Highland Fling (22 page)

It was Sunday and Sunday was a good day for a confession. Some people went to church to confess, Ross went to Jack’s apartment. As he walked the few blocks between his place and Jack’s, Ross went over what he was going to say. He’d been up most of the night thinking about it and had even written some notes, ironically on the same notepad as he’d been writing his best man’s speech but the irony didn’t occur to him, his mind was in too much turmoil.

The day was bright and sunny, much warmer than it had been of late and Ross saw this as a good sign. He still had no idea how Jack would take the news and had considered for just one moment, asking Phil to go with him, not for support but in case Jack freaked out and shouldn’t be left alone after.

He realised he was being a bit dramatic, ‘Stop being such a girl,’ he told himself, ‘Jack will take it like a man, he may throw you out of his apartment straight into the Thames but he won’t shed any tears or throw a tantrum whilst he’s doing it.’ 

The one thing Ross was more concerned about than anything else though, was losing Jack’s friendship and the thought of it hurt him as much as the thought of not being with Kim had done. He wondered if it was possible to retain just a scrap of what they had and tried to put himself in Jack’s shoes but it didn’t help so he decided he’d have to wait and see. He pressed the buzzer to Jack’s apartment and held his breath.

Jack saw it was Ross via the video and buzzed him in.

‘Come in mate,’ Jack said from the open door of his apartment, ‘I’ve just been calling you but your phone’s off.’

Ross took his phone from his pocket. Jack was right. Ross had switched it off last night at the hospital and he’d forgotten to switch it back on. He did it now and three messages flashed on the screen. He scrolled through them, they were all from Jack.

‘What’s up mate?’ Ross asked, half dreading the answer.

‘I need to ask you something and it’s going to be awkward but I need to know the truth, okay?’

Ross tried to swallow but something stuck in his throat, unable to speak, he nodded instead.

‘D’you want coffee? I’ve made coffee,’ Jack said pacing to and fro. ‘Had a bit of a session last night and needed it. Think I’ll have some more. Want some?’

Ross felt Jack had had enough for both of them already but he nodded and managed to get out a strangled, ‘Yeah.’

Jack poured the coffee, handed one to Ross, gulped his down in three swallows then dropped on to the sofa. He got up again so quickly he startled Ross and almost made him drop his cup.

The door buzzer went and Jack raced across the room to answer it. ‘Yeah, come up mate.’ Jack turned back to Ross. ‘It’s Phil,’ he said, seconds before Phil tapped on the half open door and stepped in.

‘Ross just got here,’ Jack said to Phil. ‘Must have read my mind ‘cos his phone was off. Coffee mate? There’s some in the pot.’

Phil nodded to Ross, strode across the room and poured himself some coffee.

‘Pour me one mate, I’m gasping,’ Jack said.

Phil glanced at him over the top of the Ray-bans he was still wearing.

‘You sure you haven’t had enough already Jack, you look a bit wired.’

‘I’m wired all right – but it’s not from coffee. I think Kim’s having an affair!’

Luckily for Phil, he had moved towards the chair beside the fire so that when Ross spat his coffee out in total shock, it didn’t hit him, only the coffee table.

Two pairs of eyes focused on Ross.

‘I know mate,’ Jack said, ‘that’s just how I felt when I realised.’

Phil put down his cup and went into the kitchen for some kitchen paper, as he came back he noticed Ross was fiddling with the neck of his T-shirt as though it were too tight and was throttling him. Jack had resumed pacing.

‘So,’ Phil said, wiping up the coffee, ‘what makes you think Kim’s having an affair?’ He glanced at Ross and in that split second, he had an uneasy feeling that Jack might just be right.

‘Kim’s pregnant!’ Jack said, standing still for the first time since either Ross or Phil had arrived.

This time it was Phil who was shocked and he couldn’t help but notice that as far as Ross was concerned, it was old news. Perhaps Jack had already told him, then again ... Phil dropped on to the chair beside the sofa as if all the stuffing had been knocked out of him. He had the weirdest feeling that things might get a lot worse from here on in.

No one said a word for at least two minutes. Then Phil said, ‘I’m not sure if I’m meant to say congratulations or not and perhaps I’m missing something but why does Kim being pregnant make you think she’s having an affair? Have you been told you can’t have kids or something?’

Jack shook his head, ‘No! I can have kids. Well, I assume I can, never needed to find out. It’s not about me, it’s about her.’

Phil looked perplexed, ‘Sorry mate, you’ve lost me. Bit hung over this morning,’ he said, finally removing his sunglasses and squinting in the morning sunshine as he did so.

Jack dropped on to the chair beside the fire. ‘Mathematics mate, pure and simple,’ he said.

Phil shook his head again. ‘I know I shouldn’t be saying this as I’m a banker, but there’s nothing simple about mathematics Jack and certainly not when I’m hung-over. Just tell me in layman’s terms.’

Ross was now coughing repeatedly and still tugging at the neck of his T-shirt.

‘Well, Kim’s crap at remembering to take her pill so I’ve got in the habit of reminding her every morning ... ’

Phil waited for Jack to continue but he didn’t. He looked like his brain was churning something over.

‘Well, that’s good to know,’ Phil said, ‘but I still don’t see what makes you think she’s having an affair.’

Ross didn’t say a word. His head was bowed and he seemed to be wringing his hands.

‘Because ... it means I know her monthly cycle as well as she does. Better in fact and she had her period just before I left for Hong Kong.’ He saw Phil cringe. ‘Sorry mate, too much information?’

‘Just a tad. I still don’t get it though.’

‘Nor did I, at first. Then I did the maths.’

Ross stopped wringing his hands and he lifted his head, ‘Maths?’ he said.

Jack and Phil both glanced at him as if they’d forgotten he was there.

Jack nodded and a huge smile softened his taught face. ‘I was away for just over three weeks and I’ve been back for just over two, making it almost six weeks right?’

‘Right,’ Phil said, no nearer understanding.

‘Well, she wasn’t pregnant when I left and ... I’ll spare you the details ... but either she should only be at the most, ten days pregnant or she slept with someone else or it’s an immaculate conception and we all know the third option’s hardly likely.’

‘So ... how many days is she pregnant?’ Ross asked, a tiny light shining at the end of what had seemed a very long, dark tunnel.

‘Not days Ross, weeks. The doctor told me she is five weeks pregnant! I phoned again this morning and checked. He’s absolutely certain. Apparently, you can almost pinpoint it to the very day. It’s unbelievable.’

‘But ...?’ Phil still wasn’t sure he understood. ‘Are you saying then, that there’s absolutely no chance the kid could be yours?’

‘None whatsoever!’

Ross’s sigh of relief echoed throughout Jack’s spacious apartment.

Phil’s eyes shot to Ross’s face then darted to Jack’s. Jack seemed oblivious.

‘Forgive me mate,’ Phil said hurriedly ‘but ... you don’t seem ... well, disappointed. In fact, I’d say quite the opposite. You look like a man reprieved.’

He beamed at Phil. ‘And that’s exactly how I feel. I can’t say I’m happy about her sleeping with someone else behind my back, obviously, but believe me, I completely understand how that can happen and, well it doesn’t matter why,’ his voice lowered an octave, ‘and the reason’s not relevant anymore but I realised when we were in Scotland that I didn’t want to marry Kim.’

‘Shit!’ Ross said.

‘I know it’s bad,’ Jack said, totally misinterpreting Ross’s remark, ‘especially with the kid and everything but, hey, that’s not my fault.’

‘So, is she trying to make out it’s yours then?’ Phil asked a sudden thought occurring to him.

‘No idea,’ Jack said, ‘She was asleep yesterday so I haven’t spoken to her yet and I don’t know if she knows the doctor’s told me. Her mum told me when she called Saturday morning that Kim was pregnant and it was a miracle the baby was okay but she didn’t say how pregnant and to be honest, I was in such a state of shock and ... well anyway, I didn’t ask. It was only when we got down here and the doctor said she was five weeks, that I knew how far along she was. Even then, I didn’t think anything of it. It was only when I was mulling things over last night that something kept niggling at my brain. And I didn’t need a super-computer to work out that ten days is nowhere near five weeks, in actual time. I ... I didn’t tell you guys about the baby yesterday because, well, there were some things I needed to sort out with Kim first, before we broke the news, but now ...’

 ‘So, what are you going to do?’ Phil asked, stunned by these latest revelations. He’d realised for a while that Jack wasn’t totally happy but he’d thought it was just nerves. When he saw how Jack reacted in Scotland every time Lizzie came near, he began to wonder whether it was something more and after just one day, he’d started to think that Jack might have fallen head over heels in love with another woman.

‘I’m going to talk to Kim today ... and I’m going to call off the wedding.’

‘Don’t ... don’t you want to know who the other guy is?’ Ross asked unable to stop himself.

Jack looked him squarely in the face. ‘You sound as if you might know,’ he said tentatively.

Ross’s eyes darted from Jack to Phil and back to Jack. ‘No mate! Haven’t got a ... oh fuck! I can’t keep this up.’ Ross rose to his feet and paced the floor then stopped in front of Jack. ‘Don’t hate me mate. I mean, of course you’ll hate me but it wasn’t like I planned it, you know ... it ... it just kind of happened and ... oh shit Jack. I love her! I loved her before you two even started dating.’

Phil spoke first. ‘You fucking bastard! You’ve been screwing her behind Jack’s back for all this time. You little –’

‘No! ... No. It was the first time five weeks ago.’

‘The first time?’ Jack said, recovering from the shock of Ross’s confession. His voice was as cold and hard as marble.

‘Christ! What can I say Jack? There’s no excuse. We ... went for a drink the night you left, I don’t know why. She ... she didn’t want to be alone or something but, well I’ve been crazy about her for as long as I can remember and ... one thing led to another and ... ’

‘Shit you didn’t rape her?’ Phil hissed.

‘What the ... of course I didn’t! What kind of guy do you think I am?’

‘At this precise moment, I’m not sure you want me to answer that.’ Phil stood up and glared at him.

‘So, the minute I got on the plane then? You certainly didn’t waste any time mate, did you? But, you said “the first time”, so I’m assuming it happened more than once. I don’t want numbers, a yes will suffice.’

Ross nodded. He was feeling slightly queasy. ‘Yes,’ he said, ‘but not since you’ve been back.’

‘Well, thanks for that. Why not?’

Ross was confused. ‘Why not what?’

‘Why not since I’ve been back?’

‘Because ... because I couldn’t do it, not like that, not anymore. I ... I was going to tell you the minute you got back but ... well ... you seemed so happy so ... so I ended it.’

‘You ended it?’

‘We ... we both did.’

‘Somehow, I’m not sure I believe that. So ... were you ever going to tell me? I mean, let’s just suppose none of this had happened. Not the accident, the baby, me working it out, would you have told me or were you planning to just let me walk down the aisle in ignorance?’

‘Honestly? I don’t know. I didn’t want to. Even though Kim said we should. I ... I didn’t want to hurt you and –’

‘Bit late to be thinking like that afterwards mate, should have considered that whilst your trousers were still zipped.’

‘I know. I told you. There’s no excuse and believe me, I hate myself for it. But the thing is, I really do love her and ... well, I don’t think I could have let you marry her.’

Jack let out a derisory laugh. ‘What? Pistols at dawn?’

‘Course not! I ... I think I just would have told you, eventually. If you want to thump me, do it. I deserve it.’

Phil punched him squarely on the jaw and Ross reeled backwards, sprawling across the sofa.

Jack gave Phil a sardonic look.

‘Well he’s right. He did deserve it. Someone had to do it and let’s face it Jack, you didn’t want to.’ Phil reached out and pulled Ross to his feet.

‘Thanks mate,’ Ross said sarcastically, swishing his jaw from side to side to check it wasn’t broken.

‘My pleasure,’ Phil said, slapping him hard on his back.

‘So ... are you thinking of marrying her then?’ Jack asked, flopping down on to the chair and stretching his long legs out in front of him.

‘Um ... if ... if that’s okay with you.’

Jack smirked and shook his head. ‘I think you’d better ask Kim that.’

‘Well ... um ... I already have.’

Jack’s eyes opened wide. ‘You continue to amaze me. What did she say?’

Ross grimaced, ‘She said yes.’

Jack leapt to his feet and Ross involuntarily took a step backwards.

Jack noticed and grinned. ‘Don’t worry mate,’ he said reassuringly, ‘Phil’s already done it. I’m going to get the champers out. I suddenly feel like celebrating.’

He headed towards the kitchen whilst Phil and Ross stared after him in disbelief.

‘So ... are we okay Jack?’ Ross asked anxiously when Jack returned, champagne bottle and three glasses in his hands.

‘Well, I think it’ll take me a while to forget what you did and I don’t think we’ll be sharing cosy nights by the fire anytime soon but, yeah, we’re okay. As a matter of fact, if you had told me two weeks ago, things might have been different, but now, well, I sort of understand what you were going through and whilst I don’t condone it – you shouldn’t ever betray your mates – I can see how it happened. Let’s just put it down to life and drink to better times ... and new beginnings.’