Page 80 of Be More Lucy

‘Thanks. And I wasn’t having a dig at you. How is the dining room looking in ditzy magnolia or whatever colour you went for?’

‘It’s Alluring Lily, and it’s looking great. Just one more coat to do. Look, if you’re concerned about Mark, why don’t you phone him back and ask him outright who he’s visiting? You don’t want a repeat of the Gabriella incident.‘

‘Ok. I will in a bit. I better have something to eat first after your diagnosis. I’ll leave you to your painting.’

Lucy hung up and walked over to the fridge. It wasn’t exactly bursting at the seams. The rest of the bottle of prosecco was in the fridge door next to a half-full bottle of milk and a dried-up lump of cheese well past its use-by date. A punnet of slimy mushrooms lay in the salad drawer. They must be left over from that recipe she’d failed to find time to make three weeks ago. She binned the mushrooms and decided to get a takeout.

Lucy plucked the Chinese menu off the fridge and phoned through her usual order. Half an hour to wait.

It was getting dark outside. She drew the curtains, put on the television and started channel hopping.

She skipped past a soap with a couple arguing about the man’s affair with another woman and a documentary about promiscuity among chimps. She settled on a quiz. No reminders of potential infidelities there. The camera focused on the host. ‘Our final question of this round is “What did 17th-century actresses Nell Gwyn and Moll David have in common?”’ A bespectacled man who looked like a much older version of Josh pressed his buzzer. ‘They were both mistresses of Charles II.’

For God’s sake!Lucy switched off the television just as the doorbell rang.

Great. The takeout delivery was early for a change. She pressed the intercom button.

‘Delivery for Lucy Thomas.’ The driver spoke in what sounded like a bad impression of a Black Country accent. Something about his shape looked familiar, but he had his hood up, and the video feed was never that great at dusk. He was carrying a food order, though.

She buzzed him up and opened the door.

The man who appeared at the top of the stairs was instantly recognisable.

‘Adam!’ What was the hell was he doing here? ‘How the mighty have fallen,’ she said. ‘From senior accountant to takeout delivery man in less than four months.’

‘I’m not being paid for this!’ He sounded outraged, then tried to look pleasant. ‘I thought I’d surprise you on your birthday. I bring food and flowers.’ He handed over a bag of take-out containers and produced a small bunch of red carnations from behind his back.

‘Well, you’ve definitely surprised me,’ Lucy said. ‘Isn’t your wife going to be wondering where you are?’’

‘No. We’ve split up.’

‘She found out about your cheating ways, did she?’

‘She was having an affair with the scoutmaster while I was away during the week.’

Lucy couldn’t help smirking. Karma. ‘Good for her.’

‘Thanks for the sympathy.’

‘You were seriously expecting me to be sympathetic? And your Tuesday woman? What happened to her? Let’s face it, Tuesday wasn’t my night when we were together.’

‘She moved to London.’

‘Has she really? Or have you promoted her to Wednesdays?’

‘I thought you might be pleased to see me now I’m single again.’ He seemed genuinely surprised that she hadn’t welcomed him with open arms. ‘I’m really sorry about lying to you. My marriage was a nightmare. I needed to find solace in another woman’s arms.’

He grabbed her hand and looked imploringly at her like a puppy in an RSPCA advert. ‘Lucy, I love you. I’ll do anything you want if you’ll take me back.’

‘Anything?’

‘Yes, anything.’

‘Adam. The only thing I want is for you to disappear from my life. I could never love you, not after all the deceit.’

The doorbell rang again. Hopefully, the real takeaway this time.

‘Adam. Please go.’ Lucy shoved the flowers and takeout bag into his hands and opened her front door.

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