Changing Places (16 page)

‘Goodnight.’

Jill sat staring into space for a long time after she’d left. It looked like Vinny had won. One of her major accounts was being taken away from her – she didn’t buy the
‘just this campaign’ line – and it was only a matter of time before other accounts would follow. On impulse, she picked up the phone and dialled Andy’s work number. She got
his voicemail saying he was out of the office until the following Thursday. Frowning, she tried his mobile but it was obviously switched off. Either Andy was out of the country or he just
didn’t want to be contacted.

She couldn’t blame him. She’d made it perfectly clear that she didn’t want him around. That had probably been a mistake – one of the many she seemed to be making at the
moment. Feeling restless and not wanting to go home alone, Jill dialled Rachel’s number. Some home cooking and a dose of Alex’s exuberant personality would cheer her up. Yet again, she
just got an answering machine. Without thinking, she dialled Gary’s mobile. This time she was in luck.

‘Hello, Gary Hanlon?’

‘Hey, Gary, it’s Jill.’

‘Jill!’ Gary sounded surprised. ‘Is everything okay?’

‘Yeah, fine. I was just going to drop over and see Rachel but she isn’t there.’

‘She isn’t? Oh well, she’s probably just gone down to the shops. Come on over anyway. I’m on my way home, should be there in ten minutes.’

‘Okay then,’ Jill agreed. ‘I’ll stop off for a bottle of wine.’

‘Great, see you soon.’

Jill bought two bottles, one non-alcoholic rosé that Rachel liked and a bottle of the Australian Shiraz that Gary enjoyed. A box of sweets for Alex and she was in her Audi, top down and
cruising over to Rachel’s house.

Gary was standing at the door when she pulled up outside the house and he came to meet her. ‘No sign of Rachel yet, don’t know where she could have got to.’

‘Is Alex with her?’

‘No, he’s at a sleepover tonight. Let’s go and check the kitchen and see if there’s any sign of dinner. If not, I can go and get us a curry.’

The kitchen was devoid of any enticing cooking aromas and, on inspection, the fridge was quite bare. It was a beautiful, balmy June evening so Gary poured them both some of the wine Jill had
brought and they took their glasses out to the garden to enjoy the last of the sunshine.

‘I think I’ll be going for a takeaway,’ Gary said, stretching out his legs. ‘Even if Rachel has gone to the supermarket it would take ages to cook something and I
don’t think I can last that long.’

Jill thought about her cabbage-soup diet, about the Gordon account and about Vinny. ‘Me neither. Anyway, Rachel wasn’t expecting me. Did she know you were coming home
early?’

Gary closed his eyes and held his face up to the sun. ‘I think I mentioned it.’

‘Her pregnancy seems to be going well this time – apart from the tiredness.’

He opened one eye. ‘You think?’

‘You don’t?’ Jill countered.

‘She seems so down, Jill. You must have noticed.’

‘It’s just the tiredness.’

‘I’m not so sure. She doesn’t seem very interested in the baby. I remember the last time, the house was full of pregnancy and baby magazines and she spent months planning the
nursery.’

Jill smiled. ‘I remember. Still, it’s always different with a second child and she’s probably a bit scared of being a mother again.’

‘Scared?’ He looked bemused.

‘It’s a big responsibility, not to mention hard work.’

‘I suppose.’

‘Give her some time and space.’ Sounds familiar, she realized, having said the same words to Anna earlier about Liam.

Before Gary could reply, Rachel appeared in the doorway. ‘Jill! Hi, what are you doing here?’

‘Just called in for a chat.’

‘That’s nice.’

Gary stood up. ‘Will I bring in the shopping?’

‘What shopping?’ Rachel looked vague.

‘Weren’t you at the supermarket?’

She shook her head.

‘So where have you been?’

‘I went for a walk.’ She sat down on his vacated deckchair.

‘Oh, right. Looks like it’s takeaway, Jill.’ Gary shot Rachel a bemused look before going inside to find a menu.

‘Are you okay, Rachel?’

‘Yeah, fine.’

‘You look tired.’

‘Nothing new there then,’ Rachel said, with a wry smile.

Jill looked at her cousin, a worried frown knitting her brows. With the exception of her bump, Rachel was beginning to look quite gaunt. Ironic really, considering that one of the reasons she
didn’t want to get pregnant again was because she didn’t want to put on even more weight. ‘You know, once you’ve had this baby you’re going to be really
skinny.’

Rachel looked down at her body. ‘Do you think so?’

‘Definitely! We’ll have to go out and get you a whole new wardrobe.’

Rachel laughed but her eyes were sad. ‘I don’t think I’m going to have time for shopping when this little person comes along.’

‘Sure you will. Gary will babysit.’

‘What’s that?’ Gary said, as he returned with two menus.

‘I was just saying that Rachel would have to go on a few shopping trips for new clothes when the baby is born and she says that she won’t have time. But that’s what dads are
for, isn’t it, Gary?’

He shrugged. ‘Yeah, sure.’

Rachel shot him a look of pure disbelief.’ So you’re going to miss out on your golf so that I can go shopping?’

‘No problem.’

‘That’s what he says now,’ Rachel told Jill, ‘but he’ll come up with some excuse when the time comes.’

Gary shook his head. ‘There’s no pleasing you, is there? Now, will we have Indian or Chinese?’

‘I’m not hungry,’ Rachel said, not looking at him.

Gary sighed and turned to Jill. ‘What about you, Jill, what would you like?’

Jill shook her head and stood up. ‘You know what? I don’t think I’ll stay for food, if you don’t mind, guys. Rachel could do with an early night and I have a healthy bowl
of soup waiting in my fridge. I’ll hate myself in the morning if I have a three-thousand-calorie curry.’

Gary looked from his wife to her cousin and turned away, shaking his head. ‘Oh, please yourselves.’

Rachel walked her cousin to the door. ‘Sorry, Jill, I wish I was better company.’

‘Hey, it’s not your fault! You’ve got a hungry little munchkin in there, sapping all of your strength. You go to bed and rest.’

Rachel hugged her and smiled. ‘Thanks.’

Gary appeared and offered to walk Jill to the car. ‘Sorry about that,’ he said. ‘I thought Rachel would enjoy the company.’

She reached up to kiss his cheek. ‘Hey, there’s no need to apologise. The poor girl is obviously exhausted.’ She started the car and waved her hand as she pulled away.
‘Take care, and have a lovely weekend!’

As soon as she’d got around the corner; her smile disappeared. Poor Rachel. She was so miserable, and Gary didn’t seem to know what to do to help. What with Anna’s problems
with Liam and her own break-up with Andy, they weren’t having a lot of luck with relationships at the moment. Mentally, Jill tipped her soup down the drain and stopped off on the way home for
a pizza and another bottle of wine. Sod the diet.

Rachel pounced on the postcard in the hall and carried it into the kitchen. It had been ages since she’d got one and the last phone call had been a disaster, with a
horrible echo on the line. She hadn’t realized how much she looked forward to hearing from her mother. If it wasn’t for her and the girls on
MumSpeak
, Rachel thought
she’d go crazy. The long summer days were dragging and Alex got bored very easily. He hated being holed up in the house and garden all of the time but Rachel was usually too tired to take him
to the park or the beach.

Pouring herself a large glass of water, Rachel sat down to read her postcard.

Rachel turned over the card and studied the photo of the Via Montenapoleone, the famous street where all the main fashion-design houses were located. Wouldn’t it be nice
to be there right now? It was clear from her mother’s card that she had been talking to Anna, who had been talking to Jill. They were all dying to pack her off to the continent. And it
wasn’t such a bad idea, she supposed, although the heat would be a problem. Her feet were starting to swell already and hot weather was bound to exacerbate the problem.

After pinning up the postcard, Rachel went over to the computer and signed into
MumSpeak
. The thread that she’d started when she’d come out about her ambivalence towards the
new baby had grown and grown, and she’d been touched at the warm replies she’d received. Her suggestion that Gary might be playing around had resulted in a flood of replies, most
telling her that she was imagining things and her paranoia was a side-effect of pregnancy. Flojo said:
I’m sure he loves you, honey, it’s just your hormones getting the better of
you. And let’s face it, none of us are feeling very attractive right now!
And Funnybun said:
Maybe he really is working late, having a new baby is an expensive business after
all
. Though she wasn’t entirely convinced, the thoughtfulness and kindness of the comments made her feel better and she found, as she read, that her hand kept gravitating towards her
bump.

She decided not to contribute to the board today but instead browsed through other threads and read about other mothers’ problems. One girl, RuthieB, was asking for prayers because her
three-month-old was having surgery today for a heart defect. Tears filled Rachel’s eyes as she thought about what that poor mother was going through, and she thanked God that Alex had always
been so fit and healthy.

God, Alex! She looked at her watch and saw it was nearly one o’clock and she was supposed to be picking him up from his arts and crafts class in fifteen minutes. She’d have to run
all the way to the school if she was to make it on time. She hated the thought of Alex’s anxious face and his teacher’s disapproving one if she was late again. Being pregnant only won
you so much sympathy. She arrived as the children were emerging and she leaned heavily against the gate to catch her breath.

‘Rachel? Are you okay?’ Gretta Mullins, pristine in a grey trouser suit and perfectly coiffed hair, was watching her, a frown wrinkling her perfectly made-up face.

Rachel, conscious of the perspiration on her brow, shook her head at the other mother. ‘I’m fine, just fine.’

‘Can I drop you and Alex home? I have to go into the village anyway. Marianna has a dance class.’

The thought of being cooped up in Gretta’s sporty little Mini, with Alex and Marianna tearing each other’s hair out in the back was enough to make Rachel straighten up and take a
deep breath. ‘Oh no, it’s too nice a day. We’re going to go for a good long walk.’

Gretta shot a confused look at the darkening sky above. ‘Well, if you’re sure . . .’

Rachel smiled brightly. ‘Sure, thanks, Gretta. Alex? Come on, sweetheart, let’s go.’ Quickly propelling him back down the path, Rachel kept the pace up until she’d left
the other mothers far behind.

‘Are we really going for a long walk?’ Alex asked, skipping ahead.

‘No.’

‘But you said—’

‘I’m tired now, Alex. I need to go home and have a rest.’

The little boy scowled. ‘You’re always resting.’

‘Don’t be so cheeky, young man!’

Alex looked mutinous but wisely said no more and the remainder of the walk home was in silence.

‘Would you like a snack?’ Rachel asked, kicking off her sandals when they got inside.

‘No.’

‘No, thank you,’ Rachel corrected him.

‘No, thank you,’ Alex muttered. ‘Can I watch television?’

‘No, go outside and play.’

‘But it’s starting to rain,’ Alex told her, pointing to the fat drops that were starting to fall on the patio outside.

Rachel sighed. ‘Then play inside with one of your toys – you have enough of them.’

With much moaning, Alex started to root through his toybox in the corner, finally pulling out a noisy remote-control car. After five minutes of him racing the screeching toy up and down her
hall, Rachel gave in. ‘Okay, you can watch television for a little while,’ she told a triumphant Alex, and after settling him in front of
Pokémon
, went out to the
kitchen to make some camomile tea. She was sitting at the kitchen table when the phone rang.

‘Hello, Rachel, love.’

‘Mum? Mum, is that you?’

‘And who else would it be? How are you?’

‘Fine – well, tired, but I’m okay. How’s Milan?’

‘Oh, that was last week! Now we’re in Nice. Oh Rache, it’s so lovely here. Really nice. Nice, get it? Ha-ha.’

Rachel smiled. ‘Very funny, Mam. So where are you heading next?’

‘Oh, we’re going to tour around here for a while and then we’ll head off to Barcelona.’

‘Oh, I didn’t know Barcelona was on your itinerary.’

‘It wasn’t, but Patricia and Matt are coming out to meet us in Benalmadena and you know how glam Patricia always is, so I thought I’d stop off and do a spot of shopping
first.’

Patricia and Matt Quinlan were old friends of her parents and had already met up with them twice since they’d started their travels. ‘So you’re going to stay in Benalmadena for
a while then?’