Chapter 3

Rod felt dreadful in the morning. He needed to sleep badly
and he knew it would be a long, exhausting day. But he was also a little
excited, because he had the strong feeling that Patricia would play a
significant role in his life. He felt her presence inside him and it reassured
him. He was calmer today and more confident that he would behave better in her
presence. He sat down and drank a strong cup of coffee. Something was changing
inside him and he liked it. He liked the feeling of tender caring about her,
the woman he had met only two days ago. He liked the feeling that he just
needed to spend time with her and had released his need to know whatever
bothered her. Yes, she is beautiful and
that is all that matters. Also, she knows how to make me laugh. Fine, the rest
will take care of itself.
Jocelyn phoned him and he was elusive as ever.  ‘Nothing happened I am afraid. We had a fight
about nothing and that was it.’
 ‘A fight, Rod?’
 ‘Yes, you know, a
disagreement. Anyway, how are you? Ready to deal with my dear brother?’
 ‘Hmm, yes, I am fine.
It’s been a long time since I saw Wayne, but I am sure we will be fine.’
 ‘Good, because I
really don’t need the performance right now. Things are chaotic at work and I
am too tired to get between the two of you.’
 ‘Oh, you are not in a
good mood. That date was not too great, that’s for sure.’
 ‘Hmm, I must get back
to work. Gail keeps beeping me.’
 ‘Okay, I get the
message. How about dinner tonight? I will cook something special for you.’
‘Sorry I can’t. I have to do some work tonight. Maybe later
in the week, okay?’
‘Fine.’
Jocelyn was so happy that she laughed out loud. Good! So that woman with my painting is out
of the picture. Lovely. Now he can focus his attention back on me. She was
very pleased to hear he was working hard, because that way he would not be
distracted by pretty women who liked art. Jocelyn stretched her body. Yes, today I will celebrate. A nice glass of
wine and I will be perfect. She sipped her wine and phoned Ian.
 ‘Hello, darling. What
are you doing?’
 ‘Hi my lovely. Just
waiting for one of my clients. What are you doing?’
‘Hmm, lying on my bed, sipping a glass of wine. Celebrating
life.’
‘Oh, what are you wearing?’
‘Nothing, of course.’
‘Oh Jocelyn, don’t do this to me. Don’t torture me so. I
have a tiny little patient with tiny little teeth and I have to pay attention.
Please, don’t play with me so.’
Jocelyn gave him a throaty laugh. ‘Perhaps, tonight, I will
torture you more.’
 ‘Oh yes, I will be
there at 7.00. We will celebrate together?’
‘Oh yes! Okay, good luck with the tiny patient. What do you
want tonight?’
 ‘Whatever you have on
offer, my lovely. I have to go.’
 ‘Okay, bye for now.’
Jocelyn smiled to herself. One day soon, Rod would be begging me like that. Yes, I will torture him
slowly. Yes, soon, he will belong to me.
~ ~ ~ ~

Trisha was having a lovely quiet day. She had her usual
patients today and she was grateful that there was no crisis. It allowed her
mind to wonder to her night with Rod. She smiled the whole day, thinking how
sweet he could be. She was closing up to leave when the phone rang. She rushed
to answer it, hoping nobody needed her urgently. She was quite keen to have a
quiet evening.
 ‘Hello?’
‘Is that how you answer the phone?’
‘Oh Rod, hi. I was just closing up, hoping I would put the
caller off.’
‘Sorry my dear, that did not put me off at all.’
‘Oh, you know what I mean. I thought some cat had a fever or
something.’
‘Hmm, I see. I think I must get a cat, a very sick cat.’
Trisha laughed. ‘Then I would have to put him down.’
‘Ooh that is mean. How about a drink before you go home?’
‘Ur….Rod, okay.’
‘Good, meet me at in 15 minutes at the Keg’s Coach.’
‘Fine, fine.’
She rushed back inside and carefully put on some make-up.
She wished she had the will to say no to him, because it could be another bad
date. But when she saw him sitting at the pub, chatting to the barman, she was
glad that she had been too weak to refuse him. He stood up when she arrived and
smiled pleasantly at her. ‘Hello, good timing.’
 ‘Hello. How was your
day?’
 ‘Fine. I saw Gareth
this afternoon.’
 ‘Oh, really?’
 ‘Yes, he was seeing
one of the guys at the firm and I met him in the passage. We had a little chat.’

‘Ah, I see, male bonding?’
 ‘No, about you.’
He watched with a perverse pleasure as she put down her
glass and clasped her hands. Okay, so if
I ask something, she will simply lie. It doesn’t matter. What matters is that
she is as stunning as ever and she is sitting next to me. I can smell her
perfume and inebriate myself with her essence.
 ‘Good things, I
hope?’
He laughed. ‘Yes, yes. He gave me the third degree. Told me
I was to behave like an absolute gentleman with you.’
‘Ah, I see. And what did you say?’
‘I told him that I could make no promises.’ And he laughed
as she stared at him, her eyes wide.
 ‘Relax, I am going to
behave today. You will be pleasantly surprised. Now, tell me about your pets.
What happened at work today?’
She unclasped her hands and started drinking her wine. ‘A
lovely, decent day. My regulars only. No crisis. It was quite a relief. I have
this patient, Tommy. He is this huge tomcat. He has thick, golden fur and I
tell you, he is grossly overweight and as ugly as can be. His owner, Jaclyn,
feeds him all sorts of things. Today, he came in for a regular check-up. She
asks me every time if he is overweight. And every time, I tell her that he is.
Then she says “I don’t know, I think he is just big boned”. Then she coos over
him. It makes me laugh every time.’
Rod was watching her, thinking how he loved the way her eyes
lit up when she spoke and how she relaxed so quickly when he didn’t ask
questions.
 ‘Tell her to put him
on diet, so his bones can get smaller.’
Trisha laughed.  ‘Yes,
I will try that. I will let you know what she says. In fact, I will tell her
husband. He hates poor Tommy with a vengeance. He says he sleeps in the bed and
snores.’
Rod laughed.  ‘That
sounds like the worst nightmare of every man. A fat, ugly cat snoring in your
bed.’
 ‘Yes, the image is
not pretty, especially since he looks a bit like the cat.’
Rod laughed. ‘I must come and visit you. You certainly have
more interesting clients than me.’
 ‘Yes.’
‘Now, Patricia. What would you like to eat tonight?’
‘I was going home to have a quick sandwich. Rod, you can
call me Trish or Trisha.’
‘No, I like Patricia. Is that alright?’
‘Yes, of course.’
‘Okay, what would you like to eat?’
‘Oh, something light. I had a huge lunch.’
‘Do you want to get something here or somewhere else?’
‘Oh, I don’t mind.......’ she stopped when she heard her
phone ringing.
‘Gareth, hello, my sweet.’
‘Yes, yes, but I can’t talk now.’
‘Ur... I don’t know yet,’ and she laughed. ‘I will call you
later, okay? Bye.’
Rod was watching her neck, the way it always smiled at him
when she laughed. He wanted to kiss her neck, to bite her right on that vein
that popped out softly and laughed mockingly at him. He felt like a vampire,
wanting to drink all of her. He really needed to touch her and feel her close
to him.
He sighed.
‘Oh, sorry, that was Gareth checking up on me.’
‘Oh, nice. What was so funny?’
She looked at him for a while. ‘He asked if I was with a
man, so I told him I don’t know yet,’ and she laughed at the way he looked
shocked.
 ‘I see, you are very
daring today.’ He smiled at her and touched her hand. ‘Let me see, should I
take up that challenge now or later?’ He was caressing her hand now and he
watched her face, the way she seemed afraid and excited at the same time.
‘Ur, I was teasing....’
‘Oh no, you have cast some doubt on me as a man. Now, how am
I going to prove myself?’ He whispered to her.
‘Rod, come on,’ and she pulled her hand away. ‘I was really
....’
‘Hmmm, a little scared of me. Fascinating.’
He looked away from her, wishing he had not touched her,
because, now he wanted to touch all of her. He liked the warmth of her hand,
the way it melted against his skin.
 ‘Okay, Rod, now, can
we get something to eat?’
‘Yes, come, let’s go over there and sit down properly,
little scary cat.’
He led her to the table and made sure that he touched her
back as they walked. Lovely, really
lovely.

While they ate, he worked very hard not to ask her any
questions, so he talked about his clients and friends and she laughed at all
his jokes. He kept touching her hand and she did not resist. He liked the way
she gently allowed him to get away with it. She just smiled at him, her eyes
sparkling at him.
 ‘I like it here. It
would be delightful to spend the whole night like this, but I think that guy
really wants to go home now.’ Rod looked at her seriously.
She looked around and realized that they were the only
patrons left. ‘Oh, I didn’t realize. Look at the time. Oh Rod, the poor man. We
better give him a huge tip.’
 ‘Yes. Lucky guy.’
‘Okay, let’s get out of here.’
They got up to leave and Rod felt devastated that she had
her car there. He wanted to take her home.
‘What a wonderful night. Did I behave well?’
Trisha laughed. ‘Yes, yes. I am very impressed.’
‘So, do I get a huge tip now?’
Trisha just laughed. ‘Let me see.’ She put her hand on her
chin and looked at him smiling.
‘Okay,’ and she leaned over and kissed him on his cheek. She
tried to move away, but Rod just held her close to him. They stood for a moment
at the door of the Keg’s Coach. She started moving away.
‘Not so fast. That is such a small, scrooge tip. Can you try
to be generous?’
But Trisha just leaned against him and he held her head
against his chest. She put her arms around him and sighed. Rod did not want to
move, but the waiter was standing impatiently behind them, a look of
trepidation on his face. He really wanted to go home. He sighed in resignation.
These two are going to have one of those
defining moments right here.
 ‘Okay, come, we had
better go before this guy throws us out. Patricia?’
 ‘Okay,’ she
whispered. ‘Sorry,’ she smiled at the waiter, who looked relieved that the man
still had some sense.
 ‘It’s fine, really.’
He spoke quickly, tugging at the door. He smiled at her, but he hoped she
didn’t want to have a long conversation now. She turned away from him and Rod
followed her.
‘Patricia, come to my house for a nightcap.’
‘Okay. I will follow you.’
Rod drove slowly. He was afraid she might change her mind.
He wished she was in his car, so he could talk to her. But when he got home, he
was pleased to see that she was still good-natured towards him and she followed
him up the stairs to the door.
 ‘I am very curious to
know what an accountant’s house looks like. Is everything in order, of date?’
Rod smiled. ‘No, I am very untidy. I have no clue where
anything is. I have no order whatsoever. The only thing I find every night is
my bed.’
 ‘Hmm, very
convenient.’
And he laughed. ‘You have very wicked thoughts.’
‘Yes, sorry. That just popped out of my head.’
He just smiled. Good,
she is thinking about my bed.

When they got inside and she saw that he had papers all over
the floor, Trisha laughed.  ‘Okay, I am
convinced. Now where will I sit?’
She stood with her hands on her hips. ‘Let me see.’ He took
her hand and led her to a chair on the far end of the room.
 ‘See? Anything is
possible. Now sit down and I will entertain you,’ and he smiled, his dimples
flirting with her.
‘And where will you sit?’ She looked at him, her green eyes
aglow.
‘Yes, I see your point. Okay, come here, I have an idea.’
She stood up, looking at him in a questioning way.
He moved to her, kissed her and he felt her melting into
him, like the hot wax of a candle against devouring flames.

When she sighed so deeply, so contentedly in the early hours
of the morning, Rod laughed, happily.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

When Trisha phoned Gareth early in the morning, she was
elated and bubbly.
‘Okay, it was fantastic!’
‘Really, that good?’
Gareth laughed. ‘Yes, he is a wonderful lover. He knows when
to be gentle and when not to be. Oh Gareth, it was quite an experience. I felt
so fulfilled.’
Gareth raised his eyebrows. ‘Okay, so he does wonders for
your body. But your soul?’
‘Oh Gareth, does it matter? We did not talk at all. I don’t
know. We just enjoyed the silence. What could we say? I mean, what do you say?’

 ‘Usually I say, what
is your name again?’
‘You are a corrupt, debauched man! That is the most
unromantic thing I have ever heard.’
‘If the sex was great, I want to know for future reference.
If it was bad, then I definitely want to remember who to avoid.’
 ‘I can’t wait for you
to fall in love. I hope she gives you the complete run around.’
‘Fine, whatever. Will you be seeing him again?’
‘I don’t know. We didn’t discuss it. We got up late and I
had to leave, so I dashed off. He was still in bed, complaining that I was
running away. Oh Gareth, he was very sweet.’
 ‘My poor Trish. You
are in trouble with this one.’
‘Yes, I like it. It is just the sex. I needed great sex with
a hunk. I feel quite rejuvenated.’
 ‘Yes, I can see. But
what will happen now?’
 ‘I am going to phone
him and apologize for leaving in such a rush. He was not amused.’
‘Ah, I see. But you should wait for him to call. I mean, a
man might not want to......call afterwards.’
‘Oh, okay. I see what you mean. Wham, bam, thank you, ma’am?
Is that it?’
‘Yes, look I don’t know. It’s just, often a man, once
satisfied, you know.’
Trisha sighed.
‘Oh I hope not. I need to be satisfied again.’ She sulked
and Gareth laughed.
‘Okay, but don’t get your hopes up. I had better get back to
work.’
 ‘Fine, see you later.

She went to make herself a cup of coffee, humming to the
music that flowed in her mind. But as she walked back towards her office, she
felt a tension building up inside her. She could not bear the thought that he
would not want to see her again. She stopped suddenly and the image of him came
quickly to her mind. He was sitting over a desk, glaring in shock at a page. He
looked devastated. She looked harder and couldn’t read the page. But his face
looked like he had seen his worst fear transformed on paper. He leaned back in
his chair and he looked like he would cry.
She pulled out her phone and tried to call him. His phone
just rang.
Shit, something is
wrong. The feeling is getting stronger and stronger. She walked back to her
office and hoped there was nobody there. She couldn’t remember what
appointments she had and her mind started getting confused.
She was so disappointed when she saw two patients waiting
for her that she wanted to scream. She told Kathryn, her secretary that she had
an urgent call to make and would see her patients shortly. She sat down and
tried to calm herself. She breathed slowly and tried to relax, but she
couldn’t. She called his office. His secretary was a little hesitant, but she
said it was urgent.
‘Okay, but he said not to be disturbed.’
 ‘Please, I need to
speak to him.’
 ‘Yes?’
 ‘Is that how you
answer your phone?’
 ‘Oh Patricia. Hi.’
 ‘Hi, Rod, is
everything alright?’
He was silent now. He felt so angry and tired, but his radar
went up. He wanted to ask her why she assumed something was wrong, but he
stopped himself.
 ‘No, not really. I
can’t talk now. I will call you later.’
‘Okay, sorry to disturb you.’
He said nothing, so she hung up.
And, as Gareth predicted, he did not call her. The next day,
Trisha was disappointed. She had hoped he would be special, but clearly he had
been satisfied. When she phoned Gareth for consolation, he was no help. He
seemed to believe that she was being silly, since sex was what they had both
wanted. That night she tried to read her tarot cards, but could not work out
the images. They were confused and she was so frustrated that she just went to
bed and cried in defeat.

She woke up to the sound of her doorbell, persistent and penetrating
in her sleep. She got out of bed and looked out the window. There was Rod,
leaning against the doorbell.  ‘Okay, I
am coming.’
When she opened the door, he just stared at her for a while.  ‘Hello, Patricia.’
 ‘Hi Rod. Are you
okay?’
 ‘No, but you knew
that already, didn’t you?’
 ‘Come inside.’
 ‘Hmm, yes. Okay. What
else did you know, Patricia?’
 ‘Oh Rod, leave me
alone. Damn! Did you come here with more questions? Accusations?’ She could
feel herself getting angry now. So he
just came to find out what I know.
 ‘Damn you! At least
you should have had the decency to say something polite, like it was good, or
something.’
Rod stared at her, the way she clasped her hands tightly.
Her eyes were wide and angry and it made him even angrier. He did not need
another person lying to him today. What the hell does she know about his
cheating, lying partner? Why did she call just when he was finally putting the
pieces together? Does she know Thomas?
 ‘Rod, do you need
some coffee? You look a little upset.’
 ‘Yes, I am very
upset, my dear. I am also drunk. So perhaps I should just go home. At least my
walls won’t lie to me or avoid my questions.’
He turned and walked out. He got to his car and then decided
that he was not going to leave her alone tonight. He rang the bell again and
she flung the door open.
 ‘Okay, if we are
going to do this the whole night, I am leaving the door opened. When you are
through with this game, just lock the door behind you.’
She went off to her bedroom. This man is completely crazy. He is too drunk to reason with and what can
I say? He is angry and looking for a victim. Well, fuck him. He must go to
Jocelyn or some woman who had time for this.
She sat on the bed, hoping he would leave soon, or it could
be a long morning. She tried to breathe evenly and she closed her eyes, hoping
to calm her wild heart that ached at his harsh eyes that glared at her and her
hands. He looked at her hands as if they possessed all the evil of the world.
 ‘Patricia?’ he called
softly.
 ‘Rod, please leave me
alone.’
 ‘Open your eyes,
Patricia.’
‘No, go away. I can’t deal with you like this.’
He sat next to her on the bed and touched her hand. ‘I am
sorry. I am going crazy.’
Trisha just kept her eyes closed. There is no way she could
look into those hostile eyes. Rod kissed her eyes, but Trisha pushed him away.
‘Rod, please, leave me alone. Not tonight.’
She opened her eyes and looked at him. ‘I don’t need this
now. I need you to leave me. I had a long, rough day.’
 ‘Oh Patricia, are you
okay?’ and she looked at him, confused by his concern.
She sighed. ‘Just leave it alone. I am tired and you got
what you wanted. So let’s leave things now, okay?’
‘Do you mean you got what you wanted? So I have served my
purpose, Patricia? Good for you. I hope it was fun,’ and he got up and walked
out.
Trisha sat on the bed and waited until she heard his car
pull off before she went to close the door. She cried so hard, because she had
no idea what all this meant. She was plagued by weird dreams, of him laughing
and joking, then angry and hurt.
~ ~ ~ ~

When Gareth phoned in the morning, because his cards told
him that she was in pain, he went over to her house and hugged her.
 ‘Oh Trish, my poor
Trish!’ and she cried more. When the phone rang, she ignored it.
 ‘Answer it, Trish.’
 ‘No, I don’t want to
face the world today. I want to run away and clear my heart and my head. I want
to wallow in my pain and trauma. Let it ring. Some dog must have died or
something. I don’t want to know.’
 ‘Okay, okay, I will
answer it, okay? In case it is important.’
She heard him talk and she wondered why he whispered. She
did not care. Let him whisper. It is
probably dad. Not today.
She took a deep breath and tried to collect her thoughts. Okay, get your act together and stop being
such a baby. Get on with your life.
When Gareth came back, he looked a little concerned. ‘Trish,
I think you should speak to him.’
‘Who?’
‘Rod, he sounds really betrayed.’
‘Good, that makes the two of us. Tell him to piss off.’
‘Rod, she can’t talk now. Perhaps she can call you later?’
‘Yes, yes, of course. I will give her the message.’
He closed her phone.
‘Now, I have no idea what happened here last night, but he
said to tell you that it has nothing to do with you. It was about work. He is
sorry and he would like to talk.’
‘Oh I see. There is nothing to talk about. He knows, Gareth
and it pisses him off. He knows and it makes him so angry. I won’t ever speak
to him again.’
 ‘Ur. He said you
chased him away.’
 ‘Yes, of course. He
accused me of knowing all about something at work and was demanding an
explanation.’
‘Okay, okay. But he is angry because he says you keep lying
to him.’
 ‘Of course, what do
you want me to say to him?’
 ‘Trish, okay. I don’t
know what to say. Okay. Okay. Let’s just try to relax and let the day take its
course. I don’t know what to say.’
‘Yes, thank you, my sweet,’ and she hugged him. ‘I am being
a baby. I had better go and see my patients.’
She was smiling now and he felt a little better.

Trisha went through the motions of working, waiting for the
day to end so she could go home and try to relax. With time, she knew, she
would feel better and this would all be a matter of the past. She knew that she
would move on and Rod would be a distant memory some day.
He tried to call her during the day and she told Kathryn
that she would be busy and would call him back later. Kathryn had smiled at
her, because he had already asked if she was busy and he had said if she lies,
he is coming over for her. He knew her well and she wondered why he had never
called before. ‘She really is busy. Someone just walked in with a dog that is
choking.’
 ‘Are you sure?’
 ‘Yes, of course. I
have no doubt she will call you when it is over.’
 ‘How long does
de-choking a dog take?’
 ‘It depends.
Sometimes a few minutes, sometimes at least an hour. I really don’t know. I
will give her your message and will get her to phone you as soon as possible.
Is your pet a patient?’
 ‘No, but should I get
a dog, or cat or something?’
And Kathryn had laughed. ‘That won’t be necessary, I am
sure. She returns all her calls.’
‘Fine, thank you.’
Kathryn went to her.
‘That man, he is very charming. He wants to get a dog or cat
to get your attention.’
And Trisha smiled. ‘Yes, he is quite capable of doing that.
I had better call him. Fine, I will call him after lunch.’

When she called him, he was agitated. ‘Good, have you saved
the dog?’
‘The dog?’
‘Yes, the one that was choking?’
‘Ur, yes, sorry, it has been a busy day. How do you know
about my patients?’
‘Hmm, you sound a bit like me now, don’t you?’
‘Rod, I returned your call. I am not going to fight with
you. What can I do for you?’
‘I need your advice. Should I get a cat or a dog?’
‘Neither! Please!’
‘Why not?’
‘Because they need to be treated with love and care. And
quite frankly, you are not a suitable pet owner. Get a fish, it will suit you
perfectly. When it dies, you can just get another one.’
 ‘Hmmm, I see. I
thought you didn’t want to fight?’
She sighed.  ‘Rod, you
wanted my advice, that’s it. If you don’t like it, I can refer you to someone
else.’
‘Patricia, please, not now.’
‘Fine, I will give your secretary the details later.’
He was silent for a while.
‘Give me the details tonight, okay?’
‘No, I will not see you tonight.’
‘You are still angry with me.’
‘No, I am not angry. I just don’t need this Rod, really.’
‘What do you need Patricia?’
‘I need............it does not matter. Now, is there
anything else you want?’
He laughed now. ‘Yes, my dear, you.’
 ‘Oh I am afraid that
is not possible. It is not a good season for me.’
Rod laughed hard now. 
I am sorry about last night. Things got a little messy here at work and
I was a little stressed out. Also, you were so wonderful the other night, I
think you dislodged a part of my brain. Now I don’t know who I am.’
 ‘Rod, is everything
okay, at work?’
‘No, no, of course not. But I am sure we can sort it out.
What do you need, Patricia?’
 ‘To be left alone.’
 ‘Okay, if that is
what you want, but I really want to see you again. Will you call me when you
feel better disposed towards me?’
She smiled. Damn you,
always saying the right things.
 ‘Okay, fine. I will
do that. How is Jocelyn?’
 ‘She is in a very bad
mood. Wayne, my brother is coming a few days earlier than expected. She is
furious. He arrives on Saturday and for some reason, she doesn’t want him to
stay with me. Also, I think she broke up with Ian, so she is not a happy
person.’
 ‘Oh I am sorry to
hear that. Perhaps she and Wayne will get back together again?’
 ‘I doubt it. He is
coming with some woman, whom he insists I need to meet.’
 ‘Ah I see, hence
Jocelyn’s anger. You are going to have a fun time.’
 ‘Hmmm. I am having a
dinner on Sunday night. A few friends, so Wayne meets people. Will you come? It
will be safe, I promise. Wayne and girlfriend will be staying here.’
 ‘Ur, I don’t know if
I will be back. I am going to the farm this weekend. For some fresh air and
sick horses.’
 ‘Oh I see. Okay, if
you are back, will you come? Gareth will be there.’
 ‘He didn’t tell me
about that.’
 ‘Yes, he will be
there. Ian is coming along with him. It will be very interesting.’
 ‘I am sure. I will
call you if I get back in time.’
She put the phone down, resolved that she would not got to
his house ever again.
~ ~ ~ ~

But when Gareth phoned her on Sunday morning and begged her
to come back because he was having a crisis, she dashed back only to find that
he wanted her to go to the dinner with him.
 ‘I can’t bear it
alone, please. Ian and Wayne, together. I could hardly get out of it. Also, Rod
said the two of you were okay now.’
 ‘Yes, we are okay.
But it was awful of you to deceive me this way.’
‘There is also another problem. I need to tell you something
and I hope you won’t kill me.’
 ‘Oh no. I know that
look. What have you done?’
 ‘Oh Trish, before you
say anything, I want to say that I had no intention of doing it. It just
happened.’
‘Oh come on! What have you done?’
‘I slept with Kathryn last night.’
‘My Kathryn?’
‘Ur, yes, we met at this club, we recognized each other and
she came home with me.’
‘Oh shit, Gareth. She is very vulnerable.’
‘I know. I think I like her.’
‘What?’
‘Yes, we talked most of the night.’
‘Oh come on, Gareth. Don’t lie to me.’
‘Truly, she is quite an intelligent woman. We read each
other’s cards. There is some new man for her, you know. The Prince of
Pentacles. Quite a hunk, I think.’
 ‘You read tarot cards
with my secretary?’
 ‘Yes, it was
wonderful. She also read mine. Apparently, I am going to have an affair with a
blonde woman.’
‘Oh Gareth!’
‘Relax, I said nothing about you. She said she wished she
could bring her cards to work, but was afraid you would be horrified.’
‘Okay, okay, are you now having a relationship?’
‘No, but I think we could be friends. The sex was okay. The
friendship was great.’
 ‘Fine, but if she so
much as mentions you, I will deny I know you.’
‘Okay, deal. Now will you come with me tonight?’
‘Fine, I had better phone Rod and tell him.’
When she phoned him, he laughed. ‘Good, I am very pleased.
We shall talk later, okay?’
‘Okay. How are things with the brother and girlfriends?’
‘Calm, so far. He only arrived yesterday. Jocelyn has not
put in an appearance yet. She is trying to get back into Ian’s pants.’
‘Oh she is such a busy lady.’
‘Yes, but tonight will be interesting. See you later.’

Rod smiled. He was very pleased. Wayne was watching him and
wondered who the woman was who had changed his mood so quickly. He had been
edgy and difficult until that call. At
last, he thought, the tough old rod
is in love. At least, dear Joss will
be forced to take her claws out of his back. Yes, this is very good news. He
was getting tired of that witch hanging onto his brother for so many years. He
hoped this woman was strong enough to boot her out the door of his life.
‘So, who is she?’
‘What?’
‘Oh, the woman who makes you smile so much.’
‘Oh just a friend.’
‘I see. I see. Does Joss know?’
‘No, it is not her business. Also, things have been a little
difficult and Joss has been in a hell mood lately. Anyway, at this point, there
is nothing to tell.’
But Rod was very mistaken.