Deranged Marriage (39 page)

‘Which is when?’

‘Well, according to mum’s roster in three days’ time, but she is insisting on staying until the press leave.’

‘Oh dear.’

‘Well it’s another incentive to get rid of them. Do you think I should give them a photo?’

‘No they’ve written and will continue to write horrible things about you. You don’t owe them anything.’

‘I know, but at least we might be able to get them to leave.’

‘No, Holly, trust me on this. They’ll start to trail away when they realise you’re not coming out.’

‘But I might have to go out at some stage.’

‘Disguise?’

‘Let’s get this finished.’ I turned back to my laptop screen and lost myself in work.

It made me feel like a person again. Not just a person but a useful person. Here I was worrying about George; being pregnant; missing Joe; having the press on my doorstep—that was Holly. I lost the person I used to be; career girl; smart; slim; in control. That person had disappeared and I was now trying to figure out how life was, or what it would be like. Baby; job; no partner; that was my future, and I was so busy thinking about that that I’d stopped thinking about anything else. Now, as we wrote a proposal, I felt as if I was normal again. And feeling normal was the best feeling in the world.

‘Do you know how long it is since we had a good old heart to heart?’ I felt as if I had lost my grip on not only my life, but the lives of those around me.

‘You’re totally self-absorbed,’ Freddie quipped.

‘I am, it’s true.’

‘Hol, there’s a lot going on.’

‘Yes but that’s no excuse to lose sight of what is happening around me. Tell me something.’

‘What?’

‘Are you seeing anyone? Have you come any closer to falling in love or are you still tarting around?’

‘Pot and kettle.’

‘Freddie, don’t start.’

‘Well, I’m a bit busy at work to be falling in love.’

‘You see, I’m not only ruining my life but I’m ruining everyone else’s.’

‘No, you’re not. Actually I’m enjoying being given more responsibility at work and I’m also handling it quite well. It’s good for me to have time to put my career first.’

‘Well there’s no doubt that you are more than capable of doing my job.’

‘I’m not trying to take your job.’

‘I’m not saying that. I wouldn’t let you if you were. No, I’m talking about promotion. I’m going to be trapped in here for God knows how long, and then I’m going to be on maternity leave, and I’ve spoken to Francesca and we think we should re-organise the company, especially as it’s expanding. It’s a case of us all expanding our roles, that’s all.’

‘If you’re sure.’

‘Well, you’re basically doing my job, so you should get paid more and get a title to go with it. I’m going to work full time when I’ve had junior here, but I’ll probably take on a more administrative role, that’s what I’ve discussed with Francesca.’

‘So you’ve both been scheming behind my back.’

‘Course we have, we’re women.’

‘I should go and work in a male-dominated environment, I think I’m losing my testosterone.’

‘That’ll be the day. So, no lucky ladies on the scene?’

‘None. I am going to leave women for the minute and concentrate on my career.’

‘How grown up of you. Or is it because you’ve run out of people in the office to sleep with?’

‘Ouch. I’ve never slept with you or Francesca.’

‘But you want to.’

‘Not with you. Seriously, I wouldn’t mind if she wasn’t my boss but I think there’s something a bit sordid about sleeping with the boss. I’ll stick to her PAs.’

‘You are awful.’

‘I know, but Pippa is really quite cute.’

‘And very willing.’

‘Well, there is that.’

‘I’ve missed this.’

‘What, my sex life?’

‘Just banter, normal banter, I only talk about myself nowadays. I’ve become self-obsessed and a complete bore.’

‘Well I’m not going to argue with you and if that was why you said it, it’s backfired.’

‘You’re a good friend, Freddie, I really mean that.’

‘You’re not bad either.’

‘Better than George?’

‘Not difficult.’

‘Freddie, if there is ever anything that I can do for you, anything, you have to promise to ask me.’

‘Oh, I intend to. First there’s the pay rise and the promotion, and then there’s putting me in charge of hiring the female staff, oh the list will be endless.’

And if there’s anything that isn’t incredibly shallow, you can ask me for that too.’ We looked at each other and laughed. Friendship can never be overrated.

Chapter Thirty-four

We worked solidly until I noticed the time, it was six thirty, and I realised that there was no sign of Imogen and Lisa.

‘They’ve been gone ages.’

‘Women and shopping.’ Freddie shrugged.

‘What if they had a fight? Lisa could have killed her.’

‘Hol, this isn’t an action film. They’ll probably come back the best of friends.’

‘It feels like an action film.
Under
Siege
, that’s what it is.’ I stood up and looked out of the window, through the tiny gap in the blind. Imogen had developed a technique for doing it without being seen, which I copied. The phone rang. I looked at Freddie, but I answered it anyway.

‘Holly, are you all right?’ It was my father.

‘Oh Daddy, there are a load of journalists outside.’

‘I know, Imogen called. How are you bearing up?’

‘I’m lucky, I’ve got Freddie, Imogen and Lisa here, although the girls have gone shopping.’

‘Do you want us to come up?’

‘No, we’ll be OK. What about you guys?’ If I hated being hounded by the press the thing I hated more was the idea that they were doing the same to my parents.

‘We’re fine, darling. Some of the hacks have made a trip here but your mother and I always say “no comment”, like on TV. George’s parents are having a hard time of it too. They didn’t ask for any of this. We went to see them, they’re devastated.’

‘Daddy, do you think George is mad? I mean really mad. He is hurting so many people and the George we knew wouldn’t do that.’

‘Who knows love. How’s my grandson?’

‘Grandson? How do you know it’s going to be a boy?’

‘Too many women in the family. We need a male.’

‘I’ll see what I can do. Give my love to Mum.’

‘Will do. Call tomorrow.’ I promised I would and I hung up.

‘Shall I make some coffee, or tea in my case? Then you should think about going, I’m sure you have things to do.’

‘Not really. Anyway, I am not going until Imogen and Lisa get back.’

‘Freddie, you’re all heart.’ I went to the kitchen, pausing on the way to have a bit of a curtain twitch. ‘I think some of them have gone.’ Freddie came to join me.

‘Yes, but there’s still a fair few. I wonder if they’re going to camp overnight.’ Just then the buzzer went. I looked at Freddie, we had told Lisa to use her key.

‘Hello,’ I said.

‘Pizza.’

‘I didn’t order pizza. Freddie, it’s pizza.’

‘Whatever you do don’t let them in, it’s just a ploy.’

‘Piss off,’ I said and put down the intercom. For the next hour the buzzer went every few seconds. Taxis, pizza, flowers, the journalists angry at me for ignoring them all day were now doing their best to extract their revenge. As if camping on my doorstep wasn’t enough. Freddie took the helm and showed a very broad vocabulary of expletives while he dealt with each one. Then the phone rang.

‘It’s Lisa.’

‘Where are you?’

‘We’re outside, but there is some bloke at the buzzer.’

‘Just push him out of the way, because if he sets foot inside I’m calling the police.’

‘OK, there’s just one other thing.’

‘What?’

‘We’ve got Jacquie and Dave with us.’

‘Who the hell are Jacquie and Dave?’

‘Your downstairs neighbours.’ London is a very unfriendly place.

‘Of course. Apologise to them will you?’ I had seen Jacquie and Dave, only a few times. They were probably a few years older than me and had lived downstairs for a year. I hadn’t had time to get to know them yet.

‘Oh they’re fine, they think it’s exciting living downstairs from a celebrity. Actually they wondered if they could come up and say hello.’

Oh God. ‘Fine, but Lisa if I find out they’re journalists in disguise I’m killing you.’

‘I promise they’re genuine neighbours.’

Freddie went to the window and gave me a running commentary.

‘Lisa’s leading them up towards the door, she’s elbowing everyone out the way...go girl. Oh, Imogen is next and she’s got a million shopping bags, and it looks as if your neighbours are carrying some of them. They
are
the downstairs couple, I recognise them. Lisa has just slapped the man standing near the buzzer and he’s swearing at her, and the cameras caught it all. That’ll make a nice picture in tomorrow’s paper. She’s just unlocked the door and is ushering everyone in. The press have moved forward. Oh, brilliant, the man from downstairs has just slammed the door and someone’s fingers got caught.’ Freddie laughed.

‘Knowing my luck they’ll probably sue.’

‘Don’t be so bloody dramatic.’ We stopped then and watched the door open. In trooped Lisa, Imogen and the neighbours.

‘I really am very, very sorry about this,’ I said.

‘Oh that’s fine. It’s probably the most exciting thing to happen since we’ve lived here.’ Dave shook my hand, then gestured for Jacquie to do the same.

‘We think you’re great, no matter what they say,’ she said.

I thanked them and then we all stood around unsure of what to do next. ‘Can I offer you a drink?’ I said, but I didn’t want to, I wanted them to go.

‘No, no, thank you. Imagine, Holly Miller offered us a drink. No, we must go we’ve got to make dinner. Cheerio.’ After I showed them out I looked at Lisa.

‘This is quite a funky, trendy district, so why did they choose to live here?’

‘Ah, well they must have thought it was a nice, quiet neighbourhood. Poor things.’

‘What do they do?’

‘Loss adjusters. Both of them.’ Well that was a profession to avoid.

‘So then, what did you buy for me?’ I asked, excited at the prospect of what lay in the carrier bags.

‘You are going to be so pleased with us, isn’t she Immi?’

‘You certainly are, look.’

Imogen began emptying the carrier bags and passing items to me. Firstly there were some pyjama-type black trousers which were nice; plain and not too frumpy. Then some tunics, actually quite a lot of tunics and some shirts. Then a black shift dress, and a red shift dress. Some evening tops, some maternity trousers that were almost jean-like, and some bras.

‘You bought me bras?’

‘Well the sales lady said your tits are probably about to take over. They get really big apparently and as they’re not very big now we got these.’ Both Lisa and Imogen looked really proud.

‘It’s all fantastic, in fact I’m going to try it all on now.’ I stood up.

‘OK, how about I make dinner while you all get really giggly and girly,’ Freddie said, grimacing at the sight of the bras. ‘Christ real passion-killers they are,’ he added, before heading out into the kitchen.

Everything they bought made me feel human again. I slipped on the red dress.

‘I can’t thank you enough,’ I said, as I went to show the dress to Freddie.

‘Wow, it looks fantastic,’ he said.

‘You sound shocked?’

‘Well I’d never thought of pregnancy as sexy before, but you do look sexy.’

‘Freddie, I think you’ll find you’ve never thought of me as sexy.’

‘Oh yeah, I forgot. Anyway, come and taste this, it’s a sort of curry.’

‘How can it be a sort of curry?’

‘Well I found some chicken, and loads of veggies, so I put them all in this pot and added stock and curry powder.’ I leaned in close to the spoon and sipped.

‘Umm, that’s nice. Don’t make it too spicy, I don’t want to give birth yet.’

‘Isn’t that an old wives’ tale?’

‘I have no idea.’ I wondered if Dr Miriam would know. After we ate Freddie’s curry, I decided it was time for everyone to go home.

‘Come on, Lisa, Max will be expecting you; and Freddie you’ve been here long enough.’

‘Oh before I leave, we did get something else,’ Lisa said.

‘We weren’t entirely sure how you would feel,’ Imogen finished. Lisa went over and pulled a number of bags from behind the sofa. I looked at her as she presented me with some tiny leather booties, a baby denim jacket and a cashmere blanket.

‘Oh my God, I don’t know what to say.’ I felt the blanket, it was so soft, I held it up against my face. This would have my baby in it. It would keep it warm and make it feel safe. My baby.

‘I told you it would make her cry,’ Lisa said.

‘Everything makes her cry,’ Freddie added.

‘I’m going to have a baby,’ I said through my tears. They all looked at me. ‘Don’t you see, I’m really going to have a baby.’ And at that moment, despite the fact that the press were still camped outside my flat; and that George was mad; and that Joe had left me, I was the happiest person in the world.

Chapter Thirty-five

The press proved more resilient than any of us imagined. When, on the following Wednesday I had to go for a check-up they were still there. Admittedly the numbers had diminished, but not by many. There was a lot of money at stake for the first shot of me looking pregnant. And pregnant I sure looked, especially in my new maternity wear.

The day after the press first arrived on my doorstep the papers all carried the picture of Lisa slapping the journalist. Of course, the story ran that I was a complete cow and had sent my bitch friend down to hurt the poor innocent journalist who had done nothing to deserve it. And the press agreed with me when it came to my relationship with George. They didn’t think we should get back together. Only because I was no way near good enough for him. My favourite line read:
‘Holly
might
have
the
looks
and
she
might
be
carrying
George’s
child
but
we
advise
George
,
save
yourself
from
a
life
of
misery
with
her
,
save
yourself
for
someone
who
deserves
you
.
’
Then they quoted George as saying (with a sigh no doubt), ‘
You
don’t
choose
who
you
fall
in
love
with
.
’
Cheers. Another newspaper ran an opinion poll: ‘
Holly’s
Baby
—
who
should
be
the
father
,
Joe
or
George
?
’
Well, although in this paper I wasn’t being made out to be a complete harlot, I didn’t like the way they involved Joe. Oh, and by the way, Joe got three per cent of the votes (thanks to Lisa who phoned up quite a few times), and George got the rest.