His Other Lover (8 page)

I
make my way back into the kitchen to pour the milk down the sink and wash up the saucepan. This time Gloria positively ignores me. She’s also ignored the phone on the floor next to her though, which is good. I ease the kitchen door gently shut behind me and slowly let the sink fill. Amanda and Louise always said I made a mistake in letting Katie back in after the first time she betrayed me. I wonder what they would say now?

At the time, they accepted my decision to forgive her with good grace, even though they both made it clear they thought I was mad. Slowly but surely Katie came back into my life—and became an important part of it. Ironically it was because of her that I met Pete. It was Katie I had been waiting for at the bar that night when Pete came over to me. Had she not stood me up, I may never have met him.

“Do you like him?” I asked her shyly, after I’d introduced them for the first time.

“He seems very nice,” she said.

“It’s just—I think he could be The One.” I’d blushed and my face split into a broad grin.

Her eyes widened. “Bloody hell! Really?”

“Oh God—I don’t know! I hope so…it’s really early still but…I think so…yeah.”

“Wow! Well, if you’re happy, then I’m happy.” She smiled at me and I reached out and gave her hand a quick, grateful squeeze.

“You deserve it,” she said.

Pete had seemed to like Katie, too. “She’s very funny,” he said when I quizzed him.

“Do you think she’s pretty?” I asked.

He shrugged. “She’s all right…very girly. She dresses a bit—weird.”

I couldn’t help but feel a little secretly pleased. “She likes to stand out from the crowd.”

He looked at me and grinned. “Well, I didn’t notice if anyone was looking at her, I was too busy looking at you.”

When Katie’s relationship with her boyfriend fizzled out, I was actually pleased. He was an idiot and anyway I wanted Katie to hook up with Pete’s flatmate, who I was convinced was perfect for her. I had happy thoughts about the four of us going on double dates, then eventually holidays…it was all mapped out. I invited Katie round for dinner with Pete to lay the foundations. I wanted to suss out her feelings and get Pete’s input.

I’d known I was going to be a little later back than planned, but that hadn’t mattered to me. Pete had a key to my flat and I knew he would let Katie in.

And that’s exactly what happened. Holding a bottle of wine I pushed the front door open to hear Pete talking and Katie laughing. The sound of them getting on together was nice. I kicked my shoes off and padded into the sitting room.

I don’t know what suddenly made me feel so uneasy. The
room looked just as I had left it that morning. They were sitting at opposite ends of the sofa and Pete jumped up immediately and said, “Hi, babe! You’re back! Wine? We’ve got a bottle on the go,” before kissing me and going to get an extra glass. I looked at Katie. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes had gone glittery—always a sign with her that she was a couple of drinks up.

“Hello, you!” She stood up to hug me. I thought I saw something hidden behind her smile, but I said nothing. Just watched her quietly as she flicked her hair over her shoulder and sat back down on the sofa, not quite meeting my eyes as she began to tell me about her day.

After supper Pete and I snuggled up on the sofa, him affectionately stroking my hair. Katie was being witty about a guy who wanted to date her at work, but I was quieter than usual. We got on to Pete’s flatmate and she said she’d love to meet him. When her cab finally arrived she started to gather her things, asking me if I was around the following day and promising she’d call me in the morning. She hugged me tightly on the doorstep and looked at me just long enough to make my heart lurch, before turning and clattering off up the steps.

Closing the door I walked back into the sitting room, where Pete had flicked the TV on. I hesitated for a moment but then I heard my voice say, surprisingly calmly, “Is there something going on with you and Katie?”

An hour later we were still arguing.

“You’re not listening to me! I’m not trying to say that what she did was okay, but I think she was a little bit lonely, a bit drunk.” Pete looked at me earnestly. “She very badly misread the situation. That’s all.”

“That’s all?”
I looked at him incredulously. “So let me get
this straight. One minute she’s telling you about how sad she is that her bloke has dumped her and the next she’s trying to kiss you? I’m sorry, but I’m really, deeply confused as to what fucking part of that is all right!”

“Okay, okay,” Pete soothed. “I can totally see why you’re angry.”

A strangulated laugh escaped from me. “Oh you can? That’s big of you—thanks!”

“Hey!” He looked surprised. “It’s not my fault this happened.”

There was an ugly silence.

“Oh hang on,” Pete stood up and looked directly at me. “You can’t actually think what I
think
you’re thinking?”

“I don’t know
what
to think!” I shouted. “One minute everything is fine, the next you’re telling me this. I can’t take it in…I…”

I couldn’t look at him. I just had a picture in my head of Katie on my sofa, fingers curled round the bowl of a wineglass, red liquid swirling gently as she moved forward to kiss him. It made me feel sick. Sick to the core of my being.

“I
told
you!” Pete said, starting to get annoyed again. “We were sitting on the sofa, she was rabbiting on about this bloke who’s dumped her and how she couldn’t even get a total twat to stay with her. I said that she’d meet someone nice if she just hung on in there and that, honestly, there are good blokes out there. Then I patted her leg. It was just a friendly gesture!” He threw his arms up in exasperation. “I’d do that to anyone—your mum, Clare, my
mum
for God’s sake! Then she gave me this weird look, I felt uncomfy and I asked if she’d like another drink. Just as I went to stand up, she leaned over and kissed me.”

“On the mouth?”

“Yes, Mia, on the mouth.”

“And you’re sure it wasn’t just a friendly ‘thanks for being nice’ kiss?”

“Er no, I think I’m long enough in the tooth to tell the difference between that sort of kiss and the kind she tried to give me.”

I flushed hot with anger and said nothing. He stayed quiet too and just looked at me.

“You’re absolutely sure that’s what happened?” I said rigidly.

“Yes. I’m sure.”

“Because you did say she was pretty.”

“Oh my God!” He threw his arms heavenward again. “I said I thought she was all right! What did you want me to say? Actually as it happens, I don’t especially think she’s pretty—I don’t think about her full stop. She’s your mate, who I was trying to be nice to because of you. Jesus!” He dropped down on to the sofa and threw a cushion to one side. “Cut me some slack!”

“How would you feel if one of your mates tried to kiss me?” I exclaimed.

“I’d fucking kill them,” he said instantly, “but I wouldn’t be angry with you.”

I said nothing, just looked at him.

He looked really pissed off. “Funnily enough, Mia, I trust you. I trust you 150 percent and that’s everything to me. Have I ever,
ever
given you any reason to doubt me?”

“No,” I said truthfully.

“Well then.” He glowered. “I can’t believe you’d even think I’d do something like that to you. And with your best friend of all people! Thanks very much.”

“Just calm down,” I said, suddenly tired. “Don’t get angry with me.”

“I’m not! I’m just…I try to be nice to her…I listen to her, even though she’s seriously boring. She tries it on, I tell you and in return I get this! You know what I honestly think about her? I think anyone who treats you with that little respect doesn’t deserve to be your friend. I certainly wouldn’t want someone like that in my life and, yes, I have a problem with her now, because she’s done something that’s made trouble between you and me. I’m not having that. You’re too important to me.” With that, he got up and strode out of the room.

I just sat still for a moment, trying to stop the out-of-control roundabout of thoughts in my head. Finally I got up and went to find him.

He was standing in the dark kitchen, leaning his hands on the work surface and looking out of the window. I went up behind him and gently put my hand on his arm, slowly turning him to face me.

“You promise me that’s what happened?” I said.

He sighed again and made a helpless gesture. “How many times? Yes! That’s what happened! I’m really sorry that your friend tried it on with me, but I’m not going to take the blame for something that wasn’t my fault. I could have lied and I could have pretended nothing happened and in some ways that would have been easier because it would have saved you being hurt by Katie, and I never want to see you hurt. But it still wouldn’t have been the right thing to do.” With that, he padded sadly off to bed.

Half an hour later I was outside Katie’s front door hammering like mad and ringing the bell repeatedly. Nothing.

I thumped my fist on the door again and finally a light came on. A shadowy figure moved down the hall to the door. “Who is it?” she called.

“It’s me.”

“Mia?” I heard locks unbolt and she threw open the door, rubbing her eyes sleepily and pulling her dressing gown tighter round her. “Are you okay?”

I pushed past her into the hall. She closed the door behind me and turned to face me, looking confused. “Is something wrong?”

“Yes, something’s wrong!” I burst. “How
could
you?”

Her hair was slightly disheveled and she hadn’t bothered to take her makeup off before getting into bed; she had a black smear of mascara down one cheek like war paint.

“Look, I’ve just woken up, come in and sit down.” She moved toward the living room but I blocked her.

“I don’t want to come in! I want you to tell me just what you thought you were doing?”

“About what?”

“Don’t ‘about what’ me! You
know
what! About Pete and you, tonight!”

She sighed. “I thought this was going to happen.” She shook her head slightly, almost as if she was somehow disappointed at the predictability of it all.

“You thought this was going to happen…What’s
that
supposed to mean?”

“I saw it in your eyes the second you got home tonight that you knew something was wrong. You forget how well I know you, Mia—how long we’ve been friends.”

“
Friends?
Don’t you
dare
talk to me about friendship!” I was incredulous. “No friend would do what you did to me tonight.”

She didn’t flinch. “And what did I do?” she asked.

“Don’t play games with me.” I raised my voice. “You kissed Pete.”

“Just calm down. You’re very angry and you’re not thinking straight.”

“Don’t patronize me!” I shouted. “You kissed my boyfriend.”

“Keep your voice down!” she instructed bossily. “It’s 11:30 at night and I don’t want the neighbors hearing you wailing like a teenager. Jesus, Mia, we’re not at school any more. Listen to yourself! And for your information I didn’t kiss Pete—
he
kissed
me.
”

“You liar! You bloody liar!”

“Fine, have it your way.” She tiredly walked past me into the living room.

“Don’t walk away when I’m talking to you!” I followed her in and grabbed her arm, spinning her round to face me.

“Please let go of my arm, Mia. I know you’re angry but it’s not okay to pull me about like that.”

“Oh shut up!” I yelled. “Just for once, stop being Katie-fucking-knows-it-all-and-knows-best. Just admit it! At least do me the courtesy of admitting it.”

“Admit what?” She started raising her voice, needled by my comments. “That I kissed him and he didn’t in fact try to kiss me?”

“Yes! That you’ve done it again! Not content with one of my boyfriends, you had to make it an even two? Why Pete? You could have any bloke you wanted. Why does it have to be him?”

She rolled her eyes at me. “It doesn’t have to be him! I don’t want him! And you shouldn’t want him either. I wouldn’t want to be with anyone who would cheat on me.”

“Shut up!” I hissed.

“No,
you
shut up!” she said, rattled now. “It’s the truth, your
precious boyfriend tried it on with me tonight and if I’d have let him, I don’t think he would have wanted to stop at a kiss either.”

My hand shot up, she saw it and her eyes widened slightly.

“Go on then,” she said softly. “Do it if it’ll make you feel better.” She twisted her face toward me and tapped her cheek lightly with her finger. “Go on, hit me.”

My hand trembled. “Do it!” she cried. “What the fuck are you waiting for? If I’m such a cow, just do it!”

Against my will I felt tears start to rush to my eyes. “I wouldn’t give you the satisfaction!” I said desperately.

We just stood there looking at each other. Then I did start to cry.

“Oh, Mia!” she said, her voice breaking. “Come here!” and she reached out her arms and pulled me toward her. Just for a brief second I let her hug me, but then I pushed her off and stumbled away from her. “Don’t touch me!” I said brokenly. “I just want to know what happened. Tell me the truth.”

“I don’t want to! I don’t want to hurt you.”

“What? More than I am already?” I said hoarsely. “Just tell me.”

“I got to yours, Pete let me in and we had a drink. He asked me how I was feeling after the breakup, was I okay? I said I was, but that I just felt I was in danger of never getting it right with anyone. I said I hoped I would have a relationship one day like you two and he said to hang on in there, that good blokes did exist, I just had to believe it. Then I said thanks to him for being nice to me and he said it was very easy to be nice to me. Then he leaned forward and kissed me.”

I said nothing, just looked at her.

“I pushed him off,” she continued, “and said how could he? He said sorry over and over again, and was I going to tell you?”

“And what did you say?”

“I said I didn’t know,” she admitted. “He begged me not to—said that he’d just felt so bad for me, sitting there looking so sad, he didn’t know what had come over him and that he’d never do it again. I said we’d just forget about it and pretend it never happened. Then I had a glass of wine very quickly as I felt so shocked and soon after that you got back.”