him—maybe he hadn't had to work after all. I was about to call to him when I realised he wasn't alone. I didn't recognise the woman. The two of them disappeared into the B&B.
********************
I was back at my flat—pacing the room. I didn't know what to do. Mike had told me he would be working. Why had he lied to me? I could think of a dozen reasons, and none of them were good. I picked up the phone five or six times—I even selected his number once, but I didn't press the 'call' button. I was too afraid of what I might discover.
I don't remember falling to sleep. When I woke the next morning, I was still wearing the clothes I’d been out in the night before. The last thing I wanted to do was a shift in the shop, but I was due downstairs in less than forty minutes. I wanted to tell Marge I was ill, but she knew me too well. She would never buy it.
“How's Megan this morning?” Marge was bright and breezy, as usual.
“All right.”
“That good, eh? Are you sure?”
“I'm fine.”
“You don't sound it. Your boyfriend's here. He'll cheer you up.”
Mike flashed his usual good-morning smile. I couldn't look him in the eye.
“Are you okay?” he said after I'd banged the plate down in front of him.
“Fine.” I turned away.
“Megan?”
“What?”
“What's wrong?”
“Nothing. Eat your breakfast.”
He stood up, grabbed my hand, and led me out of the cafe.
“What's wrong?”
“How was work last night?”
“What?”
“You heard me. How was work?”
“I only did a half shift.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Chloe, my sister, rang me to say she was coming over.”
“Sister?”
“She's having problems with her husband. He's a complete idiot.”
“You've never mentioned a sister.”
“Why would I?”
I studied his face. Was he lying? I had no idea.
“I saw you go into the B&B with a woman.”
“That was Chloe. She was in a right state—I had to leave work early to meet her.”
“What has her husband done?”
“He's having an affair. Another one.”
“Is she staying in Cromdale?”
“Christ, no! She has a friend who is going to put her up. I wouldn't lie to you, Megan.”
“I'm sorry,” I said. “I'm sorry I jumped to conclusions.”
“Hey, it's okay. It must have looked suspicious. I'm sorry you've been upset. I should have mentioned Chloe.”
He leaned forward and kissed me.
“Any chance of you doing any work this morning?” Marge poked her head around the door.
“Sorry, Marge,” Mike said. “It's my fault.”
I went back to work, but my mind was all over the place.
“What's wrong Megan?” Marge had marched me into the back during a quiet spell.
“I'm sorry.”
“What's going on with you and Mike?”
“Nothing. It's my fault. I saw him with a woman last night, and jumped to the wrong conclusion.
“Another woman?”
“It was his sister. She's having problems with her husband.”
“Are you sure it was his sister?”
“Yeah. I just overreacted. I'm seeing him tonight.”
“Okay. Just focus on the job.”
“I will—sorry.”
********************
I'd agreed to meet Mike outside his B&B. I was nervous because I suspected he would ask me to go to his room again. Maybe it was the right time. Maybe he was the right one. I wanted to feel needed. I wanted to feel loved.
“Megan! Wait!” Marge caught me on my way out of the flat. “He's married!”
“What?”
“Mike. He’s married.”
I was stunned; I didn’t know what to say. Marge led me back upstairs to her room.
“The B&B owner is a friend of mine. That story about Mike's sister sounded dodgy, so I got her to give me his address and phone number.”
“Is she allowed to do that?”
“No, but I can be very persuasive. I called his home number, and spoke to his wife. Chloe. He's got a baby girl—six months old.”
“The bastard!” I could feel tears welling up in my eyes. “I nearly... ”
“Don't worry about it. You wouldn't be the first
********************
I was back at my flat—pacing the room. I didn't know what to do. Mike had told me he would be working. Why had he lied to me? I could think of a dozen reasons, and none of them were good. I picked up the phone five or six times—I even selected his number once, but I didn't press the 'call' button. I was too afraid of what I might discover.
I don't remember falling to sleep. When I woke the next morning, I was still wearing the clothes I’d been out in the night before. The last thing I wanted to do was a shift in the shop, but I was due downstairs in less than forty minutes. I wanted to tell Marge I was ill, but she knew me too well. She would never buy it.
“How's Megan this morning?” Marge was bright and breezy, as usual.
“All right.”
“That good, eh? Are you sure?”
“I'm fine.”
“You don't sound it. Your boyfriend's here. He'll cheer you up.”
Mike flashed his usual good-morning smile. I couldn't look him in the eye.
“Are you okay?” he said after I'd banged the plate down in front of him.
“Fine.” I turned away.
“Megan?”
“What?”
“What's wrong?”
“Nothing. Eat your breakfast.”
He stood up, grabbed my hand, and led me out of the cafe.
“What's wrong?”
“How was work last night?”
“What?”
“You heard me. How was work?”
“I only did a half shift.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Chloe, my sister, rang me to say she was coming over.”
“Sister?”
“She's having problems with her husband. He's a complete idiot.”
“You've never mentioned a sister.”
“Why would I?”
I studied his face. Was he lying? I had no idea.
“I saw you go into the B&B with a woman.”
“That was Chloe. She was in a right state—I had to leave work early to meet her.”
“What has her husband done?”
“He's having an affair. Another one.”
“Is she staying in Cromdale?”
“Christ, no! She has a friend who is going to put her up. I wouldn't lie to you, Megan.”
“I'm sorry,” I said. “I'm sorry I jumped to conclusions.”
“Hey, it's okay. It must have looked suspicious. I'm sorry you've been upset. I should have mentioned Chloe.”
He leaned forward and kissed me.
“Any chance of you doing any work this morning?” Marge poked her head around the door.
“Sorry, Marge,” Mike said. “It's my fault.”
I went back to work, but my mind was all over the place.
“What's wrong Megan?” Marge had marched me into the back during a quiet spell.
“I'm sorry.”
“What's going on with you and Mike?”
“Nothing. It's my fault. I saw him with a woman last night, and jumped to the wrong conclusion.
“Another woman?”
“It was his sister. She's having problems with her husband.”
“Are you sure it was his sister?”
“Yeah. I just overreacted. I'm seeing him tonight.”
“Okay. Just focus on the job.”
“I will—sorry.”
********************
I'd agreed to meet Mike outside his B&B. I was nervous because I suspected he would ask me to go to his room again. Maybe it was the right time. Maybe he was the right one. I wanted to feel needed. I wanted to feel loved.
“Megan! Wait!” Marge caught me on my way out of the flat. “He's married!”
“What?”
“Mike. He’s married.”
I was stunned; I didn’t know what to say. Marge led me back upstairs to her room.
“The B&B owner is a friend of mine. That story about Mike's sister sounded dodgy, so I got her to give me his address and phone number.”
“Is she allowed to do that?”
“No, but I can be very persuasive. I called his home number, and spoke to his wife. Chloe. He's got a baby girl—six months old.”
“The bastard!” I could feel tears welling up in my eyes. “I nearly... ”
“Don't worry about it. You wouldn't be the first
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