Between You and Me (27 page)

‘Fancy meeting you,’ Alex says, raising a single, blond eyebrow in the familiar manner I remember from our university days. ‘I only just bumped into Charlie the other day. We had dinner at Gaucho one Monday evening; it was just like old times.’ A ghost of a smile passes over Alex’s lips.
Monday evening?
I pause for a moment, as realisation dawns. Monday evening, a week or so ago, when you said you had an important dinner with a client and would be late home. It was the day after that awful weekend when you took Maggie overnight, the day I confided in Laura and felt relieved you wouldn’t be home until late. In fact, that evening, you didn’t come home at all, if I remember correctly.

‘Really? Charlie didn’t mention it.’ Heart hammering in my chest, I pull myself up straighter and meet Alex’s eyes. Not a whisper of guilt, but then that doesn’t mean anything. Alex has always been ruthless. I’ve heard Alex referred to as ‘calculating’ on more than one occasion in the past. You must have been a formidable team together.

‘Oh, yes.’ Alex smiles knowingly. ‘Just like it used to be, back in the day. In fact, it was like we saw each other just yesterday. You know how it is, Sal, when you have that kind of connection with someone, right? You don’t see them for years, but then you pick straight back up where you left off, like you’ve never been away. I hope Charlie wasn’t
too
hungover – we did have rather a lot to drink. Anyway, it was nice to see you, Sal. Good luck with your … with everything.’ With that, Alex sweeps past me towards the train platform, leaving me open-mouthed with no chance to formulate any of the questions that are bursting on my tongue.

There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that you were with Alex last Monday night, the night you didn’t come home. Alex made it perfectly clear that that was the case. I feel sick, humiliated. No matter what has gone on between us, I have never, ever contemplated cheating on you and I always thought you had more integrity than that. Swallowing hard, the taste of vomit at the back of my throat, I look towards the platform, but Alex is nowhere in sight, presumably having bagged a seat on the train that is leaving the station now, the train I should have been on. I walk slowly towards the platform to wait for the next one. I feel hot and shaky, my hands trembling. Any last traces of doubt have been washed from my mind. I couldn’t stay with you, even if all the other stuff hadn’t happened, not now you’ve cheated on me. And the fact that you’ve cheated on me, humiliated me, with
Alex
of all people just seals our fate. I am leaving and there is no way I will ever come back. The hold you have had over for me for so many years is broken.

Chapter Thirty-Six

CHARLIE

I spend Friday in a panic at my office, trying desperately to make sure everything is prepared for Monday, and Geoff is no help whatsoever. I need to get all the paperwork finalised, all my ducks in a row so to speak, and he hovers anxiously in the background for most of the day. Although the acquisition is my deal, Geoff is the head of my department and if it all goes tits up Geoff will also be in the firing line. I am so tired through lack of sleep I feel as though I’m wading through mud, and I long for the whole thing to be over, if only so that I can get a decent night’s sleep. I just have to get through to Monday evening, and then it’ll all be done – Mr Hunter will have me lined up for partner and some of the pressure will be off me at last. By six o’clock I am losing patience, but everything is ready.

‘Geoff, please, just relax. It’s all under control. I’ve got everything ready to go – all we need are the signatures on it and it’s done.’ I lean over to shut down my computer. It’s early for me to leave, but I know if I stay any longer I’ll either go back to the files and start obsessively checking all the clauses again, or I’ll want to punch Geoff.

‘Are you leaving?’ Geoff is sweaty, his forehead beaded with tiny dots of perspiration. He always sweats when he gets anxious and today he has been off the scale, even for him, making me cringe by mopping at his forehead with a grubby white hanky all day.

‘Yes, Geoff, I’m leaving. And you should, too. Monday is a big day for both of us. If this all goes to plan,
which it will
, the communications company will hand themselves over to Lucian, everyone will sign, the communications guy will be rich, Lucian will be even richer, and I will be a partner. Oh, and your department will have the knowledge that you orchestrated the entire thing, OK? You’ll probably get an even bigger, even fatter bonus this year than last year. Just go home and have a weekend, for God’s sake.’ My patience is wearing thin, and I can’t wait for Monday when this deal goes through and I get my office on the sixth floor. Then I will never, or rather
will rarely
, have to deal with Geoff and his anxious sweating. I eventually get his twittering voice out of my office and pack the rest of my things into my laptop bag. Reaching the door, I turn and survey the office one last time. This could be one of the last times I work in here. Monday could mean the start of a whole new journey – starting with a brand-new office. I smile, switch off the lights, and shut the door.

‘Are you sure you’re OK, Sal?’ Sal has been quiet all weekend and for a moment it flits across my mind that maybe my night with Alex has been discovered. I shake the idea away, dismissively.
It couldn’t have been. When would Sal ever see Alex? It’s not like Sal ever heads into town, or even leaves the village for that matter, choosing instead to just lounge around at home while I trek into town every day to bring home the bacon.
It must be something else bothering Sal, something little and inconsequential, no doubt.

‘I’m fine, honestly, Charlie.’ Sal looks up from the newspaper. We are actually managing to enjoy some quiet time this Sunday morning. Maggie is parked in front of Cartoon Network, which is her favourite place to be, but Sal is normally so strict about how much TV Mags can watch it’s unusual for her to get a whole Sunday morning. Another sign that maybe something isn’t quite right with Sal, but I’m not going to let it bother me.

‘So how is … ummm … Anna’s baby?’ Sal is still staring at the newspaper and I feel a flicker of annoyance. It’s not often we get a morning to spend together like this and I’m really trying to make an effort here, by feigning interest in Anna’s baby.

‘What? Oh, fine.’ Sal doesn’t even look up. This is not acceptable. I am working so hard, and under so much stress, and now Sal can’t even be bothered to spend Sunday morning with me, preferring instead to read about slutty celebrities and political scandal. I feel my blood start to boil.

‘Sal … WILL YOU FUCKING LOOK AT ME!’ I roar, no longer able to keep my temper under control. Sal startles and pushes the newspaper away.

‘OK, Charlie, calm down. What do you want?’ Sal glances anxiously towards the closed living room door, checking to see if Maggie has heard me shout.

‘What do I want? I want you to fucking speak to me, that’s what I want. I don’t work all the fucking hours God sends for you to spend the weekend reading your shitty newspaper and ignoring me!’ A tiny figure appears in the doorway.

‘Daddy? What’s going on? Why is there shouting?’ Maggie’s frightened face is peering round the door frame, eyes big and wide, looking anxiously between us. Something crosses Sal’s face as we make eye contact, something that looks suspiciously like disgust before I blink and it is gone. Sal gets up and goes to pull Maggie into a hug.

‘It’s nothing, baby, don’t worry. Just grown-ups being silly, that’s all. Go back to your show.’ Maggie eyes us both warily, before tiptoeing back into the living room and snuggling back into position on the couch.

‘That’s not acceptable,’ Sal hisses at me, pulling the living room door closed again. ‘I don’t want her to see that. I don’t want her to hear you screaming at me.’

‘Then maybe,’ I hiss back, ‘you should stop being such a fucking useless moron. You deserve everything you get, Sal, and if it’s not good for Maggie then maybe I
should
take her away.’ I slowly, deliberately grab the skin at the top of Sal’s arm and twist, hard. Yelping, Sal pulls away, rubbing at the angry red mark that has appeared just below the sleeve of Sal’s T-shirt. I just laugh.

Later that evening, Maggie is asleep and I sit next to Sal on the sofa. Taking Sal’s hand in mine, it lies there warm but unresponsive.

‘Sal, I’m sorry, OK?’ I squeeze gently, but Sal’s hand still just lies there. ‘I just … I work so hard and I miss you so much because I’m not here, so I just want a bit of attention when we are together, that’s all. I work hard for
you
, Sal, so that you can stay home with Maggie. When you ignore me it just makes me angry and you make me lose my temper. It’s only because I love you so much, Sal. You know that, right? It’s me and you, together for ever, remember?’ I squeeze slightly harder until I get a response.

‘Yes, Charlie, of course. I’ll remember that in future.’ Sal gives my hand a brief squeeze and turns back to the television. I can’t help feeling that same sneaking sensation that something in our relationship has changed. Something is not quite as it usually is and I’m not too sure what.

I don’t sleep well that night, Sal’s response to me on Sunday evening and the meeting scheduled for Monday morning playing on my mind. I rise early, and after a shower I kiss Sal’s sleeping head and sneak out the front door.

By ten o’clock, when Anita buzzes through to me that Lucian Pavlenco has arrived, all the paperwork is ready and complete and I am nervously waiting for the meeting to begin. The director of the communications company Lucian is planning on buying has arrived ten minutes earlier, so I gather up all the paperwork and walk slowly along the corridor towards the boardroom. I pause outside, taking a moment to catch my breath and gather my thoughts. Once I have these papers signed, I’ve done it. I’ve made Hunter, Crisp and Wilson a ton of money and launched myself to the top of my tree. I will be a partner in the firm, a success story, and with Sal and Maggie by my side I really will have it all. The perfect life. Taking a deep breath, I push the door open and enter the boardroom, smiling an acknowledgement at Lucian and Mr Hunter, who is sitting at the top of the table.

‘Good morning, gentlemen.’ I put my papers down and shake hands with everyone. ‘Stefan’ – I turn to the director of the communications company – ‘thank you so much for your patience regarding this process. We are incredibly pleased you decided to sell to Mr Pavlenco. You’ve made the right decision.’

‘Thank you, Charlie.’ Stefan winks at me. He looks groomed and polished today, whereas on the previous occasions I have met with him he just looked kind of scruffy and grungy, not at all how I imagined the kind of guy who owns a very successful company and is about to make his fortune.

‘These are the papers that need to be signed in order for everything to be formally completed.’ I lay out several sheets of A4 paper, all closely typed, with various spaces for signatures. ‘Once these are all signed, that’s it. The agreed amounts will be transferred to Stefan’s account and Mr Pavlenco will have full control over the company, enabling him to merge completely with his existing communications company, if he so wishes. Everybody understand?’ The table is a sea of nodding heads. ‘Well, seeing as there are no further questions, in that case I think we should get on and sign, don’t you? No point in delaying completion.’ Mr Hunter smiles at me, a warm, approving smile that tells me I’ve impressed him. I pass the paperwork to Stefan first, and as he is reaching for a pen the door bursts open. Alex is standing in the doorway, blond hair standing out in a bright halo, eyes blazing fire. Anita puffs into the doorway, slightly behind Alex.

‘I’m sorry, Charlie,’ she huffs, clearly out of breath. ‘I tried to stop them, I really did.’

‘Don’t worry, Anita. Go back to your desk.’ I narrow my eyes.
What the hell is Alex doing here?
‘Alex, you don’t need to be here. You are aware Stefan has decided to sell his company to Mr Pavlenco – not your clients – so there is absolutely no reason for you to be in this office right now. Please leave.’ I stand and move towards Alex, who stares at me, unable or unwilling to break eye contact.

‘Mr Pavlenco, you say, Charlie?’ Alex stands tall, and refuses to move from the doorway. From the corner of my eye I see Stan reach for the telephone. ‘See, the way I hear it, there is no Mr Pavlenco in this room.’ A hush descends, and Mr Hunter replaces the phone he has picked up to call security. A hot wave of fear prickles its way down my body.
Oh, God, please, no. This cannot be happening. After everything I’ve done to try and prevent it, the worst cannot happen now.

Lucian stays seated, still as calm as ever, and appraises Alex coolly. ‘Please,’ he says. ‘You might care to explain yourself?’
Oh, God, no.
I fumble for the pen on the table, my fingers shaking. I need to get these contracts signed if it’s the last thing I do.

‘Alex, please,’ I interject quickly, ‘let’s talk about this outside. There’s no need for this.’ I take Alex’s arm and move towards the doorway, avoiding Mr Hunter’s quizzical gaze. Alex shrugs me off, roughly.

‘No, Charlie. It does need to be said. You see, I have proof that Lucian Pavlenco is not who he says he is.’ Alex waves a sheaf of papers. Mr Hunter gets to his feet, spluttering with rage.

‘Out of here now!’ He points to the stairwell, his face turning an interesting shade of purple in his fury. ‘Get out of here – I don’t know who you think you are, but your bosses will be hearing about this.’ Mr Hunter is quivering with anger, and I watch helplessly as he moves towards the doorway. Alex just smiles, quite unruffled, still clutching the wad of papers in one hand.

‘Yes, Mr Hunter, I am rather hoping they do hear about this. You see, Lucian Pavlenco is
not
Lucian Pavlenco and I have the evidence right here to prove it. His real name is Radu Popescu and he entered our country illegally sixteen years ago, when he was twenty-four. He was born in Bucharest in 1975, and came to England after the death of his father meant his family were struggling to survive. His best friend, the
real
Lucian Pavlenco, had already come to England a year previously, but legally. Upon his arrival, Radu convinced Lucian that, if he would just lend Radu his identity, he could do well and support both of them. It’s all there.’ Alex throws the bunch of paperwork down on the desk with a thud, and I recognise printouts of the emails and documents that Radu,
Lucian
, had emailed me as proof of his identity.
Oh, Jesus, no.
‘The only thing is, Radu didn’t stick to his side of the bargain, did you
Radu
?’ Alex sneers in Lucian’s direction. I feel my face flaming as the taste of vomit hits the back of my throat. Alex has betrayed me – my laptop bag was slightly open that morning in the hotel and now I know why. I knew I closed it properly when I left the office.
Oh, God, how could I have been so stupid?
Lucian is pale, a single bead of sweat growing at his temple.