Persuading Annie (21 page)

‘That’s the last blind date I ever go on,’ she said firmly. ‘I’ve absolutely had it with them.’

‘You won’t have to,’ replied Cass. ‘Mother overheard two of the secretaries talking in the office toilets today. One of them said that Edward Goddard’s fallen head over heels in love with you. Everyone knows it.’

Annie’s eyes lit up. She crouched suddenly close to Cass, whispering urgently.

‘Did I tell you Sophie pounced on Jake last night?’

Cass frowned.

‘Not quite the reaction I expected,’ she said. ‘But we can work on it.’

‘Edward Goddard is everything Jake Mead isn’t. Sensitive, caring, blond—’

‘—Interested—’

‘Sensitive.’

‘You already said sensitive.’

‘Well he’s
very
sensitive.’

‘By the way, any news on our friend in New York, Davina Barker? Has she made any inroads into your father?’

Annie groaned. She had spoken briefly to her father regularly every day. In the first few days, every time he had used the word ‘we’ in reference to their various outings, she had asked ‘who’s we?’ and every time, he had answered impatiently, ‘Me, Katie and Davina, who else?’ Slowly the answer became ‘Me, Katie and Davvy’ and now, to Annie’s horror, the answer was invariably ‘Me, Davvy and Katie.’

Things were not looking good. Annie was beginning to think she ought to go out there for a long weekend at least.

Annie filled Cass in on Tony and Fi’s engagement plans and after some meaningless chat, Cass filled a pause.

‘I’m having my eggs collected tomorrow,’ she said dully. ‘Putting them all in one basket and all that.’

Annie nodded. She knew better than to interrupt.

‘They’re going to sedate me,’ continued Cass, ‘probably to stop me asking stupid questions – check that my ovaries are big enough – did you know your eggs had to be big enough? Nope. Me neither. Then Brutus does his all-important job, thanks to a choice magazine, and they put his … and my … together and we wait to hear if they’ve mated. Isn’t it just too romantic?’

‘I’ll be thinking of you, hon,’ said Annie quietly, crossing her fingers under the table.

‘Don’t just think, pray,’ ordered Cass, trying to smile.

* * * * *

Watching Edward lean over and whisper something in Annie’s ear, Jake ran the tip of his tongue along the inside of his mouth. The ulcer tasted pleasingly bitter.

What was it he hated so much about Edward? He tried to figure it out.

Edward laughed at something Susannah said and Jake noticed that the second Susannah turned away from him, Edward stopped laughing. Jake glanced away quickly, before Edward could catch him spotting it.

Then Edward looked round the room and, giving everyone the same charming smile, he asked if anyone had anything to say.

‘My door is always open,’ he explained, his voice so low it was husky.

Jake transformed his smile into a pleasant one when he realised Edward’s eyes had rested on him.

‘Thanks, Edward,’ he said affecting sincerity. ‘We appreciate it.’

Edward simply nodded thoughtfully at Jake. Oh dear, thought Jake. He knows I’m on to him.

Edward then turned to Annie and, in front of everyone, gave her a long lingering look that said much more than was strictly called for in a morning business meeting.

Annie hadn’t been so obviously ‘clocked’ – by someone Cass hadn’t set her up with or by someone who’d come to fix the leak – for as long as she could remember, especially with witnesses, and the effect it had on her was staggering. Her body’s natural air-conditioning experienced a temporary power-cut and she had a mini-meltdown. Her cheeks warmed, her eyes sparkled, her body glowed and, intriguingly, when Edward’s eyes momentarily flickered to her lips and back to her eyes taking in everything in between, her erogenous zones started mustering, yawning and blinking in the light.

She felt as if her body, aware that her mind had important
decisions to stay behind and make, was none the less skipping ahead into the sun with all the reckless abandon of a child.

She smiled back at him, aware that her whole body was blushing.

Jake decided it was high time the meeting was adjourned. He had important work to do.

‘Right,’ he said, snapping shut his laptop. ‘I think that’s everything.’

Everyone packed up their stuff and for the first time, Annie was unaware of when Jake had left the office. She was overwhelmed by a surge of reckless optimism that hadn’t hit her since her teens. She wanted to join Greenpeace.

The optimism lasted well into the afternoon. The gallery was quiet today – it was always quiet – but never before had Annie seen the paintings with such focus and insight. She even phoned the artist and left a message telling her how wonderful her work was. She looked out of the large glass frontage and smiled happily at the grey day. She’d forgotten how intoxicating hope was.

When she got home, not even Victoria’s news brought her down.

‘We’re all off out tomorrow night – the sitter’s booked so you can’t say no,’ rushed Victoria excitedly.

‘Where?’ asked Annie happily. She was free tomorrow.

‘We’re going out for a meal. Jake and David will come straight from work so we’re going to a restaurant near there. It was Sophie’s idea – she’s booked it already.’

Annie smiled. Ah, poor Sophie. Throwing herself at a sap like Jake. Would it be presumptuous to invite Edward along, she wondered?

‘Do you mind putting the boys to bed tonight?’ asked
Victoria. ‘Only I’ve booked myself in for a Shiatsu. Charles is at his wretched club, so why shouldn’t I treat myself too?’

‘Good for you,’ said Annie warmly. ‘We can watch
101 Dalmations
.’

‘Only once,’ said Victoria. ‘Don’t spoil them. Harry’s been naughty today. He pulled the music teacher’s wig off. Gave him an angina attack.’

Annie gasped.

‘It’s all right. It’s only Mr Matthews. He was half dead anyway.’

* * * * *

Brutus and Cass picked up the phone together from other ends of the house.

‘It’s good news,’ said the voice at the other end. ‘You have six embryos. Would you like to come in tomorrow morning for the embryo transfer?’

By the time Brutus ran downstairs to Cass, she was already crying.

‘Darling,’ she whispered, through the tears. ‘We’re going to have an embryo transfer.’

* * * * *

By the time they all arrived, the restaurant was crowded and cosy and Annie got herself a seat in the far corner. Her steely determination to cope with the Jake/Sophie situation made her feel stronger than ever in Jake’s company. At least now she had something tangible to confront and deal with. It was almost better than being ignored.

From the corner she could watch and enjoy, without being too caught up in the action. And no one here was taking any notice of her anyway: Victoria was on a high, simply because
she was out mixing with adults and Charles was on a high because Victoria was in such high spirits. Admittedly, Victoria hadn’t taken the news too well about Fi and Tony, but she had clearly got over it. She even smiled maternally over at the happy couple as they whispered and canoodled by the fire. She and Charles were now at least united in agreeing that Jake and Sophie were a good thing. Otherwise they might lose Jake for good. Jake was everything they’d ever looked for in a suitable match for their sister. Handsome, rich, powerful and owner of a BMW. Annie sat by David, watching the evening progress before her, feeling like a fly on the wall; distanced, invisible, with 360-degree vision. And feeding off the discarded remnants that the beautiful people left behind.

David was finding it hard to keep his eyes off Sophie and, as the evening progressed, Annie found herself sympathising with him so much that she started entertaining him with anecdotes, compliments and harmless flirtation. It was actually beginning to work as they found themselves giggling together in shared, mild hysteria.

While doing so, she caught an involuntary glimpse of herself in the restaurant mirror on the other side of the room. She barely recognised herself. The glowing winter fire lit up her pale complexion and enhanced her rich colouring. She felt more attractive than she had in years. She grinned to herself. Good old Edward. Amazing what he’d done for her already.

Deep in conversation with David, she experienced a sympathy dip in her stomach for him when Jake laughed at one of Sophie’s jokes. She hadn’t heard that laugh for a long time.

‘Wow,’ she said to David. ‘I didn’t know your boss could do moose impressions.’

David snorted into his wine.

Annie suddenly realised why baddies always seemed to be having so much more fun than goodies. Each dig at Jake gave her a delicious, piquant twist that put the traditional feel-good factor in the shade. Grinning wickedly to herself, she pictured Edward in her mind’s eye and enjoyed the rest of the evening wondering whether his eyes were brown with hazel flecks or hazel with brown flecks. When she accidentally glanced over to Jake and found herself being coldly scrutinised, she found it easy to give him a quick, almost complicit grin and look away before he had time to react.

Jake hadn’t intended to rest his eyes on Annie, but they had defied him as usual. She really was looking gorgeous tonight. If you liked that shrewish look. He looked back at bright, bubbly, blonde Sophie and gave a reassuring smile, unsure of exactly whom he was reassuring. Thank goodness Annie had turned into a cold, selfish, shrivelled up old hag. Otherwise he might be in trouble. Sophie reached up and kissed him.

‘How’s the work going at Markhams’?’ Annie heard Victoria finally ask Jake, over their coffee.

‘Fine thanks.’

‘Are you boys going to save us?’

The table went quiet.

‘I certainly hope so,’ replied Jake without a glimmer of a smile.

‘I’m sure you’ve got all the help you need,’ added Charles. ‘Edward Goddard’s one of the best. He’s related to an earl, you know.’

They all glanced over at Annie who looked down to hide her grin and flushed cheeks.

‘Shame his high connections couldn’t teach him how to be a chief exec,’ said Jake bitterly into his coffee.

Concerned by Jake’s unprecedented unprofessionalism, David interrupted the embarrassed silence that followed.

‘We usually find that the top men are the ones least in the know. Just part of their job,’ he said feebly. ‘We’d have been surprised if it hadn’t been the case, to be honest. Shows he’s doing it … um … well …’

Annie stared at Jake.

‘I expect Edward’s a bit too sensitive for the job,’ she said pointedly.

Jake looked up at her.

‘Something like that,’ he replied quietly.

The atmosphere was dulled for the rest of the evening and once the bill had been dealt with, they made their way back to the car park.

Tony and Fi were only too happy to wander through the streets until they found a cab and left the others as soon as they could without being rude. Jake had a two-seater and so could only give Sophie a lift home, but David had kindly offered to give Annie, Charles and Victoria a lift.

On their way, the six of them passed a narrow, long, dark cobbled alleyway, which had the rare quality of looking as inviting as it did terrifying. They could just make out uneven walls and an old pub on the corner, which wouldn’t have looked out of place in a Sherlock Holmes adaptation.

‘Ooh look,’ squealed Sophie. ‘Isn’t that amazing?’ She pulled on Jake’s arm like a child. ‘Let’s go down there.’

‘No way,’ replied Victoria, horrified. ‘It looks terrifying.’

‘Where’s your sense of adventure?’ asked Sophie. ‘You’ve got boring in your old age.’

‘I’m not old and I’ve always been boring,’ shot Victoria. ‘And it looks horrid.’

‘Annie, come on,
you’re
good fun,’ coaxed Sophie.

It almost worked. But Annie looked down the alleyway and either it was her vivid imagination or she sensed some movement at the far end. No way.

‘Sorry Sophie. I’m going to have to fight nature on this one and actually side with my big sis.’

‘Gee thanks,’ said Victoria.

‘You’re all so boring! Oh, come on. Doesn’t anyone want some fun?’ asked Sophie in a little-girl voice, looking at David and Jake imploringly.

David shifted uncomfortably but said nothing. Annie felt for him. Politics made it impossible for him to race down a darkened alley with Sophie until his boss made a decision. David looked up at Jake.

‘Jake? What you wanna do, big guy?’

They all looked up at Jake.

‘Come on, big guy,’ repeated Sophie, in a whisper. ‘You’ll protect me, won’t you? What’s the point of living if you don’t take risks?’ She laid her chin on his chest and looked up at him with her baby blues.

Victoria snorted.

Jake looked across at where the snort came from. Victoria was his client, after all.

‘Hey, don’t let us stop you getting killed,’ she said sweetly.

Charles grinned at him sheepishly.

‘We’ll wait for you out here.’

Sophie and David both looked at Jake eagerly. It was clear that the decision lay with him.

Annie, feeling very much the outsider, eyed Jake wondering which way his iddy biddy brain would go. What would he do? Would he side with the more responsible people in the party, who were also his clients, or would he fall for the silly
charms of a twenty-year-old and try to impress his colleague? Hmm, a real teaser, that one.

Jake caught her eye. He also caught the wry smile on her face. Bitch.

He looked down at Sophie.

‘Of course I’ll protect you,’ he murmured, holding her tight. ‘And you’re right.’ He looked back up at Annie. ‘What’s the point of living if you don’t take risks?’

Annie tried to find him ridiculous, but instead felt her eyes well up.

David and Sophie whooped like children.

Without further ado, the three of them edged their way into the alley, and within moments Charles, Victoria and Annie couldn’t see them any more. Good, thought Annie. She started squinting into the dark. She was absolutely positive she could sense movement at the far end of the alley.

They all heard a sudden noise.

‘What was that?’ whispered David.