Paradise Fields (11 page)

‘Really?' Luigi looked Nel over critically yet appreciatively. Nel could have felt offended, but somehow didn't.

Luigi pulled the table out from the banquette and Nel squeezed round so she could sit down.

‘Now, let's get some drinks in, for goodness' sake,' said Jake. ‘Nel, have a Brandy Alexander, it will do you good.'

‘What is it?'

‘Just have it,' said Jake crossly. ‘And we'll have the usual quantity of beers, some sparkling water and a bottle of red wine. That do for everyone?'

Judging by their expressions, ‘everyone' was rather surprised by Jake's brusqueness.

‘You're the boss,' said one.

‘That'll do, Dan. Now let's all sit down.'

‘Let's introduce ourselves again,' said Dan, ‘or Nel won't have a hope of remembering all our names.'

‘She doesn't need to remember your names,' snapped Jake.

‘Yes, she does,' said Nel. ‘I'm hopeless at it, but it's good practice. Besides, I can't call you all “you”.'

‘Right,' said Dan, taking the lead. ‘We all work together. I'm Dan, this is Nathan, Paul, and Jezz. And we're all dateless on a Saturday night, so we decided to go out together.'

‘On the pull, as you said,' said one, possibly Paul.

Nel decided to ignore this. ‘And I'm Nel.'

‘We know,' said Dan. ‘There's only one of you, so it's easy for us to remember.'

‘I'm going to the loo,' said Jake, and got up.

‘Well, this is a turn-up for the books,' said Dan, when Jake had gone. ‘We didn't know Jake had a girlfriend in the country.'

‘Oh, I'm not his girlfriend! Perish the thought! I mean, I'm sure he's awfully nice and all that, but . . .'

‘But what?'

‘It was just coincidence that we met this evening.'

‘We know that,' said the one next to her – Jezz? ‘But he wouldn't have got so worked up when he saw you if you were just acquaintances, would he?'

‘I don't know how worked up he got, but actually
we're adversaries. He's acting for the Hunstantons—'

‘And you're the one objecting? All is now made clear.'

‘So,' went on Nel, probing in spite of herself, ‘you don't have to worry about him two-timing his girlfriend in London.'

‘Has he got a girlfriend in London?' asked Paul. ‘He's kept that dark!'

‘Of course he hasn't,' said Dan. ‘If he had we'd know about it.' Dan turned to Nel. ‘Jake got divorced about three years ago. He hasn't shown any sign of being interested in a woman since.'

‘Once bitten, twice shy, I expect,' said Nel.

‘How about you? Married? Divorced?'

‘Widowed, actually, but not looking for a new relationship.' It hadn't taken Nel long to realise that Jake's London colleagues took far too much interest in his personal life.

‘Why not?' asked the one with very short hair and a shiny face, who Nel assumed must be Nathan.

‘None of your business, Paul,' said Jake, rejoining the party. ‘I must apologise for my colleagues, Nel. They're worse than a bunch of girls for wanting to get everyone paired off. Has everyone ordered?'

There was a chorus of ‘No!'

Nel had begun to enjoy herself. In the company of these friendly, entertaining men, she almost forgot why she was there in the first place.

‘You're all very frivolous for lawyers,' she said.

‘Is that a complaint?' asked Dan.

‘Certainly not, I just didn't expect you to be jolly. I would have thought you would spend your spare time discussing the finer points of law.'

The guffaws and hoots which greeted this remark could have felt unkind, except that Nel was used to being laughed at by her children, and could tell when the humour was affectionate.

‘I'm afraid lawyers are just as bad as everyone else,' said Jake.

Nel regarded him. ‘And worse in some cases.'

The moment of stillness was quickly buried by another joke, but Nel wished she hadn't made that remark. It was inappropriate. However badly she felt Jake was behaving over the building and her rather abortive attempts to protest against it, he was being nice to her now: the brusqueness had disappeared and he was proving as entertaining as his colleagues.

She couldn't let it stand. She put her hand on his to claim his attention. ‘I didn't quite mean that like it sounded.'

He gave her fingers the smallest squeeze, to acknowledge her apology, and the awkwardness was past.

Jake didn't laugh quite so much as his colleagues. They were younger than him, but she got the impression that he was usually a bit more lively than he was being now. It was her presence, she realised. She had spoilt his evening. She resolved not to allow herself to be talked into dawdling, and leave the minute she'd had a cup of coffee. She could get a taxi back to the club.

‘Who's for pudding?' said Dan. ‘Nel, have the zabaglione, it's to die for.'

‘I think I should be getting off—'

‘Sit down,' said Jake, firmly. ‘Have a pudding. And Dan's right about the zabaglione. It's not even fattening.'

Nel glared at him with a mixture of horror and outrage. ‘How do you know?'

‘It can't be, it's full of air. Besides,' Jake put his hand on hers. ‘It's still far too early to go to Chill.'

‘Are you going to Chill?' Paul asked. Come with us instead. We're going down to the Pool Hall. The drinks are a rip-off, but the music's great.'

Nel found herself laughing. A Brandy Alexander and two glasses of red wine had certainly taken the edge off her anxiety. ‘I'm not going clubbing,' she said firmly. ‘I'm going to check up on my daughter.'

‘Is she pretty?'

‘Very,' said Nel. ‘Or at least, I think so.'

‘She's very pretty,' said Jake.

‘I didn't know you'd met her.'

‘I haven't met her, but I saw her that time at the market. I recognised her easily, she looks just like her mother.'

Nel realised there was a compliment hidden in there somewhere, but couldn't accept it. ‘She doesn't, you know. She's blonde and blue-eyed, and I'm – not.'

‘You're still alike. Something about the eyes.'

Nel sighed. She simply couldn't see the resemblance.

‘So, “zeebag” all round?'

‘No, not for me, really,' said Nel. She had a card and a certain amount of cash, but she didn't want to use it all on her share of the meal.

‘So it's just the lads, then, thanks, Luigi,' said Dan.

‘If now is still too early, what time can I go to the club, then?' asked Nel.

‘Not till midnight at the earliest,' said Paul.

‘Good God!'

‘Is she still at school?'

‘Yes. A levels soon.'

‘I've never worked so hard for anything before or since as I did for my A levels,' said one.

‘Nor me. GCSEs were a happy breeze. A levels stank.'

‘Your parents must be very proud of you.' Nel suddenly felt parental, something she hadn't felt all evening.

‘Yeah, I suppose. They were thrilled when I got good grades. Have you got other children, apart from your daughter?'

‘Yes, two boys at university. One's in London, and he would have come with me to the club, only he couldn't.'

‘You don't look old enough to have children at university,' said Paul.

Nel smiled in a way that made it quite clear she knew she was being flattered, and didn't believe it. ‘Thank you. I'm also Queen of the May.'

‘No, really,' Dan persisted. ‘Don't you agree, Jake?'

Jake didn't answer immediately. ‘I think Nel's a very attractive woman. Age has nothing to do with it.'

Fortunately for Nel, who was completely dumbfounded, the puddings arrived at that moment. Tall glasses full of golden foam were set in front of all the men.

‘Are you sure you don't want to change your mind?' asked Dan.

‘Quite sure. It does look heavenly, though.'

‘Here.' Jake passed his spoon across the table. ‘Try it.' He put the spoon into her mouth, and although they were in a crowded room, at a table full of laughing people, Nel suddenly felt the gesture was curiously intimate, as if it was something he shouldn't have done in public.

‘It is delicious,' she said. And it was: warm, fluffy and alcoholic.

‘Have another mouthful,' said Jake.

She opened her mouth to refuse, and another spoonful was delivered. ‘Really, that's enough,' she said when it was gone.

Jake was serious when he looked into her eyes. ‘Coffee now, then.'

Nel didn't drink coffee often, but she nodded when the others ordered it. If her clubbing experience wasn't to begin until after midnight, she'd need some nervous energy.

‘Grappa?'

‘Whatta?' Nel couldn't help flirting with Dan. He was so safe and friendly.

He laughed back. ‘It tastes of lighter fuel, but it's somehow delicious. Have some.'

Nel decided that there was probably a cashpoint machine somewhere between here and the club, and that she should just stop worrying about the money and enjoy herself. It was still only half past eleven.

Three cups of coffee, two grappas and several amaretti biscuits (all of whose papers had been lit and wishes sent) later, Nel got up to go to the Ladies.

Once there, she pulled her fingers through her hair a few times and put on some lipstick before actually confronting her reflection. Long ago she had realised there was no point in knowing how awful one had looked all evening. Once these preliminary preparations were over, she took a good look.

Her long black V-neck jumper was satisfyingly slimming. It covered her tummy and hips, and with her
black trousers and long jacket, it was a flattering look, if somewhat sombre. She had never worn black to mourn her husband, but now society felt mourning was no longer appropriate, she wore it a lot. She had a good colour, and it didn't drain her like it did so many people.

But she was going to be too hot; already her cheeks were a little flushed. She decided that Mark's overcoat would keep her warm enough on the way to the club, went back into the cubicle and removed the jumper. Under it she was wearing a little black top, which might have been underwear, or might have been a proper garment. With the jacket on top this would have looked moderately respectable if it hadn't shown quite so much cleavage.

Nel inspected the cleavage. It was, she decided, quite nice. But was it appropriate to show so much of it, even if it was one of her best features? When you're young, she reflected, there are bits of your body you don't like, and you feel if it weren't for your thighs, or your nose, you would be perfect. Now she was over forty a bit of critical scrutiny brought her to the conclusion that her teeth, her skin and her cleavage, were all . . . OK, but the rest of her was best ignored. Mark had always liked her bosom. Simon had probably never seen as much of it as was on display now, and Jake . . .? She tugged her top up a bit. What Jake thought about her top half was neither here nor there.

She put her jacket back on. Her arms were one of the bits she no longer liked to display, except in summer when they were tanned.

She stuffed the jumper into her capacious handbag, clawed at her hair a few more times, partly out of nervousness, and went back to the others. It was lucky her
hair was in a style which could take a fair bit of clawing, she thought. She'd have wreaked havoc with an elegant chignon long since.

‘I'm going to take you to the club,' said Jake. ‘The others are going to the Pool Hall.'

The trouble with leaving a group of men to go to the loo was that it gave them the opportunity to make decisions without consulting you. But the thought of actually going into the club by herself (that's if she was even let in), was incredibly daunting. It was one thing to know that it was the right thing to do, that you were doing it for Fleur, to tell yourself that that was what you were going to do. To actually do it, especially alone, was another thing entirely. Knowing she didn't have to was a great relief.

Nel's mother had always described her husband Mark as a ‘man to ride the water with'. She'd probably describe Jake the same way – only of course she'd be quite wrong, thought Nel, which proved that not even dead people know everything. What would her mother have thought of Simon? Wondering why she should choose this moment to ask herself that question, Nel decided her mother would say he was a nice man, but would never set the world on fire.

Now she said, ‘Oh, OK. What about my share of the bill? If I put in twenty pounds, will that be about right?'

‘The firm is paying,' said Dan. ‘It owes us. And we have an entertainment budget that is seriously under-spent. So put your money away.'

Nel put her head on one side. ‘You seem to have thought out that little speech in advance.'

‘Yes, well, Jake said you were bound to be difficult about letting us pay.'

She regarded him, unsure if she should be indignant or not. ‘I have no idea why you would have thought that!'

‘Experience,' said Jake. ‘You're always difficult.'

Silenced, Nel allowed Dan to hold her overcoat and got into it.

Once outside the restaurant, a taxi drew up quite soon and Jake opened the door for Nel. ‘We'll take this one. Get in, Nel.'

‘But I haven't said goodbye!'

Each of the four men kissed her warmly and she kissed them back. They were very smoothly shaved and smelt of cologne. Nel decided it was nice being kissed, and wondered, as she settled herself into the taxi, if fancying men younger than yourself was a sign of getting old. Before they'd travelled more than a few yards she'd decided that yes, it was.

‘This is very kind of you,' she said, a moment or two later. ‘I would have been all right on my own, and I've spoiled your evening.'