Page 10 of This is Where I Leave You

“Ah, Victoria, found it ok did we?”

His eyes crinkled with amusement at the scene. Victoria, in her bra, looking angry, embarrassed and shocked all at the same time. Luke was staring at his father wild-eyed.

“What do you mean Dad, ‘found it ok’? You asked her to come?”

“Yes son, I did,” his dad replied, pouring himself a coffee. “We need some help around here, we will be busy on this project, and I don’t want to be turning work down, that’s just silly, so Victoria here will be joining the team full time. After all, we have the first in the class working here, so why not the second?”

Victoria folded her arms and shot Luke a smug ‘you are stuck with me’ look. Luke was horrified. Oh God Dad, you have to be kidding me, he thought.

The atmosphere was still begging for a knife to cut it when his dad piped up.

“First rule of business though, Vic dear, we do wear full office gear here. Apart from naked Fridays of course!” He laughed at his own witty remark.

Victoria flushed and covered her modesty with her ruined sweater.

Luke covered his head with his hands and slammed his forehead onto his desk.

CHAPTER 12

“Hello, Cady, can you hear me?”

Cady’s cheek was freezing. She could feel the cold running icy fingers through her body, replacing the previous hot, clammy feeling with an even worse chilly, goose bump feeling. She shivered.

“Cady, Cady dear, are you ok?” There was that voice again, she thought. What do you want, little voice? Leave me alone, eh, jog on and bother someone else. It might be a bit cold here, but it was quite nice. I could just stay here, be quite happy, peaceful. Trudy. Oh yes, the voice was Trudy. Then it all came screaming back. She was in the clinic. She must have passed out. Oh Christ, she did, she passed out! And she had a disease. The woman had been just about to tell her. Trenchfoot of the vagina. Galloping piaka of the flaps. Oh..no. She thought of last time, the itch, the burning when she peed. The knowing look on the nurse’s face when she had a peek down south. She silently cursed Richard. I hope his dick rots off, she said in her own head. Oh..of course, it would now..he was dead. She moaned slightly. Things were so messed up.

“Get me a glass of water please, Ange, I think she’s coming round,” Trudy said. Cady peeked out from behind one eyelid.

Trudy smiled at her, another woman with red curly hair and a glass of water in her long gold painted talons by her side. Angie smiled at her, placed the water on the desk and left discreetly.

Cady sat up slowly. “I am so sorry,” she said, making an attempt to sort out her hair before she remembered it was a frizz bombed rain soaked birds nest. She chuckled at the hilarity of it all, and then she started to cry. Trudy patted her arm, and this was her undoing. She erupted into choking retching sobs, and it all spilled out, Richard’s affairs, her devastation, his leaving her. She did not tell her about his death, about the accident, she just couldn’t think about that yet, let alone put it into words to tell someone else. She cried and cried, until she was a snuffling wreck on the chilly tiled floor. Trudy was nodding and rubbing her back with her hand, just as Priscilla did. Why did people do this? Cady wondered in passing. It was nice though, oddly soothing and mumsy.

Trudy passed her a tissue. “Feeling better now, hun?” she said kindly.

“Cady smiled and blew her nose. “Yes I do thanks,” she got up and they both sat back in their chairs. “You can tell me Trudy, what do I have?”

Trudy looked nonplussed for a second. “Have?”

Cady frowned, wiping ineffectually with a clean tissue at her panda eyes. “Er, yes, you said that something showed up?”

“Ah,” Trudy said, pursing her lips. “Well, in light of the situation, with what you just told me…can I call someone to be here with you, pick you up?”

Cady twigged. “Oh God! I have Aids, haven’t I! That’s why you want someone here! It’s bad, isn’t it!” Cady fought against the pinprick of tears forming in her eyes and looked pleadingly at Trudy. “Just tell me, please.”

Trudy shook her head vigorously. “It’s not Aids, we can’t tell that from a urine sample, you would need a blood test. But there is something.” Biting her lip, she paused. “Cady, you’re pregnant. And, I suspect anaemic but your GP and midwife will sort that out sharpish.”

Cady gawped at her, sucking air like a fish out of water. “I’m what!?”

Marcus picked up his office phone and dialled out; slamming it back down before it connected. Massaging his temple with his broad fingers he banged his fist on his desk. Damn it, he couldn’t get that kiss out of his head. It was driving him crazy, he wanted to be with her, helping her, supporting her but he knew that now it would be confusing and might make Cady feel worse about her new situation as a widow. He loved Richard dearly, they had been mates for years, right from being fresh faced hopefuls studying and partying together through university and Marcus had been chuffed to bits when Richard had told him his dad was looking for a solicitor within his firm. It had all worked out so well, till he met Cady. And he did meet Cady first. In the Barristers bar, knocking back pints one Friday night after a particularly ball busting week at work, and this girl had walked in with her mates. She was beautiful. Marcus clocked her straightaway and sat watching mesmerised. This girl was something else, she came in giggling with her mates in a figure hugging cream shift dress, simple heels and an amazing smile. She was up for a laugh too, giggling away with her mates, egging them on to order shots. Marcus drained his pint and stood up to make his introductions, when Richard came out of the toilet, strode to the bar and pretty much just asked her straight out. He was all charms as usual, Richard could be funny back then, and he cracked jokes and soon won her girl friends over, and that was that. Marcus was left in the sidelines while they chatted away, seemingly oblivious to their respective entourages. It turned out she worked for Abbott and Mansell, a rival firm and her legal secretary mates proceeded to cop off, one by one, with the ridiculously grateful and normally reserved solicitors from his firm. When Richard eventually kissed Cady, much later, on the nightclub dancefloor while their work mates cavorted together around them, Marcus gave up all hope of making his move and proceeded to get extremely pissed instead. So now here they were, her a widow, and him as in love with her as ever. Bad timing was the understatement that poked in his mind continually. When would their time be though? Would there be a time now? Considering the option of having Cady as a friend or nothing at all, Marcus would always choose friend. If he could get more eventually, then all the better, but not having her at all made his stomach turn. Picking up the phone, he dialled the number and twirling the cord around his fingers till his skin went white, he held his breath. It rang out, out, out. Damn, machine picked up. Exhaling quickly, he left a message. “Hi Cady, it’s me, er Marcus. Listen, I just wanted to check if you were ok so please, call me ok? Thanks, and it’s Marcus, call me. Thanks. Hope you are ok. Bye bye,” The machine cut him off, signalling the end of his rambling. Marcus put down the phone and cringed. Smooth move, Marcus, he chided himself. What a douche. He threw his pen at the office door in frustration, only for it to open and the biro to hit Angela in the face.

“Ouch! Marcus!”

“Shit, sorry!” Marcus jumped to his feet, forcing his swivel chair back against his bookcase. Angela rubbed her nose and scooped to pick the pen up.

“Bad day?”

Marcus looked sheepish and smoothed his rumpled clothes down. “Er, something like that, bad month I think.”

“Oh, not all bad I hope,” she said playfully. “Lunch?”

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