Rory's Proposal (26 page)

I see Luke sitting at a corner table in Heroes. What
’s more, sitting opposite him is a stunning blonde. I try not to gape at them but it’s impossible. They’re sharing a large slab of chocolate cake. Luke catches my eye and fidgets uncomfortably. I turn away and fiddle with the tablecloth. From the corner of my eye I see him approaching me.

‘
Flora,’ he says, looking somewhat embarrassed.

‘
Luke, fancy seeing you here,’ I say. ‘If I remember this was never your cup of tea so to speak.’

I glance
at the blonde. Perhaps it just wasn’t your cup of tea when with me, I think gloomily.

‘
It’s a work thing. Have to go where the client wants to go,’ he says with a forced sigh.

And eat what the client wants to eat no doubt. The truth is I was never quite good enough for Luke was I? I
’m not slim enough, or blonde enough, or successful enough, but one thing I do know is that I am me and that’s good enough. Maybe not good enough for Luke, but good enough for me and that’s what matters. Grant approaches with two mugs of hot chocolate. A pain shoots through my heart when I remember being here with Tom and I suddenly miss him so much it hurts.

‘
I’ll see you around then Flora,’ Luke says walking back to the blonde who strokes his bottom as he passes. God, he didn’t waste any time did he?

‘
I got you extra marshmallows,’ says Grant Richards.

‘
Lovely,’ I say picking the soggy marshmallows from the top of the hot chocolate. ‘Flora,’ he says,
leaning
towards me. I
try to see if there is a wire attached to him. Ryan, being an expert on action movies had stated that the only way to see if he was wired was to get up close and personal.

‘
Unfortunately, it’s the only way darling. Why do you think in all the movies the woman kisses the man so much? Most of the time she’s feeling around for a wire, love.’

Seeing as I have no intention of kissing Grant Richards or feeling him up to see if he
’s bugged I’ll just have to take my chances and be careful what I say.

‘
I know you and Tom became close …’

I lift the mug to my lips in the hope of hiding my blush.

‘I’m here to talk business,’ I say firmly.

‘
I just feel you should know the truth about him. I’ve known Tom a long time. He’ll use charm to get what he wants.’

I find myself recalling the
Twitter conversation.

‘
He’s a real charmer. He’s also a playboy, with that kind of money who wouldn’t be?’

I don
’t speak but feel my stomach churn and it is all I can do to drink my chocolate.

‘
Why do you think he has two spare seats on the train?’ he laughs caustically. ‘Talk about prepared.’

I feel the chocolate rise up in my diaphragm. I try to picture my lovely
Tom as a playboy and it just doesn’t work. But, it’s true, why would someone have three seats on a train?

‘
You said my salon has subs …’

I picture Ryan rolling his eyes.

‘Subsidence, if that is the case why did our surveyor say it wasn’t?’

He shrugs.

‘Maybe he wasn’t any good at his job. But I know you’ve got it. You see what Tom does is approach the other two shops first. He tells them that he’ll pay a good price for the property. He’ll do something extra too. In Patel’s case, he offered him a job. Terence Sharp was offered hospital treatment for his mother. Then, near completion his surveyors find something wrong with the property and he drops his price, but by then you are in too deep and have already paid a lot in solicitor’s fees. It’s too late for anyone to pull out and they can’t slag him off can they? He’s paid a fair price and they’ve got great treatment. In this case the property has subsidence and he’ll go to town with that. Patel’s had it and so did Sharp which means you’ve most certainly got it. So Tom’s laughing with this one.’

‘
I don’t believe you,’ I say bluntly, pushing my mug away.

‘
How do you think people like him make so much money Flora?’

‘
For all I know you’re still working for him,’ I snap.

‘
If that is the case, wouldn’t that make him as underhand as I’m saying? Think about it. It makes no sense for me to be here, saying these things if I still work for him. He fired me Flora, but if I am working for him, what you’re saying is he’s a no good bastard because now he’s trying to get your salon for even less.’

I struggle to get my head around this.

‘I’ve got someone who will buy the salon. Sure at a lower price than Rory’s but trust me, he will drop the price when you get close to completing. Besides, you don’t want to sell to him do you? It’s true what you’re saying. He does put people out of work.’

‘
And why would you want to help me?’ I ask, finally finding my voice and asking what I feel is a sensible question. I’m starting to wish Ryan
had bugged me. We could have gone over this complicated muddle of a conversation and made some sense of it because it makes as much sense as buggery to me. It isn’t helping that Luke and the blonde are now sharing an ice cream from the same spoon. It’s all I can do to stop myself storming over and reminding him of how much sugar there is in ice cream.

‘
Won’t you at least let me do that?’ Grant is saying.

‘
What?’ I ask.

‘
Let me get a surveyor to check it. I can get someone to take the salon off your hands for a good price …’

‘
If I’m going to sell I may as well sell to Rory’s,’ I say, throwing my shawl around me.

‘
Why do you want to sell to him? He’ll knock you down at the last minute. Besides, hasn’t he humiliated you enough?’

I push my chair angrily under the table and turn to the door.

‘Let me send a surveyor at least. I want to get back at Rory’s as much as you.’

‘
I’m not looking to get back at anyone,’ I say. ‘But send your surveyors and we’ll see who’s right.’

‘
Here’s my number,’ he says handing me a card. I shove it into my jeans pocket and grab my handbag and stroll with my head held high from Heroes. If I have to watch Luke spoon ice cream into his mouth one more time I shall throw up.

Grant Richards turns up the volume on the car
radio and whistles along to Robbie Williams.
I’ve got you right where I want you Flora Robson
he thinks and smiles to himself. It was easier than he thought it would be. If Tom has any designs on her he can forget it. He could see by her expression that the seeds of doubt had been planted. The train seat bit was pure genius. Thomas Rory is a fool letting
him go. Brent will soon prove himself to be useless too. The wanker hasn’t got an ounce of backbone in him. They’ll get nothing done with him as acquisitions manager. Best thing is to sit tight, Tom will soon realise his mistake and want him back and then he can make demands of his own. His thoughts wander back to Flora Robson and he pictures her cute arse. Shame, he can’t take things a bit further with her. Still, that’s the way the cookie crumbles. By the time he’s finished with her she’d have sold her stupid little salon for a third of what is was worth and all because of a few harmless cracks in the wall. He’d thought this through long and hard. He knows Flora Robson will have to sell her salon eventually. She can only fight for so long. He’ll teach Tom to transfer him. If he wants that salon, then he’ll need to buy it from him and he’ll demand a hell of a price for it. He’s going to make a nice little killing on this. Thomas Rory underestimated him. He knows Tom too well. The last thing he needs is three properties going to rack and ruin. He’ll buy it, after all he can afford to. It’s nothing to him. The fucking rich boy is getting richer and richer and much of that is thanks to Grant himself. It was Grant who got the prices down for him. You’d think Tom would be grateful instead of getting on his moral high ground all the time. Who the hell ran a business with morals these days? If he’d done things Tom’s way every time, they’d have paid a fortune for some of those sites. If Flora Robson hadn’t caused so much trouble, he’d still have his job and Tom would be none the wiser. What an idiot to get romantically involved with a client. A fucking hairdresser at that, honestly, you’d think Thomas Rory would have some class.

He picks up his phone
and flips it open, clicking into hands-free.

‘
It’s me,’ he says, ‘I’ve got another surveying job for you.’

I open the door and stare at my mother. My jaw drops and I finally manage a strangled,

‘Hello Mum.’

‘
What do you think?’ she asks, handing me a tin of shortbread.

I think I need to get her into the flat as quickly as possible before she gets arrested. My mother is dressed in full combat, right down to the combat
boots. She looks ready to launch a terrorist attack, all she needs is a bullet belt and a Kalashnikov and she’s all set. I mean, you seriously don’t dress like this in the middle of London, not even for a fancy dress party. The fact that we are having a militant group meeting to discuss our plan of action against Rory’s Supermarkets doesn’t help of course.

‘
It’s for the protest. Do I look the part?’

‘For a mad woman y
es, you look exactly the part,’ I say, pulling her in and slamming the door. ‘You do realise you can get arrested walking around like that?’

‘
God, what’s that stink?’ she asks as she walks into the living room. ‘It smells like something died in here.’

I shake my head in despair.

‘You don’t seriously intend to wear that for the protest?’

She pulls the cap off and shakes her bob free and I breathe a sigh of relief. At least she didn
’t get her hair cropped for the part.

‘
Yes, of course. I’m going braless too. That’s what
feminists do isn’t it?’

I
’m not quite sure what feminism has to do with it, but the less said the better. The doorbell rings and I push her into the kitchen.

‘
I’ll get that, just in case it’s Special Branch. You can make tea.’

Rosalind stands on the doorstep with Sadistic Harry strapped to her back.

‘Good idea don’t you think,’ she smiles. ‘This way I can’t forget the little bugger can I?’

The little bugger gurgles happily. We
’re no sooner in the living room when she takes a sharp intake of breath.

‘
Jesus, what’s that stink? Has something died in here? You haven’t got mice have you? I don’t want to risk anything with Sadistic Harry.’

Very funny.

‘No I haven’t and I’d prefer not to talk about mice thank you very much. It’s actually Gorgonzola cheese. I’ve wrapped a slab for each of you, courtesy of Rory’s.’

Her features contort into a grimace.

‘Are you serious?’ she asks, unstrapping Sadistic Harry who gurgles happily before spewing vomit down her blouse.

‘
I’ll explain in a bit,’ I say, walking to the door. ‘Oh, and the woman in combat is my mother. Don’t even ask.’

I open the door to Adam who smiles seductively at me.

‘Awright doll, I brought some Chardonnay.’

He
’s wearing a tight-fitting silk shirt and smells of citrus aftershave. I open the door to let him in.

‘
Wow,’ he says on seeing Mum.

She smiles proudly.

‘This is my mother who doesn’t normally look like she’s about to embark on a mission with Bruce Willis. She has been known to wear regular clothes, befitting her age,’ I say, giving her a harsh look.

‘
You look brill ma,’ says Adam.

‘
Oh please, don’t encourage her,’ I groan.

‘
God almighty, what is that stink?’ exclaims Devon, even before she steps through the doorway, with Sandy and Ryan following meekly behind her.

This is getting tedious.

‘Gorgonzola,’ says Sandy. ‘Thomas Rory twigged it was us that set the mouse off in the store. Or at least hazarded a guess it was us and sent Flora a huge piece of Gorgonzola.’

‘
Which we’ve been working our way through for the past week,’ says Ryan, eyeing up Adam.

‘
Well hello, you must be Adam. I love your megaphone.’

Adam shifts uncomfortably on his feet and then quickly offers to help my mum as she emerges from the kitchen with a plate of shortbread biscuits.

‘Let me help you with that,’ he says.

‘
Getting into the spirit of things I see Mrs R,’ says Ryan.

Adam pours everyone a glass of Chardonnay.

‘Just a little drop for me, I don’t want Sadistic Harry joining AA before he can talk,’ laughs Rosalind.

Devon opens a folder and claps her hands for silence.

‘Right, first on the agenda is feedback from members since our last meeting,’ she says in an official sounding voice.

‘
I saw Luke in Heroes,’ I hear myself saying, ‘eating chocolate cake with a blonde and sharing ice cream from the same spoon.’

There is a deathly silence and everyone looks at me.

‘Shit,’ says Rosalind.

‘
Her ex,’ I hear Mum whisper to Adam. ‘Her father and I were never keen.’

‘Two-
faced bloody hypocrite,’ adds Devon.

‘Hear hear
,’ says Sandy.

‘
I never did like him,’ says Ryan. ‘He was always too hairy for my liking.’

‘
I think you should take up pottery,’ says my mum.

All eyes turn to her.

‘Why should I take up pottery?’ I ask.

There has to be a connection here. I
’m obviously too stupid to see it.

‘
Well, just look what happened to that woman in the film
Ghost.’

‘
Can you pass the Chardonnay Adam?’ I say wearily.

‘
Well you’re better off without him sweetie,’ smiles Ryan.

‘
Okay, moving on,’ says Devon. ‘Any other progress reports?’

Sandy and I relay the mouse story and how we had managed to shut the store for a short time. I fill everyone in on our Twitter progress and inform them that Tom Rory is now following us. Ryan hands around the leaflets advertising the protest.

‘We’ll be raising money for the local hospital on the day. It’s a good cause but it also shows that we care about the community, kind of shows us as better than Rory’s. We’ll be having a raffle and all the local shops are giving a prize. The main prize is a hamper of fruit that Geoff at the greengrocers is putting together along with a bouquet that Fenella at the florist in Portobello Road is donating.’

‘
That’s the big surprise is it?’ asks Rosalind. ‘I was hoping it was a dinner date and shag with Robert Downey Junior.’

‘
We all have those dreams darling,’ says Ryan, glancing at Adam who moves closer to me on the couch.

I throw back half a glass of Chardonnay and say,

‘But there’s some bad news. Grant Richards came to the salon …’

‘
You’re kidding, what did that creep want?’

‘
Apparently Thomas Rory fired him because he wasn’t underhand enough in his job …’ I swallow a lump in my throat at the thought of Tom. ‘Anyway, cut to the chase,’ I continue hurriedly. ‘It seems that the salon may well have subsidence.’

I leave out all the stuff about Tom being ruthless and ambitious.

‘But I thought you said you had a surveyor look at those cracks,’ says Devon, laying down her pen.

‘
I did but …’

‘
It was Mrs Willis’s cousin. He’s retired and he may well have made a mistake,’ says Sandy.

‘
Grant Richards says that all the shops have it and that Rory’s will drop the price when the purchase gets close to completion. Richards says he knows someone who can give me a good price. The thing is if I’m going to sell, I don’t want to sell to Rory’s and if I do have subsidence then …’

‘
Richards has offered to send an independent surveyor,’ says Sandy.

Adam raises his hand.

‘Oh, I wouldn’t bother with that darling,’ smiles Rosalind. ‘It’s a free for all here, unless it’s the loo you want. Sadistic Harry is the only one allowed to shit in his pants.’

‘
Oh dear,’ says Mum, putting down her shortbread.

‘
If you don’t mind me saying, I’d be a bit suspicious of that,’ says Adam. ‘I know quite a lot of people with properties in this area and I’ve never heard of anyone with subsidence. You’d be one of the few people in Notting Hill that I know of who have had it.’

‘
Really,’ I say hopefully.

‘
My brother is a surveyor let me send him round too, babe. Can’t do any harm right?’

Everyone nods.

‘At least that way we’ll know if that Grant Richards is on the level,’ agrees Devon. ‘Hands up all those in favour.’

Blimey, we are getting official. She
’ll be yelling ‘Everybody out’ soon. Everyone raises their hand.

‘
I’ll leave that with you Adam. If you can let Flo know when they are coming that would be great.’

He nods and gives me a cheeky grin.

‘Next on the agenda is our second hoax on Rory’s.’

‘
Well, if you ask me we should get him back for that stinking cheese. I swear I can smell it everywhere,’ groans Ryan.

‘
You can smell it here that’s for sure,’ says Rosalind, wrinkling her nose in disgust.

‘
Any ideas how we can do that?’ asks Sandy.

‘
You should walk around the store darling, with that gone-off fish finger letter of yours, after all two can play at the smell game right?’ suggests Ryan.

Devon pulls a face.

‘And then no doubt Flo will end up with a crate of cockles,’ laughs Rosalind.

‘
Ooh, she should be so lucky,’ quips Ryan.

‘
It’s a great idea though. We can wander around the store with my waste food bin. That really stinks. They’ll have to close again once someone complains. Excellent idea Ryan,’ says Sandy excitedly.

I don
’t believe I’m hearing this. I exhale. They honestly aren’t serious surely. I barely pulled off the mouse stunt. I can’t possibly walk around the store with a smelly dustbin.

‘
Right, that’s settled then. We just need Sandy’s waste food bin …’

‘
There’s a rancid piece of fish in my rubbish, been there for a week,’ says Adam, his eyes sparkling. ‘Put that in your bag and the jobs a good’n.’

‘
I’m not walking around Rory’s with a piece of stinky fish in my handbag,’ I say.

‘
We don’t expect you to carry it in your handbag,’ says Sandy. ‘I was thinking more along the lines of a carrier bag or a holdall.’

‘
A holdall,’ I squeal. ‘Christ, I’ll look so suspicious that someone will phone the Anti-Terrorist Hotline. No, I’m not doing it.’

‘
Okay, a carrier bag then, not a holdall,’ says Sandy.

‘
I’m not walking around Rory’s with a stinky fish, period,’ I say firmly.

There is silence. Ryan attempts to nibble noiselessly at his shortbread while everyone sips their Chardonnay. Rosalind
pats Sadistic Harry’s back
while my mother pretends to pull the curtains closer together. Adam stands up
and begins topping up everyone’s glasses, his citrusy aftershave mingling with the smell of Gorgonzola.

‘
We’re doing this for you,’ Devon says finally,
punctuated by a burp from Sadistic Harry.

‘
Sorry,’ mumbles Rosalind.

‘
I’ll walk round with you babe,’ says Adam.

Mum looks warmly at him.

‘That’s sweet of you, isn’t it sweet of him Flo?’ says Sandy.

‘
Very sweet,’ says Mum, looking at me with raised eyebrows.

For goodness
’ sake what is wrong with her? Adam is nice enough but far from my type. Perhaps I should take up pottery classes. I may meet someone, okay it won’t be Patrick Swayze but I might meet someone nice.
My thoughts turn to Tom.
It seems I don’t recognise a nice man when I do meet one. I certainly had him figured all wrong didn’t I? That’s if what Grant Richard’s says is true, and why would he lie? I think back to the ferry and I just can’t believe it. I really can’t. I suddenly feel very tired of the whole business. The salon is starting to feel like one big hassle and although I underplayed it, I did feel hurt seeing Luke. Not with another woman you understand, but eating chocolate cake and ice cream. I bet he even farts with her. I don’t mean they do it in unison, obviously, and I bet she’ll never Biofreeze his cock. I smile at the memory. I find myself wondering what Tom is doing. He could be on Twitter this very moment. No, don’t think about it, don’t think about it.

‘
Sweet indeed,’ gushes Ryan.

Oh for God
’s sake, love is carrying a stinky fish together around Rory’s supermarket is it?