Page 10 of Be More Lucy

‘Adam and Eve?’

‘I know! They were obviously made for one another.’ Lucy rolled her eyes.

Em turned into a wide, tree-lined suburban avenue. The satnav announced they’d arrived.

‘Pull in there.’ Lucy indicated a space by the side of the kerb. ‘Perfect. We’ll have a great view of his house from here. It’s that one over there with the dark red door. I checked on street view.’

Em looked across the road to a classic bay-windowed 1930s semi with a large, neatly cut front lawn and herbaceous borders bursting with late summer colour. Whoever lived there had green fingers or could afford to employ someone who did.

‘So he does have another life with a wife?’

‘And at least one child as well. There was a photo of him at the Church Christmas Fair carrying a toddler who looked remarkably like him.’

‘With a bald head and a heavy 5 o’clock shadow?’

Lucy rolled her eyes. ‘You’re not taking this seriously.’

‘Sorry! It all feels a bit extreme. I know you hear about people living double lives, but how’s Adam managing it?’ Em continued. ‘I thought you spent at least one night at his flat most weeks?”

‘I do. He doesn’t own that either, but I wasn’t expecting him to. He told me he’s renting it until he can find his perfect house. I’m starting to think it’s a friend’s, and he borrows it while they’re working away or something. He’s always insistent that I shouldn’t leave anything there. I thought he was afraid of any hint of commitment.’

‘Or he really does live at the flat, and he’s separated from his wife but likes to co-parent at the weekends?’ Em was doing her best to find a simple explanation that meant Lucy hadn’t hooked up with yet another lying waste of space.

‘So why did he tell me he’s never been married and he doesn’t have any kids? Or “none that he knows about” as he said with that annoying blokeish tone. I should’ve run a mile as soon as he uttered those words.’

‘It’s not looking promising.’

‘No, it’s not.’ Lucy looked at her watch. ‘I reckon it will be another ten minutes or so before Adam leaves for tennis if that’s where he’s going.’

‘What shall we do?’ Em suggested.

‘You can tell me how you got on with Jack after Charlotte and I left last night. I’m assuming you’re still together as we’re sitting in his car.’

‘Yes, we’re still together. He said to forget he’d ever asked when I went to him at the bar. Then we carried on dancing as if nothing had happened. But I can’t forget. The more I think about it, the more I think getting married now is a good idea.’

‘But your gut reaction was no?’

‘I know. I think it was a control thing. I’ve enjoyed being in control of my own destiny since I left Connor. I was the one who decided that Jack and I should get together again, then it was me who suggested he moved into my flat, so subconsciously, I think I wanted to be the one who decided when we got engaged.’

‘What are you going to do?’

‘There’s a bottle of champagne in the fridge at home, left over from his book launch. When we get back tonight, I’ll surprise him with a glass of that and suggest we make a toast to becoming Mr & Mrs Carver.’

Lucy brightened up. ‘That should work.’

‘He might change his mind!’

‘I bet he won’t.’

Ten minutes later they were still waiting around. Nothing had moved in the house or the street.

‘My bum’s gone to sleep.’ Lucy shifted uncomfortably in the passenger seat.

‘Heads up! I spy with my little eye something beginning with A.’ Em nodded towards the house.

A man was opening the curtains in the first-floor bay window.

‘Is that Adam?’ Lucy asked. ‘It’s difficult to tell with the reflections in the glass.’

---