Read Online Divorcing Jack by Colin Bateman - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Colin Bateman
Ads: Link
fumed in Portstewart, then calmed down sufficiently to work up a meaningful revenge. Indeed, she would have shopped around for the cheapest potatoes. Carried out the attack and driven back up to the coast. And no hint of it when next I spoke to her. I took Margaret's hands and said softly: 'I'm sorry, I'm really sorry. I should have handled things better.'
'What could you have done? She had a right to be angry.'
'She had no right to do that. She should have punished me.'
'Maybe she did. Maybe she thinks that if you care about me, the best way to hurt you is to attack me.'
'I assured her I didn't care about you.' Her fingers tightened in mine.
I let her hands go. 'What do you want me to say?' It came out sharper than I meant. I sat back. Confused. What was I supposed to say? 'I've only known you a few hours.' And I knew then it was long enough, but I couldn't say it. I couldn't say anything.
‘I don't expect you to declare undying love, Dan. But I know what I feel.' And her eyes were wide and beautiful and magnetic.
'Margaret... I don't mean I don't feel for you .. . but, Jesus, we've only known each other a few hours
'What difference does that make? You know from the start. As soon as you meet someone you know whether they're the right one. What's the point in taking five years to get to know someone you know you're not going to end up with?'
I got up and walked to the window. The hardboard across it gave the room an odd feeling, like we were in a children's fort, playing at being adults. Maybe we were, with all the petty jealousies and fights of pre-pubescence. And at the end of the day we'd all be friends. I'll say. 'What'd you tell your dad?'
'I wasn't going to tell him anything. He just arrived round. He nearly had a heart attack.'
'I'm sure he did. What'd you say, re-decorating?'
'A jealous boyfriend. He chewed me out, like, but he's paying for it. He couldn't be too nasty about it, the only reason he came round was to give me my birthday present.'
'Happy birthday.'
'Thanks, but it's not for another two weeks. He brought it round because he didn't think he'd be here for it. Said he was going abroad on business.'
'Ah, well, it's the thought that counts.'
'Thought nothing.' Margaret leant over to the record player and removed a cassette tape from a shelf just above it. She tossed it to me. It was one of those cheap compilation tapes made up of classical music that had been used in popular television commercials. 'I'd rather listen to static. Keep it.'
I shrugged and slipped it into my pocket. 'If you insist.'
'That's how well he knows me, a shoddy bloody tape like that.'
'I gather you're not too close then.'
'Close isn't the word for it.'
'Maybe your mum will get you something nice.'
Margaret smiled. 'Optimist.' She wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand, making the make-up worse in the process, but it was a small sign of recovery at least.
I walked back over to her, knelt down, put my hand on her shoulder.
'I love my wife, you know?'
'She's a hard bitch.'
'She can be. She doesn't believe in hiding her feelings. But I do love her.'
A thin smile played on her lips, those eyes bored into me again.
'What are you saying?'
'I'm not saying anything. I'm just telling you. You should know. Whatever happens between us, I love my wife.'
'Are you saying you can't love me?'
'No. I don't know. Maybe I will. Maybe it's in the future. All I'm saying is that no matter what I've done to my wife, no matter what she's done to me, or to you, I love her.'
'Maybe you can love two people.'
I nodded slowly. 'Maybe.'
She took my hand in hers, stood up and led me upstairs to her bedroom. I was a sucker for subtle seduction.
Later, she persuaded me to go out and get us something to eat and drink. There wasn't a lot of arm twisting involved. She fancied chips, so I trotted up to a row of shops a couple of hundred yards away to a place called Victor's she had raved about, but it was closed. A sign written in
'What could you have done? She had a right to be angry.'
'She had no right to do that. She should have punished me.'
'Maybe she did. Maybe she thinks that if you care about me, the best way to hurt you is to attack me.'
'I assured her I didn't care about you.' Her fingers tightened in mine.
I let her hands go. 'What do you want me to say?' It came out sharper than I meant. I sat back. Confused. What was I supposed to say? 'I've only known you a few hours.' And I knew then it was long enough, but I couldn't say it. I couldn't say anything.
‘I don't expect you to declare undying love, Dan. But I know what I feel.' And her eyes were wide and beautiful and magnetic.
'Margaret... I don't mean I don't feel for you .. . but, Jesus, we've only known each other a few hours
'What difference does that make? You know from the start. As soon as you meet someone you know whether they're the right one. What's the point in taking five years to get to know someone you know you're not going to end up with?'
I got up and walked to the window. The hardboard across it gave the room an odd feeling, like we were in a children's fort, playing at being adults. Maybe we were, with all the petty jealousies and fights of pre-pubescence. And at the end of the day we'd all be friends. I'll say. 'What'd you tell your dad?'
'I wasn't going to tell him anything. He just arrived round. He nearly had a heart attack.'
'I'm sure he did. What'd you say, re-decorating?'
'A jealous boyfriend. He chewed me out, like, but he's paying for it. He couldn't be too nasty about it, the only reason he came round was to give me my birthday present.'
'Happy birthday.'
'Thanks, but it's not for another two weeks. He brought it round because he didn't think he'd be here for it. Said he was going abroad on business.'
'Ah, well, it's the thought that counts.'
'Thought nothing.' Margaret leant over to the record player and removed a cassette tape from a shelf just above it. She tossed it to me. It was one of those cheap compilation tapes made up of classical music that had been used in popular television commercials. 'I'd rather listen to static. Keep it.'
I shrugged and slipped it into my pocket. 'If you insist.'
'That's how well he knows me, a shoddy bloody tape like that.'
'I gather you're not too close then.'
'Close isn't the word for it.'
'Maybe your mum will get you something nice.'
Margaret smiled. 'Optimist.' She wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand, making the make-up worse in the process, but it was a small sign of recovery at least.
I walked back over to her, knelt down, put my hand on her shoulder.
'I love my wife, you know?'
'She's a hard bitch.'
'She can be. She doesn't believe in hiding her feelings. But I do love her.'
A thin smile played on her lips, those eyes bored into me again.
'What are you saying?'
'I'm not saying anything. I'm just telling you. You should know. Whatever happens between us, I love my wife.'
'Are you saying you can't love me?'
'No. I don't know. Maybe I will. Maybe it's in the future. All I'm saying is that no matter what I've done to my wife, no matter what she's done to me, or to you, I love her.'
'Maybe you can love two people.'
I nodded slowly. 'Maybe.'
She took my hand in hers, stood up and led me upstairs to her bedroom. I was a sucker for subtle seduction.
Later, she persuaded me to go out and get us something to eat and drink. There wasn't a lot of arm twisting involved. She fancied chips, so I trotted up to a row of shops a couple of hundred yards away to a place called Victor's she had raved about, but it was closed. A sign written in
Similar Books
