Nadia Knows Best (22 page)

There was no sign anywhere of Jay and Andrea.

Nadia was hot, her face undoubtedly pink and shiny. In search of a tissue, she reached for her bag and encountered a napkin folded and laid over the zip.

Unfolding it, she saw that the napkin had been written on. There, in Jay's unmistakable slanting scrawl, were the words: “No I'm not.”

Josh, one of the workers at the garden center, harbored dreams of becoming a stand-up comedian. When he had begun going along to the open-mike sessions at the Comedy Club off Whiteladies Road, he had insisted on dragging along as many friends as possible to masquerade as adoring fans, cheer him on during his ten-minute sets, and drown out any detractors who might try to boo him off the stage. Because, frankly, Josh was rubbish at stand-up.

Nadia still went along; she enjoyed the club's rowdy, irreverent Sunday night atmosphere and it gave her the chance to keep up with all the goings-on at her old workplace. Janey, arriving back at their table with a round of lagers—this was the Comedy Club, after all—plonked herself down and assumed her role of gossip-in-chief.

“Right, here goes. Mandy's been seeing one of the barmen from the Old Duke—his name's Ryan and he's a total jazz freak, which jolly well serves her right for going to a jazz club in the first place. And he's only got a moped, so she has to drive him around in her car whenever they go anywhere. He found all her S Club 7 CDs in the glove compartment the other night and she had to pretend they were her brother's. It'll never last,” Janey confidently predicted. “Stevie Grainger can't stand his new job, by the way. When he decided he'd earn more working as a security guard, it didn't occur to the silly sod that night shifts would play havoc with his social life. Ooh, and that cross-eyed actor who used to be in
EastEnders
came in last week to buy a gazebo. He's living in Easter Compton now. Got ever so cross when another customer asked for his autograph then looked at it and said, ‘Oh, I thought you were that carpenter bloke from
Changing
Rooms
.'”

“What's Bernie doing here on his own?” Nadia was peering through the smoky gloom to the bar. “Why isn't Paula with him?”

“Ah.” Janey was triumphant. “That's my next item of news. They broke up three weeks ago!”

“Never. Blimey.” Suitably astounded, Nadia gazed at Bernie Blatt, son of the owners of the garden center. Bernie, who worked on the financial side, had been engaged to Paula, a nurse, for the last two years. “I thought they were together forever. What happened?”

“Paula left him. Turned out she's been having a thing with an orthopedic surgeon at the hospital where she works. Bernie couldn't believe it, he was in total shock. Still, you know what men are like—he's getting over it now. Bitter and twisted, of course, but recovering. Oh, there's Suzette! Suze, over here,” Janey bawled, waving madly. “Suzette just started with us last week, she's great. Even if everyone does fancy her,” she added as Suzette joined them. “God knows why, what with her being so ugly.”

Suzette grinned and squeezed in beside them. She was tiny and enchantingly pretty, with rippling white-blonde hair and dancing green eyes.

“Bernie thinks he's died and gone to heaven, of course.” Janey rolled her eyes in despair. “Why does it never occur to completely average, overweight men with very little hair that someone like Suze might not find them irresistible?”

“Hi,” said Suzette cheerfully. “You must be Nadia. I've heard all about you.”

Nadia liked her at once.

“Hey there, girls.” It was Bernie, clapping a hefty hand on each of their shoulders in turn. “Suze, love the outfit.” He cast an admiring glance at Suzette's green halter-neck and low-slung jeans. “And Nadia, how the devil are you? Did Janey tell you what happ—?”

“Sshh,” said Janey as the announcer appeared on the tiny spotlit stage. “Yes, I told her, now sit down and keep quiet, it's time for Josh to do his thing.”

Squashing himself in next to Nadia, Bernie said cheerfully, “Righty-ho. Give me a nudge if I fall asleep.”

***

“Was I OK?” Josh was desperate, as ever, for reassurance.

Nadia gave him a hug. “You were great. We weren't the only ones clapping, were we? And hardly anyone booed.”

“Is it all over?” Bernie pretended to wake up. “Am I allowed to talk again now?”

“I don't know why the bouncers let you in,” said Josh. “I told them not to.”

“Ah, but I'm a heartbroken man. My fiancée chucked me. I need cheering up, and where better to come than a comedy club? Besides,” Bernie said expansively, “my favorite girls are here, on hand to do just that. C'mon, Nadia, cheer me up, tell me you're still single.”

“She's the opposite of single,” Janey countered importantly. “Nadia's got two men after her. There's her new boss, who sounds pretty damn gorgeous. And Laurie's back from LA, chasing her all over again.”

“
Laurie?
” Spluttering into his pint, Bernie said, “Nadia, tell me you're joking! You wouldn't seriously consider getting together again with that bastard?”

“I haven't made up my mind yet.” Trapped within spraying distance, Nadia wiped drops of lager from her jeans. “Anyway”—she felt compelled to defend Laurie—“he isn't a bastard.”

“Excuse me! Do you remember how gutted you were when he dumped you?” Bernie clearly thought she was mad. “Because I bloody do! How could you ever trust him again?”

“But you have to admit he's lovely,” said Janey, who had met Laurie plenty of times. “Funny and charming and—”

“Liable to run off with any pretty girl who catches his eye.” Bernie snorted with disgust.

“But he didn't do that,” said Nadia, beginning to wish they weren't having this conversation.

“Are you telling me he wouldn't, given the chance? If you think that, you're living in cloud-cuckoo land.”

“Just because Paula did it to you,” Nadia told Bernie, “doesn't mean everyone's the same.”

“Bet
he
is, though,” said Bernie with satisfaction. “He's just the type.”

Crossly, Janey said, “You're only saying that because he's good-looking.”

“Is this the one who's a model?” Suzette looked at her. “You showed me a photo of him in that magazine.”

“Can we change the subject here?” said Josh plaintively. “Couldn't we talk about… ooh, I don't know. Me?”

“Laurie isn't like that,” Nadia couldn't resist telling Bernie, by way of wrapping the matter up.

“Oh no?” Bernie shrugged, then said idly, “Prove it.”

***

Nadia wasn't doing this to prove anything to Bernie Blatt. Bernie wasn't even going to know about it. She was doing this to prove it to herself.

Because maybe, deep down, she did actually need to have it confirmed.

“Peace of mind,” said Janey, next to her in the passenger seat. She nodded with satisfaction. “You're right, it makes sense. What's the time, anyway?”

“Just gone seven.” Nadia jumped as her mobile began to ring, almost exactly on cue. Oh God, what if this was a terrible thing to be doing? What if it all went horribly wrong? “Hello?”

“Hi, it's me,” said Suzette. “It's OK, he's here. He ordered a bottle of red and he's sitting at the bar. I just came outside to ring you. I can see him through the glass.”

“Good.” Picturing Laurie waiting for her in San Carlo, Nadia felt her heart quicken. “Better go back in now. Stay by the bar.”

Suzette giggled. “I feel like an FBI agent. OK, boss, over and out.”

The line went dead. Nadia waited less than a minute, then rang Laurie's number. He answered on the second ring.

“Laurie? Listen, I can't make the restaurant,” said Nadia. “We're going to have to cancel dinner. Janey just rang, her boyfriend's chucked her and she's really upset.” Next to her, Janey made boo-hoo faces and pretended to slash her wrists. “I promised I'd go over there, is that OK? Sorry to mess you around, but you know what Janey's like when she gets into a state. You aren't at San Carlo yet, are you?”

She heard Laurie sigh.

“It's seven o'clock. You said be here by seven. Of course I'm at the restaurant. I've bought a bottle of wine.”

“Oh. Well, sorry. But I can't let Janey down. Maybe we could have dinner tomorrow instead?”

“Perfect,” said Janey, when Nadia had ended the call. “I'm feeling less suicidal already.”

“I feel sick,” said Nadia.

“Come on, this is Laurie, he won't do it.”

Hoping Janey was right, Nadia said, “By the way, he sends his love.”

“What did I tell you?” Janey gave her a reassuring grin. “He's a gem.”

***

“Not you as well,” said Suzette, finishing her glass of wine.

“Sorry?”

“I couldn't help overhearing. You sounded as if you were being stood up.” She smiled ruefully across at Laurie. “Me too. My friend just rang to tell me she has to work late.”

Laurie stuffed his phone back inside his jacket pocket. The girl was startlingly pretty, with laughing green eyes and a full, curvy mouth. She was wearing a faded denim jacket over a simple white cotton shift dress that showed off her slim hips, and flat gold sandals on her feet.

“Mine has to go and comfort a friend who just got ditched,” he said wryly. “Looks like it's our unlucky night.”

“Typical.” The girl rolled her eyes. “Here I am, starving hungry, in a restaurant that smells of fantastic food… oh well.” She checked her watch, picked up her empty glass, then put it down again. “Looks like it's going to be microwaved lasagna at home instead.”

Laurie watched her pay for her drink and prepare to leave the restaurant.

“Look, I've got this whole bottle here. You could help me out with it if you don't have to rush off.” He picked up the bottle of St. Emilion and gave her an encouraging smile. “In fact, I'm pretty hungry too. Seeing as we're here, there's nothing to stop us having something to eat. Only if you'd like to, of course.”

The girl looked surprised, then pleased. “Are you sure?”

“Why not?” Laurie grinned at her, then beckoned to the barman to bring a fresh glass.

“OK then. Thanks. But we split the bill,” the girl insisted.

“Fine. I'm Laurie, by the way.”

She smiled and shook his hand. “Suze.”

***

Oh my God, thought Suzette, that wasn't supposed to happen, that really wasn't supposed to happen…

She still wasn't even sure quite how it
had
happened.

“Hey,” said Laurie, his hand reaching out to brush her hair back from her face. “Don't tell me you've gone to sleep.”

Awash with shame, Suzette kept her eyes closed. They had had dinner together at San Carlo. Laurie had been as charming and wonderful as Janey and Nadia had told her to expect. The electricity had crackled between them throughout the meal; this was one gorgeous, irresistible man. Nevertheless, she hadn't thought for one moment that she would actually end up in bed with him. She had simply gone along with the game, enjoying herself, wondering if he was really thinking what she thought he was thinking…

Laurie had insisted on paying for dinner. Just as he had insisted on driving her home to her tiny flat in Redland. When he had said, “You could invite me in for coffee if you like,” Suzette had almost managed to convince herself that he actually meant coffee. And by the time he'd gently closed the front door behind them and taken her into his arms, it had been all she could do to manage to stay upright.

Her cheeks flamed as she remembered how he had kissed her, the way he had slowly unzipped her dress and removed the rest of her clothes. Suzette wondered if she'd ever felt more dreadful in her life. It was never meant to go this far. When she'd met Nadia, she had liked her at once. When Janey had jokingly suggested that if anyone was capable of testing Laurie's morals it was Suzette, and then Nadia had said, “Well, why don't we do it then?” she had found herself agreeing to go along with the plan. If Laurie overstepped the mark, she would rebuff him, simple as that.

It hadn't occurred to her for a moment that she might be swept away on a tidal wave of lust and… oh God, she couldn't believe she'd actually
done
it
…

“You
are
asleep,” teased Laurie. “Damn, now you've really hurt my feelings. I had no idea I was that boring.”

Tortured by the thought of hurting Nadia's feelings—and realizing in an instant that she must never
ever
find out—Suzette opened her eyes and sat up, clutching the duvet around her chest. Laurie was watching her with amusement. All their clothes were scattered across the bedroom floor. A glance at the alarm clock on her bedside table told her that it was nine thirty. In two and a bit hours she had managed to meet a total stranger, share dinner with him, and end up in bed with him. That alone would have been enough to earn her the title of Slut of the Year. Even if he hadn't been the kind-of-boyfriend of a girl she genuinely liked.

“You have to leave,” Suzette blurted out. “Now. Right away. Just put your clothes on and go.”

Laurie raised an eyebrow. “Why?”

“Look, I've never done anything like this before in my life,” said Suzette. “I'm not that kind of girl. But my boyfriend could be here at any minute. I didn't realize it was so late.
Please
,” she urged, mortified. “We can never see each other again. You've got a girlfriend, I've got a boyfriend. Promise me that what happened here tonight will be our secret. No one must ever find out.”

Laurie smiled and held up his hands. “Fine, fine. No problem. I wasn't exactly planning to broadcast it from the rooftops. It was just a bit of fun.”

“
Clothes
,” hissed Suzette, jabbing a finger at his shirt and jeans. “On. Now.” She might not really have a boyfriend, but she still had to get Laurie out of her flat.

Laughing, Laurie got himself dressed. “I was going to ask for your phone number. But maybe I'd better not.”