Putting Alice Back Together. Carol Marinelli

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СКАЧАТЬ Christopher.’ He introduced himself and poured her a drink and he was being really nice to her, but somehow I knew it was for me. I knew, because he apologised that he couldn’t hear what Roz was saying and came over to our side of the table and squeezed in between us.

      There was a frisson of excitement that flooded my veins, an awareness, and even though he was talking to Roz, and I was entertaining the table, I knew he felt it too.

      I knew because I could feel the press of his thigh on mine.

      An hour ago I’d have stabbed him in the leg with my keys.

      I didn’t press back. I pretended not to notice.

      But I didn’t move my leg away either.

      I was half listening as they spoke about their children. He had a sixteen-year-old too, it turned out, and a twenty-year-old.

      He must be ancient.

      I mean, Roz had Lizzie really young and she’s thirty-four.

      The table was becoming rowdy and everyone was chatting away, me included, but my head was like an abacus, trying to work out his age. As he dropped his phone, I expected the brief brush of his hand on my calf and he delivered.

      It was my turn to have the nervous tic—I tried to catch Nicole’s eyes to get her to come to the toilets and tell me how best to handle this. I mean, there’s being nice and being nice—what the hell was I supposed to do?

      ‘I won’t be long.’

      I excused myself—I had to side shuffle along the sofa to get out and I was acutely aware of my bottom passing his face. They must all have thought I had a bladder the size of a thimble, but I just wanted to escape. I walked calmly to the toilets even though my heart was hammering. I wanted to be away from him.

      He must have been mid-forties.

      Nicole had missed my frantic signals because she didn’t follow me in. I waited a few minutes then I started to walk back out to the party, deciding that I would wedge myself in beside Nicole.

      ‘Alice.’

      I heard his voice from the disabled toilet.

      I turned. And, to my shame, I went in.

      I’ll spare you the details.

      I’m trying to spare myself from the details too.

      It didn’t take long.

      He went back and I stayed there for a moment or two.

      I tried not to look at myself in the mirror as I put on my lip-gloss and sorted out my hair.

      I could not have hated myself more. I wasn’t even pissed—I’d had two glasses.

      How did I get here?

      How had my life got to this point?

      Why was I like this?

      I wanted to hit rewind. I wanted to go back and start the night all over again.

      How did he know? I mean, of all the women out there…

      I wanted to go home. I wanted to go out through the rear of the restaurant. I wanted to hide, to curl up on the disgusting floor—anything rather than go back out—but instead I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Or tried to.

      I couldn’t get the air in.

      I scrabbled in my bag but I couldn’t find them. There was an appointment card for 4.30 tomorrow, which I tossed back, and searched some more, then felt the relief as my fingers closed on a thin white box. It was a short-lived relief because there was only one left and after that there would be none.

      Alice Lydia Jameson

      Diazepam 5 mg.

      One tablet twice daily as needed.

      Avoid alcohol.

      I didn’t know if they worked, I really didn’t, or if it was just knowing I had them that helped—because even before the little yellow pill had dissolved on my tongue, I felt calmer.

      I headed back out there, scorching with shame but trying to act as if nothing just happened.

      ‘Where did you get to?’ Roz asked, but she didn’t wait for my answer. ‘Are you coming out for a cigarette?’

      Nicole was enjoying herself. Christopher, having ordered more champagne for the group, was saying goodbye, though he didn’t extend a farewell to me.

      ‘Have a great night, Nicole.’ He kissed her on the cheek and she smiled back at him.

      ‘Thanks for coming.’

      Only then did he smirk in my direction. ‘It was no trouble at all.’

      I stood outside with Roz and I didn’t have a cigarette, I just breathed in the cool night air and tried not to think about what I’d just done.

      ‘I can’t believe she’s going into work tomorrow…’ Roz was chatting away. ‘She’s flying tomorrow night…’

      ‘That’s Nic.’ I went into my bag for my cigarettes and I pulled out the appointment card too.

      ‘I’ll come back to the flat with you after work and we can all—’

      ‘Actually…’ I hesitated. I didn’t really know how to tell Roz. ‘I’m leaving work a bit early tomorrow, I’ve got an appointment.’ I knew she was curious, that she was waiting for me to explain, but I didn’t and Roz would never push. ‘I’ll be back in time to pick up Nic. You can meet me back at the flat.’

      ‘That’s fine,’ Roz said. ‘I’ll just meet you at the airport.’

      I’d been intending to cancel.

      Or just not show up.

      I had no intention of examining my past, but I needed a prescription and, I reluctantly admitted, perhaps I should speak to someone—not about it, of course, but about other things.

      Maybe this Lisa could help.

       Three

       Another Alice

      I liked the piano. It was my first instrument, the violin my second, but it was the piano I loved.

      I hated the lessons, but I sort of understood I had to have them.

      Young Mozart I was not—but I could read music.

      I just could.

      To me, it was easier than learning to read English—a quaver was an eighth of a whole, that dot meant you lengthened the note.

      I supposed СКАЧАТЬ