New beginnings by the su.., p.14
New Beginnings by the Sunflower Cliffs, page 14
After a short while, their driver pulled over. ‘Wow, you never said we were staying at The Plaza,’ she squealed, stepping out of the car and seeing the exquisite glass canopy above them before peering through the entrance to the opulence inside. ‘This is beyond anything I’d expected,’ she gasped, already in holiday mode, determined to make the most of her trip.
‘Thank heavens for that.’ He glanced over at her, taking their suitcases. ‘I wanted to book somewhere you’d enjoy, so you’d forget about everything at home. We’re going to have a wonderful time. We have four meetings, but I’ve scheduled them to run as closely together as I dared to give us some time to see the sights.’
Bea nodded, noticing how thoughtful he’d been. The vitality of the energetic city was infectious, and her nerves subsided a little. ‘This is amazing,’ she said. ‘It’s even better than I’d ever hoped it would be.’
Tom laughed. ‘You wait until you see inside,’ he said. ‘I wanted to book us in here because I know how you love old movies. We don’t have the best rooms, I’m afraid. I can only push the budget so far.’
‘I wouldn’t mind sleeping in a store room here.’ Bea thought of Cary Grant sitting in the bar in North by Northwest and of course the final scene in Bride Wars with Anne Hathaway and Kate Hudson that had been filmed in the hotel’s Palm Court. ‘I can’t wait to have a proper look around.’
She followed him inside. It was as if time had stood still. ‘This is incredible,’ she breathed, feeling like a child on Christmas morning.
‘Our rooms are this way,’ Tom said once they’d checked in, leading her to the lifts.
In her room, Bea checked her laptop was charged and said, ‘Give me half an hour to unpack, then I’ll meet you in the lobby. I’ll just have a quick look at my emails.’
He looked a little disappointed, but quietly left and headed to his own room.
She thought it only right that she remind him they were here for business. Tom knew how she felt and she refused to feel guilty for keeping their relationship platonic. She wasn’t about to rush into bed with anyone, especially after her mistake with Luke. Damn, why did she keep thinking about him? She hurriedly unpacked and freshened up, before quickly checking for new emails ahead of meeting Tom.
He was sitting under the huge ornate clock, mobile against his ear in intense conversation. At her approach he ended the call, slipping the phone into his jacket.
‘Looking gorgeous as ever,’ he said, taking her hand and kissing her cheek. ‘Come along, lovely lady, there’s little time to show you this magnificent city. I don’t want to waste a moment.’ He led her out onto the noisy streets. ‘We can grab something to eat at a deli.’
Bea gasped as they stepped outside onto the pavement. She still couldn’t believe she was in New York, and it was even bigger and more impressive than she imagined.
‘So,’ said Tom interrupting her thoughts. ‘Where to?’
Bea shook her head and laughed. ‘I’ve no idea.’
‘I was thinking we could wander down to Grand Central Station, then on to the Chrysler Building and maybe make our way down towards Battery Park, if we have any energy left.’
‘I’d like that,’ Bea said, feeling the need to see something that would give her hope things would turn out right in the end.
‘At some point we could take a boat over to Ellis Island. What do you think?’
Bea nodded. ‘Sounds perfect.’ Tom’s excitement almost matched her own and she was more than happy to be led wherever he thought best.
Even the diners they ate their meals in were like something out of a Hollywood movie. ‘Did you notice the rear car lights in each booth?’ she asked him as they walked back to their hotel later that evening, exhausted, but relaxed and happy.
‘I know.’ He nodded. ‘Everything, right down to the light switches in the gents seemed to be from the fifties.’
‘Good food, too,’ Bea said. She’d been thrown by the magnificence of it all, and the only downside had been the calls and texts Tom had received. ‘Tom,’ she said, unable to help from asking. ‘Why are you getting so many calls? I would’ve thought they’d be monitoring your workload back at the office, like mine. Is something the matter?’
He shook his head. ‘No, nothing at all.’ Despite her assurance, Bea noticed he looked unnerved and that his previously buoyant mood seemed to be deflating.
‘It’s not a problem,’ she said, wishing to alleviate his defensiveness. ‘I was a little worried something might be wrong.’
Tom immediately stopped walking, taking her by surprise. ‘Leave it, Bea,’ he snapped. ‘It’s a few calls, nothing for you to be concerned about.’
She didn’t like his tone, but thought better of arguing with him. After all, it was thanks to him that she was on this enjoyable trip. It wasn’t the calls that bothered her, she mused, so much as his reaction when she had commented on them. ‘Whatever,’ she said. ‘I didn’t mean to pry.’
The following day, after a morning of back-to-back client meetings, she persuaded Tom to leave the paperwork and go with her to the Top of the Rock at the Rockefeller Centre. ‘Look at the view,’ she said, pointing out across Manhattan, past the magnificent Empire State Building from so many films from her childhood, and over to the East and Hudson Rivers, the sunlight glistening gold and yellow above them. She took a couple of photos to show Paul and Shani.
‘I can’t believe you’ve persuaded me to come up seventy floors, never mind that I’m outside. I’m terrified of heights.’
‘You’re doing very well. Try not to think about it,’ she said, taking his hand and leading him over to the other side before he could start to panic. ‘Look over there, isn’t that stunning?’ she asked, as they gazed out over the rectangle of green in the middle of the city. ‘Isn’t Central Park incredible? All that green in the middle of this amazing city!’
‘Damn,’ Tom said, pushing his hand into his pocket and withdrawing his mobile. ‘This phone never stops.’
‘Don’t answer it, then.’ Bea’s initial relief at the sound of his phone receiving a text was instantly replaced by irritation. She knew he would have to read it. She was preparing to say something when her own phone pinged. She locked eyes with Tom. Bea didn’t know who looked more astonished. She turned away from his amused expression to check the message.
‘Luke?’ she said instantly, immediately regretting it.
‘What does he want?’ Tom snapped.
‘He’s asked me to call him as soon as possible,’ she said, unhappy with his question. ‘It must be important.’
‘Funny that,’ Tom said, the sarcasm obvious in his voice.
‘Tom, this is the first time Luke has contacted me, so he’s bound to have a good reason.’
‘Fine, ignore me. I just worry about you getting involved with him, especially since you know what he’s involved in. You should distance yourself from him as much as you can,’ Tom said, texting a reply on his own phone.
‘I haven’t forgotten what you told me,’ she said, wishing she could. It wasn’t Tom’s fault Luke was being investigated, she thought, feeling a little mean for being so annoyed with him. She made the call.
‘Luke,’ she said, walking to the other side of the open space to put some distance between her and Tom. She checked her watch and quickly made a calculation. ‘I’ve just realised it’s ten thirty at night there,’ She said, certain now that there must be something the matter for him to call her that late.
‘Now don’t panic, Bea,’ he said, his calm, deep voice causing her stomach to lurch over. ‘It’s nothing we can’t deal with.’
‘What isn’t?’
‘You have a burst pipe in the main bathroom.’
‘What?’ she said, trying not to panic at the extra cost. ‘How?’
‘The pipes are pretty worn in places. After all,’ he added, ‘the house is nearly a hundred years old, these things happen.’
‘Not on my budget they don’t,’ she said, trying her best to sound light-hearted.
‘Don’t worry about the cost.’
‘That’s easy for you to say,’ she said, swallowing the lump forming in her throat. She knew she shouldn’t have gone away, not when she still had to try and somehow finalise things with Simon.
‘Bea?’ he said, his voice calm.
‘Yes?’ She took a calming breath, unable to help her heart pounding at the thought of having to find the money for another large invoice.
‘You mustn’t worry about it. I can sort this out. I’m just calling to ask if it’s okay to do some exploratory work on your plumbing while you’re away? We don’t want this happening again. It’s a good thing Shani and Paul noticed the problem quickly. If it had happened while they were at work, it could have ended up being very costly, and you don’t want water damage after you’ve finished your renovations.’
‘I don’t want them at all,’ she said. She tried to work out how she could possibly pay for this. She hadn’t even considered any plumbing work and was at the limit of her budget already.
‘You’re worrying,’ he said, his tone gentle. ‘Don’t. It’s fine, really.’
Bea glanced over at Tom. He’d finished his call and was making his way over to her, a fixed expression on his face.
‘Bea?’ Luke’s voice interrupted her thoughts. She trusted him when he said not to worry, which made knowing about his business activities even more upsetting. She wished she was back in Jersey and could see for herself what had happened. ‘Bea, speak to me.’
Tom had almost reached her. She could tell he was in a bad mood and now was no time to have Luke on the line. ‘Sorry, yes. Do whatever you have to. And Luke?’ she added. ‘Thanks for sorting this out for me.’
Luke stared at his phone. She couldn’t wait to hang up, no doubt to carry on enjoying her trip with that creep. He picked up his can of lager and took a mouthful, leaning back against the pillow on his bunk, the rhythmic rocking of the boat failing to soothe his frustration.
‘Tom Brakespear,’ he said, almost spitting out the words. He couldn’t help distrusting that man. How had that jerk ended up in New York with Bea?
He picked up his phone and scrolled down to The Brae’s number.
Shani answered after two rings. ‘Did you speak to her?’ she asked. ‘I hope you didn’t scare her. I don’t want her trying to race back here thinking we can’t sort it. If anyone deserves a break right now, it’s Bea.’
Luke felt better hearing Shani’s dogged determination to look out for her friend. ‘I assured her it was fine. She agreed I could do whatever’s needed, so I’ll come over tomorrow, turn the water back on and start checking the other pipes.’
Shani sighed loudly. ‘Brilliant, thanks. I hope you didn’t mind me phoning, but I didn’t know who else to call, and Bea would have done the same.’
Hearing her words made him feel a little better. It cheered him to think of Bea turning to him in a crisis. ‘No problem. Now don’t worry and I’ll see you in the morning.’
‘Luke?’
‘Shani?’
‘Tom’s not the problem between you two, you know? She probably feels a little guilty.’
Confused by her comment, Luke pushed himself up onto one elbow. ‘What do you mean?’
Shani groaned. ‘Forget I said anything. Night,’ she said, abruptly ending the call.
‘Shani?’ What had she meant by guilty? His mood instantly evaporated.
Almost immediately his phone rang. ‘Shani, what does Bea feel guilty about?’
‘Shani?’ Leilani asked, making him curse for answering so quickly. ‘Isn’t she Bea’s podgy friend?’
‘Don’t be nasty.’
Leilani groaned. ‘Why were you asking about Beatrice being guilty of something?’ she asked, obviously having no intention of being fobbed off.
‘Never mind that,’ he said. ‘Why are you phoning so late?’
‘I was wondering if you needed a little company tonight?’ she suggested, her voice softening. ‘It’s so boring here.’
Luke laughed. As spiteful as Leilani might be sometimes, her diva-like behaviour amused him. She didn’t care if people disliked her, though he much preferred her when she was being generous and funny. ‘You’re staying in a five-star hotel, and they’re treating you like royalty.’
‘So, can I come over?’ she asked, ignoring his comment.
‘No. I’m tired and have to be up early for work. I’ll come over and see you after I’ve finished tomorrow. Maybe we could go for dinner somewhere. You choose, if you like?’
‘I don’t like,’ she said. He could picture her pouting in irritation.
‘’Night, Leilani,’ he said. ‘Sweet dreams.’
Bea drafted the minutes from their meetings and completed as much of the directors’ report as she could. She wanted to check everything was in order and that she had not forgotten to include details of any of the funds the client had discussed with them. Before sending an email to the Jersey office, she went to query Tom about one of the action points and noticed him ending yet another phone call. There was something about his demeanour that made her suspicious, but what? She knew their client was on a flight to Boston, and was certain they had covered everything in the meetings, so was unable to contain her annoyance. She confronted him on their last evening away during a walk towards Central Park. ‘Why so many phone calls?’ she asked, keeping her voice as level as possible.
‘I explained to you already.’ He squeezed her hand lightly before letting it go, as they crossed the road towards the wall of the park.
‘Tom.’ She stopped walking when they reached the entrance, opposite the Dakota building where John Lennon had been murdered. ‘What’s going on? If there’s a problem, I’d like to know. Maybe I can help.’
‘I promise you it’s just the odd hiccup at work. Vanessa’s phoned once or twice to speak to me about stuff, you know, like the children. Stop worrying unnecessarily. Let’s enjoy our last night here.’
They walked on. Bea couldn’t banish the niggling doubt in her mind. She wanted to know what he was hiding and assumed it must be something to do with Vanessa, though why he’d hide anything about her she couldn’t imagine. Maybe he was still embarrassed about Vanessa’s aggressive call to her.
Later, as they returned to the hotel, Tom said ‘You were great in the meetings. I knew you would be. Well done, it’s not easy dealing with some of these clients.’
‘Put in a good word for me at Malory’s and make sure my annual review is brilliant, and I’ll be happy.’
‘I only ever write the truth,’ he said. ‘Though thankfully in your case, it will be very positive.’
Bea looked at him for a moment and decided to keep her thoughts to herself. Pacified, she smiled up at his concerned face. ‘That’s good to know.’
Bea struggled to get comfortable on the return flight to Heathrow, failing to sleep.
‘I don’t want to go back to the real world,’ Tom moaned miserably.
‘Nor me,’ Bea fibbed. She’d loved every second in New York, and was determined to return, hopefully with Shani or Paul, to show them everything she’d experienced, but she was ready to get back to her house. ‘I’m dreading finding out about the burst pipe damage.’
She saw him clench his teeth, no doubt because her comment would remind him of Luke and hoped he didn’t start giving her another lecture about being careful.
After their short flight from Heathrow to Jersey, they shared a taxi, each sat in silence lost in their own private thoughts. Tom helped Bea with her bags when they arrived at her house.
‘You can tell we’re home – the weather’s miserable and damp, unlike the cold crispiness we enjoyed in New York,’ he said, placing her bags onto the doorstep. ‘I’ll give you a call later,’ he promised, getting back into the cab and waving as it drove off. Bea couldn’t help noticing his mobile was already against his ear before the car even reached the turn of her driveway.
14
BARE BRANCHES
‘How the devil are you?’ Paul bellowed, holding her at arm’s length and scrutinising her up and down. ‘Was it only sightseeing that’s put colour in your cheeks?’
‘Yes.’ She punched him playfully on the shoulder.
‘I’m not sure I believe you, but whatever it is, it’s given you a healthy glow.’
‘I don’t know how,’ she groaned. ‘I’m exhausted. The jet lag hasn’t even hit me yet.’
‘Bea,’ Luke said from the top of the stairs.
‘Hi.’ Bea cringed, narrowing her eyes at Paul for not mentioning he was there. ‘I’m on my way up to see the damage.’
‘By the way, we’ve kept our eyes open but neither of us came across anything that could be the Jersey Kiss your aunt mentioned in her will.’
‘Never mind,’ Bea replied. ‘It’s so frustrating. I wish she’d left me some sort of clue.’
‘Me, too.’ Paul frowned. ‘I hate not knowing things. Right, you’d better go and see to your gorgeous builder while I put the kettle on.’ He gave her a quick hug. ‘Leave the case, I’ll sort it out later.’
Bea ran up the stairs, hoping her flushed face had calmed down by the time she entered the bathroom. ‘How’s it going?’
Luke put down a wrench and turned to her. ‘I hope you didn’t panic when I called you?’
Bea didn’t want him to feel badly. ‘No, I was grateful to you for calling.’
‘Fibber,’ he smiled, his penetrating gaze causing Bea’s stomach to do several somersaults.
Bea tried not to laugh. ‘Well, only a little.’
‘Sugar?’ shouted Paul from the bottom of the stairs. ‘I can never remember.’
