His eyes rove over both of us.

  ‘I had no idea you were a twin,’ he says. ‘Now my nocturnal fantasies will go into overdrive.’

  My sister is looking intrigued. BC is looking not just hot, but scorching today in black jeans and a white shirt.

  ‘This is Blake Chadwick,’ I tell her. ‘My boss. The person who agreed that we could borrow these costumes.’

  ‘And very glad that I did.’

  ‘We’d better make sure that we give him an extra special service,’ my sister says flirtatiously, and I wish she wouldn’t. I’m flustered enough already.

  I pick up my bucket and start to wash his car. He grins at me. ‘This is very enterprising, Annie.’

  ‘I’m determined to get to Peru.’

  ‘I like that kind of focus in a woman,’ he says, and makes my hormones go all silly. I drop my bucket and then fall off my heels and, in righting myself, knock my bunny ears all askew.

  ‘I think we’re going to have great fun on this trip, me and you.’

  BC doesn’t stop watching me all the time I’m washing his car. When I’m done he gives me a lazy smile and says, ‘Great job. Ever thought of turning pro?’

  Then, before I can come up with a suitably witty answer, he hands over a hundred pounds.

  I just about stop my mouth from dropping open. ‘I . . . I . . . I can’t take this,’ I stammer. ‘It’s way too much.’

  ‘Worth every penny.’ He winks. ‘Believe me.’

  Then he slides smoothly back into his Exige and purrs away.

  ‘Wow,’ Lauren says. ‘And he’s going to Peru too?’

  I nod. ‘All of the company are.’

  ‘I bet they don’t all look like that.’

  ‘No,’ I agree.

  My bunny twin punches my arm. ‘You dark horse,’ she says. ‘Are you sure you’re doing this entirely for the benefit of the poor kiddies?’ Lauren waggles her eyebrows at me. ‘Or is there an ulterior motive?’

  ‘Don’t be ridiculous.’ And, as I try not to think of BC and his sleek curves, my heart-rate returns to normal and I wave in our next customer.

  Chapter 52

  On Monday morning, Jude signalled to Lauren to come into his office as soon as she arrived. He closed the door behind her. ‘I’ve been here since seven,’ he said pointedly. ‘Waiting.’

  She’d thought about getting into work early as she normally did in an attempt to snatch a few moments alone with her lover but today, instead, she’d turned over in bed and had enjoyed another half-hour’s snoozing.

  To be honest, Lauren was thoroughly exhausted after the weekend’s exertions. All the hours she spent in the gym were nowhere near as energetic as the car-washing adventures with her sister had turned out to be. All of her muscles ached. When they’d finished last night, Lauren thought she might never lift her arms again. But it had been fun and she always loved spending time with her twin whatever they did.

  As a bonus, by the end of the two snatched sessions, she and Annie had earned just over five hundred pounds to put towards her trip. If they could make sure that her brother-in-law was well out of the way and do the same thing next weekend, then that would pretty much sort out Annie’s fare. Another one or two and that would be her spending money and any clothing or equipment she needed sorted too.

  ‘Missed you this weekend,’ Jude said softly, breaking into her daydreaming. He checked out of the window to the office before he risked stroking her arm.

  She dragged her attention back to him. ‘I went to see Annie.’

  ‘Did you have a good time?’

  Lauren nodded. She couldn’t be bothered to tell him that they’d spent a very profitable weekend giving great car-wash. ‘You?’

  ‘Family stuff,’ Jude said. She didn’t really want to know that. ‘I still need to make up for the weekend before,’ he continued. ‘I haven’t forgotten.’

  The strange thing was, Lauren kind of had.

  ‘I could get away tonight,’ he said. ‘For an hour.’

  ‘An hour.’ A few weeks ago, that would have made her heart soar with joy at the thought of an illicit hour with him. Now, surprisingly, she just thought that she couldn’t be bothered to make the effort if he was going to dash off.

  ‘Maybe longer.’

  ‘I’m tired.’ An involuntary yawn escaped just to prove it.

  Jude frowned. Was this the first time that she’d said that to him? Lauren wondered. She couldn’t remember another occasion. For the last five years she’d always wanted to be bright, bubbly, enthusiastic – make him realise w
hat he was missing at home. At the moment, she just couldn’t be bothered.

  Jude lowered his voice. ‘I could come to the flat and give you a back rub, run you a hot bath.’

  Now her resolve was weakening. Her lover had magic hands and that was just what her tired body needed.

  ‘I’ll make you feel good,’ he wheedled.

  Her smile softened. She liked a man who knew when to beg. ‘Okay.’ She turned to go back to her desk. ‘I’ll catch you later.’

  ‘Lauren,’ Jude called after her. ‘What did you do in Bath last weekend?’

  ‘Do?’ she asked. ‘You mean apart from cry myself senseless?’

  ‘Ouch.’ Her lover clutched his heart. ‘I deserved that.’

  ‘Yes,’ she said. ‘You did.’

  ‘You didn’t put any expenses into the company.’

  ‘I wouldn’t have dreamed of it,’ Lauren told him. ‘I wasn’t on business, as far as I was aware.’

  ‘Put the bills through,’ Jude said gently. ‘I feel like such a heel. It’s the least I can do.’

  ‘It doesn’t matter.’

  ‘I insist,’ he said. ‘Just give me the receipts.’

  Maybe there was a knowing look in his eyes or maybe it was her belated guilt kicking in. Her mouth went dry as she thought of Zak and what a great time they’d had. It would be just like Jude to sack him out of spite if he found out that her friend had slipped into his place.

  Which meant that if she put in her expenses for the weekend then Jude would see that there were two meals on each bill, not one. And she had no intention of explaining to him that it wasn’t down to comfort eating.

  Chapter 53

  I’m behind my desk on Monday morning poring over my travel guide to Peru, as usual, when Blake Chadwick swings in. I close the pages on the floating Uros Islands made of nothing but reeds and slip the book into my drawer.

  ‘Morning, Sexy,’ he says with a twinkle in his eye. ‘Hardly recognised you with your clothes on.’

  ‘The old ones are the best,’ I retort cheekily.

  ‘That’s what I’d heard.’ He gives me another saucy look. Now it’s Blake who’s being cheeky. Just because he’s seen me in my fishnets, he clearly thinks he can get away with murder.

  I fold my arms across my chest, defensively.

  ‘Joking aside,’ BC says quickly, ‘I really admire your ingenuity. I don’t know many women who’d have the guts to do something like that. Good for you, Annie.’

  I don’t like to tell him that it was back-breaking work and that by the end of Sunday my body was begging me to lie down and die. As it still is.

  ‘Can I hang on to the bunny costumes for another few weeks, please?’ I ask.

  ‘For recreational purposes?’

  ‘No.’ I can’t help but laugh. Greg would faint if he saw me dressed up like that. ‘Lauren and I want to try to do the car washing again next weekend if we can.’ If my husband disappears off fishing, as I pray that he will.

  ‘Your sister seems really nice. Very supportive.’

  ‘Yes, she is.’

  ‘And you two are really twins?’

  I blush. ‘Yes,’ I admit. ‘We are.’

  ‘Wow.’ There’s a vaguely dreamy look in his eye.

  Typical male reaction.

  ‘Annie,’ BC says, suddenly serious, ‘we’ve got a big event coming up in a few weeks in London. Launch of a new tropical cocktail mix. No expense spared on this one. You never get out of the office. Fancy coming along to it?’

  No one has ever asked me to go along to a company do before. I’m nearly speechless. Nearly. ‘I’d love to,’ I manage to squeak out.

  ‘Bring Lauren along too. If you like.’

  ‘That’d be great.’

  ‘Cool.’ He grins at me. ‘Think I’m going to have to drive through some very muddy puddles this week.’

  I give him a puzzled look.

  ‘I want to make sure I’m first in the queue next Saturday morning.’

  ‘You can’t afford me,’ I quip, thinking of the hundred quid he gave me. Then, ‘Thanks so much for the contribution to my fighting fund.’

  ‘I told you,’ he says, and our eyes meet. ‘Worth every penny. And I meant it.’ He leans on my desk and suddenly the temperature shoots up in here. ‘You’ll do this, Annie. You’ll get to Peru. And I’ll be there for you, cheering you on.’

  Then he goes. Which is just as well because there’s not a lot I can think of to say to that.

  Chapter 54

  It was seven o’clock by the time Lauren got home. Jude followed her minutes later. He tossed his jacket on to the sofa, making himself at home. What would happen, she mused, if they split up, as a considerable part of her mortgage was paid for by Jude?

  He came and twined his arms round her, holding her tightly. ‘God, I love you,’ he murmured against her neck.

  Why was she even thinking like that? This year was going to be her year. By the time she was forty, she’d be with Jude if it was the last thing she did. Though she was coming to realise that it was going to be a much more tricky achievement than raising two thousand pounds for Annie to do the Inca Trail.

  ‘I love the curve of your neck, the scent of you. All day long I’ve wanted to make love to you.’

  ‘I thought I was getting a back rub?’

  ‘Would you like it before or after?’ He grinned at her and took her hand and led her through to the bedroom.

  Moments later she was naked in his arms. As he moved above her she wondered how often he made love to his wife. Never, if she believed Jude’s account of their non-existent love-life. But did she really buy into that? Did they reach the heights of ecstasy that Lauren and Jude did? She’d never had a lover as good as Jude and that was a hard drug to give up.

  Her mobile phone rang. ‘Leave it,’ Jude instructed, but she picked it up and looked at the display in case it was her sister.

  It wasn’t Annie, it was Zak. She let the call go to voicemail. Lauren felt a mixture of elation and irritation. On the one hand she really wanted to talk to Zak as she hadn’t seen him all day and she knew that he’d be interested in her car-washing activities – much more than Jude would ever be – but, on the other hand, she felt irritated that he’d called at a bad moment. Did Jude, she wondered, ever feel like that when she phoned him? Acid swirled in her stomach at the thought. Had she ever interrupted him and Georgia while they were in the throes of passion? More acid. What was wrong with her these days? She knew the score. This was what she’d bought into. But did that mean that she always had to like it?

  She turned back to her lover, but the mood had gone.

  ‘Anything wrong?’

  Lauren shook her head. ‘No.’

  ‘Who was on the phone?’

  ‘Just a friend.’

  Jude sighed and rolled off her.

  Stroking his chest, she said, ‘You could give me that back rub now.’

  Her lover looked at his watch. ‘I’ve run out of time. I’ll have to go.’ He winked at her. ‘I’ll put it on account for you.’

  Lauren pulled the sheet over her body, her skin cold now. How much more had she accrued on account over the years? Several spoiled birthdays, too many Christmases alone, the best years of her life spent waiting.

  Jude was already up and dressing. How many times had she lain in bed watching him shrug on his shirt, smooth down his hair where she’d ruffled it and then walk away from her and back to his wife and family? Tears welled in her eyes.

  ‘I’ll see you tomorrow at work,’ he said.

  If he noticed that she was crying, he didn’t mention it. Her lover probably didn’t have time to get involved with any unnecessary emotion – Georgia would be wondering where he was.

  Chapter 55

  ‘I think I’m coming down with a cold,’ Greg says, giving a tentative sniff. ‘I might give fishing a miss today.’

  ‘Miss fishing?’ My husband never misses fishing.

  I’m already out of bed, but he’
s still lying there. Looking very comfortable, I might add.

  ‘I’ll give Ray a ring.’

  ‘You can’t let him down,’ I say.

  I’m panicking now as Lauren and I had planned to don our Bunny Girl outfits again and take up our chamois leathers with a vengeance. If Greg’s here, moping around with Man Flu, then my fundraising efforts will be severely hampered. ‘You always go fishing with him on a Saturday. It just sounds like a sniffle to me.’

  He gives me a look that says, ‘Thank you for your sympathy, dear wife.’

  ‘I’ll make you some breakfast,’ I offer. ‘That will make you feel better.’

  ‘I don’t think I could eat.’

  Now he’s just trying to wind me up.

  I glance at my watch. I’m due to meet Blake Chadwick for our regular Saturday-morning run, and then Lauren is coming here with the aim of washing the dirty cars of Milton Keynes and relieving our customers of vast sums of money for the privilege.

  Perhaps I should just come clean and tell Greg of our super wizard scheme to raise the money for my trip to Peru, but then I remember that he doesn’t want me to go to Peru at any cost and he certainly wouldn’t want me dressed as a Bunny Girl in pursuit of my dream.

  ‘If you don’t want anything to eat, then I’ll be off,’ I say.

  ‘Where are you going?’

  ‘Running.’

  ‘Again.’

  ‘Yes.’ And my training is coming on marvellously, thank you for asking.

  Though I have to admit that the added incentive of seeing Blake Chadwick in a muscle top always helps me with my motivation. My mouth is starting to go way too dry when I think of Mr Chadwick and his taut, toned muscles. I’ve started to put on mascara and lipstick to go running. That’s bad, isn’t it?

  Now, I don’t want to be late. ‘I’ll see you when I come back.’

  ‘I might go fishing after all,’ Greg grizzles.

  I don’t say the, ‘Whatever,’ that’s on my lips. Instead, I pick up my water bottle and head for the car.

  Ten minutes later and I swing into the car park. My eyes nearly pop out of my head. I wind down my window. ‘What are you doing here?’