Persuading Annie (32 page)

Why couldn’t this bloody taxi go faster?

‘Jake, you all right, mate?’ asked David.

‘Yes. Of course I’m all right.’

‘Only you’re grinding your teeth. We can hear you above the gale.’

Jake looked at Dave, unconsciously clapping his hand to the back of his neck.

‘I’m fine.’

* * * * *

Annie’s taxi journey would have stretched the patience of a saint, so it was hardly surprising that Annie felt tense. For a start, they must have met the only taxi driver who had never heard of the Metropolitan Opera House.

‘Ze Mexicaan Owffal whaat?’ he said in an indistinguishable accent.

‘Metropolitan Opera House,’ she repeated slowly, trying to keep the impatience out of her voice.

The taxi driver nodded.

‘Ze Mexicaan—’

‘No. The Met—’

Edward interrupted.

‘The Lincoln Center please.’

‘Aaaah! Ze Nincum Center! Why deen’t yow saay?’ he laughed and promptly got stuck in a jam.

They all rushed, heads down through the increasingly strong wind, to reach the warm building. No one was looking up in wonder at the stained-glass windows tonight.

Annie was the first into the theatre foyer and she ran up the red-carpeted staircase where she stood smack bang in the middle, staring down expectantly at all the doors.

The others moved slowly up to join her and as she watched them approach, she noticed properly for the first time that no one in the entire place – not even Katherine – was as beautiful as Davina. And Davina had really pulled out the
stops for tonight. Wearing a silk scarlet ballgown that flowed gracefully round her perfectly curved body, she stood out from the crowd. Was this her future stepmother?

Susannah, Cass and Brutus arrived first. Someone somehow had opened a valve on Annie’s feelings. She was almost overwhelmed with warmth for Cass and hurtled through the crowd towards her.

Cass was looking well – and most importantly, the happiest Annie had seen her for a long time.

‘Can I touch the bump?’ asked Annie foolishly.

‘You want to touch my bottom in public?’

‘The bump with the babies in it, stupid.’

‘Why of course.’

As they all went to find their seats, Annie suddenly caught sight of the others. As she ran towards them, she ignored the presence of a large shadow in the background. Good feelings were on a winning streak tonight.

Then over David’s welcoming shoulder, she came face to face with the shadow and couldn’t help but notice that it was in the unmistakable form of Jake’s body. Topped by his face.

She froze.

What the hell was he doing here? And what the hell was her body doing freezing?

Chapter closed, chapter closed …

And then, to top it all, while she was greeting David, Jake smiled at her. If she didn’t know him better, she’d even have said that the smile had a hint of nervousness to it.

Was he spying on her? Spoiling her evening with Edward on purpose? Deliberately trying to confuse her? Still in love with Sophie? Keen on opera?

She turned abruptly away.

It didn’t work.

‘Look who I managed to persuade to come,’ insisted David.

Jake stepped forward towards Annie. He could do this. He would do this. He would talk openly to her for the first time in years with no misunderstandings. No bitterness, no bile. Just sweet conversation. And he’d start with a subject that had made Britain what it was; a subject that meant nothing and glossed over everything. He would talk about the weather. He grinned hopefully.

‘Windy tonight!’ he exclaimed, rather louder than he’d hoped.

‘Are you?’ replied Annie, unimpressed.

‘No I meant—’

Bugger.

‘Isn’t this a big surprise?’ laughed David.

‘That’s one word for it,’ said Annie dryly, amazed at how fast anger could resurface.

‘Did you even know he was in New York?’

Jake kept his voice low. He was worried it might tremble otherwise. Instead it came out like Wenceslas snow – all soft and even. ‘Actually we met up in the park this morning.’

‘Oh!’ exclaimed David. ‘There goes the surprise then.’

‘Oh, I wouldn’t say that,’ said Annie, straight at Jake. ‘I’m amazed Jake’s here.’

Jake spoke earnestly and his eyes held Annie to the spot. ‘I thought we could – maybe,
should
– start where we left off—’

Did she hear that right?

If Annie hadn’t felt Edward’s comforting arm round her shoulder just then, she might have been unable to stay upright. She leant into Edward’s body for support. Thank God for Edward. Oh dear, she was so confused.

‘Jake!’ greeted Edward loudly, stretching out his hand. ‘Delighted! You must be following us.’

Jake smiled politely, but didn’t take his eyes off Annie as he shook Edward’s hand.

‘That’s right,’ he said.

There was an uncomfortable pause. Jake held Annie’s gaze. Edward held her shoulder. Annie held her breath.

She had no idea how the situation would have ended, if it hadn’t been for an interruption from an unexpected quarter.

‘Hi there Jake,’ said a delighted Davina, over Annie’s right shoulder. ‘We met in London, just before I came out to work here with George.’

And Jake was as struck dumb as Annie by the delectable Davina openly flirting with him. She was playing no games. The message was clear. She wanted him and she wanted him bad. Annie turned away to stop herself from launching her body at Davina’s throat.

As Edward guided Annie towards their seats, Annie cursed the fates. Just when she thought she was getting over Jake, Davina had to prove her wrong.

So many reasons to hate one person.

But what about Jake? Had she just heard him right? Did he really want to start where they’d left off? Was he talking about the park this morning, or …

She didn’t dare think it. But why else would he be here?

She turned round and caught him chatting to Davina. Davina burst into girlish laughter. When Jake’s eyes caught hers over Davina’s head, she looked abruptly away and grimaced. Oh no. Not again.

Thankfully, Jake hadn’t managed to get seats in one of the family boxes or with the others who had seats in the stalls,
but Annie heard them all arrange to find each other in the bar during the interval.

At that instant, the bell rang telling them that the opera was about to begin.

As Annie took her seat next to Edward, she scanned the auditorium frantically for where Jake was sitting. She couldn’t find him anywhere. Was Davina molesting him somewhere? Was no woman safe with that man?

Annie and Edward were sharing a box with Cass and Brutus, to the left of the auditorium. Edward edged towards Annie, who had moved her chair to the end of the box in a failed attempt to give herself more space. He kept whispering sly observations about the audience into her neck and then laughing conspiratorially. She had no choice but to respond with a polite smile. The smaller response he got, the larger his movements became.

She could hear Davina’s affected laugh piercing the hub of pre-opera gossip. She was determined not to look to where the laughter was coming from. She wouldn’t give her – or Jake – the satisfaction. Instead, every time Davina laughed, she edged closer to Edward. If she could, she’d have sat on his lap.

Just as the orchestra started tuning up, she couldn’t help but look out at the auditorium once more. Then just as the crystal chandeliers started floating majestically upwards and the lights to dim, she locked eyes with Jake. He was sitting practically opposite them, his eyes fixed darkly on her and Edward.

Flustered by such an honest look, she looked down at the electronic titles in front of her, for want of anything else to look at.

Her hand shaking slightly, she pressed the button on the titles. Orange electronic lettering shone out.
Otello. Act One
.

Edward had decided to share Annie’s screen with her, which meant sitting very snug so as to be able to see them.

The curtains went up. There appeared to be about 300 people – 300 rather large people – on the vast stage. They burst forth into an explosion of sound that was even louder than the sound effects of a storm around them. They seemed to sing a whole song in one long breath. Annie looked at the titles to see what they were singing about.

Thunder!

Edward inched closer.

Their position at the side of the auditorium meant they missed much of the action. The turmoil going on inside Annie’s head meant she missed the rest. She had to get to Jake. Find out what he really meant. She just had to be with him.

After the slowest forty-five minutes of Annie’s life, the curtains whisked down. Annie wanted to speed away from Edward, through the heaving throng.

But the opera singers were taking their interval bow. She couldn’t summon up the energy to clap. The audience gave them an ovation and Annie could almost feel Jake standing up, amid the crowd in front of her.

As soon as the stars of the show vanished behind the thick curtain, Annie sped off, leaving Edward stuck behind a mass of people.

Jake was waiting at the bar, with David, Sophie, Tony and Fi. Annie quickened her pace.

She stopped near him and watched him approach.

Was this it? Was he going to tell her he’d got her wrong? That he’d made the biggest mistake of his life running out on her like that? Was he going to say that he wanted to give it another try? Was she going to say yes?

Was she ever going to breathe properly again?

Jake was so close they were practically touching. But he was a different man from the one before the opera. He spoke with a repressed urgency she remembered all too well from London.

‘Please ignore everything I said,’ he said curtly. ‘Both this morning and before the opera. I didn’t know what I was saying.’

What?

Annie started breathing again. Badly, but it was a start. Her body was experiencing more highs and lows than a British Bank Holiday weather forecast.

It settled on her good old friend, anger.

‘
I-ignore
it?’

‘Ignore it.’

‘Ignore
what
, exactly?’

‘Well done.’

‘No. I meant it. Ignore
what
?’

‘The bit about trusting – you can trust who you like. You were absolutely right. It’s got nothing to do with me.’

Oh right! Her head started pounding feverishly. Not so much
can I have my ball back please
as
can I take your heart out and squelch it
…

She tried to keep any hurt out of her voice and stay calm. After all, she was at the opera.

‘Oh right. I see,’ she squealed in a voice uncannily like Minnie Mouse. ‘You want to give us your blessing now?’

‘Well. Maybe not my blessing—’

‘Your congratulations?’

‘Not really—’

‘A big friendly hug all round?’

‘No, not especially—’

‘Does this mean you’ll be Edward’s best man? Only, he’s been meaning to ask you for weeks—’

OK, now she was overdoing it.

Jake bristled. ‘It’s clear you and Edward are more serious than … I thought. I had no idea. I wouldn’t have—’

‘What? Played with my feelings?’

Woops. Gave the game away a bit there. So much to think about, so much to hide …

Jake kept his head down as he spoke. ‘I was letting my … my feelings get in the way of my job. I thought I was being purely professional, but I now realise I wasn’t.’

Time to cut to the chase.

‘What are you actually trying to say to me?’

He looked up and stared at her.

‘I’m so sorry Annie. Sorry for everything.’

And with that he ran out.

Again.

Annie stood paralysed, watching him go.

‘Care for a drink?’ asked Edward, suddenly at her side.

She shook her head without turning towards him, her soul expanding, her heart free-falling.

25

ANNIE STARED, STUNNED,
as Jake pushed his way out into the cold, wet night. For the second time in her life she felt the lack of him slowly fill her. A stinging sensation swelled at the back of her eyes.

He really was a pillock sometimes.

‘Davina’s in the drinks queue giving it all her charm – shouldn’t expect she’ll take long to catch the barman’s eye – what would you like?’

Annie turned to find that Edward was speaking at her. And now he was smiling at her. Now he was gently touching her elbow to guide her back into the throng. She let it all happen, too shell-shocked to keep up with Jake and His Amazing Vanishing Act, Part II.

For some unknown reason, she hated Edward with a vengeance.

Dazed and confused, Annie reluctantly returned to the bar. With each step that she took with Edward, the possibility of gearing herself up and running after Jake shrank until, by the time she entered the bar, she was convinced, like a long-battered wife, that calmly staying put was simply her fate.

When they got there, the queue was nowhere to be seen. Instead, a mass of people were crowded round something or someone on the floor.

To her horror, Annie realised that her family was in the centre of the huddle. She pushed her way through the crowd and almost fainted at the sight of Brutus and Susannah holding Cass in their arms as she bled on the bar floor, her hair soaked in sweat, her stark face pulled more by terror than pain.

* * * * *

‘Which is the nearest hospital?’ a voice shouted.

‘St Luke’s Roosevelts,’ answered another voice. ‘Or 113th and Amsterdam. It’s a Level One.’

‘Do St Luke’s. It’s quieter.’

‘How long’ll it take?’

‘Ten mins max. Straight down Columbus.’

Good God, thought Annie, suddenly desperate for a good old British accent. Why didn’t anyone speak English here?

An ambulance arrived in moments and a hysterical Susannah and ghost-like Brutus went in the ambulance with Cass, Annie following in a taxi. To her surprise Victoria wanted to join her. Her father, Katie, Davina and Edward, unable to help, went back in to watch the second half of the opera.

‘You will be all right, won’t you?’ whispered Edward to her as he squeezed her hand.