Chasing Charlie (12 page)

On cue, there was a short honk from a car in the street, and Katherine personally removed the cone and waved the MD's car in. I touched Ed lightly on the arm. He looked down at my hand, and then into my eyes.

‘Good one, Ed, that was brilliant.'

‘Thanks, Sam,' he replied, his gaze lingering just a little longer than completely necessary.

After we'd wrapped, Louise had been ushered safely back into her car and Ed had been thanked again by the production staff, Ed and I walked back down the road towards the Tube. Dusk had passed without us noticing and the city had slipped into darkness. The wind was cold in our faces but we didn't mind – we were too busy going over the day, the highs and lows. Ed made me laugh more than once at his bang-on insights into my workplace.

We were close to the Tube when Ed put his hand lightly on the small of my back and steered me down a side street and into a little bar I've never noticed before. It was tiny. Round, French-style tables down one side, a bar with stools on the other.

‘What can I get you?'

‘Definitely a gin and tonic after a day like that,' I replied. Ed gestured that I should sit down and wait, and then he came over with the drinks.

‘Cheers,' he said, passing me one.

‘Cheers, Ed!' I touched his glass with mine and grinned.

‘We need to celebrate!' he said.

‘We do?'

‘Firstly, we need to toast the fact I didn't stuff up today!'

‘Cheers to that.' I raised my glass. ‘A small miracle.'

‘Indeed . . .' Ed paused. ‘And Katherine said she'd call me tomorrow about the job in Scotland!'

‘Really?' I felt my mouth hang open. I couldn't believe he'd pulled it off.

‘Don't sound so surprised.'

‘Oh, I'm not surprised at you, Ed, more surprised at Katherine saying that today – you must have really impressed her!'

‘Well, it's all because of you, Sam. I wouldn't have had the chance to impress anyone without you getting me on the shoot in the first place.' Ed held out his glass to me again. ‘To you!' he said.

‘To me!' I replied. His eyes were burning with excitement, so much so I had to look away. They made me feel a bit weird. The G&T was going straight to my head.

I remembered the last time we'd been out in the evening together. It was the night he was off to a party with Rebecca, ugh. I didn't want this lovely warm feeling to leave but I had him in front of me – trying to get some details out of him was the least I could do for Mara.

‘So are you going to tell me how your night with Rebecca went the other night?' I launched in. I hoped he couldn't see through my stuck-on bright smile. I didn't really want to know how their evening went. I didn't want to be speaking about my sister at all.

Ed groaned.

‘Do I have to?'

‘You know what, Ed? I'd rather not know but I know someone else in our house who is pretty keen.'

Ed drained his glass and glanced over to the bar, assessing how quickly it would take to get refills.

I leaned in.

‘Look, give me something and then I'll get us another drink before we go home.'

Ed groaned again but his eyes twinkled at me.

‘OK, for you I will, Sam. To be honest, it was better than I thought it would be. I met some guys and got chatting to them about the project my friend Cov is doing in India – you know, the water one – and they made pretty enthusiastic noises about putting some money into it.' A shadow crossed his face. ‘Actually I really need to crack on with following that up. I've never asked people for money before. I feel really uncomfortable about it.'

‘But you're not asking them, they offered, right?'

‘I think that's how the conversation went. It was noisy, we'd had a couple of drinks . . . but yes, you're right, they did get quite excited about it. I think they wanted to support something that didn't have expensive bureaucracy attached to it, and Cov is such a dude, just throws himself into whatever he's doing. These guys wanted to back something where they would know the money was going straight into making a difference.'

‘You'll be fine, Ed. You're such a natural with people.'

‘I am?' Ed looked open and vulnerable in that moment, and so much younger.

‘Totally! Look how you impressed everyone today – you were fantastic.'

And we launched back into reliving the day without mentioning Rebecca's name once. We talked through one more drink and all the way to the Tube before sitting in exhausted silence together on the way home. I fell into bed that night, glad that Ed had been his usual mellow company again. Best of all, I was so tired from the day I had no energy to lie awake fretting about Charlie and the dreaded party.

ED

From: Ed Minkley

Date: Wednesday, 11 February

To: Covington Green

Subject: Progress, I think

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Hey,

You're like a dog with a bone, aren't you? Here are a couple more pics of Mara. I had to pretend to be testing my lenses – she hates having her photo taken. I passed on your thanks to her for telling you about that organisation. They sound really great. She is so massively interested in what you're doing . . . but, mate, if you're asking for more photos of her, aren't you taking this interest in her a little bit too far? I have told you about how much she trusts men, right? I'm shaking my head in worry here.

Oh yeah, thanks for the reminder about talking to those guys with the money who I met with Rebecca too. I must chase them up for you. I was just speaking to Sam about it last night, as it happens. We were out having a drink together. Yes. Not a date, exactly, but I could be making progress. Maybe. She did get me a job, though, working on set with her, so she must have been happy to spend all that time together – not that we saw each other until the end of the day. We were both really busy. Man, she nails her job. And seeing her marching around with a two-way radio on her hip all day. There's definitely something about a girl with a radio on her hip . . . Listen to me. I'm getting off on communication tools. Worrying.

And you think I should find out more about this Charlie Posh-whatsit? I don't know, mate, I'm not sure I can see the point of doing that but as you say, knowing more about my competition might be helpful. Either that, or it will make me want to go and deck him. I'll report back.

Gotta scoot,

Ed

MARA

I almost tripped over a pigeon on the way home. It was crouching a few yards from the flat, with its feathers all fluffed up to make itself look bigger. I saw it just in time and stopped. At first glance, it looked like a grumpy old man, like he was sitting there in the way on purpose, making a statement. He could have looked quite amusing but that first glance of mine with the ridiculous storyline quickly turned into reality. The pigeon wasn't just having an off day. He was on his last legs and his eyes had a sickly glaze. I tucked my chin further into my scarf and hurried the last bit home. It only occurred to me later that I hadn't even contemplated bringing the bird inside. But I was looking out for enough creatures already, I reasoned.

And every one of them was completely ignoring my good intentions, as per usual. I was getting nothing out of Ed about what had been going on in India and now that Rebecca was hanging around like an expensive bad smell, I had a terrible feeling I wasn't going to get many chances to press him further. To top it off, I was worried about Sam setting herself up for yet more disappointment with Charlie. So much to worry about – all on top of always worrying about how Dad was, and if he was looking after himself and wishing he could be happier. The only saving grace amongst all this was that Kate and the kids seemed to be OK, no need to worry about them for a change. And Claudia, of course. But I didn't tend to worry about her very often. She was generally able to look after herself, that one. In fact, Claudia was quite possibly the only friend I had that could be defined as a fully grown woman. If only there were more of those around!

I was really hoping to have the flat to myself but as soon as I put the key in the lock, I could hear Sam singing tunelessly to herself in the shower. Since the invitation to Charlie's party – only going to end one way, that one – she'd become somewhat obsessed with exfoliating and almost living in the bathroom. No doubt hoping for miracles where he was concerned, the silly girl. Ed wasn't due home until later. He was meeting with that producer to discuss more work. Which was a good thing, I tried to tell myself. I took off my coat. Sam had yet again flung her coat on my coat hook, so I stood on my toes to unhook it and hang it on Sam's. Mine on the left, Sam in the middle, visitor on the right. Simple. I went to my room, put my shoes away side by side under the bed and sat down to put my slippers on, pausing to rub my feet first.

Ed had come home shining last night, looking so alive, and I'd felt so pleased for him. It was so right for him to be following his dream. But later in the evening I'd caught him looking with such longing at Sam that my gut had twisted with . . . what? Jealousy? No, surely I was more mature than that. I could share my beloved brother with someone else, of course I could. I am an adult, after all. I straightened my shoulders and looked sternly at my reflection in the mirror. It was simply a case of not getting lost in the worry. And anyway, Sam's head was filled to bursting with Charlie – she wouldn't be noticing anyone else. That I was one hundred per cent sure about.

After supper, I settled into my favourite chair in the sitting room and the latest Margaret Atwood. You don't get many perks managing a library. In fact, having free access to recent releases is pretty much the only perk. And I like to make the most of it. Soon I was well and truly lost in Atwood's terrifyingly resonant future, meandering off occasionally to think about how lucky Ed's Covington was to actually be working on a project where he was making a tangible difference to people's lives, instead of what I was doing, sticking my head in a book and not doing a thing! And then Sam slapped barefoot into the sitting room, her legs bare under her miniskirt, clutching a collection of tools and nail varnish and breaking well and truly into my thoughts.

‘I can do yours too, if you want,' she offered.

‘Aren't you going out?' I said.

‘Do you want me to?' Sam's face dropped. She looked disappointed, which surprised me. Surely she wanted to be out with Charlie, or one of her friends who'd be happy to talk about how much fun this party was going to be, not old stick-in-the-mud me. I smiled at her apologetically.

‘No, of course not. It wasn't meant to come out like that.' And that was true, I didn't really mean to be that harsh, I just didn't want a pedicure when there was Margaret Atwood to read. Sam should know that. In fact, she was quickly morphing into someone I didn't recognise. Sam had always thrown herself into the world unkempt and unpolished, and had never a problem attracting guys. She was gorgeous, and if you asked me (which no one does) I would say that a large part of her appeal was her random, tomboyish appearance, with hair that tended to frizz and feet that for the most part were ignored. But all this stuff that I love about Sam was quickly evaporating. She was becoming more immaculately dressed by the day, her make-up getting more sophisticated – even her hair was being tamed! And now she was scrubbing away violently at her heels with the kind of instrument that looked as if it belonged in an archaeologist's toolbox. She was turning, in front of my alarmed eyes, into a girly girl.

The doorbell broke through my thoughts, and I went to release the downstairs door. Just in time, Ed, I thought. I was in danger of really disliking the person I care most about in the whole world. As I pressed the button for the street door, I fleetingly wondered why he hadn't used his key. Perhaps he'd lost it. I opened the door to the flat to let him in, suddenly remembering he was coming home with news of one sort or another. But it wasn't Ed. Around the corner of the stairs came the unmistakeable neat little frame of Rebecca.

‘Mara!' she trilled.

‘Oh, it's you.'

‘Did you think I was going to be someone else?'

I tried to rearrange the disappointment on my face into something more palatable but couldn't help standing in her way for a beat longer than was polite before I motioned for her to come inside.

Sam looked shocked to see her, which was initially satisfying to me – at least her descent into pedicure land hadn't changed how she felt about her sister. But then I thought if Sam didn't know she was coming, who the hell invited her over?

‘Have we heard yet?' Rebecca asked brightly as she took off her coat.

‘Have we heard what?' Sam asked, raising an eyebrow in my direction.

‘If Ed got the job, of course,' Rebecca answered, taking her coat off and looking around for somewhere to put it.

‘Not yet,' I said tightly. I took Rebecca's coat and hung it up on the right hook, then took a couple of deep breaths before returning to the sitting room.

‘Did Ed ask you to come over?' I asked her.

Rebecca wavered. ‘No, but I knew he was meeting with Katherine tonight and I was just passing, so thought I'd pop in to hear the news.'

I caught Sam's eye.

‘You don't mind, do you?' Rebecca asked innocently.

There was a pause and then we answered together in voices heavy with untruth, ‘That's fine.'

Before the atmosphere become too brittle to breathe we heard Ed bound up the stairs, noisily fight the door with his key and come in. We all turned to the sitting-room door as it opened.

Ed walked in. ‘Hi! Oh.' He looked startled when he saw Rebecca. That's good, I thought and then kicked myself inwardly. Never mind about that – what about the job?

‘So?' Rebecca got there first.

Ed's face fell as he lifted his bag strap over his head.

‘The thing is . . .' He looked morosely at us. I held my breath.

‘I GOT THE JOB!' And he cracked into his widest, shiniest grin. We all cheered and got up from our chairs, or in Sam's case her little patch of old heel skin and gave him a hug each.

Thank you, thank you, I thought, as I returned to my seat. Thank you for getting my brother away from these crazy sisters for a bit.

‘How long will you be away for?' I asked when the cheering had died down.

‘Three weeks. But I'm not leaving for another couple.'

I smiled at him. Three whole weeks. Pity it wasn't going to start sooner. I glanced around the room. Sam was back to scraping her feet, while asking him more questions about the job. But Rebecca looked odd. Her face didn't match the cheering she'd just been doing. She looked . . . what was it? Crestfallen, yes that was it. Ed going away for three weeks obviously wasn't what she wanted to hear. I don't think Ed saw her face; he'd loped off down the hallway to find his supper. I sat back in my chair and picked up my book again. Run while you can, my brother, I thought to myself, run as fast as you can.