Forward Slash. Mark Edwards

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СКАЧАТЬ really pissed me off. I mean, this guy honestly thought that we were starting a relationship! I thought most men were just interested in sex. They’re supposed to think about it every fifteen seconds or something, aren’t they? Surely, it can’t be that hard to find men who just want some uncomplicated naughty fun? It’s so difficult for me to get away from Clive for an evening without having to tell a ton of lies, so I don’t want to waste it sitting in a BORING restaurant with a BORING man who is waffling on about the hamster called Chips he had when he was eight years old!’

      I sort of see her point. I remember the only one-night stand I’ve ever had – a night of smooth skin, words, admiration and sex, which was all the better for its lack of intimacy and the knowledge that it would never come with all the dull constraints and conditions of coupledom. A man I’d never want to be in a relationship with, but who was just perfect for one night. I wouldn’t mind a few more nights like that, with other men like him.

      ‘There’s an obvious answer though, Kath – if it’s so hard to get away, and you don’t want to be with Clive, why don’t you finish it? Then you’d be free to go on dates every night!’

      She scowls again. In fact, I think I see her lip wobble, which is very unlike her.

      ‘It would be really hard for me to leave him.’

      ‘Why? Your cat? The mortgage?’

      We walk on around the track in silence for a couple of minutes, as the serious runners whiz past us, giving us an exaggeratedly wide berth to express their annoyance at us cluttering up their track.

      ‘Come on, you can tell me, I’m a doctor,’ I joke, although I’m starting to feel a little worried.

      There are actual tears in her eyes now, so we stop again. I put my arm around her and she looks at me.

      ‘Yes, the cat, yes, the mortgage – but it’s worse than that. Thing is, Becks, I owe him money.’ Her voice is flat and resigned.

      ‘A lot of money?’

      She nods. ‘He’s been lending me cash for years – for my car, and that kiln I bought so I can make those silver pendants of baby footprints, you know. My laptop, holidays we’ve had together. The mortgage. It’s thousands, on top of what I already owe on my maxed-out credit cards. And when I said I wanted us to split up, he said, “There’s no way you’re leaving me till you pay me back.” Arsehole. He knows I’ve got no money. He told me if I ever leave him he’ll shop me to the Inland Revenue about not declaring my income from my jewellery sideline, and he’ll tell the school that I’m sleeping with the sixth-formers.’

      I put my hands on my hips. ‘That’s ridiculous!’ A thought occurs. ‘You’re not sleeping with the sixth-formers, are you?’

      She shrugs. ‘I did once give Jonty Pendleton a blowjob, but he left years ago. It’s fine.’

      A jogger runs past at that moment and does a comic double take over his shoulder at the word ‘blowjob’. ‘Oh, Kath! You’re outrageous. But you can’t let him blackmail you into staying.’

      She wipes her eyes. ‘No. You’re right. I can’t. I’m going to have to risk it, let him do his worst. But in the meantime, don’t give me a hard time about wanting a little fun in my life too?’

      ‘I can’t believe Clive would ever be that horrible,’ I say.

      She catches my eye for a split second, then stares at the ground, watching a ladybird crawl across the path. ‘It’s why I don’t feel guilty about what I’m doing – or intending to do. You have no idea what he’s like behind closed doors.’

      I wondered if Kath was exaggerating, as she had a tendency to do. Clive always seemed pretty innocuous to me. But then I remembered Amy’s experience with Mr Lover-Lover man, and what hidden murky depths people are able to conceal from the outside world, when they want to …

      ‘I’m sorry, darling,’ I say. ‘What a nightmare for you. Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help, won’t you?’

      She smiles, a trace of the old wickedness returning. ‘How about joining me in having some fun?’

       7

       Amy

       Sunday, 21 July

      ‘Becky?’

      Amy yelled her sister’s name then jumped up from the desk chair and ran into the hallway, almost falling over her boots, which she’d taken off hours before. The front door was open an inch, but as she reached it she heard footsteps pounding in the opposite direction.

      ‘Becky!’

      She yanked open the door and ran out of the flat. Someone was hurtling down the stairs. She chased after them, down one flight, skidding and almost tripping in her socked feet, grabbing hold of the rail to steady herself, her heart leaping into her throat. As she reached the first floor and started to run down the next flight of stairs, the outside door slammed below her.

      She raced out and stood in the street, looking left and right. There was no one in sight. Her heart hammered in her chest. She called Becky’s name again, but with less conviction. She ran along the road to the left, wishing she’d never taken her boots off, but there was nobody to be seen apart from an elderly black woman who eyed her suspiciously.

      ‘Did you see anyone run this way?’ Amy asked.

      The woman scowled and hurried on.

      Thanks a lot, Amy thought. It was no good. Whoever had opened the door to the flat was long gone. But who had it been? Becky? If it had been her, why had she sprinted away upon hearing Amy’s voice? And if it wasn’t Becky, then who was it?

      She shivered.

      She headed back inside after a final look around, and knocked on Gary’s door. No answer. She pressed her ear against the wooden panel but couldn’t hear anything. Pulling out her phone, she pressed Becky’s name in the ‘Favourites’ folder of her address book, but nothing had changed. The call still went straight to voicemail. After a moment’s hesitation, she called Gary instead.

      He answered on the fourth ring.

      ‘Hello?’

      ‘Gary, it’s Amy. Are you in?’

      ‘Eh? Oh – no. I’m still at the pub. Everything all right? Has Becky turned up?’

      ‘Somebody just walked into her flat. They had a key, Gary. When I called out they ran off.’

      ‘Are you still there?’

      ‘Yeah – well, I’m in the hallway, outside your place. Just been knocking at your door.’

      ‘Right, well, get back into Becky’s, lock the door, and I’ll come straight back.’

      ‘You don’t СКАЧАТЬ